Flaying's True Form: The Blade of Heaven

Du Chen meticulously scrutinized Old Warma from head to toe. He appeared to be an old man teetering on the edge of the grave, his age almost impossible to ascertain. Du Chen chuckled, "Thank you for the information, venerable elder. We are in a hurry to find our friends, so we won't trouble you further!"

Old Warma rose to see them off, and beneath the two evergreen trees, he revealed that toothy grin once more. He humbly gazed at the Ducal robes adorning Du Chen, the Divine, and guffawed genially, "Your Excellency is truly a good man! This old man has never met a Duke so courteous to a Tomb Guardian. May the myriad gods bless you!"

Du Chen offered a faint smile, a slight reluctance stirring within him to let the old fellow off so easily. He probed, "May the myriad gods bless me? I wouldn't dare claim such a thing. I am a devout follower of Du Chen, the Divine; receiving his divine protection would be ample satisfaction for me... Venerable elder, which deity do you worship?"

Old Warma shook his head slightly. "Though this old man is the Tomb Guardian of the Divine Tomb and respects the gods, I do not believe in them!"

"Oh? There aren't many commoners who don't believe in gods these days!"

"Heh heh, what are gods, truly? Merely individuals endowed with formidable power. This old man once believed in them, too. But after living for so long, and witnessing so much, things become clearer, and belief fades." Old Warma stated placidly, "Yet, I respect the gods, for they were heroes who sacrificed themselves for humanity. Without them, the human history of the Three Continents over the past millennium would not exist. For that reason, the owners of the forty-eight cenotaphs within the Amulang Divine Tomb, and even the nameless soldiers commemorated by that monument, are all worthy of the title 'god'!"

Du Chen was momentarily taken aback, while Deboning already scoffed, "While those soldiers are admirable, only those who reach the Eleventh-level Battle God realm truly embody divinity. Can those who are merely a cut above ordinary mortals be called gods?"

Old Warma chuckled softly, then turned and ambled, staff in hand, towards his small wooden hut, his composed voice harmonizing perfectly with the mysterious, solemn ambiance of the Divine Tomb. "Charlemagne of the Starry Sky, the Holy Church's Pontiff, the Dragon God of Mount Miglio, and even the Twin Luminaries of the Skylands—Martial Venerable Robert and Lionheart Alonso! Over centuries, many have been called gods, but..." He happened to pass the monument and patted its surface. "Compared to them, these children who fell on the battlefield for humanity in their teens, leaving neither name nor bone behind—who among them is truly more deserving of the title 'god'?"

He turned back, bowing humbly. "This old man has lived too long, grown senile. I spoke out of turn. Please, Your Excellencies, forgive my ramblings!"

Du Chen waved his hand, signaling Deboning not to press further. He said earnestly, "Venerable elder, your insight into the concept of 'god' is remarkably profound. We have been enlightened!"

Old Warma waved farewell and retreated into his small wooden hut.

Deboning snorted, "An Eleventh-level Battle God not considered a god? That old man's words are truly laughable! Are Eleventh-level Battle Gods truly inferior to common soldiers?"

"Perhaps they are, indeed, inferior," Du Chen murmured, shaking his head. "Never mind. The most crucial task now is to find Flaying and my Eldest Brother. Let's go!"

By estimation, Longblade Peak was approximately two hundred li in a straight line from the Amulang Divine Tomb. Normally, even with Du Chen's relatively slow flying speed, it would take less than an hour to reach. However, at this moment, he and Deboning moved very slowly. Du Chen, concealed within a miniaturized lotus, flew high above, while Deboning advanced on foot. As they walked, they meticulously searched for any traces Flaying might have left behind. Their pace, naturally, could not compare to actual flight.

Dus had mentioned that Flaying was searching for something within a specific area, implying his target must be near Three Blades Peak. Therefore, Du Chen was in no hurry to rush ahead, but instead meticulously searched for Flaying, whose stealth abilities were exceptionally potent.

An hour after Du Chen and Deboning departed from the Amulang Divine Tomb, three figures descended as if celestial maidens, gracefully landing between the two evergreen trees. Clad in snow-white robes, enveloped in swirling mist, they appeared as ethereal as Ninesky Immortals gracing the mortal realm. The one in the center, in particular, had long, dark, flowing hair that danced in the wind, and a peerless countenance so beautiful it could suffocate and mesmerize, making one dare not look directly.

The beautiful middle-aged woman to her left stepped forward and rapped on the wooden hut's door, calling out, "Come out! We have questions for you!" *Creak.* Old Warma, already asleep, groggily opened the door. Before he could even discern who stood before him, the middle-aged woman barked again, "Speak! Have you seen anyone in this vicinity wearing a red Flat-Top's Helm and black robes?"

Old Warma seemed startled, trembling as he replied, "This lady... oh, no, young miss! This old man has never seen anyone matching your description." Only then did he notice the middle-aged woman's unmarried hairstyle.

"Hmph! If I discover you're lying, beware... Young Miss!" The middle-aged woman subtly recoiled, bowing deeply – for the black-haired beauty had already approached Old Warma. She offered a slight smile, and the Divine Tomb, with its birdsong and fragrant blossoms, suddenly seemed to lose its luster. "Venerable elder, I apologize. We rarely interact with outsiders, and thus have offended you."

Old Warma caught his breath. Perhaps due to his extreme age, his worldly desires had waned, and he remained entirely unmoved by the black-haired beauty's captivating appearance.

The black-haired beauty smiled. "Venerable elder, we are searching for some friends who are somewhere in the Amulang Mountains. And this area around Three Blades Peak, your home is the only place to rest. That's why we've come to inquire. If you haven't seen them, then we won't disturb your rest any further."

Old Warma quickly responded, "No disturbance at all, no disturbance! The people you young ladies are looking for—a Flat-Top's Helm and black robes—this old man has taken note. I will certainly keep an eye out for them."

The black-haired beauty nodded gracefully and handed Old Warma a cylindrical object, her movements exuding elegance. "Venerable elder, should you see my friends, remember that their temperaments are peculiar, making them difficult to approach, and they are prone to violence. Please, do not provoke them. Simply press the mechanism on this cylinder." As she spoke, she demonstrated. After the mechanism was pressed, a series of "ding-ding" chimes echoed from the waist of the middle-aged woman who had first knocked. This object was undoubtedly a long-range communication device.

After asking Old Warma to try it once more, the black-haired beauty cast her gaze over the tombstones in the Divine Tomb, offered a slight bow, and then the three women gracefully ascended and flew towards the peak opposite Longblade Peak—Sharpblade Peak!

In the air, the middle-aged woman had shed her earlier domineering demeanor. Instead, she peered about with childlike delight, exclaiming thankfully, "Young Miss, is this truly the scenery of the Three Continents? It is indeed different from our Water's Embrace Lake. Although the air is somewhat impure and lacks that sacred feeling, it's still quite pleasant!"

The black-haired beauty offered a faint smile. "Don't just admire the scenery. Since Donna never returned nine months ago, we've already sacrificed three groups of our sisters. Even Water's Embrace Fourth Sword barely managed to escape back to Water's Embrace Lake, only to die with a grudge before she could fully describe our adversary. Clearly, our opponent this time is exceedingly powerful. We must remain vigilant."

The middle-aged woman snorted, "With Young Miss personally intervening this time, are we truly afraid of a few petty thieves? Hmph, Young Miss is no useless member of the Water's Embrace Sword Array!"

The black-haired beauty shook her head slightly. "Nine months, one hundred and twenty-eight sisters, all dead near the Water's Embrace Lake's Lifeline in the Amulang Mountains. Not a single one survived to leave the Amulang Mountains! This indicates that the enemy has already pinpointed the location of the Water's Embrace Lake's Lifeline. We absolutely cannot afford to be complacent..."

If Du Chen were here, he would undoubtedly be both surprised and delighted. Delighted, because it seemed the mysterious faction in the Flat-Top's Helm and black robes had already engaged in war with Water's Embrace Lake, and had eradicated quite a few Old Hags! Heh heh! Surprised, because those Water's Embrace Lake Old Hags—who were actually octogenarians but insisted on pretending to be innocent young maidens—were so close by. If he had arrived an hour later, he would have been in grave trouble!

Fortunately, the Amulang Mountains were truly vast. At the very least, Longblade Peak, where Du Chen was headed, was several hundred li away from Sharpblade Peak, which the Water's Embrace Divine Maiden had chosen. Thus, neither group could perceive the other!

Yet, the Amulang Divine Tomb itself was quite small, as if destined to have an eventful night.

*Creak.* Old Warma opened his door for the third time. Head lowered, he groggily glimpsed a pair of black boots and the lower half of a white robe, typical attire for a commoner. His tone was consequently less respectful: "Youngster, this old man... Huh?" Old Warma rubbed his sleepy eyes, offering an embarrassed, toothy smile. He quickly corrected himself, "My apologies, venerable brother, I didn't see clearly. Please don't mind this old man!"

The new arrival was also an old man, not much younger than Old Warma himself—it was Old Foye, who was tracking Flaying!

Old Foye looked haggard and was breathing heavily, utterly unlike a Master. After exchanging a few pleasantries, he smiled, "Venerable brother, I'm looking for someone. Have you seen a strange individual completely shrouded in reddish-black mist?"

Old Warma mumbled, "How strange! Why is everyone looking for someone tonight?"

"Are there others with the same objective as me?" Old Foye inquired, surprised.

"Indeed! Two Eminences from the Holy Church came, one of them a Grand Duke!" Old Warma did not hold back, pointing towards the eastern peaks. "I saw the person you described earlier today. He went in the direction of Longblade Peak, but he's been gone for most of the day. You'll need to hurry if you want to find him... venerable brother!"

Before Old Warma could finish, Old Foye's expression subtly shifted, and he quietly turned away! *Francis is here too?* Back then, he had received the life-saving grace of Phil, and now Francis revered him like a foster father... He owed so much to Phil and her son, yet he had concealed his true identity. *Sigh!* It's better not to see Francis. Since he decided to keep his identity hidden, he should hide it from Francis as well! Otherwise, once his identity is exposed—Reno Alonso, Water's Embrace Margaret, Rebadon the Beast Emperor... if these individuals ever learned he was Francis's foster father, it would surely bring immense trouble upon the boy!

Moreover, it's best that Francis remains ignorant of the events of yesteryear. Wouldn't it be better for the boy to live peacefully as a Grand Duke, enjoying a lifetime of wealth and glory, respected by all? Why burden him with such responsibilities!?

For the past two years, Old Foye spent the first year occupied with the Charitable Foundation, and the second recuperating in the Southern Sea due to his failing health. Thus, his knowledge of Du Chen was limited to what others knew: that Du Chen, favored by Du Chen, the Divine, for his benevolence, had swiftly ascended to prominence, building a vast enterprise at a young age. Du Chen, for his part, had not informed Old Foye of his dangerous exploits, due to both the bond he shared with Francis and his own respect for Old Foye, wishing to spare the old man any worry.

A breakdown in their communication led to everything that was unfolding today!

Old Foye slowly walked in another direction—towards Blade of Heaven Peak!

He mused to himself, *How did Francis know Flaying escaped here? But that's not the most important thing. What's crucial is to find Flaying before Francis does and absolutely prevent Francis from discovering that secret! Yes, I'll bypass them via Blade of Heaven Peak!*

Old Warma watched Foye depart, his gaze falling upon the golden greatsword sheathed on his back. He couldn't help but respectfully inquire, "So you, too, are a Battle God! Why hasn't your sacred artifact returned to its true form? Ah, but a sacred artifact is a Battle God's secret; I've spoken out of turn, how dreadful!"

Old Foye smiled faintly. "My sacred artifact was destroyed years ago. Now, only half remains, so it can't revert! Venerable brother, it's no trouble at all; you needn't blame yourself!"

Old Warma waved off this very courteous Battle God, his "venerable brother," then let out a chuckle, his remaining teeth forming a rather endearing smile. "Tonight, I've met both good folk and bad... Venerable brother, you're going the wrong way. Your friend went towards Longblade Peak, not Blade of Heaven Peak!"

Old Foye turned back, letting out a hearty laugh. "Exactly! It is the Blade of Heaven!" He then took flight and departed!

Old Warma paused, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "Indeed, it is the Blade of Heaven!" He blinked. "Glynn, the Spectral Blade; Brook, the Nether Blade; Ben, the Blade of Heaven—the three strongest blades in the world have all arrived in the Amulang Mountains... But what does that have to do with this old Tomb Guardian? Heh heh, time to go back to sleep. Please, no more disturbances for this old man! I'm too old to handle such commotion..."

*Creak.* The wooden hut's door closed.

Before long, faint snores emanated from within. The old man's leaky, gap-toothed mouth couldn't hold air, producing cute, huffing snores.

Meanwhile, Du Chen and Deboning continued their slow progress, exploring as they went. Fearing to startle Flaying, the lotus in which Du Chen was concealed became exceedingly tiny, making him undetectable to anyone in the world save for a Tyran Beast. Flaying, for his part, was also meticulously concealing his tracks on the ground, leaving no trace unexamined within the mountains and forests.