novess
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Chapter 106
🕑 Added 2024-10-31 23:12:16 +0000 UTC“Wait a minute— what did she just say?”
“A princess of Fey?”
“Is this a joke? What’s a Fey doing down here?”
“That fire… that’s no ordinary flame. It’s infused with the Binate Genesis of the Duality Hound tribe.”
“She’s not just any Fey— she’s from the Noble Beast Lineage!”
The Grahas and Nethers drew in a sharp, cold breath, staring at Hong Tian in utter disbelief. Despite being from the Upper World and having expanded their world views, their eyes still widened as they gaped at her— as though having seen the rarest thing imaginable.
And she may as well have been.
Noble Beasts— their mythical existence, ancient and unique. Much like the calamitous dragons and phoenixes, they belonged to a class of their own. While their blood may not be as pure, their bodies held untold potential, containing nomological principles of the cosmos.
“The Duality Hound tribe… princess…” Fuhai murmured, his gaze darkening as a certain figure came to mind.
“You don’t think she’s that person, do you? Di Han inquired.
Fuhai didn’t reply as he was still uncertain. He could figure out the origin of the young woman before him but not her identity. Finally, he asked, his tone heavy, “Might your esteemed self be the exalted Dualic Fiend of Fey, Hong Jing?”
His question prompted his men to turn their heads in unison, each wearing a serious expression.
It was only after hearing Hong Tian’s answer that they were able to slightly loosen their guard.
“I am not,” she said calmly.
“I see…” A sense of relief flickered across Fuhai’s eyes, and unnoticed by anyone, his clenched fists slowly began to relax. However, upon hearing what she said next, his vein twitched.
“Hong Jing is my elder sister,” Hong Tian explained. She noticed his vigilant gaze darting around and her eyes narrowed with hostility. She continued, “There’s no need to search, General. My sister isn’t here. She remains in the Paralix— the realm of death— still tirelessly fighting on.”
“As is our duty.”
The Grahas recoiled from her words, pressed by the air of guilt.
Fuhai felt it as well. The words, “as is our duty” put him in a hard position. Due to their race’s past transgression, he found it hard to comment. After a brief moment of silence, he said, carefully, “The Graha were not the only ones who left back then.”
“Yes…” Hong Tian nodded, her face unreadable as her eyes closed. But when they opened again, her tone was scathing.
“It wasn’t just the Graha alone who deserted us— the Celestials and the Primordial Ji as well, all of you— traitors! Forgotten are your oaths to the Progenitors. Leaving my kind alone in that despairing realm.”
“…” Fuhai was silent, as were the rest— simply unable to respond.
Hong Tian sneered, a surge of satisfaction washing over her. The resentment she had buried deep within finally found release. The injustice she felt for the Fey ran incomprehensibly deep, rooted in generations of resentment.
“The Graha are infatuated with all things related to their Progenitor, yet when it comes to the mission he entrusted to you, it is so easily forgotten.”
“Watch your words, princess,” Fuhai growled as his aura intensely flared. Dark clouds gathered above and lighting split through the sky. He wasn’t alone in his anger— Hong Tian’s words seemed to have struck a nerve, and the others glared at her, seething with rage.
“If it weren’t for your relation to the Dualic Fiend, I’d have taken your life for such disrespect.”
“Oh?” A vicious, beastly aura escaped from Hong Tian’s petite figure, starkly contrasting her usual, graceful, innocent appearance. It was so primal, so animalistic, that it was impossible to see how such a presence could emerge from someone like her. When she opened her mouth to speak, a pair of long, unusually sharp canines could be visibly seen.
“General, your name is one that even I have heard of in the Paralix. Though you have yet to obtain transcendence, your strength is known in the Upper World. However, you forget— that you are no longer there. Here, in the Lower Realm, we are on an even playing field. The Graha race may be feared by all above, but for us of the Duality Hound tribe, your kind is nothing more than food!”
Hong Tian fearlessly stood before General Fuhai and his men, the thick tension between them was suffocating. Their combined cultivation sparked and sent the weather into a spiral.
[As expected of a Fey.]
Fuhai crossed his arms, feeling slightly irritated.
[Overbearing as always. Not to mention, this one is just like her sister. This is clearly not her true appearance but I can see from her soul, just how similar they are in character.]
“Are you sure you want to pick a fight with us, princess?” Fuhai asked, looking left and right before directing his gaze at Hong Tian. “It looks to me like you are alone. While the Duality Hounds have a much stronger resistance toward soul attacks than other Feys, they’re still susceptible to it. This isn’t a fight you can win. I will not ask why a Fey of the Noble Beasts Lineage is here, in turn, you shouldn’t interfere with our business any longer.”
“…”
Hong Tian didn’t respond. What Fuhai said was true, after all. She had arrived in the Mortal Desolate World alone, without the aid of her tribesman. She had no one to rely on but herself. Yet, while she could do nothing, the same could be said for Fuhai and his men. If anything happened to her, the Fey wouldn’t just leave the matter be. Devoted they may be to their duties, but as they had already sacrificed so much in the Paralix, should any of their members be targeted, they would not hesitate to slaughter anyone who dared oppose them.
Such a thing had happened once before, and it was precisely why the factions of the Upper World dared not interfere with any Fey that appeared outside of the Paralix— rare as they may be.
Both sides remained at a stalemate, unable to act against one another. As for the Graha who had burned to nothingness at the hands of Hong Tian earlier, he was quickly forgotten. Fuhai could say nothing, for it was his man who struck first; her actions were considered only self-defense.
Hong Tian was unhappy, it had been a long time since she had seen one of the three traitors. Her blood boiled with hatred as she wanted nothing more than to devour each and every one of them.
Alas, there was nothing more she could do. Just when she was about to leave, a powerful beam of fog, mixed with the strange colors of black and red, pierced through the space from afar— catching everyone’s attention. Before anyone could grasp what was happening, it shot directly toward Hong Tian.
“Who?!” Fuhai exclaimed, confused as to which of his men was so stupid.
“You dare, Graha?!”
Hong Tian was furious!
Author's note: Italics, unfortunately, still don't work on Patreon so it's a little hard to get the thoughts of characters across. I'll use [] instead.
