Chapter 1764 - WMW 133

"Hmm?" Xavier lost his focus for a moment, but he soon felt something burning up in his chest. A pain reverberated from the very depths of his soul, immediately breaking the defences of his spirit to render him unconscious.

However, his body stood still in the real world. Were his clothes to be taken off, one would be able to see dark yet beautiful runes form a mandara flower that spread out from his heart. Many powerful glyphs formed its exquisite petals.

"What are you trying to do, kid?" Wolf Fang felt shivers run down his spine, and he sensed a great danger to his life.

"Damn it!" He struck out under the pressure, forming the sharpest of wind blades, "Secret technique— Feral Wind Wolf Crunch!"

*Awoo—* A distant howl sounded, and the gale turned into a giant wolf jaw that engulfed the teen. However, Wolf Fang actually felt the threat to his life increase, amplifying over tenfold in an instant. The fear almost stopped his heart.

A figure walked out of the wolf jaw, completely unharmed. Wolf Fang let out a cry of astonishment, but it was too late. A black datura flower bloomed faintly in the void.

...

"Hmm, not bad." Leylin nodded his head as he saw Crowley taking the unconscious Xavier away. The other members of the Bloodline Alliance had also retreated, but that was after they had set the base on fire, turning everything into ashes.

"However, what are these impure descendants of the Snake Dowager doing here? She has so many descendants of her bloodline in the Purgatory World, these few here do not even matter… Unless…"

Leylin's eyes brightened, "She wants the other beings of laws to revive using their bloodline? That'll consume a lot...

"So then… A bloodline corruption will occur, allowing her to resist Shar's Weave?" Many possibilities flashed before Leylin's eyes, all simulated by the A.I. Chip.

...

"Hurry and leave!" Crowley hopped onto an aircraft with Xavier in tow.

"Hmm? You actually made it out alive? Disasters do have long lives!" Bobbi exclaimed. Still, she could not hide the joy in her eyes.

"Don't make fun of me at a time like this…" Crowley smiled wryly, and placed Xavier down. Right now, Xavier's eyes were shut and he seemed to be unconscious.

"What happened to him? And what about Wolf Fang?" Bobbi looked at Crowley, "I know you have a lot of trump cards…"

"It isn't my accomplishment this time…" The bitterness in Crowley's eyes were more apparent than ever before as he pointed at Xavier, "He was the one who killed Wolf Fang. If not for him, I'd have wound up dead…"

"Impossible!" Many members of the Bloodline Alliance exclaimed in astonishment. Even Bobbi was stunned for a moment before she began to look at the youth lying on the cold hard floor, "You mean… He killed a powerful figure of the Special Forces, Javis' right hand man? He eliminated Wolf Fang? There's a limit to how much you can joke…"

"I hope I was joking as well, but the fact is undeniable," Crowley's face turned stern. "I sensed the power of our ancestor awakening within Xavier's blood… Have any of you felt it? The power of our bloodline has increased, especially in this short period of time…"

A bloodline carrier could only obtain strength from their bloodline, and their position and status depended on the purity and concentration of their blood. Bloodline carriers would thus weaken from generation to generation, and it was rare for a descendant to surpass their ancestor. However, they had all felt their powers from the bloodline increasing. This was extremely abnormal!

"What are you trying to say?" Bobbi looked at Crowley as she retracted her smile.

"It's just a feeling… A huge revolution is soon approaching, so special occurrences are to be expected. And there's also a genius like this kid…" Crowley exhaled deeply.

"Hey bros! If you're talking about a revolution, I have something here that might interest you guys. Wanna have a look at it?" Genius' figure was projected from the ceiling.

"What is it?" Bobbi frowned, "It had better be something useful, if not I'll put your eyeballs up your ass when we get back to the base! I swear!"

Genius covered his right mechanical eye with his hand as if he was afraid, but then his expression turned serious.

"Hehe, I'm not joking. Look at this… While you guys were invading the base, I discovered several things that would send the entire world into chaos if they're revealed…" Genius hurriedly transmitted some information after seeing the distrust in their eyes. A top secret document carrying the imperial seal quelled their disbelief.

"This is…" The light on the screen reflected off Bobbi's face, revealing her shock.

"It seems like we need to make a trip to the eastern seas before heading for Kerallen and the headquarters of the Special Forces…" Crowley said slowly, extremely solemn.

...

A giant propeller along with the chatter of multiple people combined with the noises of shifting items shocked Xavier out of his sleep. Only then did the feeling of a devil possessing his body disappear.

"Where… Is this?" Xavier asked blankly. He could barely recall a fight against Wolf Fang with Crowley, but he had no memory of what happened next.

"Don't move and don't try to get up. The skin on your back will be torn apart…" Genius turned around his wheelchair, patting the healing pod Xavier was in, "How is it? This is the latest version of the healing pods from the empire, able to cure even rank 7 to rank 10 diseases. I even added the beautifying feature, no need for thanks…"

"Oh okay...It seems like Crowley is safe…" Xavier sighed, finally sensing a large sticky substance on his burning back. "What's happening outside? Are we shifting?"

"Shift— Oh God! You can actually hear that from inside the pod? What frightening senses…" Genius gasped before he closed his eyes, causing Xavier to feel like he would be dissected at any moment.

"You didn't answer my question..." Xavier returned in his wariness.

"Oh. Yes, we're shifting bases. We've given up on this one. After all, nobody can launch an open attack on the empire without suffering repercussions…" Genius shrugged his shoulders, "Still, it's not really a problem. The Bloodline Alliance has many bases, from the icy north to the extreme south and the eastern seas. Our men cover the entire continent, so losing one or two bases is no big deal…"

Xavier felt the rich and overbearing outlook of the Bloodline Alliance from Genius' words. However, this was perfectly normal. Bloodline carriers possessed extraordinary power, able to achieve great things no matter where they went. Generations of existence had allowed some bloodline families to amass a huge fortune.

Even with the establishment of the empire causing the power and outreach of bloodline families to dwindle, they still possessed astounding might. Although it was extremely difficult to openly resist them, creating a dark organisation and growing in strength was no problem.

"Oh right, I need to go to Kerallen. Jill's been taken there!" Xavier's expression suddenly changed, and he struggled to get up. Just that movement caused excruciating pain to travel down his back, having him wince from the pain. Cold sweat dripped down his body.

"Relax, calm down! You know how much effort it took to rescue you?" Genius' long fingers hurriedly moved on the keyboard, but he still had the time to chat with Xavier, "However, you are also rather good huh! You killed Wolf Fang but only suffered 40% damage to your body. It's not a big deal…"

"What? I killed Wolf Fang?" Xavier's eyes went wide open, before he looked at his own chest. The white skin there was filled with the energy of life, and there were no longer any signs of runes on it. The datura flower had disappeared.

"Did I really do it?" Xavier muttered, feeling a new force of energy inside his body, abyssal, cold, and fearsome with an imposing aura.

The energy allowed Xavier to recover very quickly. It made him confident that he could recover in a few days even without this healing pod.

"No matter what, I still have to go to Kerallen!" the youth said resolutely. With his strength growing, his confidence in saving his sister grew as well.

"Alright, alright! I didn't say we weren't going. We plan to visit a few bases nearby before heading for the capital…" Genius said immediately, fearing that Xavier would worry unnecessarily.

"Mm, you can go have a look in the capital first, but it'll have to be in disguise. Don't act on impulse…" Crowley walked in, dressed in a black coat, "It's nice that I managed to see you awake before I leave…"

"Huh? You're leaving?" Xavier was shocked, staring at this person who claimed to be an ancestor of his. He had to admit that unknowingly, Crowley had became a fatherly figure that he had grown to rely on.

-x-X-x-

Put bluntly, Crowley was Xavier's only connection in the Bloodline Alliance. In fact, Xavier himself didn't feel like a proper member yet, still unclear on the motives and principles guiding this organisation.

His only hope had been to borrow Crowley's strength to help rescue his sister, but Crowley was now leaving? How would he be able to ask for assistance from the Bloodline Alliance and gather intelligence for his mission, even deploy troops to rescue Jill?

"But why? Jill is also your…" Xavier gritted his teeth.

"Because there's something even more important for me to do." There was a look of determination on Crowley's face, "Don't worry, I entrusted Jill's rescue to Bobbi. Follow her advice in the future…"

...

"You're leaving just like that?" On the aircraft runway, Bobbi looked at Crowley who was geared in full body armour. A finger was twirling her hair behind her ears, and she seemed lonely and uneasy.

"I have no other choice… This concerns the life and death of all humans on this world! You know… What the world is getting swept into… We cannot run away or hide from it…" Crowley looked at Bobbi as his lips moved, finally only being able to utter a single word, "Sorry…"

"I knew… I knew it… You are just like the other fellows…" Bobbi rubbed glistening tears out of the corner of her eyes.

"Haha… Don't worry! I'm a superb bloodline carrier who has lived for over 500 years! How can something like this daunt me?" Crowley patted himself on the chest. It was a strange, humorous action, as if depicting his reluctance to leave. "Will you accept me after I return from the eastern seas?"

"Scram, you old geezer. You're several hundred years older than me, don't try to be an old bull eating young grass…" Browley turned to Bobbi one last time before the aircraft left. She was stood still, her lonely figure like an extremely beautiful sculpture.

"Sigh… I thought Bobbi would immediately agree to wed you, and become a widow immediately…" a muscular brute with a skull-patterned bandana said in a nonchalant manner.

"Scram! Are you cursing me now?" Crowley scolded the elite soldier inside the aircraft. He then looked at the man before he started laughing.

He soon turned solemn. "Comrades! This incident does not concern just the lives of the Bloodline Alliance. Instead, it involves the life and death of the entire world. Thank you! Even if the people do not realise our contributions today, our spirit will stand forever proud for eons to come…"

"Who cares about that much… Yawn…" A doll-like girl yawned, revealing a cute pair of canine teeth. There seemed to be even some blood on her crowns. "No matter what, we must destroy the empire's wishes at all cost. Isn't that what we've been doing all along?"

Many people agreed with the girl's words.

"If that's the case…" Crowley cleared his throat, "Let me introduce you to one of the empire's secret plans in the eastern seas, codenamed Project X.

"Keep in mind that this matter is of utmost importance, not something the Bloodline Alliance can handle alone. We've already sought help from the Coven of Witches, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Martial Arts Association.

Crowley's words caused the rest of them to sink into silence. Just like the Bloodline Alliance represented the remaining power of bloodlines, the Coven contained the remaining magicians of the Shadow World. The other two groups also represented the inheritances of different fighting styles.

Put plainly, they were the remaining underground forces in the empire. What was the empire planning that these four forces had to come together to fight it?

The people in the aircraft soon turned silent as they listened to Crowley speak. The more he said, the more serious they became, and the worse the shadows on their faces turned.

...

Tens of thousands of metres under sea level, at the bottom of the eastern seas.

A monster was swimming past this place, its ability to survive the sea pressure that could kill most others a testament to its might. It could transmit infrasound from near its eyes, causing many marine creatures to die immediately and become its food.

*Puff!* Just a whistle produced a whirlpool in its jaws, powerful enough to destroy an entire island. The suction caused the surrounding fish and mosses to be sucked into its huge maw, expelling a large amount of water and only leaving behind fresh food.

The creature did not seem to be satisfied with this meal, as it moved even deeper. A casual swipe of its tail was powerful enough to cause a tsunami on the sea surface.

This was a Metalback Whale. These creatures were the kings of the eastern seas, ruling over it since ancient times. If not for the massive burden of their huge bodies, they could have advanced to become beings of laws as powerful as rank 7 Magi. It was extremely lucky to avoid the scans of the Mistress of the Night back then.

However, things were different now. The various cities near the eastern seas had passed down legends of a 'Sea Devil King' through the generations, and the advancement of science had managed to reveal the Metalback Whale's weakness.

*Rumble!* A psi energy submarine appeared here, larger than even the whale. Two psi energy webs appeared on its sides, launching a snare with powerful high-voltage currents that paralysed the beast. Shadow spells, cannonfire, and poisoned javelins soon followed, exploding on the whale's back like fireworks.

*Woooo!* The Metalback Whale howled with anger as its massive body writhed in pain. Its thick skin withstood most of the attacks and it tried to swim away, pulling the net that was attached to the submarine.

The greatest technology of the empire was now pitting its might against this ancient beast. The waves from the tussle caused the seas to rage wildly, putting many coastal cities on alert.

It was even messier in the trench. A little girl that was as beautiful as an orchid stood alone on the submarine's command deck that seemed like a battleship, loneliness apparent in her eyes.

Several white-haired old man in the uniform of the imperial navy looked at the whale on the large screen before reporting respectfully, "Princess, the forcefield reports on the beast are here. The submarine's psi energy reserves are at 82%; if we have another five minutes we'll be able to completely analyse it and activate a counter forcefield."

If the outside world knew of this girl's identity, they would definitely be shocked. She was a member of the royal family here in secret, commanding the navy in an attempt to capture an ancient beast.

"Do what you must!" the princess waved her hands, her voice as melodious as a skylark.

Moments later, the Metalback Whale's forcefield was broken, and blood spurted from its body. A dozen members of the Special Forces managed to deal fatal damage to the whale using their Rapid Shadows, employing legendary spells.

"Dawn Is ready!" a general reported in a shaky voice.

"Fire!" the princess waved her hand.

*Bzzt!* The Shadow Weave within the eastern seas whistled loudly, its energy surging into the psi energy submarine. Everyone in the region felt their Rapid Shadows fail for a few minutes, jamming up the company's customer service hotline afterwards.

All of this energy from the Shadow Weave combined with the psi energy of the submarine to devastating effect. A beam of light that seemed to be able to split the earth in half pierced through the whale's massive figure with a speed faster than light, before piercing through the surface of the sea and through the skies.

Everyone in the empire was able to see this beam of light, and it even attracted the interest of astrologers.

"Long live the empire!"

"O' Great Empire!"

The Screen showed the Metalback Whale devoid of all life, its aura weakening. The troops and officers all cheered in victory as the corpse began to sink deeper into the ocean.

"This… Is the strongest power of the Empire? I wonder if it can…" The princess muttered before sending another command, "Begin preparations to dive and salvage the loot. All mutants are to be dispatched!"

This order was carried out meticulously. Evidently, the imperial family had a stronger hold over its citizens than most people thought. They were extremely concealed in the shadows, and their reach was extremely expansive…

The innards of the Metalback Whale were like a small world with its own ecosystem. Many marine creatures lived inside its body. However, after this sweep of the Empire's troops, none of the marine creatures met a good end. To put it in other words, after the Metalback Whale died, their fate was already decided.

"I've found it!" As the information was passed down, a scene appeared on the screen.

Inside that whale's body was a large island, floating amidst the creature's gastric juices. On the island was a black stone tablet, and the mottled words written on it depicted traces of history long forgotten.

-x-X-x-

"Eons ago, the Snake Dowager who came from the Rivers of Sanar governed the world. All beings and various kingdoms of bloodlines thrived and flourished under her rule…"

The words on the stone tablet were extremely old and archaic, but the princess could understand their meaning. The information wasn't conveyed by sight or conversation, but through another medium entirely.

Still, this wasn't the most important bit of information. The center of the tablet recorded a monumental change in history, "Until one day, when the Mistress of the Night arrived. She ousted the Snake Dowager, destroying the rule of bloodlines. She established an empire atop corpses, shifting behind the scenes to control the empire into fulfilling an unknown desire…"

Anyone from the imperial family would fly into a rage at the blasphemy and untruths in this tablet. This princess, however, had a strange expression on her face. It was a mix of joy and anticipation, perplexment and fear; a mish-mash of various complicated feelings.

"... The newly built empire had obtained glory, and the light of civilisation shone brighter than the stars. However, the Mistress of the Night was not satisfied with all of this, she needed more… more…

"I foresee that she will mercilessly purge the world of bloodline carriers, replacing the humans with another being before finally turning the souls of these people to the same colour. The only way for salvation is…"

The princess forced herself to look away after reading this part. She'd felt a pressure from the Shadow Weave surround her, an imposing dignity representative of the Mistress of the Night.

However, she still sighed deeply in her heart, 'This relic of the eastern seas, the Dead Sea Scroll— A powerful prophecy foretold by the blind prophet Ari, left behind to save the world. This Book of Salvation is the only ray of hope, and it is no longer in the hands of those insurgents…"

"Seal this stone tablet under a restriction of class 5S. Anyone who acquires this information will be put to the death," the princess ordered after smiling bitterly in her heart.

"Class 5S!" This attracted surprise from the people around her. Even the Commander-in-Chief of the Empire did not have the authority to access such information!

"Do what I say!" the princess stated icily. The Shadow Weave rippled, the imperial token in the princess' hands showing that her word was law.

The several old marine generals looked at each other in the eye, but could only carry out the orders helplessly, "We obey!"

What was more perplexing was that they, together with the mutants of the Special Forces, did not see anything special about the stone tablet. To them, the stone tablet was filled with strange drawings, just like the doodles of a child. They simply could not make anything of it.

However, something that had the princess come personally with a submarine that could even destroy an ancient creature was no ordinary matter.

"Not knowing is also for your own good…" The princess smiled wryly as she watched the figures of those old generals as they left.

The more she knew, the more she sunk into despair. The entirety of the empire was controlled by someone working behind the scenes? And that too for tens of thousands of years, creating the imperial family and issuing the state policies? Even the most stupid of beggars would not believe a joke like this. However, the princess knew that it was the truth!

Furthermore, she could not resist the powers of the Mistress of the Night. That was an overweeningly strong existence, her might incomprehensible.

*Beep!* A connection request from the empire streamed in at this moment, and a soldier appeared on screen.

"Your Highness," he bowed with utmost respect before taking out a token, "I have new orders."

"Speak!" The princess retracted her helplessness and weakness in front of outsiders, stuffing it behind a mask of cold might.

"Urgent command: The submarine has been recalled, along with the loot from the mission. The rest of you need to head towards the Demonic Islands, killing the insurgents gathered there."

"What happened? Tell me clearly!" The princess knew that even without the prowess of this battleship, her subordinates would hold the upper hand against those rebels. However, she'd never think that the Emperor would pass such a pressing decree.

"It's… We have just received news that our research facility in the eastern seas has been breached!"

"What? Are you kidding? There are garrison troops protecting that area!" The princess's brows furrowed.

"Positive! The troops around the area have perished… As of now, the ones most able to resist them are you and the first admiral's fleet…" The officer in the screen seemed uncomfortable.

"Who is it? The Coven, the Bloodline Alliance? Or is it the Martial Arts Association?" The princess frowned, and immediately stated the names of the largest rebel groups.

"Everyone, even the Knights of the Round Table! They've even ignored civilian casualties, using powerful weapons of mass destruction. They seem to be determined!"

"They've discovered it, huh?" The princess bit on her lip. She knew the kind of research undertaken in the eastern sea facility, and the content within could never be made public!

"I'll go right away!" The princess did not back down, agreeing immediately. No matter how unwilling she was, she was a member of the imperial family. This was the tragedy and reality that she had to face from her birth.

...

Eastern seas, the Demonic Islands!

*Boom!* An alloy wall was blasted through, revealing a room with many long, cylindrical incubation pods. They held human specimens, including children and adults.

"Tsk… They're only clones? Nothing else seems to be in here?" A person dressed like a knight from the medieval times looked at Crowley. It was him who'd struck open the door made of alloy, that act alone showing that his strength could not be underestimated. It was the top expert from Knights of the Round Table.

However, his gaze carried a questioning look.

"Although the research here might have had concerned us, it seems like a bigger base than the others. There's not enough reason for you to invite us over," an old person who wore robes walked up slowly. As his muddy eyes surveyed the surroundings, he was seemingly shocked by the sheer size of the facility.

"Of course not… Cough…" Crowley had his ribs wrapped in gauze. The journey here hadn't been easy.

"What I intended for all of you is to see this!" He brought the two deeper into the facility, to a large safe that was marked with a huge 'X' on the outside.

"Fortunately we have witches with us. We wouldn't have been able to get the password otherwise…" Crowley punched in a string of numbers and took out an eyeball covered in blood, allowing the iris scanner on the safe to scan it.

After seeing this heavily guarded safe, the knight and the old man looked solemnly at each other.

*Pat!* The safe was opened, revealing the contents within. There wasn't much, just a few spiral test tubes and a computer disk.

"Look at this…" Crowley handed the disk over.

"Plan X — Introduction: This is a plan suggested by an imperial professor, codenamed 'X', using the clones of the embryo to get rid of the garbage lying within the Empire. Current progress: 571 years. Completion: 67%!"

Crowley rasped.

"This… This… This… It's so hard to believe that all this is true…" The knight and the old man muttered, but the information on the disk had stated everything.

"What have they got to gain from doing this?" The knight muttered.

"Control! This is the strongest benefit… Through controlling these clones and the 'reproduction' of these embryos, they can ensure that our descendants will no longer have any extraordinary powers. Even training in martial techniques would prove to be extremely difficult… The most important thing is they have stored a program in the depths of these mutants, and will be able to control them at any point in time.

Crowley's tone was extremely heavy, "Think about it, the entire world would be your enemy in the future. All of your neighbours, your friends... "

Cold sweat dripped down the foreheads of the knight and the old man.

"So… How much progress has the Empire made?" The old man's voice was extremely hoarse, and it carried a foreboding sense of despair.

"They have these facilities throughout the Empire. However this is the headquarters where everything began. Our investigation results weren't positive…"

Crowley's watch projected a screen, showing two strings of DNA sequences.

"This is a regular human, and this is the 'X' body of the empire. The differences lie here." As Crowley enlarged the image, a rune labelled as 'X' appeared in the charts.

"This is a failsafe plan the empire put in secretly. It can be used to verify identities, and anyone with this X factor in their genetics is a clone that can be controlled by the empire…"

Crowley's voice grew soft, "The control and contamination of this gene is extremely powerful. If an ordinary human mates with a cloned X body, it'll only need two generations for their descendants to possess the X gene in their bodies as well.

"Haha… So you're saying that there are people like that who exist even amongst us now?" The knight laughed so hard he teared up, "You're saying my family, and even myself, might be the production and spawn of these clones. One day we will turn crazy and turn into machines that can be controlled by the Empire, even slaying our own family and friends?"

"My apologies, but what I speak of is the truth. We have already discovered several members of the Bloodline Alliance, with these genes…"

Crowley bowed, "However, this control on their subconscious is not strong enough. The right amount of resolution or a powerful bloodline can still help suppress it…"

-x-X-x-

"I'm sorry, Mr. Crowley. Your beautiful dreams are about to be ruined…" A witch in crimson red robes strolled over, an ancient tome clutched in her hands.

"Witch Maya!" Crowley bowed reverently. This charming lady was an existence who was even older than him, the head of the Coven of Witches. In truth, without her support and her assistance, their breach of Demonic Islands would not have gone so smoothly.

"This truly is a demon island. Our opponent is an existence who is infinitely more evil…" Witch Maya muttered under her breath.

"What does Your Excellency mean?" Crowley scratched his head in thought.

"Project X involves controlling the body. Have you ever heard of the 'Tree of Life' project?"

"Tree of Life? What's that?" The knight and the old fellow felt that they would have a mental breakdown.

"This is the empire's most top secret plan, on the same level as the X research…" The witch's first sentence made the others breathe in sharply. Project X was already this terrifying, how much more evil would this Tree of Life project be?

"This project is a medium to connect the Shadow Weave to regular human beings directly…" Witch Maya looked at everyone present. "The final goal of the Empire is to implant the Shadow Weave directly into all humans, making their consciousness one with the Weave and eliminating the unnecessary steps. This will form an extraordinary human…"

"Control everyone's mind through the Weave…" Crowley was stumped for a moment, because he knew that the Rapid Shadow of today was such a universal object. Cold sweat formed again on his body.

"Yes. Project X is to remodel the human body, and the Tree of Life Project is to remodel the mind. Once their plan succeeds, the entire Empire will become one being! Furthermore… As long as they wish, any civilian would immediately become a powerful assassin! The citizens will turn into the most elite, indomitable army!"

Maya's voice was still as calm as ever. No one knew how much she had sacrificed to obtain this piece of information.

"This… How much… What have…" Crowley and the others present all possessed extraordinary ability. Nothing was more unbearable to them than having their bodies and minds taken away.

"Insanity! Madness! This world is going berserk!" The old man from the Martial Arts Association mumbled. Crowley was genuinely concerned that he would face a mental breakdown soon as well.

"We have to defeat them and overthrow the Empire's rule!" The knight swung his sword downwards, forming a huge trench on the alloy floor.

"We need more members, and to form a larger alliance. I believe that many will wish to join us once these projects are leaked!" Crowley hurriedly suggested.

Suddenly, Maya spoke. "I see the omen of death on your faces!"

"Would you please clear up our doubts, Your Excellency?" Crowley asked in earnest.

Maya's eyes turned white as she screamed in an ear-piercing tone, "Everything that you are doing will surmount to nothing! You will never be able to overthrow the Empire, much less the existence that stands behind unless you can find the Book of Salvation left behind by Ari!"

"It's a prophecy!" Crowley's eyes lighted. "We still have a chance!"

"No!" Suddenly, Maya let out a cry of anguish, and collapsed to the ground.

"Your Excellency! Your Excellency!" Crowley hurriedly went forward, but he discovered that her life force was declining rapidly.

"The Book of Salvation is already gone… I see blood and flames of destruction in the future…" Maya grasped onto Crowley's robes as white bubbles frothed from her mouth, before she started to spurt blood.

"Wait… Let me heal you…" Crowley fumbled.

"No! It's too late, listen carefully…" Crowley could only stop his movements due to the powerful strength from the witch's clutch.

"I see it… That shadow, and the return of the primordial ruler… Great Serpent…" Suddenly, Maya's body jerked, and there was no life left in her.

"Witch Maya! Maya…" Crowley was flabbergasted. He would not believe that the leader of the witches, the pillar of the rebellion who had lived much longer than him, had just perished like this.

However, although he was in denial, the cold, lifeless body that suddenly seemed extremely old confirmed the fact.

"Rumour has it that a prophecy exceeding one's strength will sap away a witch's life force… Maya's drunk from the River of Life before, and her bloodline would give her at least a thousand more years of life…" The old man from the Martial Arts Association mumbled.

"How powerful is that existence that someone as long-lived as Maya would die just like that?" The knight shivered in his armour. He stood in front of the corpse, giving the witch a knight's salute. "Witch Maya… Although you have come to pass, the flames of resistance will never be quelled… Let us inherit your dying wishes, and stop this evil empire!"

Crowley clenched his fast, "Right! Project X and the Tree of Life Project! The Empire must never succeed. If they manage to rule this world completely, we'll all be eradicated immediately!"

"There's no need to wait until then…" an icy voice sounded out. A sharp blade appeared from the shadows and pierced the Martial Arts Association head immediately in the chest. Blood splattered as the voice's owner revealed himself, a man dressed in military uniform.

"The chief of Special Forces, the largest lackey of the Empire— Javis!" Crowley gritted his teeth and looked at this person who came. He wanted so much to tear Javis' body to shreds with just his gaze.

"Officer! Enemy ambush! The navy and the Special Forces… They're extremely powerful… Beep! Beep!" A flustered voice sounded on the transmitter on Crowley's collar, but it disconnected very soon. The sender had most likely been killed.

"You're extremely lucky, we are killing you under the orders of the princess of the Empire. So much glory, isn't it?" A sick, maniacal laughter came from Javis.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Javis darted backwards and avoided a powerful fist.

"Tian Can, you damned geezer of the Martial Arts Association! Not bad, you were able to dodge my Shadow Pierce…" Javis snorted, looking at the old man with a blade in his chest seeming fine.

"I've mastered the source of qi, my body holds no weaknesses…" Tian Can patted his chest, a small glow appearing from within to mend the hole.

"I knew you wouldn't die this easily, old man!" The knight called out excitedly.

"Yea! Steel Man of the Knights of the Round Table, Tian Can of the Martial Artists Association, and also Crowley of the Bloodline Alliance… You guys are all criminals with a large bounty on your heads…"

Explosions rang out continuously, and it seemed like the Empire's forces were slowly approaching the area. What was more terrifying was that at least a dozen members of the Special Forces had already entered this area stealthily. Intense fights broke out everywhere.

"Javis… Don't be delusional. Do you know of the Empire's projects? X and the Tree of Life? Even you yourself will be sacrificed in the future…" Crowley tried to persuade him again.

"These matters… I knew of them long ago…" Suddenly, Javis' eyes turned bloodshot, "Massacre Domain!"

A blood red forcefield with a suppressive aura was emanated, engulfing Crowley and the other two leaders.

"I am different from you guys! I will be able to obtain eternal life once my consciousness is merged into the clone… Right now, it's time to rid of useless trash…"

Javis wrapped himself inside a black shadow. A mountainous beast charged out towards them from behind him, breaking the limits of speed and strength.

'Crazy! This person has gone crazy!' These were the thoughts Steel Man conveyed to Crowley when their gazes met.

"Leave him to this old man… The two of you should hurry to support out elites on the outside…"

*Bang! Boom!* Tian Can walked forward with both arms behind him. He blocked the path of the beast quickly but calmly.

"I have never fully unleashed source of qi, I can finally do it today…" Tian Can muttered, as a violent gale of an aura burst forth from within his body. It was almost as powerful as Javis' skill earlier.

*Kacha! Kacha!* The clothes on his body were ripped into shreds as his muscles bulged. The veins on his body seemed like fat, squirming earthworms.

In just the blink of an eye, this old man had turned from a skinny figure into a three-metre-tall giant with murky green skin.

*Roar!* The giant stretched both of his hands, deflecting the claws of the black beast. The two entered a deadlock, causing the area to tremble violently.

"Hurry and leave, young men. I'll leave saving the world to you…" Crowley and Steel Man were enveloped in a warm gust of qi, sent outside the massacre domain. The words of the old man still rang in their ears.

"Don't…" Crowley had detected an ominous feeling from the words of the old man.

Those of Tian Can's sect could release their qi in a burst and gain tremendous powers, but the price they had to pay was extremely high as well. This was especially so when it was performed by someone so old.

Crowley immediately thought of Maya. Didn't she too expend all of her lifeforce before she died?

"What's more… I may look young on the outside but I've lived for over 300 years already! I should be the one to sacrifice myself… Damn it!" Crowley clenched his fist as blood dripped down from his palms.

"Hey… Don't let Tian Can's sacrifice go to vain. The situation outside is even worse!" Steel Man pointed ahead.

Those outside were still stuck fighting. Crowley could see many of the Empire's elite troops covering the surroundings, carrying the imperial banner.

-x-X-x-

'The members of the imperial family are here indeed. They even brought the personal bodyguards of the imperial family.' Crowley thought of the information gathered by the Bloodline Alliance. The imperial family of the Shadow Empire usually kept a low profile, but the strength that they had hidden was extremely powerful. Their personal bodyguards could cast shadow spells instantly, and amongst them were many mutants and bloodline carriers.

"We're in danger today. The two of us could even die here. Are you afraid now?" Crowley looked at Steel Man.

"Haha… Cowardice does not exist in the commandments of a knight!" Steel Man's answer was extremely heroic. A layer of white light glowed on his armour, forming a second layer of defence. Flames began to burn on the knight's sword. Faced with such a perilous situation, Steel Man had evidently used a secret technique.

"Then… Let's begin to break through the encirclement…" Crowley ripped opened his coat, revealing a scar-ridden upper body. The tattoo of a serpent came alive on his back.

"Unseal!" Crowley shouted, and the giant serpent was awakened. It opened its scarlet eyes and spat its forked tongue out, hissing loudly.

"Kill!" The both of them were like raging dragons as they roared, charging into the incoming troops.

...

Days later, on an island.

"Cough…" Crowley opened his eyes, spitting out the fine sand in his mouth.

Listlessness soon turned to concentration, "How did I end up here… Right, we were in the research facility! The Empire's backup troops and imperial bodyguards… Steel Man, what a pity…"

Even Crowley would not be able to survive such an onslaught. Hence, after discovering that he had not died nor been taken prisoner, he was extremely perplexed.

"Are you awake?" An extremely enchanting voice sounded out beside him. Crowley turned towards it, and his throat immediately turned dry. His heart began to beat faster as well.

It was a lady in a black gown. Her appearance was only average, but it carried a powerful, intoxicating attraction. What surprised Crowley even more was the feeling of closeness he had, a reverence that almost had him kneeling and kissing the soil her feet had trod on.

...

"May we speak for a moment, sir?"A lady dressed in uniform stood before Leylin in Thousand Bears City, waving her pass in front of him. The badge was representative of the Empire's dignity and power as it shone in the crowd.

Passersby avoided the both of them, and some of them even looked at Leylin from a distance with schadenfreude. Anyone who had angered the department this young lady was from would meet with a miserable end in the Empire!

"I didn't know… I'm rather popular now, huh? Follow me!" Leylin smiled and rubbed his nose, before moving into a cafe. He had no intention of being aware that he was treated like a suspect.

What made the onlookers flabbergasted was that this policewoman did not hesitate and followed him, even carrying a warm and gentle smile on her face.

"Tsk! Were they roleplaying? What audacity!" A short and fat man rubbed his glasses and chided in jealousy.

"Retard!" His friend beside him immediately covered his mouth. "This is a public area, under the surveillance of the central network and the Weave! Would anyone dare to use a fake identity on the streets?"

"What a pity… She was such a beautiful flower, and also my favourite type!" The fatty fought to retort.

"I actually think that they're rather compatible, that boy is also cute!" A girl beside them spoke with stars in her eyes.

"Welcome!" The cafe waiter opened the door and welcomed them politely, but was momentarily stumped.

Evidently, he had recognised Leylin. Because this was the very same couple cafe that Leylin had entered together with the Snake Dowager.

And not only did Leylin bring the other girl into the private room, but he even left the bewildered girl lying there. This had left a deep impression on the waiter. In fact, if not for Leylin leaving some words for him to say to the girl before he left, the waiter would already have alerted the nearby authorities.

Although his facial expression did not change much after seeing Leylin bring in another girl, his eyes betrayed his thoughts. Leylin was apparently a skirt-chaser.

"I want to have a couple's room, the same as before." After listening to Leylin's request, the waiter was left speechless. However, his professionalism had allowed him to grant Leylin's request quickly. What was more remarkable was that it was the exact same room that Leylin had used previously.

"Do not disturb us no matter what happens!" The policewoman instructed him after he served the coffee, affectionately pulling Leylin into the room. The waiter was left speechless again after seeing this scene. Before he shut the door, he even gave Leylin the thumbs up…

The room was suddenly enveloped by shadows, and the policewoman stretched her body with a relaxed expression. Just that movement alone caused her aura to change drastically. Her face grew even more exquisite than before, and a pair of watery eyes seemed to speak a language of their own.

"We meet again, Shar…" Leylin sighed, looking at the young lady that had changed from head to toe.

This was the ruler of the Shadow World, the Mistress of the Night who was once an intermediate goddess from the World of Gods— Shar!

He did not ask how she managed to look for him. After all, she had the entire world under her. After failing to search for Leylin's aura, she would have definitely guessed that Leylin had used a fake identity to become a citizen. Through meticulous investigation, it was not a difficult task to track Leylin down. How would a group of corrupt officials peddling fake identities be a match for the ruler of this world?

"This brought you to me, didn't it?" Leylin waved his identity pass.

"I never thought that the empire I raised single handedly has reached to such a level of corruption…" Shar admitted implicitly. Her eyes shone like stars as she looked at Leylin, "This is not your true body, but only a body formed by energy…"

"I came with grace, why wouldn't you accept it?" Shar frowned, as if she had gotten upset. But Leylin's expression did not change at all.

She had to be joking! Had he believed Shar, then he was really courting death. Her level of deceit was absolute perfection. Even rank 7 and above beings would be deceived by her if they weren't careful.

Hence, after Xavier and the Bloodline Alliance left, Leylin's true body had already left Thousand Bears City, only leaving behind this projection here carrying all items that could identify him.

"Let's not talk about that… Why are you here today, Miss Shar. What do you want to discuss?" Leylin sat on the soft satin couch, gesturing for her to sit down too.

"The spell that you used the other day… I saw the shadow of the World of Gods and of the arcanists…"

There wasn't much room for discussion for beings like them. Seeing that her deceit was exposed, Shar immediately delved into the main topic.

"You're right, this is my harvest from the World of Gods." Leylin admitted. Shar sat beside him in a reserved manner like a virtuous lady. Just the white skin on her hand was extremely alluring.

After hearing Leylin's reply, Shar's face changed for the worse, seemingly affected by his words. It was apparent that the fatal strike had left fear in her heart, and she felt extremely uncomfortable.

However, Leylin did not mind it at all. He actually used a more unbridled stare and observed this female goddess in front of him. He had to admit that Shar's body was extremely gorgeous, especially that strange temper of hers that added a layer of wildness. Many males would want to subdue her.

Moreover, he'd showed this trump card to Shar on purpose, using it as a deterrence that would allow him to gain the upper hand in the discussion.

It was like a country which possessed nuclear weapons speaking to one without. This confidence and dignity, caused Shar's expression to change.

"I caught a whiff of the Snake Dowager's aura… You have met her before, in this place!" Shar digressed, looking at the place where the Snake Dowager once sat.

"Yes. We're allies, it's necessary to convey information and news…" Leylin did not avoid the question, and even stressed on the word 'allies'.

"So then, what kind of price do I have to pay for you to break away from your alliance with the Snake Dowager? I believe that I am a better ally than her! How about we share the origin force of the Shadow World? You have the bloodline of the Shadow World, the origin force will definitely be extremely beneficial to you!"

Shar immediately stated her price.

...

Even more shadows had now enveloped the room, sealing the room tightly. Leylin had even sensed a seal from the world's origin force. Shar was being extremely careful.

After having a great chat of over two hours, Leylin left the cafe under the envious gaze of the waiter.

"Break the alliance I have with the Snake Dowager?" Leylin shook his head. He had signed a bloodline pact with her, and Dreamscape itself bore witness to it.

Although his Nightmare Absorbing Physique was perfected, his powers would definitely reduce if he went back on his words. It was something that Leylin did not wish to see right now.

"So, the best way is for Snake Dowager to relinquish her rule as well… After all, I am a peace lover…" Leylin shameless gave himself a righteous tag to his name.

-x-X-x-

High in the skies, a semiplane had been opened up temporarily. Leylin's main body opened his eyes within, seeing the mark of a two-eared jar in front. A trace of laws burst forth, activating the imprint.

The Jar Spectre was a being of laws who'd existed since the era of the Snake Dowager. Rumour had it that it could hear sounds from all over the Shadow World, regardless of who it was. The Snake Dowager had made use of this fact, collecting its body's fragments and turning them into imprints that could be used for secure communication.

The pitiful end of this being of laws allowed Leylin to learn of Shar's methods.

"Allsnake! The Mistress of the Night has already found Thousand Bears City, and my main body has already left…" He gave a summary of what had transpired and quickly received an answer. "Imperial Capital Kerallen, this is the place where everything ends…"

"By the way, I've obtained two very interesting things. Want to take a look?" Without waiting for an answer from Leylin, the Snake Dowager impatiently sent two documents to him.

"Oh! Project X… and the Tree of Life project, huh?" Leylin stroked his chin, reading through all the contents in an instant.

"Shar's playing with fire!" The Snake Dowager's voice held a rare hint of excitement, "The World Will is the conscient of all life forms in Shadow World, including the mountains, rivers, and forests. It will only consciously make a thought every few hundred thousand years… what she's doing will definitely result in anger from the World Will… this is an opportunity for us!"

"You're too naive…" Leylin ruthlessly poured cold water on the Snake Dowager, "Did you think I didn't notice the issues with the genes of the surrounding humans? This isn't quite it… look…"

He then sent the information he had recorded to the Snake Dowager. There was a period of silence from the other end, though the jar imprint began to show tremendous vibrations. Evidently, she was extremely shaken, "How– how dare she…"

"The X project wasn't only applied to humans. Bugs, animals, even microorganisms. About 60% of all biological creatures in the world have already been affected…" Leylin's tone was icy, "Also, the plan doesn't just end there. Extradimensional spectres, pure energy being, and even the conscient of the land itself… The radiation of the Shadow Weave has trapped everything, and they can't escape…"

With the A.I. Chip collecting data for him, Leylin's abilities in this area obviously surpassed all other beings. With his great persuasive power and analytical graphs, the Snake Dowager on the other end did not have any chance to speak.

"If Shar's target was just the humans, then that would really be an opportunity for us, since they only have at most 20% of access to the World Will. Doing this will definitely result in them being abandoned by the World Will…"

"But she instead holds such extreme control, nibbling away at the world from the Shadows. She controls over half of the World Will already; no matter how much you try to resist you won't be able to match the favour she receives." Leylin concluded.

In actuality, he thought well of Shar's methods. If they were not around to interfere, she would most definitely succeed. Besides, fusing with the World Will would definitely cause one to lose a part of themselves. This was an assimilation in thought of all intelligent life forms of the Shadow World, and even Shar could not avoid this.

However, once these two plans were complete, there would no longer be any obstructions. In other words, Shar was currently in the process of fusing with the World Will, becoming a conscient that has devoured a whole world.

Indeed, only a god could have such guts. The rationality of the Magi would never let them do something so insane. Truth be told, Leylin would most likely do something similar given the situation as well.

Warlocks were slightly more crazy than Magi, after all, and he did believe there was a great probability of success here. Shar was an example.

The Snake Dowager remained quiet for a long while at the other side, before she finally sent a soul transmission full of unwillingness, "So… we can only give up?"

"No. We still have a chance, or I'd long since have left the Shadow World…." Leylin's thoughts were the complete opposite of the Snake Dowager's.

"This plan is actually flawless, but there's not enough time to proceed with it. This could be the price that the Mistress of the Night had to pay for exterminating other existences of laws, as well as to recover. That could be why she still isn't done corroding the World Will yet…"

"Our only chance at destroying her plans is the very moment that the Tree of Life moves…" After placating the Snake Dowager and arranging to meet at the imperial capital Kerallen, Leylin closed off the jar imprint while looking deep in thought.

Shar had given Leylin a great lesson in understanding the World Will.

'By the same logic, nibbling away the control to take over the World Will seems plausible in the World of Gods, though it would be more difficult…

'Now, while Shar has control over more than half of the World Will and can use the World Origin Force at any time, this also means a complete break away from the original relationship of having fused with the World Will. The part of the World Will that had not been controlled will definitely fight against this corrosion and perhaps clash against Shar violently. Who knows, her main body could be busy with this… The fact that the Snake Dowager and I can still lie low in the Shadow World and not be found by the Mistress of the Night is the best proof!'

Space shimmered, and Leylin's main body soared into the skies. The stars and moon flickered in the dark skies, as cold gusts of wind blew fresh air into his face.

"It's already night…" Leylin looked in a direction, "Imperial capital Kerallen! Let's settle everything there!"

...

The imperial capital was the hub of researchers and mechanics in the Shadow Empire, the birthplace of the legendary Rapid Shadow series. Many things not yet available to the greater world, or things that were only rumoured to exist, were all present here.

The imperial guards stationed at the centre of the city had the best of equipment, protecting the imperial palace day and night.

The imperial city had an area of about 10% of the capital, but it wasn't any extravagant structure. Rather, it was a robotic city full of technological character. The imperial research centre, imperial university, and all sorts of high-tech research institutions surrounded the area, forming a circle around the city.

There was an extremely secret darkroom within this hi-fi city, located thousands of metres underground with mendur alloy walls almost a hundred metres thick. This metal was the most solid known to the Empire, with the best isolation properties. It would normally be sold by the gram for astronomical prices.

The princess silently headed to the entrance of the darkroom, removing her wristwatch, bracelet, and all other technology from her body. Only after multiple strict, humiliating tests could she finally enter the darkroom.

The room had very simple decorations, with an oil lamp emanating faint rays of light within. One could somewhat see the many volumes that were falling apart on a few broken bookshelves.

Behind a black hardwood table was seated a middle-aged man with grey hair, seeming extremely poised. A faint lustre emitted from the ancient spell formation behind the man, twining around the princess.

If one looked closer, two items could be seen at the heart of the spell formation, one being a power-recharging source, and the core a few crimson fish scales and a pair of shrivelled eyeballs.

"Father…" The princess slowly knelt.

"The blind prophet Ari's Book of Salvation has been fished out and stowed away, sealed completely. The rebel armies at the Demonic Islands were mostly exterminated, but Crowley of the Bloodline Alliance managed to escape… Please punish me, father!"

The princess reported primly.

"You've done well enough, Ling!" The emperor who had control over the entire Shadow Empire spoke, "As long as the master is happy and shifts attention away from us, then we've succeeded! Even while at the cost of the Book of Salvation…" The emperor seemed rather excited, a rare flush rising on his cheeks.

"Do you know who the blind prophet is?" The emperor seemed rather eager to talk today, and even if she was the princess, Ling had no choice but to listen obediently.

"It was a master of ancient times, holding the same amount of power as the Snake Dowager. Ari was a reincarnation of a portion of prophet Kalle's conscient. This is the reason for the Book of Salvation containing such terrifyingly powerful predictions!"

"The prophet Kalle!" The princess looked up, focusing on the shrivelled eyeballs in the spell formation behind the emperor.

"That's right, these are Kalle's eyes, the reason Kalle could only be called the blind prophet after reincarnated. There's also the reverse scales of the mermaid protector of the unknown master!"

The emperor suddenly began to cough vigorously, the flush on his face more pronounced, "The Empire has laboured over hundreds of generations, and made use of countless favours to obtain these two items. Only with their protection can we communicate so freely without fear of being found out by that person…"

At the mention of that being, the emperor still lowered his voice, evidently from a habitual fear.

"Now is our chance! The Book of Salvation has predicted that the Snake Dowager shall return. She has the ability to fight that person, so when the time comes our plan can succeed. The royal family will truly be revived, no longer slaves to a master!"

Somehow, Princess Ling sensed a crazed look on her father's face as if he were a madman, taking a huge gamble for this. Ling went silent for a moment before she persuaded hoarsely, "Even so… suddenly changing the Tree of Life plan and project X could…"

"I've planned everything. There won't be any problems!" The emperor waved his arms decisively, "When the time comes, my master's thoughts after having assimilated will allow them to become a god in an instant, freeing the royal family from control!"

-x-X-x-

Ling sighed once more as she looked at her father behind the table. She felt like the person was a stranger.

And yet, she deeply understood his insanity. After all, the degree to which that person behind the scenes had oppressed their imperial family was ingrained into their very bones! She still remembered the shock she'd felt when she heard of the incident at a young age, being aghast at the kind of sacrifices the imperial family had to make to break away from control.

More crucially, her background and bloodline only allowed her to stand in the same faction as her father.

'That master intends to control everything, turning the whole world into something that belongs to her alone without caring for the ants seeking refuge in it.' In her heart, Ling could only smile with helplessness. The only thing she could do now was to dedicate her all to bringing this project to fruition, to helping her father. It was a horrible feeling, like she was piloting a broken canoe in the largest of seas. No, it was much more terrifying than that!

She understood that if the other party were to strike first, the whole imperial family would be destroyed in a moment's time. Perhaps they knew about it long ago but didn't pay much attention. Humans didn't care much about ants fighting either.

Ling tried to console herself internally.

...

Xavier's body was wrapped up in a black cloak. He was staring at the dim lights in the vast advanced city, clenching his fists as he spoke, "Kerallen! I'm coming!"

"Heh... we have good news!" Genius came over, seated in his wheelchair. "Our branch members managed to pull your parents out safely, they're currently en route here as we speak."

"Oh? That's great, thank you Genius!" Xavier sincerely gave his thanks.

"Ha Ha …. You don't have to be grateful to me, this were all Sister Bobbi's orders," Genius glanced around him like a thief, moving closer to Xavier and whispering, "I didn't expect that she cared so much about Crowley despite how she acts aloof on the surface…"

*Bang!* A ray of heat brushed past Genius' ears, caught by Xavier with his bare hands. It was an extremely hot piece of stones, the edges of which were about to melt.

"The next one will be aimed directly at your smelly mouth," Bobbi said in a cold voice.

"I got it!" Genius made a gesture of sealing his mouth. He then pointed at Xavier's palm, trying to shift attention towards him again. "Look! Xavier's improved again!" he said with an exaggerated expression.

"Indeed…" Xavier looked at his palm, the surface of which was covered in a layer of fine black scales that were emitting a dark light. He'd earlier relied on this protection to be unscathed as he blocked Bobbi's attack.

"This terrifying improvement… It's growing faster and faster…" Xavier muttered. He could feel his bloodline roiling every day as his body strength leaped up.

"Yes, it is good. You're about 70 to 80 percent as strong as that smelly snake now, enough to be dispatched as a trump card." Bobbi was dressed in military uniform, and she arrived to stand between Genius and Xavier.

"Is there any news from Crowley?" Xavier asked Genius.

"Our communication with the eastern seas has been severed completely. The last we heard, they met with an attack by the imperial guards in the vicinity. Their luck is terrible— to meet a core member of the imperial family nearby..."

Genius shook his head, "The latest news from the three-eyed crow says that the empire's troops released a public list of rebels who were eliminated in the encounter. Witch Maya, Steel Man, and Tian Can from the Martial Arts Association… The good news is that there's no information about Crowley right now…"

However, the deaths of three leaders was enough to intimidate the other forces. After all, only after thoroughly understanding how strong these people were would they be able to know how terrifying the Shadow Empire was.

"We can't say anything about Steel Man and Tian Can, but Maya wasn't killed by the enemy. I've been in contact with the Witch Association, she should've been killed by a dangerous prophecy. She already arranged everything and selected her successor before she left."

Bobbi shook her head. Witch Maya could be considered a person of repute.

"So it seems that she already had a premonition while heading towards the Eastern Seas. Why did she head there after knowing what would happen…" Genius touched his jaw.

*Beep Beep!* Suddenly, one of the handles on his wheelchair opened and revealed a screen with a blinking warning light.

"Blood Nest, Blood Nest! We're Transport Fleet 3. We're facing an attack from the Special Forces near the Black Onyx Lake. Requesting assistance. I repeat, requesting assistance!"

"Blood Nest! Blood Nest…"

The current situation of the other party was extremely precarious, and red light flashed intensely on the screen.

"Aren't my parents on that fleet?" Xavier clenched his fists, causing a trace of powdered stone to fall from the gaps between his fingers.

"Hateful… I'd originally thought that saving Jill could allow us to have a family reunion in the capital…" His pupil slightly turned red. He rushed out immediately, "I'm leaving!"

"Such a troublesome little brat, I hate being a babysitter the most!" Bobbi cursed, "Genius, prepare a rescue team according to Transport Fleet 3's situation." Soon after, her silhouette suddenly changed into a hurricane and she followed behind Xavier.

"Sigh… all of you are the same, why is the one staying behind always me…" Genius sighed, and following that a layer of the earth beneath him suddenly split apart to reveal an elevator. Following Genius sighing, the layer of soil beneath suddenly split opened and revealed an elevator. A few kilometres of travel later, a large base surfaced in his eyes.

"Everyone, attention! An urgent rescue mission is in operation!" Seated in the central control room, Genius spoke with a serious tone. The whole base turned orderly in a moment's time.

Most members of the Bloodline Alliance owned an untainted citizenship record, thus receiving an advantage when in the face of the Imperial's inspection. This time around, the transport fleet had been disguised as a tourist bus, littered with young children and elders. Outsiders wouldn't link them with the enemy, so their guard would be reduced.

Unfortunately, a problem arose this time around. When Xavier rushed to Black Onyx Lake, what he saw was three overturned tourist buses, and the flames on the body of the tourist bus sign seemed to be laughing at his incompetence

"Looks like they were all taken away. They should've met the capture team of the Special Forces, not the extermination team. There's still hope for their survival." Bobbi rushed to Xavier's side and grabbed his shoulders, apparently warning him not to be rash With a large number of policement sealing the scene, they couldn't be sure that there weren't any Special Forces members lingering in secret.

Biting his teeth, Xavier managed to squeeze out one word, "Alright!"

As the two of them slowly left, a middle-aged man blocked Xavier's path, "Young man! It seems like you need help?"

"Javis!" Bobbi suddenly cried out in puzzlement, and Xavier's own subconscious reaction was to attack. Snakebite Fist activated suddenly, and a sharp cry sounded out as he shot forth. After all, with all the current propaganda Javis was synonymous with the devil to the Bloodline Alliance!

Shadow Arm!

The middle-aged man's arms flashed rapidly, as two black metal arms extended from behind him to form a cross that managed to block Xavier's attacks.

"I'm not Javis. You have to believe in me right now!" The man's way of speaking could convince people. He pointed at their surroundings, where Xavier's actions had attracted the attention of the neighboring police and a few observers.

"Let me handle this." The man walked to the policemen with a smile, showing them an ID and speaking a few words. They turned to leave, and he saluted them.

"Hmm? Is that sufficient to show my sincerity? If I had any bad intentions, all I had to do was shout," the man laughed bitterly.

"Indeed, you're not Javis. However, such high level Rapid Shadows are only used by the army, and they have unique ways of masking their identities. I'm afraid you're nothing better." Bobbi snorted coldly, but she didn't immediately leave.

"Follow me!" The middle-aged guy laughed bitterly, leading the way and bringing the two of them to a secluded place.

*Bang!* An electronic ball was suddenly suspended from his hands, emitting a layer of translucent energy that isolated the area.

"With that taken care of, we can speak at ease…" The middle-aged guy took the initiative to explain.

Right now, Xavier has also discovered a slight difference in this man. Although he looked quite similar to Javis, the greying hair at his sideburns showed that he was obviously older.

"That's the shadow pulse jammer developed by the army! You're a military official!" Bobbi said with certainty.

"Add former to that. I was once the head of the anti-air team at headquarters, but now I'm just a glorified retiree, an unemployed uncle…" He laughed bitterly once more, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Clive, I'm Javis' older brother."

"Hmm… We do have intel about a Clive. However, why would you abandon the empire and your little brother to help us?" Although Bobbi obviously wanted to rope in the other party, she knew how terrifying it was to have a someone with ulterior motives hidden beside you. Her eyes were thus filled with vigilance.

"I naturally intended to be loyal to the country at first. But then I retired, and I used my previous connections to get the Project X plans from Javis. I have to prevent that from happening!" Clive's face was filled with sincerity.

-x-X-x-

"They plan to eliminate ordinary human beings with genetic manipulation, using the Tree of Life to control their minds and turn the whole world into a puppet. This wickedness… It far exceeds even the worst cruelties the ancient empire ever inflicted on its people."

There was a look of righteousness on Clive's face, "Some of the military who had access to project details couldn't accept it. We formed a secret organisation, uniting our forces to resist the decadence that has taken over the imperial family!"

Clive turned redder and redder as he spoke, his voice growing higher in pitch. Without the protection of the pulse jammer, they probably would have attracted attention.

Although she more or less believed the other party, Bobbi still sneered as she crossed her arms, "It's a pity that your brother doesn't know about this."

Hearing that mentioned, Clive turned helpless as his expression filled with sentiment and grief, "Javis… He's another one of the reasons I established this rebellion. Take a look at this."

He pulled a golden necklace off his neck, the locket attached to it in the shape of an oval shell. A family photo was within.

There were three boys in the photo, two of them looking like Clive and Javis.

"This is our third brother," Clive said, pointing to a red-haired boy standing at a side. He was the shortest of the lot, wearing a checkered black-and-white shirt. He seemed to have a shy personality.

"The three of us originally got along greatly. However, once we joined the army a mistake I made in compassion caused our third brother to become a vegetable. Currently, he doesn't have the ability to think anymore." Clive revealed his secret.

"His situation is very tricky, with aspects of the soul involved. Even the most advanced technology of the Empire couldn't remedy the situation, and ever since then Javis has hated me. His personality turned more extreme and brutal, and he used that to his advantage to rise quickly as he joined the Special Forces…"

Not knowing why, Xavier suddenly felt like both Clive and Javis were quite pitiful.

"What does the death of your brother have to do with your loyalty towards the empire?" Bobbi asked acutely, and then she covered her mouth, "Could it be… because of the X project?

"No. It's the Tree of Life orchestrated by the empire…" Clive seemed determined in his betrayal as he casually spoke of classified information, "The project aims to use magic via Rapid Shadows as a medium, using immense pressure to directly implant the Shadow Weave into humans. This will give the royal family control over the thoughts, and even the soul! Ultimately, all humans in the Shadow World will be integrated into a hive mind, forming an extraordinary existence…

"This is why Javis is loyal to the empire. The Tree of Life is the only hope for our brother to recover, the resonance of extraordinary power that comes with the implantation of the Shadow Weave able to bring him back. On top of that, the empire promised to hand over some autonomy to the souls of the higher-ups, which is why some of them are still loyal. An empire they control, with no public opinion or resistance to worry about, letting them do whatever they want. To some of them, this is heaven!"

Clive revealed a mocking smile.

"You should be entitled to this as well, right? Wouldn't it be great? Once it happens you brothers can live happily together once more…" Xavier couldn't help but ask.

Clive suddenly hesitated for a moment, then he caressed the pendant in his hand. "My only wish is to see my little brother recover. For that, I'm willing to sacrifice everything. However, he certainly wouldn't want to wake up to such a dark world…"

He breathed out a long sigh, "I erred once, but I do not wish to do so again. Are you willing to join hands with us in our fight?"

"Your reasoning is flawed," Bobbi said with disdain. However, just as Xavier thought negotiations were about to break down she continued, "However, an undercover agent from the empire could forge a more flawless background. I believe you— for now.

"Of course, our people have clashed so often before that they currently hate each other. It's impossible for us to act in tandem, at most exchanging information for now." Bobbi's analysis was very reasonable. After all, the resentment between the Bloodline Alliance and the empire wasn't just a matter of a day or two.

"I agree," Clive nodded after a while.

"So… This is what I need to know. The bloodline carriers on the Starry Tourist bus, including the old and young, where were they sent?"

"Silver Mountain Research Institute, close to Kerallen. These are the coordinates…"Clive sold out the Special Forces without hesitation. Perhaps he wanted to use this to win Bobbi's trust in the first place.

"It's a training and logistics centre for the Special Forces. They were hit pretty badly recently, so they're most likely collecting fresh blood to train. The chances of survival are very high. A few on our side also have passwords to a few crucial entrances.

Xavier's eyes lit up as this was mentioned, and he grabbed Clive's arm, "What about my sister? Is Jill inside there?"

"Jill? I'm sorry, I've never heard of this name…." Clive politely retreated, "However, If your sister is young and was sent to the imperial capital, it means that her innate talent is extremely high. There's a great chance that she was sent there."

"That's great!" After receiving the news, Xavier resolutely clenched his first. 'Jill, Mom, Dad… Soon, I'll be there soon!' he said in his heart.

"If you need any more information, just head over to the capital's Golden-Purple Flower Road, building 377 there to look for me. The boss is a disabled man, all you have to do is say 'Open Tulips' and he'll naturally understand what you mean.

Once everything was explained, Clive quickly stowed away his pulse jammer and gradually vanished into the darkness.

Bobbi and Xavier waited in place for a moment before the communication device on Bobbi's collar rang out, "The target's left, sister. There's no traces of an ambush in the vicinity."

"Very well, let that old man leave… He does indeed have some sincerity. Send the rescue team over!" Silhouettes that formed a sparse encirclement slowly emerged from the surroundings and made Xavier jump.

Earlier on, if Bobbi had felt that the other party was lying, would Clive most likely have received a shot in his head?

"Contact Genius!"

One of the members immediately half-squatted, revealing a transmitter. Bobbi inserted a disk Clive had given her into the device and sent it to Genius, "Genius! This is the map of the Silver Mountain Research Institute, along with a few passcodes. Eliminate their firewall, and paralyze their base within half an hour."

"No problem! I AM a genius after all…" The youth on the screen looked like a ruffian, and pity and grief surfaced on his face, "Damn it, why did you give me all these passwords? I can hack them myself! I thought I had a good opponent, but now it's like I'm using cheats…"

"Scram!" Bobbi hung up the transmission and turned to look at Xavier. "So, what now? This is the imperial capital, with the most powerful guards in the country. Do you dare to do something big?"

"What's there to be afraid of?" Xavier suddenly shouted. In fact, he had indeed felt afraid. However, with his family members trapped inside, he had no choice but to go.

...

When Bobbi brought the elites of the Bloodline Alliance to attack the Silver Mountain Research Institute, what she saw was completely unexpected. There was no heavy guard here, instead a base that had been ruined.

"What happened? Has someone gotten ahead of us?" Bobbi's face filled with surprise and uncertainty. Other than the Bloodline Alliance, she could not think of another force that had the guts to be so rampant.

"The Coven? But there are no traces of magic attacks. The Knights of the Round Table or Martial Arts Association? Right now, with the deaths of the majority of their elites and important figures, they can't even care for themselves much less others… Clive? There is no beneficial reason for them to do so."

Possibility after possibility was crossed out of her mind.

"The fighting traces are quite recent, and the enemy seems to be a small force or even a single person!" A scout came back to report. "The empire will respond soon. We must evacuate as soon as possible..."

"I agree!" Bobbi had yet to reply when a black silhouette walked out of Silver Mountain Research Institute. Numerous alerted gazes suddenly disappeared after looking at the familiar appearance of the other party, and Bobbi released a pleasant cry.

"Crowley!"

"Mm. I swept away the Special Forces, and arranged for the bloodline carriers and captives to be sent to safety. I stayed behind to wait for all of you…" Crowley foolishly laughed.

However, Xavier felt that the air around him had changed drastically. The pressure from his bloodline, especially, made cold sweat emerge on his forehead. His body was expressing a continuous desire to just surrender.

"You were away so long, where exactly did you go die?" Bobbi stared at Crowley. He seemed to have changed a lot, but at the same time seemed no different from usual.

-x-X-x-

"Let's discuss this after we leave. The story is quite bizarre, almost like a fairy tale…" Crowley touched his head and laughed bitterly, "Also, I'm working under a mighty lady right now. If you meet her, remember to… Nevermind, I doubt you'll need me to tell you."

"Crowley!" Xavier rushed towards Crowley, "I... I..."

Without his knowledge, the words had gotten stuck in his throat, He couldn't spit it out, and his face turned red in embarrassment.

"I rescued your parents. However…" A trace of regret surfaced on Crowley's face, "I couldn't find Jill… I'm sorry…"

"Alright… These are all minor details. Let's leave this place immediately." Contacting Genius, Bobbi slapped the head of the depressed Xavier and shouted, "The imperial guards will surround us in five minutes. Get a move on, let's break out!"

...

Imperial capital Kerallen, inside the palace.

"This is the recording from the attack on the Silver Mountain Research Institute," Ling reported to her father, pulling out a projection of Crowley surrounded by shadows.

This man named Aragon, the graceful master of the Shadow Empire who had greying hair, was filled with serenity. The imperial army's lack of a result or the significant losses encountered by the Special Forces weren't of much importance to him.

"Hand these issues over to the garrison and military to handle. Your only goal right now should be the project. Understood?" A faint trace of reprimand could be detected from Emperor Aragon's tone.

"I understand," Ling complied, and she went on to another report, "I found another suitable body that resonates with the project."

"Oh? Let me look at it now!" Emperor Aragon emperor's fervent attitude was so frightful that even Ling felt fear.

"I ordered the Special Forces to bring her here, and a series of tests revealed that the purity of her soul is extremely high. She can completely withstand the effects of the eye array and the converter."

Ling presented an image of a curled-up young girl in an incubator, traces of tears still on her face with closed eyes. This was Xavier's sister— Jill!

"Very well… Haha… You've done well…" Emperor Aragon did not care about the other party's origins nor her suffering, looking at the data and research results. The joy was evident on his face.

"She's the twelfth, and with that the foundation for the Tree of Life project is complete. You've done well, Ling, no wonder you're the daughter I dote on the most."

Emperor Aragon aimed to dominate the conscience of the extraordinary being formed by the Tree of Life, obtaining the power to fight the control of the Mistress of the Night. However, such a thing was very difficult to do, especially with the complex emotions arising from so many humans. He wouldn't be able to digest all that power himself.

Thus, he had to establish a few transfer nodes to absorb a significant amount of insanity and evil, making the process much easier. Research showed the empire that the soul refining array required twelve females with extremely pure souls, the kind only present in young children. It would allow them to call upon their strength to purify the evil.

As for what happened next, and whether those souls could withstand the tremendous pressure or dissipate under the load, Aragon had no need to consider it. After all, these young ladies should actually be excited to sacrifice their lives for such a significant cause.

It took a while for the Emperor to subdue his excitement. However, the first sentence he spoke afterwards shocked everyone, "Find a chance to make a report to that fellow. The empire's preparations are complete."

'We're finally about to begin?' Ling looked at the emperor's face. Although he seemed tranquil on the surface, the flames in his eyes could not be concealed.

The prophet's eyes and the mermaid's scales ensured that Aragon had no need to hide anything anyway. He managed to hide his emotions from the outside world, and not even the empress or his other daughters could realise that anything was unusual. This was a fundamental requirement for one to become an emperor.

...

"Why bring me here?" Xavier asked Crowley, looking in puzzlement at the man. Ever since he came back, this man in front of him had been acting quite strangely. The atmosphere around him had become more daunting, yes, but it also seemed like he'd acquired another master. Bobbi had ended up bringing him out of the base to confront him directly.

"Sigh…" Crowley scratched his head, smiling bitterly. "Some things you only believe if you can see them. Rest assured that I won't harm you. In fact, if we manage to get that person's assistance the chances that we'll be able to save Jill will grow tremendously…"

"Are you serious?" Xavier's face filled up with disbelief.

"I'm your bloodline ancestor, and have lived for longer than five hundred years. I will not harm you!" With this issue being brought up, Xavier could do naught but roll his eyes in secret.

Crowley soon brought Xavier to the entrance of a red villa at the outskirts of the imperial capital.

"This is an estate I purchased during my travels. It's written to the accounts of a housekeeper and my progeny, so it's very safe…" Crowley's voice contained a prideful tone. "My master, the great lady I serve with all my heart, is currently within…"

"I feel something abnormal…" Xavier felt like his legs had gone soft, and he tried to leave. The blood in his body suddenly ran rampant, causing his eyes to turn scarlet. A few fine scales emerged on his face and the back of his hands.

"Bloodline Ressonance!" he spat out with an expression of stone, his speech like the hissing of a snake. The red villa in his line of sight had turned into a blood red whirlpool, attracting him to no end.

His free will fought back without break, but his resistance was growing weaker. He almost entirely gave up.

"Alright… Allsnake, stop oppressing your juniors the first time you meet them. You did the same thing when I first met you…" Just as Xavier couldn't hold on any longer, a voice broke the pressure on him. The villa returned to normal in his eyes, as if what he'd just experienced was but an illusion.

'Wait, I know this voice!' Xavier turned his head, only to see a cloaked Leylin wielding a black staff.

"Ley? Why are you here?" He'd had a deep impression of this man who'd displayed astonishing ability during the greater proficiency test.

"Hello! Long time no see, gentlemen." Leylin laughed as he avoided Xavier's question.

"Wait… He is very suspicious!" Unlike Xavier, Crowley was deeply vigilant against Leylin. However, this attitude flipped completely as he heard something, and he turned humble as he continued, "Welcome, mighty existence. Mistress Snake Dowager is waiting for you inside…"

"Alright!" Leylin did not exhibit any courtesy, immediately treating Crowley like a servant as he passed his hat and staff to the man. Following Crowley's lead, he arrived at where the Snake Dowager was.

"Your Majesty!" the Snake Dowager nodded her head, and Crowley automatically moved to her side like a proper servant. Everything about her was so alluring, allowing her to become the centre of attention regardless of where she was.

"This... This… This…" Xavier's eyes were wide open and bloodshot. His heart was beating so rapidly blood was leaking from his pores. "This feeling… Why?"

"That is the Snake Dowager. She's the origin of your bloodline, so you'll enter such a state whenever you meet her. The only way out is to become a being of laws, breaking away from her control completely…" Leylin explained with a smile.

"Are you trying to play tricks on me right now?" The Snake Dowager threw Leylin a glance. Still, even when she flared up she contained amazing charm. Crowley turned away immediately, as if he knew that he'd make a fool of himself if he continued looking.

"Alright. Crowley, take my descendant downstairs, I'm aware of why you're here. I have something more important to discuss with Lord Leylin right now…" the Snake Dowager ordered.

To Crowley and Xavier, the instructions from their origin of bloodline held the utmost importance. They would follow through even if it cost them their lives.

Crowley saluted to the Snake Dowager and Leylin, supporting Xavier as they moved out. Leylin and the Snake Dowager were left alone in the place.

"This is the first time out real bodies met in the Shadow World, no? If the Mistress of the Night discovers us this is probably a great chance for her to solve everything in one go…" Leylin had a joking smile on his face. However, just after he spoke those words he showed a startled look, and seemed to fall into thought.

Every action performed by a being of law had a far-reaching impact on the world. Even the words they spoke would be prophetic. Of course, the possibility that these prophecies came true hinged on many other factors as well, especially considering similarly powerful beings.

"Her hold over the Shadow World is quite weak right now. It allowed me to do quite some things…" The Snake Dowager blinked her watery pupils, and her gaze seemed to ripple with endless flirtation.

"I followed the plan as well. The Coven of Witches, Martial Arts Association, and the Knights of the Round Table have been suppressed, and at the same time I leaked some inside news to them. They should be rushing towards the capital right now, although I don't know how much use they'll be…"