Desolate Era (Book 25 - Book 27)

Ning was stunned. An immediate apology, followed by fifty thousand cubes of chaos nectar?

Ning knew that this person was a black-armored Daolord, one who had reached that level only thanks to a Pseudo Samsara Pill. The man wasn’t exactly wealthy. The fifty thousand cubes probably didn’t represent all of his wealth, but it definitely would sting.

Ning glanced at the bracelet, in no hurry to accept it.

This branch leader had first tried to kill Su Youji, then tried to kill Ning himself. Even though Ning had dominated so many World-level cultivators and nearly breached the main palace, the man had refused to bow his head and insisted on keeping the grand restrictive formation active, preventing Ning from leaving in the hopes that his big brother would arrive. By now, Ning had an extremely deep urge to kill. Was he supposed to just write it all off due to a small token of compensation?

Although Ning wasn’t able to do anything to the branch leader now that Daolord Batdragon was here, Ning wasn’t willing to accept the bracelet. Accepting it meant accepting that this matter was resolved.

The rage that had built up in Ning’s breast after a full day of combat was not going to be quenched so easily.

“Swear a lifeblood oath right now.” After delivering the bracelet, Daolord Batdragon turned to glare at the Eastsmoke leader. “Within a thousand years, you must travel to Hydragon Mountain and spend a hundred chaos cycles there as a miner. I can see that you’ve completely let being the Eastsmoke leader go to your head. You’ve completely forgotten the proper way to behave. Go mine and get your thoughts straight!”

“Mine for a hundred chaos cycles?” The Eastsmoke leader was instantly furious. “Big brother!” A look of rage and resentment was on his face.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said? Swear the lifeblood oath right away!” Daolord Batdragon roared.

The Eastsmoke leader was furious as well. “Big brother, why should we be afraid of this brat? So what if he is a member of the Twelve-”

WHAP!!!!!

Daolord Batdragon delivered another heavy slap. This time, the Eastsmoke leader was injured even more heavily than last time. He was smashed into the nearby wall by this palm, completely staining it in his blood. The Eastbranch leader slowly slid down the wall. He stared at his big brother.

Daolord Batdragon, seeing the look on his face, instantly sent a furious mental message. “Do you think I would ever do anything to hurt you?!”

The Eastsmoke leader slowly began to come to his senses, but he truly didn’t understand. He sent back, “But big brother, why?! He’s just a World-level cultivator. Giving him fifty thousand cubes of chaos nectar is already giving him more face than he deserves. And you are going to send me off to mine for a hundred chaos cycles? Mining in Hydragon Mountain is an extremely arduous, boring life. Although it is fairly safe, it will sometimes be dangerous.”

As the Eastsmoke branch leader, he knew a great deal about the legendary Hydragon Mountain.

Hydragon Mountain wasn’t located in the Brightshore Kingdom. It was one of the dangerous zones that was located elsewhere in the Endless Territories. However, the Brightshore Kingdom had taken complete control over it! Combat was forbidden within Hydragon Mountain, making it an extremely safe place, but Hydragon Mountain itself would occasionally give birth to some dangerous things and places. Even when that happened, the miners would still have to go mine. Thus, there were occasionally a few casualties, albeit extremely rare.

“And with you here, big brother, he’s not able to do a damn thing to me. You also belong to the Twelve Palaces!” The Eastsmoke leader sent mentally.

“You idiot.” Daolord Batdragon explained, “Yes, both of us are members of the Twelve Palaces, but… it isn’t the same.”

Daolord Batdragon looked at his little brother. “Look. I made my breakthrough because I used a Pseudo Samsara Pill. I’m a black-armored Daolord, the lowest-ranked type of Daolord in the Twelve Palaces.” Daolord Batdragon began to mentally explain some of the hidden secrets pertaining to the Twelve Palaces. “The Twelve Palaces have some truly horrifying Daolords who are so strong that many of the other organizations in the Endless Territories are terrified of them. Do you think they have the same level of status as me, someone who relied on a Pseudo Samsara Pill to become a Daolord of the First Step and who will never make any more advancements?”

“But he’s still not able to do anything to you, big brother.” The Eastsmoke leader was beginning to understand, but he remained a bit stubborn.

“Wrong.” Daolord Batdragon sent mentally, “You don’t get it. Members of the Twelve Palaces are forbidden from fighting amongst each other, but if an enormous grudge somehow results from something, palace members are generally expected to go through mediation first! If the mediation fails, then the result will be a duel to the death!”

“Ah!” The Eastsmoke leader instantly grew excited. He sent mentally, “Then he should be afraid of you, right? How could he be a match for you in a duel to the death?”

“Wrong again. I’m a black-armored Daolord who only reached this level due to a Pseudo Samsara Pill. How can I be qualified to force him into a duel to the death?” Daolord Batdragon sent mentally, “Generally speaking, the Palace Lords or Vice Palace Lords of the Twelve Palaces are the ones responsible for mediation. Do you think I would dare to reject what their ruling is? I have no future prospects and my position is low… but this Darknorth was given direct entry to the Twelve Palaces at the World level. His future prospects are unlimited! Once he makes his breakthrough, he will quickly reach the power level of a Daolord of the Second Step. In fact, he might become even stronger than that.”

Daolord Batdragon shook his head. “People like me generally end up was retainers to more powerful Daolords. All we are… are servants.” Daolord Batdragon sighed. “Little brother, you need to understand that in the Twelve Palaces, people like me are looked down upon due to having used Pseudo Samsara Pills. The only reason the other Daolords are somewhat courteous to me is because I am Daolord Bluegrace’s retainer, and they wish to give him face.”

“Ah?!” The Eastsmoke leader was amazed. He knew none of this, because his big brother rarely discussed matters pertaining to the Twelve Palaces with him.

“It makes sense. People like us will never make any more breakthroughs, which is why we chose to use Pseudo Samsara Pills. To then advance from the First Step to the Second Step as a Daolord? Absolutely impossible.” Daolord Batdragon sent mentally, “That’s why I wanted to try and resolve matters between you and him. Otherwise… even though he can’t kill you, once he becomes a Daolord he’ll have plenty of ways to deal with you.”

Daolord Batdragon suddenly asked, “Oh, right. What exactly is the problem between the two of you?”

“To be honest, it is because he has a retainer known as the Flamefairy…” The Eastsmoke leader didn’t dare to lie to his big brother. He honestly revealed the entire affair to him.

“You imbecile. He was actually able to use his godsense to crush the godsenses of more than three hundred World-level cultivators? Even the Twelve Palaces are rarely able to recruit World-level cultivators of such power. How could you possibly be so reckless as to offend a freak like him?” Daolord Batdragon was once again enraged by what he was hearing. “But let’s put that aside from now. He furiously attacked the formation and was able to break through seven of the eight barriers protecting the main palace. Given how strong he was, what you should’ve done was just cancel the restrictive formation and let him leave! But you insisted on forcing him to fight with you for a full day and night. Also… did he really attack for a full day and night without resting?”