Within a week, Vatican City and Chinatown, New York’s two other major powers, likewise received Master Spirit-Technician X’s invitation.

“X… as in Xu? The Tullius Family is a cultivation pharmaceutical clan… You really are getting ready to raise great winds in America, huh… hehehe, although This Dao Master doesn’t understand why you’ve come to America, your fortune is indeed not bad to grow in a place that China’s hand cannot reach.”

In Chinatown, a young man set down an invitation. Around him, two people, the picture of respect, asked, “Your Excellency, and of us?”

“No need to go.” The young man pushed on his glasses. “There’s no rush to meet with him for the time being…”

Behind his glasses, his eyes narrowed slightly. “I also want to explore his foundation. With him here, the truth behind the Holy Relic this time will likely soon be undone…”

His ears suddenly stirred and he waved his hand. At once, the two men immediately left. The young man held a cup of alcohol and calmly sipped it. A good amount of time later, a voice gently rang out, “I pay respects, Your Excellency Dao Master.”

“Mhm.” The young man nodded without outwardly revealing anything. He faintly swept his gaze over and uttered, “Hehe… Old man Ancientpine’s messenger? Me and that old man have never crossed paths. To actually seek me out this time… If you have some business, speak.”

“Yes.” Space minutely undulated, and a voice said with incredible respect, “Daomaster Ancientpine requests you to interfere and search for someone.”

“Oh?”

The voice paused and continued, “Over twenty years ago, during the Nanzhou War, although the greater demon meddling in the human realm was slain, the price was that Nanzhou was forever unable to be occupied. That archdemon used some unknown method, and an enormous plant has taken root in Nanzhou to this day, in a false-death state. Nanzhou comprises a total of 13,000 square kilometers of land. Not a single person can enter…”

“Junior….” The young man raised his hand without warning. Under sunshine, he cast his gaze, his voice without a ripple, “Just on these words, do you believe I dare not leave your corpse strewn here?”

“Ancestor! I…”

“Spare me your nonsense!” The young man’s voice abruptly grew louder. A majestic qi no less than Ancientpine, Titanspirit, and the former Hiddenscent rumbled out from his body. In this instant, five pairs of eyes throughout New York opened in sync.

“This is… that old monster in Chinatown?” At Saint John’s Cathedral, Paladin Jenny was kneeling in front of an old man. The old man bolted up to his feet and looked gravely towards Chinatown. “Is this a show of power? So strong… High Grand Duke… Chinese cultivators are terrible strong, as expected.”

“He’s been secluding himself in New York for five whole years, but he’s suddenly revealed his own status as a Grand Duke before the Holy War…” In an ancient villa in New York, a pale hand softly lifted up a pure-gold coffin cover by a seam. However, a beam of sunlight hit it, and an angry curse suddenly came out from the coffin. “Ugh… damn sun…”

“Hehe, interesting. Six Grand Dukes have actually gathered in little New York? And this one is even a high Grand Duke?” In a winery on New York’s outskirts, a middle-aged man was leaning against a rocking chair. He took out a pipe, enjoyed the sun, and looked to New York as he murmured, “Why does a Grand Duke like myself keep on feeling dread? Could something unexpected happen during the Holy War this time?”

Regardless of the entire outside world or inside the somewhat-old-but-new building in Chinatown, no one knew. After the young man let his aura rocket into the skies, he settled down again and laughed coldly, “Fellow Daoist Ancientpine really is a good schemer, sending his two disciples here. This bait cannot even be said to be enough… For the general’s merit, ten thousand bones turn dry. My humble self admires this, truly I do… but at the time, did he ask his own two disciples whether they were willing to die?” [1]

“Just to truly develop a play by a little bit, he showed no care to his disciples’ lives. Don’t you think it’s too late now to think about restoring the bonds of master and disciple?”

“Those who he has murdered and the kill order he has issued, what is he still pretending to be a good Samaritan for?”

The voice in the air didn’t dare to speak.

“Go back and tell him that my Dao is different from his. Although I have no thoughts of the nation and see benefit as supreme, still, I do not look favorably upon such so-called righteousness and cultivators who sacrifice family before justice. Hmph.”

Following his cold snort, the entire building slightly quaked. The voice in the air said bitterly, “Yes…”

Just as Ancientpine’s disciple was about to leave, though, the young man suddenly spoke up, “Wait a moment.”

“Carefully heed my imperial edict.” The young man seemed to think of something. He stood up, walked around a couple times, and hesitantly furrowed his brows. A spell was cast, and several spying spiritual senses were promptly flung out. A crimson barrier of qi encaged the room. “If…” He narrowed his eyes. “He agrees to my request, I could perhaps help him with this matter.”

“Please state your intent, Ancestor.”

The young man murmured for several seconds and then said word for word, “The Feathered Serpent God.”

“Huh?”

“Go back and tell Ancientpine that New York’s Holy Relic is concealing a great secret… related to the legendary Quetzalcoatl. This point, I am sure on. That year, I searched for so long in Chichen Itza. I didn’t even hesitate to offend old ghost Titanspirit. Only then did I discover a sliver of this trail. It is a pity… Who could imagine that bitch from Vatican City actually had a Holy Vestige… In these years, I never did find an opportunity.”

“If he is willing to grant me great assistance when I search for Quetzalcoatl’s secret, I will help in this matter.

“Yes…” the voice in the air paused and hesitated. “Ancestor, dare I ask… why can’t you take the Holy Relic and leave with your divine abilities? China, too, has many records about New York’s Holy Relic. Even concerning a Holy Vestige, if you truly wanted to, Ancestor, it wouldn’t be able to stop you… On this point, Junior will return and inform Ancestor Ancientpine.”

“There’s no harm in telling him,” the young man said indifferently. “This Holy Relic… The issue surrounding it is quite large. It is simply no Holy Relic of the West. Without a single doubt, it originates from my China. To the extent… that having investigated for so long, I discovered…” He took a deep breath and his gaze became a little solemn. “It… might have come here itself.”

“Huh?” The voice in the air gasped, not understanding at all.

The Holy Relic… had come over on its own?

Was it dead or alive?

“In addition, tell old man Ancientpine that the Holy Relic’s activation seems to have a consciousness. During the decennial solar eclipse, it will reveal its ‘rule’. Only based on its ‘rule’ can its consideration be gained… If he has something or some information on this side, come find me as soon as possible.”

“Yes.”

The envoy left. After ages, the young man beckoned in the air. An ancient scroll emerged out of thin air and opened by itself.

It was very thick, opening up to be no less than a meter long. The cover was mottled and stained, unknown as to how long it had been stored. Talisman after talisman was drawn on it, and the formulas written down were exact down to the amount of grams. There were also rare heavenly treasures not usually seen.

“The Spirit Forbiddance Pill… Legend says that it is one of the divine pill branch-lineages to break through the Grand Immortal Execution Array...”

“Just the formula and the technique is recorded on three meters and seven inches. The time to concoct it requires a month.”

“Xu Yangyi, I am already certain you are that pill master. My time is not much… Another 1,400 years is about to come, and as long as you can refine the Spirit Forbiddance Pill now, I will guarantee your return to China. If you cannot, though…”

“Don’t blame me for handing you over to Ancientpine.”

Time passed day by day. In the turn of an eye, it had been a week.

“Your Highness, the Tullius Family has already prepared well for tomorrow!” On the phone, Laurent’s voice was wavering in excitement. He clearly understood that if tomorrow was properly handled that the Tullius Family would definitely leave behind vibrant mark on western cultivation history! Furthermore… once they were sure, tomorrow was the day they began their breakaway from the Dracul’s authority.

In this time, he was already firmly convinced that Xu Yangyi was a master spirit-technician. This was because not only had Xu Yangyi taken out Foundation Establishment pill-powder, but also a kind of powder focused on Marquises! Through several days of investigation, he verified there weren’t any side effects whatsoever. He dared to guarantee that this point would make all the present Marquises turn pale.

An item without side effects that could further one’s cultivation… had never appeared in America! Even in China, India, Scandinavia, and Greece, such medicines only existed in legend!

Laurent understood this deal’s importance all too well. Even if the Tullius Family didn’t turn much of a profit, the gains could definitely support them to death. It could further grant a qualitative leap to the Tullius Family!

“Good.” Xu Yangyi had changed hotels early on. When he’d given his Lesser Origin Pill specifically aimed at Marquises to Laurent, he immediately switched to a hotel that was claimed to be absolutely safe. Xu Yangyi read the things sent on the computer and said, “How many families are there, and what about the pricing determination? Tell me what you’ve heard.”

As Xu Yangyi the seller still didn’t understand price that well, Laurent didn’t think there were any problems with the coming guests.

A master spirit-technician didn’t need to worry about these questions!

“Yes, Your Highness, there are a total of thirty families coming, but in general it’s divided into six powers. The Dracul, the Corvinus, Vatican City, and… the House of Tirathon are the four biggest. The others are the Sirens and the House of Antar from the Black Witches Coven. All of them are extremely famous major western families. They might not have many people, but they likewise have three to five high-level cultivators at the quasi Grand Duke level.

“Wait.” Xu Yangyi furrowed his brows. “The House of Tirathon? I’ve never heard of them.” [2]

“Your Highness…” Laurent took a deep breath and said seriously, “Have you ever heard about northern Europe’s legends?”

“Zeus? Hera?” Xu Yangyi laughed, “Don’t tell me you’re talking about these mythological clans.”

“No… but it’s still about the same. Northern Europe’s legends originate from Scandinavia, and the Tirathon is Scandinavia’s only house! Since centuries ago, up to a thousand years ago, they’ve controlled Northern Europe’s legendary secrets! They fully deserve to be one of the authorities of the West!”

“But, their power has never left the Scandinavian peninsula. They’re very low-key. That’s why many Count-rank cultivators haven’t heard of them. But in the social circle of Marquises, they hold thunder and aegis—that’s to say they’re a spear-and-shield clan. Even the major families like the Dracul and the Corvinus treat them with incredible courtesy.”

Xu Yangyi nodded. “I remember I didn’t invite them.”

“Your Highness…” Laurent laughed bitterly, “Although their power doesn’t leave Scandinavia, I think that if there’s something they want to know the West wouldn’t be able to keep it from them…”

“Mhm, so what about the price?”

Laurent’s voice immediately became excited, “Your Highness, I think… that a hundred middle-grade spirit stones for one isn’t much, right?”

Xu Yangyi fell into a daze. Afterwards, he said straight from his heart, “You really are black-hearted.”

“No no no! Your Highness, you look down on a master spirit-technician’s work too much! Even if it’s mass-produced, a hundred middle-grade spirit stones definitely isn’t much! Which one of these clans doesn’t have wealth comparable to a country?! That’s not to mention that Vatican City almost monopolizes the few super-level spirit stone mines in the Alps! You’re walking the high-quality route! No way we’re fixing street goods!”

1. “For the general’s merit, ten thousand bones turn dry.” This is a poem from the Tang era poet Cao Song (828-903 CE). The meaning: a general’s achievement is based on the foundation of 10,000 soldiers’ bones.

2. You will find that every now and then the author makes a World of Warcraft reference if you’re familiar with the game. Tirathon, I believe, is a family in WoW.