Way of the Knights

Chapter 404: Heart of the Realm

Raul could hardly believe it.

Albert could hardly believe it.

Everyone in the Highlander Clan could hardly believe this. 

All this time, they all saw Raven as a polite and a rather timid person. He was mostly silent and amicable, along with his handsome looks and scholarly aura, practically none of them had any reason to think that there’s this side of him. 

But in some aspect, this is something that wasn’t completely out of their imaginations. They should’ve known that Raven could get mad too, after all even saints have tempers. No matter how polite and silent Raven appears to be, he surely has a bottom line, and its quite clear that this pitiful guy just crossed that.

What really surprised them, was the fact that virtually none of them saw what Raven did to reduce this servant into this pitiful state. 

Even Raul who’s cultivation reached the Knight Monarch Realm, barely felt anything at all. He only felt some minute energy fluctuations but that’s it. He wasn’t aware what the attack looks like or from where it came from. Which made this all the more terrifying, since even he himself would have no idea how to defend against Raven’s attacks if it all comes down to it. 

What’s more is that, Raven’s attacks are mercilessly heavy. Sure, this might’ve been considered as a sneak attack but it wasn’t his fault that no one could sense his attacks at all. Additionally, he’s just at Hero Realm, whilst the servant was at Champion Realm with a Saint Champion Physique. Its already impressive that he could reduce someone at this boundary with just his power alone. 

“W-who are you?” The servant stuttered as he asked this question while his body writhe in pain. 

Raven coldly snorted and said: “Oh, I’m no one important in particular. Just someone who got annoyed by some stupid bald fly who did nothing but buzz into my ears, that’s all.”

“Y-you!” The old servant coughed out blood due to anger, after that he a cold laugh escaped from his lips as he roared: “Y-your dead! Haha! You fool! You’re tired of living! If you want to live longer, then you better put me down and let me go at this instant!”

*Smack!*

*Pu!*

The old servant’s head whipped to the side while spitting a couple of his teeth due to Raven’s back handed slap. 

“You just refuse to understand your current position.” Raven snorted coldly. “A talentless dog like you, who isn’t capable of anything other than biting that hand that feeds you, dares to make demands? It seems that I’m being to merciful.”

A cold laugh escaped Raven’s mouth as he continued: “Might as well, since you’re so confident in your words. Mind telling me what precisely what gives you this confidence? Tell me so I could shatter it for you.” 

“Fool! Imbecile! Did you not see who came with me? Did you not see how many masters just went in? Even the Sect Master himself is inside! Once they come out, they will definitely avenge my death so even if you killed me, then there’s nowhere else for you to hide! You will suffer a painful death!”

Even the Highlander Clan who’s watching this scene unfold, couldn’t help but be worried about the servant’s claim. 

Indeed, it was perfectly understandable for them to worry about the might of the Martial Emperor Sect. Not even their clan could resist against their power, yet alone a single Raven. 

But despite hearing this words, instead of being worried or fearful. Raven laughed. 

He laughed like he heard the funniest joke in the entire world. Tears even started forming in the corners of his eyes. He then wore a mocking smile and asked:

“That’s it? That’s where your confidence comes from? What a joke!” Raven laughed coldly. “Well, since you revealed the source of your confidence, then let me show you how laughable your background is.”

With a flick of his finger, the keepsake that’s in the middle of the array, flew towards him and landed on his palms. 

Under everyone’s gaze, he nicked his finger and smeared his blood on the keepsake, causing it to emit a faint brilliance. 

He then coldly gaze at the servant and said: “You’re a part of the Martial Emperor Sect now aren’t you?” 

“I am! What about it?” The servant tried to puff out his chest in pride but the pain prevented him from doing so. 

Raven sneered and said: “If that’s the case, then you surely have some Life Monitoring Jades with you right? If so bring them out. I’ll let you see something incredible.”

“Hmph!” The servant didn’t understand what Raven was trying to do but in his mind, he knew that this kid is just putting on an act in order to reduce the shame and guilt on his body. Knowing this, of course the servant didn’t want to be on the passive side. 

The kid unboundedly infuriated him. A piddling Hero Knight not only dared to slight the orders of the Martial Emperor Sect but also dared to hurt him. How could he accept this? Not only did he want to personally kill this kid, he wanted to torture him and hunt down every single person who’s important to him in order to get rid of this humiliation. 

Seeing the pitiful display of the servant, a mocking smile appeared on Raven’s face once more. Now that the Life Monitoring Jades are out, then its time to teach him a painful lesson. 

Raven tightly gripped the keepsake, and under everyone’s watch, a large screen of light emerge from it. Everyone was shocked but before they could even say anything, Raven controlled the array and displayed the real time feed from the secret realm.

This array was actually showing them what’s happening inside!

“Ah! I remember this guy.” Raven said as he zoomed in on one person, “This guy was the one who kept on saying that the Highlander Clan doesn’t have the capabilities to monopolize this secret realm by themselves. Quite an overbearing fellow really.” 

Raven then turned towards the servant and said: “Watch.”

He lifted a single finger and poked at the image being shown on the screen. All of a sudden, everyone saw how a bolt of golden lightning descended and struck the unsuspecting fellow inside. 

Everyone was gobsmacked. And as if that wasn’t enough, the Life Monitoring Jade of the fellow who just died, shattered whilst being held by the servant. 

A deadly silence permeated within the vast field. Everyone stared at Raven with bulging eyes. All hairs on their bodies were standing up due to fright. The servant’s face was pale and filled with horror. He couldn’t understand just what Raven did but one thing is for sure.

That unlucky fellow died because of him.

“You don’t understand right? No matter, I’ll explain it for you then.” Raven cleared his throat as he wore a ‘kind’ expression as he stared at the horrified servant. “This secret realm is not fated for everyone.”

There was brief silence before Raven continued explaining. 

“As someone who leaked this information, you should’ve known the requirements for opening the secret am I right?”

The servant dumbly nodded, a sense of ominous feeling was gripping his heart. 

“See this keepsake right here?” Raven waved the jade he was holding at the servant. “This is not a Soul Calming Jade, but rather the Heart of the Realm.”

“I never intended to keep this fact since initially, I thought that only those from the Highlander Clan would enter this secret realm. Unfortunately or not, you leaked the news, allowing everyone to know about it. My brother and his clan suddenly became the laughingstock of the whole realm. As a friend, how could I sit by and watch him suffer? Of course, I had to get revenge right?”

After saying this, Raven zoomed in on a group of people and with a flick of his fingers, bolts of golden lightning struck them down, causing several Life Monitoring Jades to shatter on the servants hands. 

“This right here, the Heart of the Realm, is something that could control everything inside this secret realm. Which means, that if I or anyone from the Highlander Clan, wants someone dead, then so long as they’re inside the secret realm, there’s nowhere they could hide.”

“Just like this…”

Raven sent bolts of golden lightning to group of people once again, causing yet another batch of jades to shatter on the hands on the old servant. 

“Cool right?” Raven asked sarcastically. “The lives of those who entered, are decided by us. Which means that so long as we wanted it…”

“We could kill everyone who entered the secret realm, and no one would know that it was us who did it.”

His ghastly words finally broke down the last traces of hope in the old servant’s heart. His face was now filled with horror as he stared at the cold expression on Raven’s face. 

“Think about this way…” Raven eerily said, “If, and I’m only saying if, I decided to kill you and everyone who entered, including the Sect Master. Doesn’t that mean that the Highlander Clan could not only monopolize the entire secret realm, but also claim the Martial Emperor Sect for themselves as well?”

…and with such words, the old servant finally couldn’t take it and lost consciousness.