“Damn, that’s some fine blood…
pure virgin blood too…
Boss, hurry up and hand it over!”
The Bloodthirst Emperor’s eyes flared with twin green flames, locked dead on the teapot in Cassian’s hand.
His skeletal jaw clacked hungrily, impatience all but oozing from him.
Cassian’s skin crawled.
This guy redefined twisted.
“You’ll get it,” he said, voice flat.
“But you’re handing over that transcendent technique first.”
He weighed the pot in his hand.
“This is at least a pound of girl’s blood.
Just one technique?
Feels like a lousy trade.”
“Boss, don’t be mad, but…
with your current cultivation at spiritblade realm, even if I gave you a hundred transcendent techniques, they’d be useless,” the Bloodthirst Emperor said easily, then launched into a full explanation.
Cultivation was strict: spiritblade realm, spiritcore realm, sigilcraft realm, spiritmaster realm, spiritking realm, spiritlord realm, godspirit realm, godking realm, faespirit realm, faeking realm, holy spirit realm, saintking realm, void emperor realm, true emperor realm…
each with six ranks.
And cultivation methods?
Tiered too: lower, middle, upper, spirit tier, celestial, peerless, transcendent…
Too weak a foundation trying to wield a high-tier technique?
That’s suicide.
You wouldn’t master it, might not even survive trying to use it.
Waste of effort.
After hearing all that, Cassian couldn’t hold his tongue.
“Then why the hell did you say it was a transcendent technique in the first place?”
“Easy, Boss.” The Bloodthirst Emperor chuckled.
“I am giving you a transcendent technique-called the Grand Spirit Devour Art.
Pure gold, I swear.”
Seeing Cassian still pissed, he added quickly, “Tell you what.
Once you hit spiritcore realm, I’ll throw in another transcendent art for free.
Fair deal, right?”
“…Fine.
I’ll trust you this once.
Pass it on.” Cassian wasn’t in the mood to argue anymore.
His cultivation really was too low to push it.
And besides, wasn’t like he was losing anything.
“Boss, I’m locked in here.
You’ll need to reach in.”
Cassian didn’t hesitate.
He thrust his hand through the prison bars.
The Bloodthirst Emperor’s bone hand gripped his forearm.
“Whum!”
Scarlet sigils flared from the skeleton’s hand, crawling over Cassian’s flesh, burrowing into every fiber of his being.
“What’s this art really do?”
“No need to activate it with your spiritforce,” the Bloodthirst Emperor explained.
“If anyone hits you with spiritforce, the moment they touch you, bam-you draw all their spirit core into yourself.
Use it to boost your own cultivation.
And it strengthens as you do.”
Cassian blinked.
Too good to be true?
Probably.
Still, he couldn’t stop the fire that surged in his chest.
If this was real, it was a monster’s power.
He wasn’t gonna waste more time thinking.
Thought never beat action.
Without a word, he tossed the blood-filled teapot to the glowing-eyed fiend.
“Ahhh…
eight hundred billion years of thirst quenched…
bliss…
ahhhhh…”
The moment the Bloodthirst Emperor took a sip from the vessel, he let out a low groan of pleasure.
It was as if he was savoring the embrace of a real maiden.
Blood-red flames poured from his body, quickly wrapping him in a blazing aura.
Cassian watched the scene, speechless.
Just a pot of maiden’s blood, and this so-called Emperor acted like he’d ascended to heaven.
Was every imprisoned demon here this pitiful?
He couldn’t help but wonder-if each of these prisoners were willing to trade like the Bloodthirst Emperor, wouldn’t that be a goldmine waiting to be tapped?
“I’ll have to explore this prison properly later,” he muttered.
There was no rush.
The Forbidden Prison was inside his body; he could delve into it whenever he wished.
For now, Cassian had more pressing matters-settling scores back home.
If even his own handmaid could be turned against him, it was clear the knives were already at his back.
With a grim look, he scooped up Lily’s cold body and strode off toward Bryce’s place.
*****
Back at the rear garden of Bryce’s place…
“Don’t worry, Elders,” Bryce said smoothly, a slight smirk on his lips.
“I sent Lily to handle that brat yesterday.
Cassian should be dead by now.
Everything’s ready-Uncle Charles is the only piece left, and that’s where I need your support.”
Dressed in pure white, Bryce had the look of a refined young noble-tall, handsome, cultured.
But that grin on his face?
It was the smile of a snake with venom behind its teeth.
He’d invited the three clan elders over today to finalize their little scheme.
Of the Faraday Clan’s three exceptional talents, Bryce was one.
His cultivation had reached the fourth tier of the spiritblade realm, putting his strength on par with Cassian and the youngest, Noah Faraday.
But where he shone brightest was politics-the elders were all firmly on his side.
Logic would point to Bryce as the likely heir.
Too bad the current Clan Lord, Charles Faraday, didn’t think so.
He favored Cassian instead.
“Relax,” promised Max Faraday, the First Elder, raising a hand in assurance.
“Once Cassian’s out of the picture, the title is yours, no question.
And as for that fool Noah, he’s nothing to worry about-we’ve made arrangements.”
Just then, a furious shout rang out from the gate.
“Bryce Faraday, get out here!”
Cassian’s voice boomed across the courtyard, and moments later he strode in, Lily’s corpse slung over his shoulder.
“I thought you said the brat was dead?” muttered Alaric Faraday, the Second Elder, frowning.
Max and Vince Faraday both shot Bryce uneasy glances, their expressions darkening.
“This…
this can’t be right…” Bryce stammered, disbelief spreading across his face.
Had Lily botched it?
Cassian didn’t wait.
Once he spotted Bryce and the three elders in the front courtyard, his face turned to stone.
He flung Lily’s body at Bryce’s feet with a thud.
His glare swept past the elders before settling coldly back on Bryce.
“Well, what a surprise.
All three Elders are here too.”
“What the hell is the meaning of this?” Bryce demanded, face tightening.
He tried to play dumb, his voice sharp and accusing.
“Cut the crap,” Cassian snapped, eyes blazing.
“You know exactly what this is about.
I’m not here to talk.
Today, one of us dies.
Simple as that.”