บท 76: Dilnaz's Madness
Across the last 15 years, through their various talks, Jiyan learned all important matters of Harun's mortal life, and naturally knew about his homeland: the Noxious Flame World. Aside from his clashes with the Erdewan and Golden Cicada Sect, the Noxious Flame World provided Harun with many fond memories. His father and brother's graves, and the few people he befriended, all remained behind.
After all, Harun was no neurotic lad. Granted, he didn't easily give his trust, but after spending over 160 years in that world, he naturally made some friends. Country monarchs, rogue cultivators, sect elders and masters counted among his drinking buddies. On his road to the Noxious Flame World's peak, many of those provided valuable assistance. In the past, Harun didn't know that ancient inheritance grounds were all shrouded in a formation that prevented those below the required cultivation level from spotting them. Thinking that his left eye was leading him to empty locations, Harun started doubting it. If not for a rogue cultivator's pointers, perhaps he wouldn't be here. Then, there were the intimate relationships, which though nothing serious, still left good memories.
Since his rebirth, Harun avoided the topic of the Noxious Flame World. Perhaps deep down, he already foresaw this result, and just didn't want to face it. Denial was such a satisfying drug. Jiyan, however, couldn't believe that her exceedingly proud mother would condescend to destroying an entire mortal world, just to vent against someone presumed dead. Such a petty and narrow-minded act defied her previous self.
Shame and disappointment swelled in Jiyan's mind. But recalling the subtle changes she saw in Dilnaz's eyes when she started robbing the cultivation of her victims through her new sword, Jiyan realized that the seed of madness had been planted long ago. Perhaps, after getting foiled and trampled time and time again by Harun, Dilnaz's seed grew into a wrathful madness all aimed at him. The merchant's following words confirmed that theory.
"Among celestials and members of the World Association, this is a well-known story. I just assumed that you were familiar with it. Please forgive my transgressions. For reasons unknown to those of my level, the Saint-Empress developed an obsession for the fallen Son of Heaven, and any trace he left behind. After investigating his contacts and background, she had all the celestials he had polite contacts with executed, then personally destroyed his homeworld.
Fortunately, back then other experts had grown curious about his origins. After all, the Son of Heaven was the only recorded expert to successfully poison cultivators above the fifth-level of the Celestial Kin Realm. Believing that he must have left some records behind, the future founders of the World Association descended on the Noxious Flame World, retraced his story, and found his scattered laboratories. The people of that world called him Plague Overlord, and had erected statues of him in all major cities. I suppose that didn't help them... "
Here the merchant paused, squinting his eyes as if recalling an important piece of intel.
"Though, there is a rumor that the White Fox Emperor of the Monster Paradise's Seven Beast Emperors battled the Saint-Empress for the Noxious Flame World's sake, and despite severe injuries, managed to save many lives. Still, those are merely rumors," the merchant mumbled those words. Nevertheless, they didn't escape either Harun or Jiyan's ears. But while the latter felt a tinge of relief, the former closed his eyes, his thoughts unknown.
…
Meanwhile, in the Immolation Blade Sect's main hall, the sect master, Sangar Diljem, sat crossed-legged in the air, with his eyes shut-close, and blood-red flames swirling around his form. Those eyes sprang open, revealing the flaming-red hues of the Blood Crow clan.
"Twelve dead, one brain-damaged. Our involvement has been exposed," Sangar whispered. Although he acted in concert with a senior member of the World Association and had many insurances, an attack on the caravans was no small matter, and so Sangar only picked those that cultivated the same art as him, then merged tiny strands of consciousness with their souls—enabling him to act through them and sense mishaps.
While more straightforward, unlike Harun's Karmic Attachment, Jiyan's Devil Essence half-wrecked the target's mind, basically turning them into puppets driven only by their need to serve their lord. This helped Sangar infer that his sect's aim had been revealed. Instantly, he probed the seven other groups, who now surrounded the remaining caravans.
"That being the case, we can only sacrifice the few to preserve the many," Sangar whispered, and joined his hands in a mudra. Instantly, all "bandits," alive or dead, turned into columns of sanguine flames and...detonated! Blood-red blazes swallowed all the caravans, devoured lives and goods, then vanished as if they never existed. Not even ashes remained. Sangar's hands moved in incantation gestures, and a formless force cloaked the seven sites—preventing Divination.
The Golden Crow clan's lineage carried an innate talent for Divination Magic, but more interested in battles, and deterred by the prices, most avoided them. As a branch of the Golden Crows, the Blood Crows inherited that talent. However, few dared to cultivate it. Sangar did, and so received Nakula's backing. Despite the Golden Crow Clan's disappearance, the Divine Army remained, and sheltered the branches of Nakula's clan.
But when he probed the eighth site, Sangar realized that the situation had grown more complicated.
…
It happened with no warnings. One moment, Harun closed his eyes, the next, the 13 Immolation Blade Disciples turned into sanguine-red flame columns that trapped them all in a massive blaze. The merchants' eyes widened with fright. Their screams followed. But as disorder conquered the scene, Jiyan raised her right hand.
A dark-blue aura formed by her Elemental Yin poured forth, the temperature shrank to abysmal levels, and the flames turned into ice sculptures. As mentioned before, Harun divided the Second Step of the Myriad Poisons Bridge into four stages: Yin-Refining, Soul-Exalting, Inner Truth and Tri-Yin Core. After the Yin-Refining stage, experts could command Elemental Yin, a combination of water, fire, ice and ghastly forces, all able to unleash extreme temperatures, on top of other properties. Now past the Inner Truth stage, Jiyan could naturally control it.
Sangar didn't expect that an expert of Yin forces stood among his enemies. Blood-red flames gathered in the sky, forming a blinding red palm that loomed over the terror-stricken mortals. Using his disciples' souls as fuel, despite the distance, Sangar could unleash his full might. Throughout the First Range, the all-out assault of a third-level Celestial Knight was a nightmarish concept. However, Jiyan didn't take it seriously.
Blue flames coated her form, and she aimed one finger at Sangar's palm. But as the two prepared to clash, Harun chimed in.
"The Blood Feather City Lord, Sangar Diljem?" Harun said, and for the split of a second, the energy fluctuations in Sangar's palm grew chaotic. Though the Immolation Blade Sect Master's cultivation level was no secret. Only a handful knew his true identity. How did this man guess it?
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