Chapter 291 Northern Orcs

The budget launch date for the Soul Illusion Realm has been postponed again and again, and the disciples of the Holy Sanctuary have already had their fill of fighting and vying for rankings. Most of them now have a good sense of what level those close to them in rank are at, and positions have become relatively fixed, making it hard to challenge each other anymore. However, they still can't stay idle, so Longcheng has become the favorite place for Holy Sanctuary disciples to visit.

The situation at the War Academy is probably similar. Both sides aren't likely to start trouble immediately, but neither is willing to back down. It's always beneficial to observe and understand your opponents more.

Of course, there are still those who engage in fierce battles, mostly those ranked around two or three hundred. These people are desperately eager to prove themselves, essentially seeking fame. In contrast, the top-tier and first-tier fighters are much more cautious.

Every day, news from Longcheng comes back: someone got beaten up, someone else took down a certain expert from the War Academy. There are usually one or two such incidents, sometimes as many as five or six. The winners return with great glory, becoming the center of attention, while the losers face varying degrees of humiliation, from being looked down upon to being challenged by others who have gained confidence, potentially losing their ranks due to injuries, leading to all sorts of commotion.

Old Wang shows no interest in any of this. Isn't it nice to stay in the dorm and enjoy some spicy rabbit heads? Why go out and show off?

One should be honest and low-key!

A thousand-year-old turtle lives the longest by staying still. Life is so wonderful; don't just go and waste it on a whim.

Of course, this attitude is for himself. When it comes to the others in the Rose, Old Wang is full of bravery.

"Old Black, you're going to Longcheng again? It's a beautiful place, with clear mountains and water, and plenty of experts... Go ahead and beat them up, it's not like you'll be held responsible if you kill someone!"

"Junior Brother Mo Tong, you're a renowned expert of the Eight Divisions, how can you stay at home without ambition? Go, take a walk in Longcheng, learn from Old Black, find some trouble, and fight at least ten or eight matches a day. Only then can you call yourself a brave Mahoraga!"

"Kela, you've been awakened for some time now. What's the point of training so hard with Hei Wu Kai every day? True strength is forged in real battles! This is your last chance to accumulate experience. If you realize you lack combat experience once you enter the Soul Illusion Realm, it will be too late..."

"Winnie... forget it, never mind!"

Old Wang enthusiastically persuades each one, believing that young people should be taken out more often. But Mo Tong retorts, "If we all go, what about you?"

"I'll stay here to guide Fantasi!" Old Wang says with a righteous air. "Xiba's Dark Struggle Technique still needs some refinement; he needs more practice. I've been exhausted these past few days... Don't worry, Junior Brother, you don't need to worry about me. This kind of dirty and tiring work is naturally left to me, the captain. Xiba!"

"Here!" Fantasi hears his voice from afar and walks over excitedly. Ah Feng has recently changed his ways, and the past few days have been very comfortable: "Ah Feng, what do you say, shall we go to Wine Talk Barbecue or the foot spa today? Let me tell you, the Sand Clan massage is really good. I've been walking so lightly these past two days, room 87! Why don't you give it a try?"

　Damn... Mo Tong's eyes widened.

　"What are you talking about? All day long, it’s just play!" Old Wang glared: "With a formidable enemy ahead, how can you be so lax? Do you think I’m joking with you? Get to the training ground, today I’ve lined up a full schedule for you. As your captain, I’ve really been worrying about you..."

　...

　The streets of Dragon City were as desolate as ever. Although disciples had been flocking here recently, Dragon City wasn’t that large, and with its population of over ten thousand, a few hundred more blended in like eels in the sea, not easily bumping into each other.

　Hei Wu Kai was sitting alone in a small shop, sipping his drink. He had grown quite fond of the unique taste of spicy rabbit heads and Five Toxins Wine lately. Mo Tong and the others were supposed to come along, but Old Black had driven them away. Compared to group fights, he preferred one-on-one duels, hunting true experts.

　In recent days, he had encountered many disciples from the War Academy on the streets, but unfortunately, few dared to provoke him. The Nine Gods clearly had intelligence on the Blade organization, and Hei Wu Kai, ranked third among the Yaksas, was someone even the most arrogant members of the War Academy would think twice about challenging.

　To put it bluntly, experts all had their reservations and cared about their reputations. Those who weren’t good enough to challenge him didn’t dare to provoke Hei Wu Kai at this level. After wandering around for two or three days, he hadn’t managed to start a single fight.

　The view from the small shop was excellent, allowing Hei Wu Kai to see half a street clearly from his seat. Naturally, the sounds around him did not escape his notice either.

　"Yaksa’s Hei Wu Kai..."

　"Is he the one who cleaved the rune cannon in Dragon City?"

　"Yaksa’s Wolf Tooth Sword, hehe, what a big name!"

　"Do you want to give it a try?"

　"Hehe, my ranking is a bit low. I’ll just watch the show!"

　Many people were secretly observing him, and there were two groups of War Academy disciples in the small shop, whispering to each other.

　Hei Wu Kai smiled. He was indeed looking for trouble. The Dragon City trial was a bit dull, and generally, those with lower rankings didn’t dare to challenge him. Moreover, he had no interest in those whose skills were subpar. Compared to the enmity between the Holy Sanctuary and the Nine Gods, the sense of belonging to the Eight Guardians was weaker; they cared more about improving themselves.

What is destined to come will eventually arrive; if it doesn’t, worrying about it is futile. Just treat it as an opportunity to enjoy the fine food and wait quietly.

"Boss, another pot of wine," Hei Wu Kai called out, completely ignoring the two tables nearby.

"Isn't drinking alone a bit too lonely?"

The buzzing in the tavern slightly subsided as a handsome man walked in, wearing a blood-red robe of the War Academy. He smiled and walked to the opposite side of Hei Wu Kai: "Why don't I keep you company?"

The group from the War Academy immediately lit up: "Blood Demon Manku!"

"The main event has arrived; there's a good show to watch!"

Hei Wu Kai smiled and looked up: "I couldn't be more pleased."

They said they were drinking, but neither of them touched their cups. As their eyes met, the atmosphere instantly froze, and with a boom...

Almost instantaneously, the entire tavern exploded, blood mist enveloping the battlefield. This was the fourth-ranked super expert from the Nine Gods, a top-tier expert with a special ghost type—Blood Ghost. It was said he possessed an immortal body. The battle drew countless onlookers, but nothing could be seen through the blood mist. Those who tried to get closer felt as if they were being burned by the blood mist.

Hei Wu Kai, caught in the blood mist, was almost certainly in grave danger!

In fact, martial artists feared demonic abilities the most. There was no need for direct confrontation; just playing around could lead to death.

The blood mist churned, occasionally punctuated by the sound of something slicing through the air. A few minutes later, a scream echoed, and the blood mist scattered explosively. Those who were tainted by it fled in agony, and a shadow flew low to the ground, quickly disappearing into the distance.

After a while, people cautiously emerged, only to find that Hei Wu Kai was still sitting in his chair. Everything around his table was in ruins, and a few people who hadn't managed to escape had turned into dried corpses, clearly absorbed by Blood Demon Manku.

Hei Wu Kai's Yasha Wolf Tooth Sword was back in its sheath. He slowly poured himself a cup, a hint of satisfaction on his face. Such an opponent was quite interesting, but it was a pity he lacked the courage to fight to the death.

On the ground was a deep sword mark and strange purple blood. Several people in the crowd's pupils contracted sharply; this was no longer surprise but sheer terror.

Mancu the Blood Demon, possessing the Ghost Breed's special strain—the Blood Ghost—could heal his injuries through the blood of others. Not only that, he had a Soul Tyrant skill capable of evading any attack, making him arguably the most tenacious opponent in the entire Dragon City. Yet, such a person was severely wounded by Hei Wu Kai with a single sword strike, leaving him no choice but to flee?

...

Hei Wu Kai severely injured Mancu the Blood Demon of the Nine Gods on the street.

The news quickly reached the Spearhead Fortress, stunning everyone.

The Yaksha Clan was known as the bravest during the Holy War. Honestly, most of the Holy Sanctuary disciples who hadn't experienced it all were unconvinced. The Holy War relied on humans, not the Eight Divisions, yet they were all praised to the heavens. Why? Even if he defeated Zhao Ziyue, it wasn't the strongest human from the Holy Sanctuary. Zhao Ziyue ranked ninth among the top ten; there were still seven who hadn't shown their hands! Who knew if Hei Wu Kai truly deserved the third rank?

But now, things were different.

Mancu the Blood Demon, ranked fourth at the War Academy, couldn't stop Hei Wu Kai's advance. The Armored God exuded overwhelming dominance, and his opponent could barely escape, without even pushing the Armored God to his limits...

If the sparring in the training ground had various factors influencing the outcome, this real, rule-less confrontation left no room for doubt or tarnishing the victory.

Now, people were concerned with only one topic.

Where exactly were the limits of the Armored God?

Amidst the heated discussions, Hei Wu Kai became the most talked-about figure on both sides, much to Wang Feng's delight.

Bringing Old Black along was indeed the wisest decision. With Old Black's current momentum, his various backup plans would finally come into play.

...

Everyone in the fortress was seizing every moment to improve themselves. Each member of the team had their own business to attend to, and even Winnie, who usually paid no attention to these matters, had been active lately, either training or causing trouble in Dragon City.

Kela felt she should also take action. Training at this point wouldn't make much difference, like cramming before an exam. What she lacked more was genuine combat experience with high-level opponents.

Now she has found that things are not as smooth as she had imagined.

Currently, the most active in both sides of Dragon City are those ranked around two hundred, seeking opponents with similar rankings. With her own ranking in the four hundreds, the people from the War Academy have no interest in Kela, and they don’t even recognize her, so naturally, no one bothers her.

Her orcish nature, accustomed to being low-key, also makes her unskilled at stirring up trouble. Wandering around Dragon City for these two days has been fruitless, feeling like a complete waste of time.

Otherwise, should she go with Winnie tomorrow?

This thought brings a slight sense of defeat to Kela, and she feels a bit frustrated with herself, having left everyone else and failed to accomplish even this small task on her own.

She shook her head, deciding to cast aside such thoughts of evasion.

She must take the initiative to find trouble. What’s wrong with being an orc? Should orcs just cower and wait for others to come, then react passively?

If she doesn’t have the mindset and courage for equality within herself, how can she talk about changing the status of orcs on the continent?

Kela's eyes gradually became resolute. She had seen more detailed information in Fort Sharp than what Winnie had, and those ranked around four hundred were precisely the right targets for her to challenge.

Her gaze scanned the street again... Hmm, is that?

It was a tall figure, clad in golden armor, with a clean face but adorned with the snake braids favored by orcs, and a golden inverted triangle mark on his forehead... The unique inverted triangle mark is something every orc knows, it is the emblem of the Aub family, and the golden color...

Kela's pupils slightly contracted; this was an orc, and a very distinguished one at that!

The man was leading a few young orcs toward her, clearly having noticed Kela as well.

To be honest, that tall, wild figure and the strikingly chiseled features characteristic of orcs are highly attractive even to men of other races, evoking a wild desire.

For orcs, the awakening of bloodlines is a basic requirement to catch the eye of the royal family. Many awakened female orcs become stronger and more rugged, some even transforming into giant beasts, while those like Kela, who become even more beautiful after awakening, are absolutely the cream of the crop.

The orc man's eyes flashed with admiration and appreciation, but then he noticed Kela’s Holy Sanctuary attire.

The orc man was slightly taken aback, then shook his head, a mix of regret and disdain on his face. He stopped in front of Kela, smiled faintly, and extended his hand, palm down.

This was the orc forehead-touching salute, a gesture of favor from the upper-class orc nobility to their slaves, which the recipients would consider a great honor.

Clearly recognizing her orc heritage, Kela's pupils constricted as she met the man's gaze levelly, showing no fear or the awareness of a slave.

"Kneel! The one before you is Prince Aub!"

Before the man could speak, a female orc stepped forward, barking harshly.

She had a mane of lion-like golden hair, towering and more muscular than an average male orc, her chest sculpted almost like iron blocks. She looked down at the southern orc before her with arrogance.

She was a noble from the northern territories, and she had every right to be proud.

The ancestral lands of the orcs lay within the realm of the Nine Gods, and the orcs here in the Blade were descendants who had strayed from the Nine Gods long ago. In terms of bloodline, the north was always considered superior to the south. Not to mention a warrior maiden from an unknown tribe like Kela; even the so-called 'royal lineage' of the Blade orc tribes, proud of their ancestral divine blood, was seen as tainted and inferior by the northern orc nobles.

And someone like this, who after awakening became even more 'human-like,' appearing weak and frail, was a clear sign of impure blood. Such a being could only attract men's attention, further disgracing the orc race, deserving death!

Kela remained silent, her eyes turning cold, and soul power rapidly gathering around her.

Sensing the surging soul power from this southern orc woman, the golden-haired orc woman roared in anger, "Audacity!"

Boom!

Her massive, fan-like hand clenched into a fist, charging at Kela without any pretense.

The threat from the other side dispelled the last trace of hesitation in Kela's eyes.

The power was immense; one could feel the terrifying pressure of the punch even from half a meter away. But compared to Hei Wu Kai, this beast woman's movements were unbearably slow!

Whoosh!

She crouched sharply, her fist grazing past her scalp, causing her long hair to scatter wildly. Clearly, the beast woman was not just a brute force user; as soon as her punch missed, she followed up with a swift kick from below. However, the figure before her blurred.

Swoosh!

When Kela crouched, her limbs touched the ground, and her strong muscles made her body stretch out like a sleek leopard. Her body shot to the left at lightning speed, leaving a trail of afterimages. She then changed direction abruptly, charging straight at the beast woman.

"Filthy slave!" The female beast roared in fury. It was one thing for the slave to dodge, but to dare counterattack was another matter entirely!

She sank her legs, concentrating all her strength into her arms, which bulged with thick veins, instantly doubling in size.

Boom!

She aimed a punch at the charging Kela, the terrifying pressure forming a visible shockwave that blasted forward.

Kela, on all fours like a leopard, had an extraordinary control over her body. Even while sprinting at high speed, she managed to dodge swiftly to the left. However, the beast woman's eyes were bloodshot, and her punches were incredibly fast, delivering seven or eight consecutive blows in the blink of an eye.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Visible shockwaves chased after Kela, exploding on the ground with a series of 'bangs,' leaving shallow craters the size of fists. Yet, the speed of her punches still couldn't match Kela's evasive maneuvers.

Her coordination was impeccable, like a truly agile demon beast. With her body arched, she made several quick turns, darting beneath the beast woman in an instant. A glint of determination flashed in Kela's eyes. Using the momentum of her charge, she planted her hands firmly on the ground, bent her legs, and curled her body into a tight ball. Then, with a powerful spring, she unleashed all her strength, kicking upward with both legs.

Boom!

The female beast was taken aback and instinctively tilted her head back to avoid the kick. However, the speed of the kick was too fast, striking her chin and sending her massive body flying backward, landing with a heavy thud.

Immediately, her soul power erupted. The body that had been thrown back suddenly struggled to control itself, and the inverted legs kicked out forcefully, feeling as if they had struck something.

Boom!

The two figures rapidly separated in mid-air. The female orc used the force from her kick to stabilize herself, enduring the excruciating pain of shattered teeth, and landed steadily with a backflip.

Her fur stood on end, eyes bloodshot, she roared and raised her hand to deliver a punch through the air, aiming to strike the target that had been kicked into the air.

But before the power of her punch could fully form, her pupils constricted sharply. She saw Kela, who had been kicked into the air, showing no signs of injury, not even losing balance.

At this moment, Kela's upper body was arched backward in mid-air, her body stretched to its limit like a bent bow. Her left arm was held horizontally to maintain balance, while a golden light was gathering in her right hand.

Zap!

A soul spear enveloped in lightning suddenly extended from her right hand.

"Roar!"

A faint current flashed between Kela's eyes, turning them instantly white-hot. She let out a roar, her stretched body suddenly contracting, using the full strength of her body like a taut bowstring snapping back. The soul spear in her hand transformed into a bolt of lightning, hurtling through the air toward the female orc!

Boom!

The anger in the female orc's eyes turned to shock in an instant.

Speed was not her forte, but a sudden burst of power was within her grasp. Her body twisted sharply to the left, seemingly evading the attack.

But the female orc's pupils contracted sharply again. The spear had altered its course slightly in mid-air, though the angle was small, it was enough to redirect it toward her direction of evasion!

Swish!

Blood mist sprayed from her right shoulder, half of the flesh on that side torn away as the lightning javelin whizzed past and plunged more than half a foot into the ground behind her. The spear was made entirely of pure energy, gradually dissipating but still emitting a buzzing tremor, slowly fading into nothingness.

The intense pain in her right shoulder left the female orc both shocked and enraged. How could such a thrown attack change direction mid-air?

In an instant, she understood. With that kick, the opponent had left a soul force mark on her chin, like a 'seal'. The residual power attracted the soul javelin from afar, as if locking onto its target and guiding its path! Otherwise, he could have used this move from the start without needing to close the distance first.

Her eyes were filled with disbelief and fury. A noble-blooded orc like herself had been injured by a lowly southern orc!

"Roar!" She bellowed, completely ignoring the wound on her shoulder. Her soul force and bloodline power surged instantly, visible veins bulging on her skin and forehead, a terrifying sight!

This time, there would be no room for carelessness. With bloodshot eyes, she was about to charge again when a large hand reached out horizontally, effortlessly restraining her massive, fully unleashed body without much effort!

It was the leading male orc of the Aub clan.

"Audom, step back," he said calmly.

His tranquil tone carried an unchallengeable authority, supreme and absolute.

Audom’s nearly berserk gaze quickly cleared, the surging bloodline power and rage in her face subsiding in an instant.

Her status among the orcs was not low, but it paled in comparison to the one before her.

Audom respectfully bowed slightly, "Yes, Prince Aubloro!"

Aubloro didn’t even glance at her, his gaze instead falling on Kela. The way she stretched in mid-air was flawless, her lithe curves reminding him of some intriguing poses. It would be a shame to kill her.

He extended his palm toward Kela again.

The second forehead touch, which for a proud royal, was already the utmost limit of patience. This southern female orc might have a tainted bloodline, but there was no denying her beauty; she could become a fine toy.

A subtle pressure emanated naturally from him as Aubloro smiled at Kela and said, "This is your last chance."