novelraw Chapter 353 - 352 - Indulgence Ends
Chapter 353 - 352 - Indulgence Ends
Kexin felt her vision cloud for a moment. Her family had already been through a bloodbath when Yor ascended over 55 years ago. Her survival was a mystery after she emerged from the formations that bought her more time.
While they worked, she essentially was protected as to interfere in such formations had drastic downsides that could backlash to the person picking them apart. When she emerged, her father was dead and all by 1 sibling.
She expected to die, yet was allowed to go to the Moebius Sect with her close followers. Those made up the core of the Demon Hall administrative personnel 20 years later.
Even after all of that, she knew it was not only her niece Valkyrie was referring to. Yor and the other demons that ascended were in the Floating Isles. While there was no official power of the Demon Empire there, the clans banded together under the royals that came up later.
There were several powers up there but the Demon Empire was quashed to only the lower realm by the various powers up there as demons were harshly suppressed. Kexin knew all of it from her lessons growing up but still thought perhaps things had changed with Darkmoor Kingdom and now her Demon Hall but Valkyrie clearly despised being in the same room with her.
"May I ask why I am not being killed, senior?" It was well within her power but Valkyrie glanced at her right breast. Kexin was confused, why would the Moebius Sect, a powerful lower world sect, but had no presence in the Floating Isles to shield her, be able to protect her?
"The 'guest elder' Frey has made quite the changes in his short life. Not least of which was marrying 3 powerful members of my sect. They are highly respected and always attribute their impressive abilities to modifying their Arts and techniques with his influence." Valkyrie seemed even more displeased by the admission.
Kexin did not understand.
Lind had made a point of favoring the Maidens for all they had done for him. He returned their favor many times over, and instructed their own disciples outside of the Moebius Sect long before it was even founded.
The Heavenly Maiden Sect was the only real rival in elixir creation in the lower world.
All of the benefits and Lind had never once asked for a favor or price to her knowledge. Even rumors abounded that his marriage to 3 Maidens was all a payment to him but any that knew Lind Frey would deny that vehemently.
The meat heads of Divine Sword Sect were some of the more vocal about crushing that rumor. They normally did not lift a finger for anyone outside their sect unless on a mission or part of their personal code.
"I do not understand. Master Frey–" A flash of aura made Kexin's bones creak. That woman was far too strong!
"I have no time for politics. I have come simply because I do not want a misunderstanding. I, of all people, must cater to a junior. This humiliation is bad enough but he seems obsessed with overturning the established order!" Anger actually seemed to physically manifest as Valkyrie spoke.
Kexin understood at last. Lind had made such connections and had proven his progress to a level even the Floating Isles could not ignore. He was a Heaven grade 5 elixir master and Forger.
That was something very important but no envoy had ever come aside from Starfire House once he returned to the sect. It had not been deeply looked into but Valkyrie's reactions made Kexin think there was a bigger deal in the background than anyone knew.
"If you are stating you are here to destroy the Empress Resha, I do not think you will find much objection, but if you mean you are here to wipe out the Blood Empire. You will fail." Kexin shivered as the soft pink eyes became daggers trying to shred her in her seat!
Still, Kexin had struggled to cultivate all her life and the pain she endured was many orders of magnitude greater than others in the Demon Soul Realm. She did not look away despite clearly suffering. An almost approving nod came after a while.
"That man seems to have guided you well. Now, explain yourself quickly child. I have a schedule to keep." Valkyrie clearly had a limited window to work with but she would not need long to wipe out any continent let alone a single power.
"You are here as a courtesy to avoid a misunderstanding about your next actions. If that is your concern, then you cannot wipe out the Blood Empire in its entirety." A sharp look made Kexin get to her point. "Noble heads of house and likely their heirs, powerful Clans, and any individual of great strength would be impossible to stop you, but there are many innocents inside those dark lands."
A scoff made Kexin frown but she summoned a necklace she kept in her storage ring. It was the lowest quality of ring but she would never trade it.
Valkyrie took the silver necklace that was inscribed with a beautiful array. The formation was long dead but the quality was clear to even a novice. As if it was nothing, Valkyrie forced her Qi into it and the formation flared briefly before the runes broke that made it up.
"A legacy memory from your mother?" Kexin nodded as Valkyrie examined the now open pendant at the heart of the necklace. It was a historical record and Kexin knew what it outlined.
The Blood Empire had once been a far more vicious place where it was not uncommon for small wars to break out between nobles and clans. Even in the present that happened but it took far more to trigger it.
The glow of Qi made Kexin tear up as it could never be recovered after today. Still, it would make her point.
"Your mother chose to be with your father on the condition he stopped planning for the war?" Kexin slowly nodded. The successors since the last war had done nothing but prepare for a massive resurgence.
The truth was her father was nearly ready when the unexpected happened. Lind Frey changed the world and caused a flow of experts to increase their strength, including demons.
Kexin's mother was once part of Darkmoor Kingdom. Just as demons left the Blood Empire, some went to the Empire from Darkmoor.
Lind's theories were always going to leak eventually but Kexin's mother was one of the nobles close to the then crown Prince Ryu. Because of his siblings being far less honorable, they implicated Ryu's allies.
Kexin's mother was spared at his insistence as they had once been close friends. Ryu was well known to not ask for much in his life as Crown Prince, thus it did cost him a lot for that moment of mercy from his mother.
Prince Po thought he had won at last but then was forced to fight in the arena to the death against Ryu. The Queen had no time for petty games in her court.
The result of it all was Kexin's mother going to the Blood Empire due to her former family enemies circling. The Blood Empire was very interested in the knowledge she possessed so she was taken in by the Emperor.
Unlike expectations, however, the Emperor seemed keen to listen and had agreed to her conditions. The reason, kept in the pendant, was because Darkmoor knew what would happen if the Empire waged war.
"So, he knew. What is the point of you showing me this?" Kexin sighed as she formally stood up and then bowed to Valkyrie.
"I beg your continued indulgence for the innocent of the Blood Empire." Her 75 years had seen massive changes in the Empire. It still was ruled by the strong but it was not as easy to abuse the weak like before.
Petty plays by nobles were punished severely until Kexin went into the formations. When it was discovered she was the first demon 6 elemental, her father had taken it as a sign from the Heavens he was on the right path.
She had no idea what happened while she was inside but whatever it was it included her mother's death with everyone else she had known.
The sound of metal snapping made Kexin snap her head up to see the pendant turned into dust.
"Pathetic. I don't know what your mother and father saw in you, but I will spare you as they requested. You clearly did not understand the Blood Empire, but they did." Kexin was shocked at her words but then the wings appeared once more.
"W-what do you mean?" How did Valkyrie know her parents? Kexin thought it was for Lind Frey alone she was spared?
"I am done, little girl. While I am surprised you knew, it only wasted some time. Your empire dies today." Golden light lit up the room before Valkyrie vanished.
"NO!" The fleeting memories of young children of demons, aether children, and humans came to her. They were not all culpable for the actions of her niece! There were slaves taken in against their will. There were so many that were going to die that need not!
"What is this? Why did you encourage Yor to re-enact the plan?" Kexin spoke to the empty room as the glittering bits of metal sparkled on the floor. The precious gift from her mother was gone and it was all for nothing.
She had hoped to prove Yor and Resha had betrayed her father's plans but Valkyrie did not care. In fact, she seemed to know already!
The cultivation world was cruel but family was far crueler when it wanted to be. A secret had been kept from her and now many innocents would die.
A flash of Lind Frey smiling at her in the Demonic Nurturing Cavern came to her. Hope bloomed suddenly as she closed her eyes and simply begged the spirits to convey her wish to the one man she believed in anymore.
"Please, stop her Lind Frey!" She prayed to the spirits but knew it was up to fate.
⬧⬧⬧⬧
The Demon Empire had spanned over a third of the Rith Continent. It had housed millions of beings across the stratum of the lower mortal world.
It was now on fire as many had died from a single being's arrival. She had not even attacked, only appeared in their sky and the ripple caused formations to shatter. Buildings crumbled and lives were extinguished without even a thought given to them.
"So fragile. Mortal Realms are so pathetic." Valkyrie floated over the tiny country. She had only a little time left so she did not waste it.
Golden lightning gathered on her hand but then it vanished! She was surprised as she tried again and it dispersed just as quickly. She did not understand why her power was not working.
"You can keep trying that, but it will not work." A voice came from above before a distortion appeared. Valkyrie narrowed her eyes as the man was very familiar to her, but also so was his flying artifact.
"You look remarkably well, Junior Frey. You also are able to use that Immortal Artifact with some skill. How you can do that I would love to know but more importantly, how are you affecting me at all?" Lind Frey smiled down at her but there was no warmth in it.
"I am afraid I am the least of your problems. The window for you being here is quite short and your phoenix blood can only hold on for so long." Actual surprise flared on her face that time. She had heard Lind Frey was always studying records but the odds of a mortal knowing her race at a glance was near impossible.
"Did your pet dragon tell you about my kind?" Lind's face only became colder but then he smirked.
"Actually, you are not far wrong. She would like to talk to you." Valkyrie was confused. Ethry was now a tier 2 Sky Realm so she was not able to descend. Her race memories were still mostly sealed and she had no elders to guide her.
A sudden spike in aura flared across not only Rith but the entire world. The rumble of thunder could be heard but Valkyrie was the one causing it as she instinctively tried to summon her Art yet nothing came.
"A Golden Plume Phoenix bloodline. Not bad, but hardly impressive little girl." A massive creature appeared with a wingspan that seemed to cover the world. It had massive horns that branched back as its long neck swung to look down on her.
"A dragon!" Valkyrie felt fear for the first time in her life and knew what she faced was far above her in strength. How was it here? What was going on?