No one could have imagined that the ancient Ninefold Dragon-Chi would truly awaken. It finally became clear why this young man was so violent. After all, how many people who could awaken the Ninefold Dragon-Chi weren’t consumed by such ferocity?
At that moment, Kayden slowly straightened his posture and said, word by word, “I hate having my destiny controlled by others. I despise being led by the nose. A mere Hellblazer wants to manipulate me? I’ll destroy them. I must destroy them.”
“Foolish child!” Godefroid pressed his forefinger and middle finger together, pointing at Kayden with a face full of anger. “So what if you’ve awakened the Ninefold Dragon-Chi? Do you think that alone makes you capable of opposing Hellblazer? The power of Hellblazer is beyond your imagination-beyond anyone’s imagination.”
Kayden stared coldly at Godefroid and replied, “Whether or not I can imagine it is irrelevant. What you need to know is that my body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Right now, I’m only at sixty percent of my strength.”
Those words hit Godefroid like a bombshell.
Sixty percent strength? Even at just sixty percent, Kayden had been able to repel him. What kind of existence was this man?
As shock filled his mind, Godefroid couldn’t help but appraise Kayden more closely. He himself was already at the Master level, and yet Kayden, with only sixty percent of his power, had fought him to a standstill-even driven him back.
If Kayden were to fully recover, would he reach the Legendary level?
This… this was a true prodigy!
No wonder Eldridge had passed down all his life’s teachings to Kayden. It turned out Eldridge had found a rare, one-in-a-million genius.
Godefroid’s astonished gaze lingered on Kayden before he let out a long sigh, deflated like a punctured balloon. “So what if you’re a once-in-a-lifetime genius? I know you’re proud-proud to the bone. But the moment you decided to oppose Hellblazer, even the most brilliant talent became insignificant.”
“Do you even know how powerful Hellblazer is? Years ago, the ten strongest warriors of Seclela attempted to challenge them. Do you know what happened? They didn’t even manage to meet Hellblazer’s king before vanishing without a trace. Those were Seclela’s ten strongest individuals.”
“Hellblazer is a force beyond reckoning. Even today, no one knows the extent of their foundation. They’ve existed for over two thousand years. Do you really think you can oppose them? Stop your foolish daydreams. So what if they’ve killed two of your people? As long as you’re alive, don’t throw your life away!”
Kayden coldly fixed his gaze on Godefroid’s trembling eyes. “You’ve said a lot of useless nonsense. Now, can you tell me where my master, Eldridge, is?”
Godefroid’s expression turned indifferent as he responded, “Dead.”
The word jolted Kayden like a thunderclap. His eyes widened as he demanded, “What did you say? My master is dead?”
“Ha!” Godefroid replied casually, “That’s right. Dead.”
“How did he die?” Kayden asked, his voice tinged with urgency.
Godefroid smiled faintly. “I’ll tell you next time we meet. Sharing too much isn’t my style.”
With that, Godefroid turned to leave.
But before he could take two steps, Kayden shouted, “Stop.”
“If you don’t want to die, tell me everything you know!” Kayden’s voice turned icy and menacing.
Godefroid chuckled coldly. “Do you really think you can kill me? Child, you’re far too naive.”
“What awaits you next is removal from your position. You’re about to lose everything, and after that, you’ll face endless pursuit. Cyrus Nightbane won’t spare you, and neither will Asher Voss.”
With those words, Godefroid stepped into the air and vanished from sight.
Kayden wanted to chase after him, but the Ninefold Dragon-Chi within him had already dissipated. If a fight were to break out, he wasn’t confident he could win against Godefroid. Reluctantly, he had no choice but to lower his head for now.
—
Hawthorne Eastwood’s death had sent shockwaves far and wide. As Godefroid had predicted, the news of his demise spread quickly, and Cyrus Nightbane could no longer contain himself.
He sought out Asher Voss, who was sitting at a serene riverside pavilion, playing a guqin.
Cyrus Nightbane knelt on one knee, lowering his head in deference. Even though his heart burned with agitation, he remained silent, listening.
Asher Voss, his back to Cyrus, gently plucked the guqin strings. The elegant melody flowed continuously, filling the air.
As the music played, two butterflies fluttered over, drawn by the sound. They danced gracefully to the rhythm of the guqin, a scene of pure harmony unfolding before Asher Voss.
Soon, two butterflies became three, and then a swarm. A host of butterflies gathered at the riverside pavilion, captivated by the melody. They danced joyfully, circling the pavilion in a mesmerizing display.
To a seasoned observer, such a sight was nothing unusual.
This was the art of Butterfly Calling-a guqin melody so enchanting that butterflies would flock to its sound.
But suddenly, the music stopped. A deafening silence hung in the air for three seconds.
Then, chaos erupted.
“Clang! Clang! Clang!” A cacophony of discordant notes rang out as countless butterflies were sliced apart, their fragile bodies severed mid-flight. Not one survived. The lifeless remains of the butterflies fell to the ground, scattering across the pavilion.
Asher Voss let out a soft sigh, his voice an eerie blend of warmth and coldness. “Cyrus, Butterfly Calling is such a delightful tune. It’s a pity you don’t know how to play.”
“I’m too clumsy to learn,” Cyrus replied humbly.
“Ha,” Asher Voss chuckled softly. Then he asked, “Do you know why I called the butterflies here, only to kill them?”
Cyrus shook his head. “I don’t. Please enlighten me, Master Voss.”
Asher Voss tilted his head back and spoke slowly, “No matter how wild they are, as long as I will it, they’ll come to me. Once they’re here, they can’t escape my grasp. Everything is under my control.”
“Wise words,” Cyrus said, swallowing his anger.
“Now, tell me. Why have you come to see me?” Asher Voss asked in a low voice.
“Hawthorne Eastwood is dead. Kayden killed him. Please allow me to hunt down this traitor!” Cyrus’s anger finally spilled over. He was desperate to kill Kayden.
Asher Voss murmured, “If you want to kill him, first strip him of his wings. This is the perfect opportunity. Unite the Four Great Sects and petition those above to sanction him. We’ll reclaim his influence and then crush him completely. A creature without wings-do you think it can still fly? Even if it’s an eagle, it will fall under my blade. Don’t you agree?”
“Ha! Hahaha!”
A strange, piercing laughter echoed throughout the pavilion, sending ripples across the water.