Archfiend

Gowers withdrew his crossbow and pointed it at Xu Yangyi like a gun.

“Bang,” he said, and afterwards he blew on the crossbow and turned into a streak of golden light, storming away down below.

“Mister.” Jenny looked at Xu Yangyi with seemingly deep meaning. “New York isn’t China. You… would do best to exercise a little restraint. Otherwise, I guarantee that it’ll be hard for you to continue living here.”

Finished speaking, she lifted her leg and took a stride away. A golden steed immediately appeared. Her way of leaving was different from Gowers. She was simply a gorgeous arrival on stage, dazzling as a curtain call. Wherever she went, only a sky of white spirit feathers were left behind.

“Interesting.” Xu Yangyi watched her back, rubbed his chin, and murmured, “Her realm isn’t as high as Gowers, but she makes me feel that she isn’t weaker than him… Is it she herself, or an item that she’s carrying? No… is it her magik treasure? A magik treasure that can threaten Core Formation?”

Briefly pondering to himself, he stowed his gaze and looked towards the direction that Gowers left.

“That guy was strong… Is that a devil-hunter? The ones usually seen on TV and movies? He’s excessively strong… but my spiritual sense tells me that he can’t kill me. I…” He balled his fists. “Am just as strong!”

This was self-confidence.

Again and again, he had survived Core Formation masters and old monsters that surpassed Core Formation. Step after step, he became even stronger. As he’d said, his cultivation until now didn’t forget his original intent, but his ultimate goal was no longer truly revenge.

He wanted to see what was at the end of cultivation’s extreme.

He wanted to see whether or not legendary immortals actually existed.

After mumbling to himself for a short moment, he turned into a streak of azure light and shot straight to the ground.

Stomp… His figure was illusory. In an instant, he crossed through many walls and landed in the meeting place.

The inside was already a sea of blood, but two people hadn’t moved. Instead, they kneeled in the blood sea, shivering non-stop.

The surrounding sea of blood caused them to vomit, but neither of them left. They shakily kneeled at their original positions. They didn’t even dare to lift their heads.

“I, Warren Tullius, hereby express my sincere apology to Your Highness!!!”

Just as Xu Yangyi’s foot fell to the floor, Warren, whose face was as white as a ghost, quickly scrambled over. Xu Yangyi apathetically brushed him over and eye. The young man’s suit seemed to be Armani, custom and handmade. Still, Warren didn’t care at all at this moment. His dark suit was soaked in blood stains, and he crawled over on his knees like so.

“Please allow me to represent the Tullius Family and convey my sincere apology.” Warren didn’t dare to say anything. Everyone had a clear front-view seat to the scene just a little while ago. He also knew that this man truly was a Marquis! A bonafide Marquis!

Furthermore… this man was unreasonably strong! The Dracul’s two direct descendants, their overseer, and the Night Bats… The devil-hunters’ overseer and the legendary devil-hunter Gowers… Any one of them could create a fatal threat to the Tullius family. They were only a small character that relied on the western supremacy that was the House of Dracul!

If said that the Dracul and the Corvinus were twin kings in consideration of seniority, then they were at most character A! They virtually didn’t dare to offend such a strong cultivator! If his grandfather knew that he’d provoked Xu Yangyi, he would definitely be slapped away at light speed!

“Sorry…” he said with difficulty, his lips kissing Xu Yangyi’s army boots. He stammered out in irregular Chinese, “Dui… wu… qi…” [1]

“Alright.” Xu Yangyi pulled his foot back. He had reached Foundation Establishment in the Clearcloud Realm, always cultivating in seclusion from beginning to end. But even now, he still wasn’t fully used to a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s mentality. He sat down on a sofa and said in an apathetic voice, “I have some questions.”

“Please speak.” Warren was devoid of his prior arrogance. Kneeling on the ground, he didn’t even dare to raise his head.

“Stand up and sit down.” Xu Yangyi raised his chin.

Warren didn’t dare to.

Xu Yangyi didn’t make things difficult. He contemplated, poured himself a cup of alcohol, and said deeply, “What’s the partition of western powers and the power system divide?”

“Yes… America’s strongest families are the Corvinus and the Dracul. On the surface, they each have two Grand Dukes, about 200 or 300 Marquises, and 10,000 Counts… oh… Your Highness, forgive my indiscretion, but according to eastern cultivation ranks, Qi Condensation is equal to Count, Foundation Establishment is equal to Marquis, and as for Grand Duke… that is the level of a supreme Core Formation cultivator…”

Xu Yangyi’s gaze stirred.

What an astonishing number!

The vampires and lycans were worthy to be millennia-old families. In the End of Days, such power was almost equal to China’s super apex clans.

An example was China’s Seven Noble Lineages. Only the top three and bottom four families possessed such terrifying strength.

“I’ve looked down on the western cultivation world a little…” Xu Yangyi mumbled to himself as his hand traced his sparkling wine glass. He pondered and said, “I was too unruly here. I would definitely die here as long as these two families willed it, even with my strength. That’s not to speak of two Grand Duke-rank cultivators; they’re already standing at the world’s summit. But even if these two clans had no Core Formation cultivators, they certainly have Core Formation magik treasures… It wouldn’t be hard for them to instantly wipe me out…”

Before he even finished thinking, Warren shakily continued, afraid that he hadn’t explained clearly. “The Dracul and the Corvinus have strict internal division. In reality, the Tullius Family relies on the Dracul for protection. The Dracul’s division is somewhat clearer. They’re separated into four levels based on being bitten.”

“Oh?” Xu Yangyi became interested. “Talk.”

“Yes! I follow your bidding!” When Warren heard the present lack of killing intent in Xu Yangyi’s voice, he was so excited that the almost cried out in happiness. Forcibly restraining his joy on his second chance at life, he said nervously, “His Highness Dracula should still be alive…”

Xu Yangyi’s gaze flashed. If Dracula was still alive… perhaps he was a super powerhouse on Xiaoqing’s level!

“The House of Dracul didn’t hide it from us. They even said… that their ancestor is waiting on something… The Corvinus’s ancestor is probably still alive too… The entire western cultivation world knows these two points.”

“First Bitten is the House of Dracul’s differentiation boundary. The present two Grand Dukes are First Bitten. Next is the Second Bitten. This is first level below the top of the Dracul’s pyramid. There might not even be more than ten of them… and then there are the Third Bitten. There are slightly more of them, about over fifty people. And then the entire of House of Dracul, the pureblood vampires are about sixty-two people or so…”

“Your Highness, in the West, those who kill others might not be investigated. You know, sir, if each family wants to attack such a powerful Marquis as you, they have to consider the contrast of outcomes and benefits… This is a family, not a single person. But… if you kill a pureblood vampire…”

“In that case, they’ll fight to the death?” Xu Yangyi pursed his drink to his mouth and said calmly.

Warren and Danny shared a glance, nodding their heads covered in cold sweat.

“The Corvinus are the same too?”

“Yes, Your Highness… they’re divided according to the level of the moon. On the night of a full moon, a lycan of the highest purity born together with the greatest valor receives their primogenitor’s blessing, thus becoming a Full Moon lycan. There are also two lycan Grand Dukes presently. Next is Half Moon, and after that is Waning Moon… This young one is unaware of how many there are… but the amount absolutely wouldn’t be too much greater than the Dracul’s Purebloods…”

Xu Yangyi set down his glass and narrowed his eyes. He didn’t look at Warren, but rather at Danny.

“I’m giving you a question.” He smiled. “A question on resourcefulness.”

“If you answer correctly, I’ll let you live.”

“Your Honorable Highness!!! Your Absolute Highness!!!” Danny heard these words and nearly cursed. He abruptly brought his head to the ground. “I-I don’t know a thing! Your Highness! I-I don’t have any ideas about leaking your whereabouts! I beseech you, sir!”

“Seeing me is your original sin.” Xu Yangyi looked into his glass without any pity. “Maybe you can let me make a soul contract with you, then I can let you live.”

Danny began to tremble from head to toe.

A soul contract… was to take out his spiritual sense. It was like Li Zongyuan and Mao Ba’er back then. With a mere thought, Xu Yangyi could twist him between life and death, without any further possibility to escape.

“Yes… Yes… I-I’m willing to make a soul contract… please…”

“But my soul contract isn’t something anyone has the qualifications to make,” Xu Yangyi uttered, “Answer my question. It’s simple. Since these events have happened in New York, what will the government do?”

Danny was dazed.

This question was his expertise. A person like him was a little guy hanging around many haunts in the city. He was a jack of all trades and a master of none… He was itching to slap himself. If he knew earlier it was this kind of question then there was no need for him to agree to a soul contract!

But… could he back out?

Even if he had ten times more courage he didn’t dare to!

“Your Honorable Highness… t-tomorrow, New York’s government will lock down this meeting place. Afterwards, they’ll publish… publish something like homicidal lunatics rushed into the bar and killed a lot of people… In a-any case, creatures outside of humanity… can’t stir things up… Oh, that’s right!” He paused, seemingly thinking of something, and lifted his head. Afterwards though, he quickly lowered his head in fear, “The government… might look for you tomorrow… as well as… as well as… people from the Corvinus…”

Xu Yangyi didn’t reply. He leaned against the sofa and tapped the table in front of him like he was playing a piano. He began to contemplate.

Yes… he had reached Foundation Establishment in the Clearcloud Realm. In China, even an initial Foundation Establishment cultivator could presently control a city. New York’s government would definitely come, regardless of whether because his identity was unclear or because his intent was. As for the Corvinus…

Naturally they would rope him in.

He didn’t care about joining the Corvinus. If he didn’t understand the concept of borrowing another’s authority, then he was still too stupid. He had already offended a major player in the West. Since he had seen something he shouldn’t have, not making good relations with the other major player couldn’t be called bravery. It could only be called a death wish.

Still… he gazed at Warren and said calmly, “Which family in the West is the biggest cultivation drug manufacturer?”

“T-That’s my Tullius Family…” Warren’s heart tightened and he immediately answered.

Xu Yangyi rubbed his chin and flicked a paper bag into Warren’s pocket. He said several seconds later, “Never mind. Have your elder come see me tomorrow. In addition, prepare a hotel. I want to rest.”

“Yes… no problem…” Warren almost cursed. Xu Yangyi spoke lightly, but… he was someone who attacked two of the Dracul’s purebloods and their borough overseer! If Warren’s grandfather went to see Xu Yangyi now…

Wasn’t this telling the Dracul that the Tullius Family wanted to rebel?!

On no uncertain terms, this was the tempo of courting death!

1. Warren is trying to say 对不起 (Sorry in Chinese).