The Price of Power: Hidden Pasts and Strategic Alliances

“You wish to return? Hmm, it is not impossible,” Night Yuan mused. “Consider it a favor from me.” With a powerful tear of his hands towards the sky, a spatial rift materialized out of thin air directly above the Temple of Undying.

Tearing space with bare hands, a spatial rift appearing instantly before one’s very eyes? What kind of power was this? Even the legendary Archmages couldn’t achieve such a feat. Could it be… could he have already surpassed the Archmage level?

Su Han gasped, a chilling realization of Night Yuan’s terrifying might washing over her. He was indeed an old monster who had lived for countless eons.

“Following this passage, you should be teleported near the Adventurers’ Guild, by the Darkmoon Forest.”

“Understood.” Su Han nodded, then was the first to plunge into the spatial rift. She harbored considerable trust in Night Yuan; if he had intended her harm, he would have acted long ago. There would be no need for such an elaborate display, creating a spatial rift only to kill her within it. Moreover, with his immense power, he wouldn’t stoop to such petty tricks.

Bai Que followed closely, entering the rift. Luo Shang, however, paused before stepping in, offering a respectful “Thank you, Sir Heaven-Punishing Knight!”

“Oh? An interesting young one. Must be from the lineage of the Pope of Light.” Night Yuan effortlessly sealed the spatial rift with a wave of his hand, then chuckled. “The Church of Light… it has been a long time since I last visited them.”

Before their eyes, a kaleidoscope of colorful temporal fragments swirled, followed by a flash of white light as the previous scene vanished in an instant.

The somber forest possessed a slightly eerie atmosphere. Though it was daytime, the dim light created a hazy, moonlit illusion.

“This is… the Darkmoon Forest?!” Su Han exclaimed. “Yes, it is here!” Returning to the Darkmoon Forest filled Su Han with a myriad of emotions. She remembered how she had first transmigrated to this world, waking in a ruined village not far from this very forest.

Now, more than two years later, her return to the Darkmoon Forest felt strangely familiar. Scenes from the past flickered through her mind: hunting her first magical beast, the ‘Giant Wolf,’ then the Thundercloud Tiger Demon, and her fateful encounters with Akareya and Locks.

Su Han was profoundly grateful to Akareya. Without her, Su Han might have perished in these very woods. Though she had only ventured into the outskirts then, the Su Han of the past had been far too weak. The current Su Han, however, was different. As long as she avoided provoking the unique entities dwelling deep within the Darkmoon Forest, she could traverse its entirety without impediment.

“According to our intelligence, the Four-Headed Kiramei frequently appears in the depths of the Darkmoon Forest, near Moonlit Lake.”

“Shall we go now, then?”

“Not yet. Let’s first assess the situation around us.”

With that, the trio found a humble inn nearby and settled down for a temporary rest.

“The Four-Headed Kiramei is elusive,” Bai Que remarked, sipping fruit wine. “If we want to successfully hunt it, we must first understand the conditions around Moonlit Lake. Otherwise, if it escapes, our efforts will be as futile as drawing water with a bamboo basket.”

“Bai Que has a point.” Luo Shang, munching on a spirit fruit while observing the boisterous crowd in the inn, added, “Let’s listen to what they’re saying.”

At a table opposite Su Han, a group of people had gathered. A burly man, rudely devouring magical beast meat, loudly addressed a skinny man beside him. “Hey, have you heard? Traces of a Primordial Behemoth have appeared in Moonlit Lake, one of the three great lakes of the Darkmoon Forest!”

A seductive woman next to the skinny man chided, “Idiot, keep your voice down! Don’t let others overhear.”

“What does it matter? Most people in the Adventurers’ Guild already know, and there’s even a bounty of hundreds of millions of gold coins for the Primordial Behemoth!” The burly man’s voice grew louder.

All eyes in the inn turned to the burly man. Faced with such scrutiny, he lowered his voice. “Do you think we should join the fun? Maybe we could get a slice of the pie!”

“Heh heh, that’s just a descendant of a Primordial Beast, one with a relatively pure bloodline, not a true Primordial Behemoth,” the skinny man chuckled strangely. “A common Primordial Behemoth from ancient times could slay gods. Crushing us would be as easy as swatting a fly.”

At that moment, the most mature-looking man in the group, their captain, spoke up. “This Primordial Beast seems to be a rare species, named the Four-Headed Kiramei. Although its strength doesn’t match a true Primordial Behemoth, it’s still terrifying, possibly on par with a Legendary Sword Saint!”

“According to the ancient secret histories I’ve read,” the middle-aged man continued, lowering his voice conspiratorially, “each of the Four-Headed Kiramei’s four heads controls a primal element of magic: earth, fire, wind, and water. Even if one head is severed, it can regrow as long as the other three remain.”

“The Four-Headed Kiramei that appeared near Moonlit Lake this time is a hybrid descendant of an Abyssal Demon Hellhound and a Primordial Beast Hydra. It possesses both Primordial Beast and Abyssal Demon bloodlines, making its lineage quite high among Primordial Beasts!”

“If we can successfully hunt it, we stand to make a massive fortune!”

“Captain is right. Our Winged Cloud Squad might just make a name for ourselves with this!” the seductive woman giggled.

“Then should we also form a large force?” asked the burly man named Lude.

“No. If we form a massive force, other factions will inevitably fight us to the death. We would suffer heavy losses, and it would be uncertain if we even survive, let alone hunt the Kiramei,” the skinny man named Bonan replied.

“Exactly, Bonan is right. We’ll quietly follow behind the major powers. Once they’ve finished tearing each other apart, we’ll swoop in and reap the benefits of their struggles!”

He continued, “However, we won’t be the only ones with this idea; others might also plan the same. Therefore, we must preserve our strength as much as possible and await the final opportune moment!”

“Understood, Captain!” Everyone clearly agreed with their captain’s strategy.

“It seems our hunt for this Four-Headed Kiramei will be somewhat challenging this time,” Su Han said, furrowing her brow.

“Indeed. Firstly, there’s the overt threat of large Adventurers’ Guild teams organizing to hunt the Kiramei. Secondly, there’s the covert threat of squads like the Winged Cloud Squad, waiting to reap the benefits. But these aren’t the main problem,” Luo Shang explained.

“What I’m worried about are the elite teams dispatched by the Adventurers’ Guild and the various kingdoms. They might pose some real trouble.”

The Adventurers’ Guild, the largest and oldest guild on the Ael’tara Continent, boasted tens of millions of adventurers. Essentially, all mercenary teams on the continent were affiliated with it. Within the Guild, individuals could post bounties, accept personal bounty quests, or even undertake the Guild’s internal graded bounty missions.

“Your strength should be at the peak of a Legendary Mage, right? Although your true cultivation is only at the initial stage of the Legendary realm, your comprehension of laws and control over elemental power are no less than those at the Legendary peak,” Su Han said, raising an eyebrow playfully. “Are you truly afraid of those Adventurers’ Guild members?”

“The Adventurers’ Guild is filled with powerful individuals, and the monstrous geniuses within its core won’t be any weaker than I am,” Luo Shang responded. “As for the royal families, while they may have fewer prodigies, they certainly possess some. And even if their strength is inferior, what can I do against them when they wield royal authority? I can’t exactly kill them, can I? They might be the next in line for the throne!”

Su Han felt a headache coming on.

“Why worry so much? We’ll act as the situation demands!” Bai Que said nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by the tense atmosphere.

“Why don’t we go check out the Adventurers’ Guild first?” Su Han proposed. “We could blend into a major mercenary force there. It would save us a lot of trouble. When we reach Moonlit Lake, we can just pretend to disappear and leave the team, couldn’t we?”

“Joining a faction? That’s not a bad idea. Yes, let’s do that!” Luo Shang agreed. “It’s much better than waiting to snatch a fisherman’s profit.”

“Speaking of which, Luo Shang, your side will also send people to join the commotion, won’t they?” Bai Que asked.

“You mean the Church of Light? Probably not. My master has forbidden religious intervention in human disputes.”

“But do you truly believe that fellow Yun Xun will heed your master’s command?” Bai Que challenged.

“Hmm?” Su Han listened intently, not interjecting. ‘Luo Shang’s master? Who could that be?’

“Look over there,” Bai Que said, pointing to a spot a hundred meters away.

“What?!” Luo Shang exclaimed, astonished.

Bai Que rose, a slight smile playing on his lips as he leaned down to look at Luo Shang, as if anticipating his reaction. “That fellow brought an entire troop of Holy Knights, and quite a few priests too.”

“Hmph, that guy clearly doesn’t respect my master at all!” Luo Shang fumed, a rare display of anger. “Once this mission is complete, I’ll have him confined!”

“Tsk, finally angry, are we?” Bai Que chuckled.

“What… what exactly is going on???” Su Han was puzzled. It was no wonder she didn’t understand, given the intricate web of connections involved.

“Luo Shang, he’s a Saint Son of the Church of Light!”

“What?!” The Church of Light was one of the Ael’tara Continent’s most powerful religions. During the ancient War of Races, the Pope of Light and the Lord of the Dark Temple, alongside dozens of human powerhouses, overthrew the rule of the Divine Race, ending humanity’s humiliating history of ten thousand years of enslavement. After that war, both the Church of Light and the Dark Temple became immensely renowned. During humanity’s recovery to its peak, religious faith spread throughout the entire Ael’tara Continent. Just as the Elves worshipped the Elf Goddess and the Fairies worshipped the Fairy Goddess, human faith was divided into two major factions: the Dark Temple and the Church of Light.

Luo Shang being a Saint Son of the Church of Light only amplified Su Han’s sense of his terrifying potential. He was not merely gifted; he was unbelievably monstrous! To be a Saint Son of the Church of Light, an organization that received the collective faith of billions of humans, was proof of his extraordinary nature!

“Alright, don’t overthink it. I’m just one of the Saint Son candidates,” Luo Shang said, patting Su Han’s shoulder before adding in a low voice, “And Yun Xun, the one leading that team of Holy Knights, he’s also one of the three candidates.”

Then, a mischievous glint in his eye, Luo Shang leaned closer. “As for that fellow Bai Que, he’s the direct disciple of the Lord of the Dark Temple~”

“My heavens! This…” Su Han nearly choked on a mouthful of old blood. This was utterly unbelievable! These two had such formidable backgrounds! One was a Saint Son candidate of the Church of Light, and the other a direct disciple of the Lord of the Dark Temple. No wonder they were so monstrously powerful at such a young age. It was precisely because of this that they were undertaking such a terrifying SS-rank mission, wasn’t it?

“Do you think we rely solely on external factors? Do you think we rely only on talent?” Luo Shang smiled. “As the Ninth Imperial Prince of the Lanxi Empire, I was born with an insufficient innate essence, leading to a weak constitution. From childhood, I was bullied by my seven elder brothers; only my second brother treated me kindly.”

“Not only was I tormented by my own siblings, but I also suffered humiliation from other royal nobles. My body was frail, and I couldn’t resist. But I was unwilling to surrender, so I desperately cultivated, yet I still failed to gain my imperial father’s attention.”

He continued, “Then, when I was thirteen, I met my master, Yan Sheng, the High Priest of the Church of Light. He discovered I possessed the innate Human Emperor physique. Only after that did my father begin to value me and was willing to spend heavily to compensate for my congenital deficiencies.”

“If I had been content to yield to fate, if I hadn’t desperately cultivated to catch my master’s attention, if I hadn’t met my master, I wouldn’t be who I am today, nor would I be the Human Emperor.”

“Genius is comprised of one percent talent and ninety-nine percent diligence. While that one percent of talent might be more crucial than the ninety-nine percent of diligence, if one lacks that ninety-nine percent of effort, how can one ever hope to discover that one percent of talent?”

“Perhaps this world truly has geniuses and prodigies, but I am not one… and neither is Bai Que…” Luo Shang’s mood seemed to dip slightly.

“Bai Que… he possesses the purest Asura bloodline known throughout history. However, the purer an Asura’s bloodline, the harder it is for them to break through. They might not even survive the tribulation of their coming-of-age ceremony, only to meet their demise.”

“Therefore, despite Bai Que’s incredibly pure bloodline and his father’s exceptional favor, he could not escape the judgment of the clan elders. So, at the age of three, the clan sent him to the Asura Battlefield for brutal combat and tempering.”

“What could a three-year-old understand? He only knew basic self-defense. Yet, with tenacious willpower, he survived, living until he was eleven. In his eleventh year, he vanished for three full years. Three years later, at fourteen, he returned and massacred every single life form within the Asura Battlefield, leaving none alive.”

“After that, Bai Que was taken in as a direct disciple by the Lord of the Dark Temple and began his cultivation within the Dark Church…”

“So, where do you think Bai Que’s killing intent comes from? It wasn’t cultivated; it was forged through murder!”

“I’ve said all this simply to tell you that while history might speak of many monstrous geniuses, we are not among them. We are merely striving to survive in this world, and on the foundation of survival, we relentlessly pursue greater strength!”

Hearing this, Su Han secretly thought that her own experiences paled in comparison to theirs, a mere drop in the ocean. She, too, fought to survive, but how little had she truly endured compared to them? Beside them, Su Han considered herself incredibly fortunate.

‘I, too, must survive in this world teeming with powerhouses, and I must continually grow stronger!’ At this moment, Su Han’s state of mind had undergone a significant elevation. She began to formulate her plans, firming her resolve!

“Alright, don’t think too much. Just remember to always strive for greater strength on the foundation of survival!” Bai Que said, putting an arm around Su Han’s shoulder with a laugh. “Let’s hurry to the Adventurers’ Guild; it’ll be too late if we don’t!”

“Indeed!” Luo Shang nodded with a smile.

The trio then transformed into streaks of light, vanishing and reappearing at the Adventurers’ Guild in an instant.

Outside the Adventurers’ Guild, a throng of people created a bustling scene. Loud shouts echoed: “The team hunting the Four-Headed Kiramei is about to depart! Those interested in a share need only pay ten Amethyst Coins to join our ranks and hunt the Four-Headed Kiramei with us!”

“We guarantee your safety throughout the mission!”

“Our Misty Cloud Squad invites all Holy Knights and above to participate in hunting the Kiramei! After the hunt, our squad only requires the magic core; the rest is yours to divide as you please!”

While other calls for adventurers could be heard, the vast majority were related to hunting the Four-Headed Kiramei, clearly illustrating the immense influence of the Primordial Beast’s descendant.

Observing the various teams organizing to hunt the Four-Headed Kiramei, Su Han chuckled. “It’s certainly lively. Which force should we join?”

“Let’s skip those loudly shouting; they’re likely lacking in strength!” Bai Que advised. “And the teams from the Dark Temple and the Church of Light won’t invite outsiders to join, so we should avoid them anyway.”

“So, your meaning is we either join a team from the Adventurers’ Guild or a team from the Royal Knights. We definitely can’t join an individual mercenary team, right?” Su Han summarized.

“Precisely.” Bai Que nodded.

“Then, let’s go with the Royal Knights,” Su Han decided.

Luo Shang asked with interest, “Why?”

“Because for the Adventurers’ Guild, the minimum requirement is a Holy Knight, and even Holy Knights are just cannon fodder there. We can’t expose our strength too early, can we? Also, if we join an Adventurers’ Guild team, it would be difficult for us to ‘escape’ when we encounter the Four-Headed Kiramei,” Su Han explained.

She continued, “However, joining a Royal Knights team doesn’t consider strength at all. Anyone who isn’t royal will be cannon fodder. So… you understand!”

“Since they’ll make us cannon fodder anyway, why not be the weakest cannon fodder?” Su Han grinned. “We’ll disappear as cannon fodder at the start, only to reappear as the eagle at the very end!”

“I like that analogy! The praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. The Kiramei is the cicada, the major teams are the mantises, and the teams waiting to reap the benefits are the orioles. And we, we are the final eagles!”

“Then, let us join the Azure Heron Empire’s Royal Knights,” Su Han concluded.