Archfiend

As soon as the first name appeared, a faint tremor spread, as if something in the void was responding. Afterwards, the long cry of a bugle horn sounded, and a mote of spiritual light gathered over the name and hurried over to Saint John’s Cathedral.

But at the same time, rustling noises followed. Above Saint John’s Cathedral, endless golden holy light flashed. It wasn’t just one light, though, but rather what seemed to be a chain of mountain peaks, brilliant for hundreds of meters. The light resembled a golden page of a book.

Shortly, the light settled. A white sheepskin scroll composed out of spiritual light appeared on top of Saint John’s Cathedral. It was a hundred meters in size. In the air, someone appeared to write words. Meticulous scribbling noises rang out, and the name of Ansas Dracul was first to appear on the scroll.

Meanwhile, the House of Dracul’s light pillar shook again, and a second name appeared.

‘House of Dracul, ‘Midnight Rose’ Vivian Minos Angelina. Quasi Grand Duke.’

‘House of Dracul, ‘Night Owl’ Stewart G. Alsace. Quasi Grand Duke.’

Name after name appeared without interruption. At Saint John’s Cathedral dozens of kilometers away, heaven and man seemed to interact. All these names were recorded on the scroll.

“This…” Xu Yangyi asked in doubt.

“This is the House of Dracul’s war list,” Yue Congrao said heavily, “After the Holy War’s horn sounds, the pilgrimage of every great clan follows. This segment, to be a bit frank, is to pay tribute. All the major vassal clans will contribute a decade’s worth of their contribution to a heavenly treasure able to increase the power of the contestants for the master clan. It might be holy medicines, or magik treasures. In other words…”

He glanced at Xu Yangyi. “In these final days, the strength of all warriors will rise another level. They will be even more powerful than before, and more dreadful.”

Xu Yangyi coolly nodded.

Yue Congrao saw that eight names had already appeared in the light pillar, and said indifferently, “That being the case, heavenly treasures are hard sought, and precious magik treasures are even harder to find. Holy medicines can only be found by a stroke of fortune, so these actual things will come together on one or two people. They are the true trump cards of each great clan. The strongest sword of the Holy War.”

“The strongest figures will naturally appear in the end. According to the unwritten rules, the war list set-up is based on an arrangement of weak to strong. The final two people are definitely the strongest. One of the two is undoubtedly the strongest person to come for the House of Dracul in a decade… Hmm?”

Before his voice even fell, he paused, and his brows involuntarily furrowed.

The pillar of light had stopped.

The name underneath was glittering with golden light, but from the beginning to end it didn’t manifest.

At this moment, Xu Yangyi clearly felt a kind of shock wave come from extremely powerful spiritual energies on the surrounding skyscrapers. He could even hear the startled cries of the cultivators below.

“Eight people?” he said lowly. “The House of Dracul are only sending eight people into battle?”

“No…” A sliver of graveness was on Yue Congrao’s face. “Instead of the ninth person, an unforeseen incident has happened.”

“Before the list of names is determined, anyone in a clan can challenge those entering the war. As long as one wins, they can join the Holy War’s list of names.” He focused on the shimmering golden light. “This… Someone is challenging the ninth candidate.”

Xu Yangyi clenched his fists. If this selection was based on arrangement, then the ninth person was already the Dracul’s second strongest candidate. When all was said and done, who was actually challenging them as the time drew near?

No one spoke. After no less than an hour later, the light pillar trembled again, and this time a gray name appeared.

‘‘Blood Drinker’ Prometheus.’

Soon, this name cracked apart, and a crash rang out in the pillar of light. Another name, glimmering with golden light, replaced it.

‘The House of Dracul, New York’s Overseer, Tamamo.’

Throughout New York, countless people saw this scene. In this moment, they all lost their voices.

“The name grayed out? The challenge was successful? And he was killed?!”

“That’s impossible, right… His Highness Blood Drinker Prometheus was a quasi Grand Duke monster!”

“Her Highness Tamamo isn’t more than mid Marquis, but she can actually win against a quasi Grand Duke?”

“I can hardly believe it… This is unimaginable!”

“Your heart sped up.” In the sky, Yue Congrao looked at the light pillar attentively. “Are you nervous? Afraid?”

A small blood-thirsty smile hanging at the crook of his mouth, Xu Yangyi shook his head. He had no ounce of fear in his heart, only a surplus of ice-cold killing intent.

Those who should come would come, from beginning to end.

It seemed that there wasn’t just one person who wanted to settle grudges during the Holy War.

But… I’m late Foundation Establishment now. If you want my Animus Armament, have you asked the sword in my hand?

Hum… At this time, the light pillar flashed again, and the House of Dracul’s final name appeared.

The last… was the strongest!

On the ground, countless gazes cast themselves over.

Swish swish swish… Golden light drew a name in the light pillar, and this name caused all of New York’s cultivators to instantly boil!

On a remote street, there was a man wearing a worn-out cowboy hat. His beard was unkempt, and he looked at the name in the sky in shock. Once a few good minutes passed, he downed the beer in his hand in one gulp.

Clang! At the Corvinus’s branch, a white-haired old man ruthlessly broke the wine cup in his hand.

On top of buildings and in the clouds, several pairs of eyes stared at this name with scorching gazes. They even believed themselves to be mistaken.

New York was shocked silent by this name.

“It’s Bloody Moon!”

Tens of seconds later, all the meeting places rang out with sizzling cries, like frying pots.

“How is this possible?! H-He’s a Throneless Grand Duke!”

“N-No way… a Throneless Grand Duke is just a small step away from Grand Duke, they can join the Holy War as well?”

“Could it be someone with the same name?”

“That can’t be! His name has shocked the West for 117 years. Who would dare take his name?”

“The Holy Contract doesn’t permit this! It’s written up by Vatican City. Each year, only thirty pages are produced. Any of them are incredibly precious. They attach directly to the spiritual sense. If the House of Dracul is playing some trick with the name Bloody Moon, it definitely would’ve been recorded.”

As if to answer the man’s voice, the sheepskin scroll of spiritual light only paused for a second. Promptly, Bloody Moon’s name was written on it.

“It really is His Highness Bloody Moon…”

“God, how did this happen?!”

“How could Bloody Moon be recorded by the Holy Contract?!”

In the sky now, Xu Yangyi wasn’t alone in his graveness. Even Yue Congrao’s face also grew cautious.

“An extremely powerful opponent.” Several seconds later, Yue Congrao commented, “Virtuous son-in-law, be careful. This fellow is very likely your strongest opponent this time. One like no other.”

“A Throneless Grand Duke is joining the war? Would Vatican City allow it?” Xu Yangyi said in a low voice.

“Impossible,” Yue Congrao was quick to answer, his voice firm and decisive as if it could chop through steel. “Unless he lowered himself to half-step Core Formation.”

Xu Yangyi slightly nodded. The two of them didn’t ask why.

If one failed to kill a tiger, then they were doomed to suffer its wrath.

In kind… Bloody Moon was nursing a vengeful heart of certain death to come to this battlefield.

Swish swish swish… In the turn of an eye, the House of Dracul’s ten names all appeared, and the sheepskin scroll was collected. Ten names exploded with rays of golden light. From above they ascended and then flashed downwards, like a bright sun in the sky,

With excess shock, all of New York’s cultivators looked at these ten names with reverential gazes.

The ten strongest people of this generation from a vampire clan with a thousand-year-old inheritance!

Seven quasi Grand Dukes! Two Perfect Marquises! One mysterious mid Marquis!

Xu Yangyi looked deeply for a minute and made a long sigh. In his heart, though, he instead became relaxed.

There was nothing at all to worry about.

Yue Congrao looked at him with great interest. “What kind of impression does my virtuous son-in-law have when he sees these monsters?”

Xu Yangyi laughed indifferently, “With self-confidence and ample time, I shall strike the waters for 3,000 li.” [1]

“Good.” Yue Congrao raised a brow and laughed heartily. “We cultivators only defy the heavens and strive. What even is strategic retreat?”

Xu Yangyi’s gaze cut across the names Tamamo and Bloody Moon with seemingly calm killing intent.

Silence triumphed over sound.

“The list of names is out. In three days, the Holy War will begin.” Yue Congrao’s expression was also mindfully cautious. “Tonight, look carefully and properly. At the true apex battle powers of the West. At the real monsters of the cultivation nation on this side of the ocean.”

Nothing more needed to be said. The mood was somber, and black clouds pressed down on the city. For the calling of Core Formation, each and every warrior would fight for glorious victory or until bitter death. No one would hold back. Once on stage, no one would care about a master spirit-technician’s name, either.

Hatred was revenged, and grievances were repaid.

Swish swish swish… Follow the appearance of the Dracul’s ten names, each pillar of light trembled in unison.

Hum hum hum… Droning noises rose and fell. Names that were enough to shock the cultivators of the West ceaselessly emerged in the air. Crimson, white, dark-green… at this moment, all the clans who decided to join the battle handed over their war challenges in this place.

‘‘The Monarch of Dead Souls’ Paris Jones. Quasi Grand Duke.’

“The Gray Nightmare’ Faollon Dion. Perfect Marquis.’

‘‘The Abnormal’ Sharan G. Nova. Quasi Grand Duke.’

‘‘Hammer of the Mountains’ Magni Bronzebeard. Quasi Grand Duke.’ [2]

In a pitch-black building that seemed to already be on the verge of collapse, the pale-faced Vermilion Snow coldly watched her name above.

Her expression was as usual, merely, there were two teeth marks on her neck.

“My daughter.” An old voice was heard behind her. “I hope you do not mind that I refer to you as such.”

“Of course.” Vermilion Snow turned her head and respectfully planted a knee on the ground. “Your Highness Grand Duke, to be capable of fully joining the House of Dracul is Junior’s honor.”

Unconscious of her own actions, her pale fist clenched tightly on the ground.

Xu Yangyi… for the hatred of the Animus Armament back then and for the hatred of obstructing my advancement of the Grand Dao back, now is finally the time to bring a resolution.

Of course, that includes your mouth-watering Animus Armament.

How truly fortunate… I have hid this secret for so many years, and now it will finally be mine. Your advancement to middle Foundation Establishment in a couple decades is also in all likelihood due to the fortune of this legendary magik treasure, no? Nonetheless, your good luck must also come to an end…

……

Italy, the Alps. The peak of the Matterhorn.

This land here was long since a snowy domain of drifting blizzards. Under the temperature conditions below zero degrees here, any creature would freeze stiff. However, no mountain climber whatsoever knew that inside a cave concealed by vast heaps of snow on Matterhorn’s peak, the sound of digging rose and fell through the mountain cave.

The cave couldn’t be considered too large, approximately around 300 meters in size. At each twenty-meter interval along the cave, there was a man ready for battle. On their chests, they wore brilliant clan crests. On the crest’s surface, there was only a wolf’s head.

In a spot fifty meters deep, there was a neatly excavated cave. The surroundings talismans were sparkling, and a green screen of light seemed to cover the cave in a membrane. No one knew what was inside.

But at this moment in front of the cave, a giant lycan was crouching. Its entire body was snow-white, and its head and limbs were colored black. It raised its head against the snowy winds, and gazed straight at New York’s direction.

Suddenly, a burning piece of crimson paper glimmered and appeared in front of it. Its eyes flashed with a wisp of heat, and then the lycan grabbed the paper in its claws.

It only glanced, but then it let loose a raging howl that reverberated through the entire peak.

“The Holy War positions…” The lycan gritted its teeth. “Approve me during the meeting of the doyens. Father, I won’t humiliate you!”

“And X… if it weren’t for you, how could I end up here from New York?!”

“Since you were obviously a master spirit-technician, why didn’t you say it from the beginning! Did you want to intentionally embarrass me? Such great shame and humiliation… even if I break away from the family, I shall shred you to pieces in front of everyone in the Holy War!”

“I, Savidean VII, hereby swear it!”