232. Blood Moon Vampire King
Outside Cascadia.
Theodore Montgomery gave me a deep look, no longer hesitating—I had helped him gain the most crucial time.
Never had he experienced such dramatic highs and lows.
The fight wasn't over yet. He remained the Admiral of Cascadia, still far from the point where he could relinquish his responsibilities and surrender.
His sword, like a rainbow piercing the sun, sliced through the crimson mist in the sky and rushed toward Seattle!
"..."
The Blood Moon Vampire King hunched over, both hands tightly gripping his crescent blade.
The young man before him had an unfamiliar face. He didn't even know this person's name. Right under his nose, Cascadia had quietly gained a Ward of Nature.
The Wolf King suddenly recalled the five harmonizing vampire lords under his command who had mysteriously vanished.
He had suspected that Cascadia had acquired another warrior with mysterious techniques, but never imagined they would be at the Ward of Nature Realm.
The logic was simple.
If a Ward of Nature were stationed there, given Theodore Montgomery's personality, he would certainly have joined forces with this person to venture beyond Cascadia's borders to eliminate him.
Moreover, Theodore Montgomery had acted recklessly, adopting a desperate stance. He had pursued te old wolf all the way beyond Cascadia's borders, seemingly prepared to die alongside his enemy.
This showed none of the confidence one would expect from someone with the support of a Ward of Nature.
Of course, there was an even more important reason.
Even the old wolf knew that in the three-way alliance against Vampires Valley, according to the established schedule, it was now New Terra's turn to serve as the main force. Any available Wards of Nature would certainly be dispatched by the Martial Orders to the most dangerous frontlines.
"I'm the Blood Moon Vampire King. It's an honor to meet you." The old wolf cradled the crescent blade in his arms, clasped his claws into a fist, and with a forced smile said, "May I ask your name?"
Being enemies with a Seeker of Redeemer versus being enemies with a Ward of Nature were entirely different matters.
Theodore Montgomery could only hide in Seattle and curse his misfortune, but this young man could truly hunt the old wolf down relentlessly—without giving him a moment's respite.
As fellow experts of the same Realm, he took the initiative to bow as an elder, offering the other appropriate respect.
"..."
I stepped forward, my sleeves billowing without wind. My powerful fist—carrying the force that could overturn seas and rivers—struck out fiercely! A rosy glow blazed beneath my skin.
The Infant of Love, born from the essence of heaven and earth, had transcended beyond mortal flesh.
Now I didn't need to mobilize any energy; every movement naturally carried full force.
Though the Cosmic Devouring Crystallization Method consumed enormous energy, the depth of its accumulated power far surpassed other techniques at the same level.
The vampiric power—transformed from the cores and flesh of countless great vampires—surged through my arm as I struck at the Blood Moon Vampire King.
The old wolf narrowed his eyes, suddenly raising the crescent blade to counter with a slash!
Treasured weapon against bare flesh!
CRACK—
The mighty crescent blade—which had beheaded countless foes—now shattered directly beneath my fist!
The power of the punch didn't stop there but swept across the Blood Moon Vampire King's body. The old wolf's expression changed abruptly. He crossed his arms to block, desperately attempting to stop my devastating blow.
The vampiric power washed away his entire armor, shattering it into fragments. His withered body was thrown backward, only stabilizing after retreating more than thirty yards.
The old wolf's gray fur bristled as his gaze discreetly darted across his forearm.
The Vampire King's robust body would make any warrior envious.
Yet with a single punch, this young man had nearly fractured his arm bones.
This hardly seemed like someone who had just recently ascended to the Fourth Realm!
"Your skill is impressive... but isn't this a bit excessive? I merely went into Cascadia for a quick look."
Assessing the shift in circumstances, Blood Moon quickly averted his gaze, enduring the severe pain while calmly brushing the armor fragments from his body.
No matter how shocked he was internally, he couldn't let it show. If the young man discovered he'd taken such a heavy blow, it would be difficult to escape unscathed today.
"The one who truly wants to destroy your Cascadia isn't me. That lady from Vampires Valley—Theodore alone can't stop her."
He earnestly explained the situation to the young man.
They had no real grudge—even if they did, it certainly wasn't he who had provoked the other. At least until the situation in Seattle was resolved, he was willing to let bygones be bygones.
What couldn't be discussed in this world? Everything was negotiable.
"There are priorities in all matters…"
Before the old wolf could finish his thought, I had already gained some understanding of this new Realm from my previous punch.
Having fully acclimated to my new abilities, I descended from the air once more.
Crimson mist gathered in my eyes, hardening into something solid. I cast aside all flashy martial techniques.
A master, after all, returns to simplicity.
When the simplest straight punch can tear apart mountains, everything else becomes mere decoration.
My elbow crashed heavily into Blood Moon's face, sending the old wolf flying backward. His ferocious, beast-like features caved in and his sharp fangs shattered completely.
My figure vanished instantaneously.
I had no habit of chatting with food before eating.
In mid-air, I seized the old wolf's neck, then violently slammed him downward.
The Blood Moon Vampire King's two claws clutched my wrists tightly. These claws—sharp enough to easily tear apart a harmonizing vampire lord's body—finally penetrated my skin with all his might.
However, beneath the hard-won broken skin was not flesh and blood, but crimson vampire power as solid as substance.
The flesh was merely a shell; the Infant of Love was the skeleton.
The Blood Moon Vampire King was an extremely ancient vampire, no longer as strong as in his prime. Yet he could not comprehend how weak he appeared in this young man's grip.
Yet he was still a Vampire King after all.
The old wolf's eyeballs bulged from their sockets as vampiric power concentrated in his claws, finally earning himself a moment's respite beneath my white palm glowing with crimson light.
"Awooo—"
He opened his bloodied maw, and a long howl burst forth—piercing and grating. "..."
I frowned deeply. In this wolf's howl, I felt as if my very being might be expelled from my body—a blood gift targeting the soul.
This technique could force the soul to separate from the body, causing it to dissipate into nothingness.
Having battled against my embryo's consciousness for seventeen hundred years, my spiritual sense had grown exceptionally tenacious and powerful—far beyond that of most others. Yet even I felt deeply disoriented in this situation.
I finally released my grip on Blood Moon's throat.
Relief washed over the old wolf's face, but he dared not stop his technique. Instead, he intensified his howl! At such close range, this might be his only chance to shatter my soul in a single strike!
The next moment, my hand fell on the sword hilt at my waist. Upon touching Hidden Abyss, a cool sensation flowed into my body. As a top-grade treasure artifact, Hidden Abyss possessed only one function beyond its sharpness: guarding the soul!
Perhaps it couldn't completely neutralize the Blood Moon Vampire King's blood gift, but combined with my already powerful spiritual sense, it was enough.
Splurch!
I gripped the saber with both hands, black mist trailing from its blade as I thrust it vertically downward—directly piercing the old wolf's gaping maw, penetrating his oral cavity and emerging from the back of his neck.
I then released the sword handle and delivered another brutal punch.
BANG—
The old wolf's eye socket shattered, his face covered in blood. Unable to break free, he could only instinctively strike back with his claws.