Qian Ye raised the Crimson Fang in his hand and said indifferently, “This has nothing to do with you. Answer my question, or it will pierce your core.”
How could a powerful member of the dark races not recognize this iconic vampiric weapon? Being drained of one’s essence by a blood blade was an agonizingly long death.
Yet, the Arachne did not show much fear. Gasping, his limbs twitched, his eyes gradually losing focus as he muttered, “I’m already dying, does it matter how I die? It’s just a pity… I finally got that thing, but… but…”
Qian Ye waited for a while, but the Arachne made no further sound. Hesitating slightly, he took two steps forward and plunged the Crimson Fang into the Arachne’s core.
The rich, pure essence flowing along the blade indicated that this Arachne was indeed a Viscount, likely a First-Rank Viscount on the verge of becoming a Count. However, his injuries were so severe that he only had the strength of around a Level 9 fighter.
Qian Ye quickly searched the Arachne’s body, finding only a few Blood Crystals and Crystal Coins, nothing else of particular note. The war axe was a fifth-grade weapon, but carrying such a massive item would have made stealth impossible.
Standing up, Qian Ye scanned the surroundings and pondered the Arachne’s last words, feeling he might have missed something. He rechecked the corpse, and this time, he did find something.
A wound on the Arachne’s abdomen seemed unusual, healing much faster than the others, leaving a palm-wide, grayish-white mark. In a couple more days, it would likely be gone. Intrigued, Qian Ye sliced open the scar, revealing a glimmer of crystal light.
Inside was a fragment of a crystal!
Qian Ye took out his own crystal fragment and held both in his palm. They were made of the same material, with identical patterns, though their shapes differed. Placing the fragments together, they seamlessly fit.
Never in his wildest dreams did Qian Ye expect to find another crystal fragment on the Arachne. This must have been related to the battle the Arachne had recently endured. Could it be that Anduia’s gift to his servant was no longer a secret?
Frowning, Qian Ye picked up the force gun belonging to the Blood Jazz, and fired at the wound where the crystal fragment was found. The force bullet obliterated the flesh around the wound, erasing all traces of the crystal. After checking the scene and clearing his tracks, he left at full speed.
Qian Ye dared not linger. He ventured deeper into the mountains, carefully avoiding patrols of the dark races, traveling for a day and night.
Not long after he left, several Vampires appeared outside the camp, each wearing a bronze mask and exuding a deep, powerful aura. Spotting the Arachne’s corpse, they flashed over to it.
“Groate died here, what a mess,” one Vampire said slowly.
“The key is, where is the item he took?”
“Perhaps still on him. Groate was known for his cunning.”
“Hope is slim.”
The central Vampire lifted his right hand, and a crimson mist poured from his fingers, igniting the Arachne’s corpse in a blaze that left only a layer of white ash.
Seeing the ash, the mood among the Vampires grew tense. One remarked, “Groate’s essence was drained completely. From the corpse, it seems our kin was responsible.”
“But his fatal wounds were caused by Demonic Silver rounds.”
“Using human ammunition isn’t uncommon. Admit it, Demonic Silver is quite effective against our Noble Blood. And, didn’t you notice, those Demonic Silver rounds were fired from a Vampire force gun.”
“So, the key fragment must be with the one who killed Groate.”
“Perhaps a large-scale search is a good idea…”
The central Vampire shook his head firmly. “No, this must remain a secret! Only we can control the key and Anduia’s treasure.”
Scanning the group, he addressed one, “This camp belongs to the Fage Clan. Investigate their members operating in this area. I need a complete list, understand?”
The Vampire agreed and departed.
Then, the leader waved, “Search separately. He can’t have gone far. Sweep the surrounding two hundred kilometers first!”
Despite the vast search area, these Vampires, with their formidable strength, set about the task without complaint.
The key fragment was too important. Even if they couldn’t get all pieces, they had to prevent others from piecing it together.
Masked Vampires moved like shadows through the mountains, traversing ridges and ravines. They passed countless patrols without being noticed.
Qian Ye’s instincts were correct; the Vampires had come within ten kilometers, but that was the limit of their search range. To them, the killer wouldn’t have escaped so far in such a short time. If he had, it meant he either had unique speed or immense power, making it impossible for them to handle alone. They’d have to report up.
While the Vampires halted, Qian Ye kept running, stopping after nearly four hundred kilometers to rest. Along the way, he noted some peculiarities.
The dark races in this mountainous region were too spread out, and their numbers and average level were low. A team with a Viscount leading was decent, but most were led by Knights, and some had no higher ranks. The Vampires’ average level was slightly higher.
Moreover, the dark races were engaged in internal conflicts. Qian Ye witnessed six or seven battles or their aftermaths. Unlike the massacre by the Arachne, these battles, though small, were intense, often ending in total annihilation of one side.
Based on his experience, this suggested a lack of strong leadership in the dark races’ joint operations, or that upper alliances weren’t strictly binding, allowing personal vendettas to play out.
This also meant the dark races hadn’t found Anduia’s treasure, possibly lacking any concrete clues.
Seeing these battles, Qian Ye felt it was time to interrogate someone, without fearing exposure.
Hours later, Qian Ye ambushed a search party of Arachnes and lesser Spiders. With a sniper shot, he critically wounded the lead Viscount, and the remaining Arachnes and Spiders fell in minutes.
Holding a Demonic Silver round, Qian Ye said, “Answer my questions, and you’ll die swiftly. Otherwise, I’ll put this in your mouth.”
The Viscount’s gaze shifted from the Crimson Fang, and upon recognizing the threat, he became furious, terrified, and confused, finally nodding.
“Where are you from? What are you searching for?”
Struggling, the Viscount replied, “We’re from the Weisi Kingdom in the Western Continent, transferred here two months ago to search for any possible relics—murals, antiques, tombs. But I don’t know the exact target.”
Frowning, Qian Ye believed him. Such a wide-ranging search indicated the dark races didn’t know the precise location, or even the nature of Anduia’s treasure.
After confirming the Viscount knew nothing more, Qian Ye slit his throat and pierced the Crimson Fang into his core.
Absorbing the patrol’s essence, Qian Ye’s blood force neared overflow. Yet, the amount of essence, converted to dark force, still wasn’t enough to advance his Golden Blood.
Qian Ye cleaned the scene, erasing his tracks but leaving the sign of drained essence.
Continuing, Qian Ye attacked two more search parties, learning from a Baron that Duke Blini of the Vampires was overseeing the Luxing Mountains.
Relieved, Qian Ye realized that while there might be Dark Sovereigns as powerful as Anduia, they wouldn’t be merely a Duke. This meant the dark races had no additional clues.
Climbing a peak, Qian Ye compared the terrain to Anduia’s memories, pinpointing the True Vision Orb’s location in the central Luxing Mountains.
Over the next three days, Qian Ye avoided patrols until a familiar towering peak came into view.
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