Returning to the Mysterious Era

Chapter 142 - Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect

Ten minutes later, Cassius got what he wanted. What started as a casual question unexpectedly yielded some very valuable information. Terrified of death and evidently still just a child, the young Blood Race was interrogated into spilling everything. And, of course, the information was related to the Blood Race of Shire County.

Firstly, the Blood Race in Shire County was a vast and powerful force, consisting of both direct and branch lines. Rumored to be one of their birthplaces, the Alphama mountains held extraordinary significance, with the Blood Race across the northern region of the Hongli Federation having some connections to that place.

The direct lineage of the Blood Race that were active specifically in the western Shire County's Bright Mountain City and Mirror Lake City were different from ordinary vampires. Those vampires could not only wield various blood arts but also undergo a bloodline transformation, morphing into massive, bloodthirsty and bestial half-human, half-bat creatures. The ability was known among them as the "Blood Gift."

The Blood Gift significantly reduced a Blood Race’s regenerative abilities, but dramatically increased their physical strength. Their overall power would at least double from their untransformed state.

That advantage granted the direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline dominance over other ordinary Blood Race branches. However, they preferred to keep a low profile and had no desire to expand their influence, choosing seclusion. They even avoided cities like Mirror Lake City and Bright Mountain City, preferring to stay hidden in the dense forests of the Alphama mountains. They were relatively primitive and isolated.

The direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline emerged in droves every ten years for a sacrificial ceremony. Many branch bloodlines from across the northern Hongli Federation would send their elite members to participate. The young vampire Cassius captured was from one of those branches, a mere infant that was recently born from the blood pool. He was just one year old and still in his developmental stage.

During that phase, vampires had an intense craving for blood but their strength was limited. They often resorted to using charm or seduction, which had a high success rate, and even if it failed, it'd go undetected. Unfortunately, the young vampire had chosen the wrong target. As a result, he was easily captured and tormented, spilling all that he knew in a single breath.

The recent series of disappearances and murders in Mirror Lake City were clearly linked to the influx of vampires. The direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline were planning a Blood Chalice Ritual on the first of July called the "Night of No Moon."

They were selective and only sent sacrifices of the highest quality to a specific ruin in the Alphama mountains. The goal was to gather ninety-nine sacrifices and offer them at a ritual altar near the Lusa Falls. If they did it at precisely the right time, the ceremony ran flawlessly, and the sacrifices suitable, the direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline would receive the "Burning Blood." The Burning Blood was immensely beneficial to the Blood Race.

Cassius wanted to delve deeper into the benefits, but the young Blood Race couldn't provide any specifics. All he knew was that it was advantageous, but he didn't know anything else aside from that, likely due to his age.

Many of the deeper details had not been divulged to the young Blood Race; he only needed to understand that the Burning Blood was extremely helpful. That also hinted that the young Blood Race held a significant position within his branch, indicating he was not an ordinary member.

After hearing all this, Cassius naturally focused on the ruins. The direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline occupied an area that included a ruin. Could this be the Akaba Ruins he was searching for? It was definitely possible.

Cassius pressed the young Blood Race for more details about the ruins. Unfortunately, he didn’t know which specific part of the Alphama mountains the direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline occupied. Reclusive and xenophobic, they rarely interacted with the other Blood Races, and when they did, it was only within Mirror Lake City or Bright Mountain City. The only time they appeared in large numbers was on July 1, the Night of No Moon, for the sacrificial ritual.

In addition, branch line Blood Race could interact with the direct descendants from the Alphama Bloodline when they were helping to capture sacrifices. Once they found suitable targets, they would take them to small outpost huts scattered throughout the Alphama mountain forests. Members of the Alphama Bloodline would receive and inspect the sacrifices each night. The quality of the sacrifices would then determine the benefits the branch line Blood Race received.

In fact, the young Blood Race had been to one of those outposts before. Cassius decided to check it out that night.

The clouds were gathering over the uneven clearing in the forest. The sun had completely set, allowing the partially obscured moonlight to cast a dim, white glow through the layers of trees.

The young Blood Race trembled beside a large tree, eyes full of fear as he stared at Cassius. Having been ripped off and pinned on his bloodied shoulder stumps, his arms dangled in the air by the fingertips. Despite the excruciating pain, the young Blood Race bit his lip to keep from shaking, remembering Cassius's warning: if his arms fell off, his legs would follow.

The man was more ruthless and brutal than any other dark creature—killing someone was just as easy as eating a meal.

"By the way, I’ve been asking you questions for a while, but I don't know your name," Cassius said serenely, casually shaking the blood off his hands.

"Jian... My name is Jian," the young vampire stammered. The young vampire’s voice quivered with fear.

"Alright then, Jian. I’ll allow you to use your healing ability to mend your injuries now," Cassius said. He slapped the tree trunk behind him, leaving two bloody handprints on the bark. The leaves shook as if in a rainstorm.

After wiping his hands on his makeshift towel, Cassius brusquely asked, "Do you have any guards from the Fagoli family with you? Did you bring them here?"

Jian appeared to have not heard him. He trembled all over as his arm stumps rapidly regenerated and the flesh grotesquely knitted itself back together.

"Heh..." Cassius sneered. "So all that stalling earlier was just so you could buy some time, huh? One, two, three..."

Bang!

The ground shook violently as the spot where Cassius had been standing caved in; he was suddenly standing above a deep pit. In the dim moonlight, a blurred shadow shot across the forest floor, racing toward Mirror Lake.

Three more shadows came from that direction, swift and determined. They moved with a light yet rapid pace, their hands glowing with a strange red energy as if they were wearing crimson gloves.

The lead Blood Race bared his fangs as his face twisted into a fearsome snarl. "Human! You really..."

Bang!

A figure’s head exploded in midair, blood spewing in all directions. The headless body fell to the ground like a bird with broken wings, dropping from a height of more than a meter. The body twitched uncontrollably as blood spurted out chaotically, its strength gone in an instant. Even though the heart, which was a vital organ, remained intact, it had no time to recover.

"What the hell! Shit!"

The other two Blood Race witnessed the scene from several meters away. Their eyes widened in shock, and their hearts nearly stopped. Had Stephen, the strongest among them, just been taken out by a single punch?! No tricks, just raw power!

The same thought flashed through both Blood Races' minds.

"Retreat!" they screamed in unison. Just as they were about to turn on their heels and flee, a dark figure materialized behind them, radiating an intense heat that wrapped around them both.

Meanwhile, Jian was running for dear life, using all his strength to flee into the depths of the dense forest. His once-cute face was now twisted in fear and his breaths came in heavy gasps.

"Thank goodness I was smart enough! The family guards near Mirror Lake rushed over as soon as they noticed something was off. I would've been dead for sure if that man got a hold of me!" It felt like Jian's heart was bouncing around his chest, convinced as he was that Cassius would kill him once he was done with him. That icy, fierce killing intent was almost impossible to conceal. If he stayed any longer with that man, he would surely die.

Luckily, he had barely managed to escape. Now, he just needed to keep running into the forest and make sure that man didn't catch up...

Boom!

A bloody mass of flesh shot through the air like a bird crashing into a mountain, slamming hard into the large tree trunk in front of Jian.

The immense force caused the mass to burst apart, scattering chunks of red and white flesh over the entire area like a shower of stars. A round object arced through the air and landed squarely on Jian’s chest.

He instinctively caught it and looked down.

"Le-Leandro?!"

In his hands was the severed head of Leandro, one of his three guards, a skilled Blood Race fighter.

"Did all my guards just get killed? No...impossible, absolutely impossible! They've been through hundreds of..." Jian froze as he felt his back press against a body as solid as a wall. A wave of intense heat radiated from behind him like a powerful magnetic field, ensnaring and making him unable to escape its pull.

"I..." Jian felt his legs give out and his head spin into a dizzy blankness. His entire body trembled violently as if it were about to crumple. A killing intent as chilly as the autumn wind loomed from behind.

"You know, I didn't have any plans on killing you just yet." Contrary to the heat radiating from the wall, the voice was cold and merciless.

Jian stiffened, forcing himself to stand tall. "I-I..." he saw a shadow cast on the ground by the moonlight. The tall figure behind him extended a large hand, like a terrifying black serpent ready to devour his head in the next second!

"No!" Jian cried out in despair.

The giant serpent lunged, a sharp whistling sound accompanying it. Jian felt a gust of wind brush past his head as a massive fist smashed right through the tree trunk before him.

Bang!

A loud crash echoed from behind the tree.

"Haah... haah... haah..."

Jian gasped for breath with wide eyes. I’m alive, I’m still alive, thank goodness! That man wasn't trying to hit me, he was...

An enormous hand landed on his shoulder and flung him three to four meters to the side where he crashed into a tree trunk.

Cassius squinted. "A direct descendant of the Alphama Bloodline?"

His right arm swelled instantaneously as a whirlpool of white airflow spun around his hand. Huge chunks of yellow wood splintered away from the hole and the entire tree shook uncontrollably before it crashed onto the ground with a loud crack.

Swish!

The person behind the tree moved. The falling tree trunk shot toward Cassius as they kicked forcefully.

Interesting, what impressive strength... Is this the transformed state of an Alphama direct bloodline Blood Race after using the Blood Gift?

Cassius positioned his feet, one in front of the other, stance as steady as a mountain. He swung his right arm back and unleashed a fierce chop with his hand.

Swish!

A dangerous white line sliced through the air and the tree trunk as thick as a human torso was cut cleanly in half. A massive fist blasted out from the darkness and right at him.

Cassius practiced the Wind Elephant Covert Martial Arts, which was a style known for its powerful and broad attacks. As such, his strategy was always to start with a strong, direct clash. Taking a powerful step forward, he channeled force from his tightly coiled muscles and swung his fist with tremendous momentum.

Thud!

The fists collided with a resounding impact, wood splinters careening through the air.

Cassius was slightly taken aback—the opponent’s strength was formidable. Cassius, in his usual state, was only slightly superior; he couldn't underestimate the other’s power.

Rustle!

Their arms whipped through the air as they clashed once again. A loud bang echoed and the fine pieces of fabric from their clothes ripped and flew off in an instant.

Cassius charged forward, his elbows and fists striking quickly. The various stances and techniques of the Wind Elephant Fist unfolded fiercely and the two exchanged blows like a typhoon, their limbs colliding with relentless intensity.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang...

The heavy sounds echoed throughout the area, startling the birds in the forest into fleeing.

Jian watched with his mouth agape beside a large tree. His eyes couldn’t keep up with the speed of their battle and all he could see were afterimages. It seemed like they had exchanged hundreds of blows in just two to three seconds. The surrounding trees shook constantly from the shockwaves, with a couple even collapsing. The ground was covered in small craters from their rapid footwork.

As Jian heard the exaggerated crashes and terrifying impacts, never had he felt such a strong desire to survive. He got to his feet, intending to escape while the two were engaged in combat. Just then, a shadow flew toward him, brutally stabbing him through his chest. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

It didn't stop there; the object embedded itself in the tree trunk behind him, completely impaling it. Jian looked down in disbelief. Blood gushed out of his chest where he had been pierced by a tree branch as thick as a calf. His strength steadily drained away, along with the flowing blood. His chance to escape had slipped out of his hands.

Dozens of meters away, the two figures clashed and jumped away from each other.

Under the moonlight, Cassius, on the right, assumed a stance from Wind Elephant Fist. His feet were firmly planted with his center of gravity slightly forward. His strong hands were raised on either side of his head, with bulging veins running across his iron fists.

On the other side, a burly blond man who was almost as tall as Cassius also took his stance in the clearing. His knees were slightly bent and his muscles tensed. One hand was in front, the other behind. Both large hands were shaped like tiger claws, the tendons on the back of his hands vibrating.

The two stood opposite each other, locked in a deadly stare-down. Their powerful and dangerous auras slammed together like waves, nullifying the other’s and making the air around them feel as solid as resin.

The cold night wind glided over the treetops as pale frost filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a speckled pattern on both men.

The blond man spoke abruptly, "You’re strong. State your name."

Cassius narrowed his eyes. "Wind Elephant Sect, Cassius. And you?"

"Duomo, Three-Eyed Mad Lion Sect!"