Chapter 23: Two Shocking Incidents

4 a.m., the main tent of the caravan camp.
“Huh…” Zanjin turned over, chewed motionlessly for a few seconds, and his snoring resumed.
Not far from Zanjin, Varug was lying sprawled out, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth.
Hes glanced at the two of them with a complex expression, unsure whether to envy their thick-skinned resilience or despise their recklessness and heartlessness.
Green seemed to sense Hes’s thoughts and said softly, “It’s not bad to be carefree. At least on Star 745, such a personality fits well with the domineering Simon.”
Hes thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. Indeed, Simon was outstanding and brilliant, but his authoritarian tendencies couldn’t be hidden. The straightforward Zanjin and Varug, however, could live a relaxed and comfortable life under such a strong leadership—this could also be seen as a form of interpersonal wisdom.
At that moment, Elan entered by lifting the tent curtain, hung her cloak, still carrying a hint of chill, on the makeshift hanger, then walked over to the fire pit, stretching out her pale, stiff fingers to warm them.
“It’s as cold here in the early morning as in winter,” Elan said, shivering.
Barbo, who usually passed time through meditation and cultivation, opened his eyes and said leisurely, “Maybe we’ll really experience a strange winter. Based on my one-month observation, this year’s temperature is 5–7 degrees lower than the same period last year, especially at night. And this is just an average. The forces of dark decay are increasingly affecting Hilfanis’s climate—I think it’s far more than just those rotten clouds we see.”
Rotten clouds were the result of continuous and concentrated release of dark decay forces, combined with moisture in the air to form dark, gloomy clouds. These clouds were dark red, growing larger like dough rising in fermentation, but they didn’t produce rain, and even the wind struggled to disperse them. As the rotten clouds grew more widespread, they had been noticed in various parts of Hilfanis over the past week, leading to the saying, “Rotten clouds cover the sun; summer turns to winter.” Yet, few people could provide such professional analyses, such as temperature averages—Barbo, who was sensitive to temperature due to his control over fire, was one of them.
Compared to broader trends like weather and environmental changes, Green was more concerned with the immediate situation. So he ignored Barbo’s remarks and asked Elan directly, “How’s the scouting going?”
Elan pursed her lips and shook her head gently.
Green wasn’t giving up and pressed further, “Not a single anomaly?”
Elan nodded. “It’s as if they vanished into thin air.”
This was already the third time she had used magic to send her feather guards to scout. They had long known about the gathering place of the monsters thanks toNeo, who even gave Elan some very useful tips to bypass the monsters’ seemingly strict surveillance. Yet even so, the feather guards hadn’t detected the slightest hint of anything unusual. Simon, who had infiltrated the enemy ranks under the guise of a decapitation mission, seemed to have merged into the ocean—no trace of him could be found.

Green and the others were well aware that in such situations, two extreme outcomes usually occurred: a crushing defeat or a decisive victory. But as the saying goes, concern breeds chaos—worry often stems from unconsciously focusing on the worst outcomes. After all, Simon had ventured into a highly dangerous situation, and one could easily imagine just how perilous it was.

“I thought it would be something like a sudden, devastating strike—like when we killed those high-level black magicians. A sudden attack, followed by a tremendous impact,” Hes said, shaking his head. “Simon doesn’t seem like the type who would end his life so soon.”

Barbo took over, “Unfortunately, our enemies don’t have ‘short-lived’ written all over them either.”

Hes shrugged. “If we had known, maybe we should have given that guy some kind of life indicator—just to know if he was alive or dead.”

Nee, who had been dozing off, opened her eyes slightly and said, “He’s definitely alive. I noticed the other lieutenants on Star 745…” She pointed at Zanjin and Valrug. “They all cultivate blood energy, and it’s the same bright red blood as Simon’s. From this, I suspect their Source Blood lineage comes from Simon. If anything happens to Simon, they’ll be the first to sense it.”

Green and the others were momentarily stunned, but upon reflection, it made sense.

Nio indeed had an extraordinary connection with Zanjin and the others—a connection that wasn’t one-way but mutual. As their cultivation deepened, this connection became more sensitive and expanded in scope. It provided convenience and served as a means of control. With the energy bonds imposed by the Revenge Demon broken, Nio gained a deeper understanding of power, including blood energy.

The golden-colored blood energy, mistaken by the Revenge Demon for sacred protection, was actually natural blood influenced by Command Energy, Moon Energy, and most importantly, the power of faith. Nature inherently embodies principles of cycles and perfection, so this blood energy also had yin and yang aspects—it could bring life or take it away, possessing more complex internal changes, which was its biggest difference from ordinary blood energy.

Therefore, Nio didn’t feel too sorry about losing pure Source Blood. After all, no amount of it could replace his unique signature—natural blood, a special form of blood energy that aligned with his beliefs and incorporated “energy absorption,” the skill that had been his greatest achievement. He couldn’t imagine anything better than that. At least for him, it was extremely useful.

Now, he was using the properties of this blood energy to assist Nancy in infusing Soren’s body with his own distinctive dark power.

The transformation of Sauron’s body has now entered its most critical phase. To gain better control over this body, Neo made three key arrangements. First is the Blood of Nature, which serves as the link connecting him to this future puppet. Sauron’s ability to remain undetected as a soulless corpse also relies on the life signs brought about by the flow of this blood. Second is the Dark Power, the primary force Sauron will use in the future, as well as a form of disguise—without it, Sauron could never pass off as part of the dark forces. Finally, there’s the Demon Mark, which serves a specific purpose: Neo intends to use Sauron’s name to attract chaotic beings, namely those of the demonic lineage. With the charm of a true demon, Sauron is more likely to be accepted by these chaotic beings.

These three traits are all inherent in Neo himself. It can be said that this body is an incomplete transformation based on Neo’s original form, and from now on, its operational mode is set in stone.

The lid of the energy therapy chamber silently opened, revealing a naked body with well-proportioned flesh and bones. It sat up inside before stepping out lightly. Three streams of white light emanated from the top of the chamber, scanning downward in a precise manner—a super-clean process designed to ensure not a single cell residue remained, thereby preventing tragedies like hybrid gene fusion from occurring during future use.

Neo now knows that this remarkable artifact was created by the ancient gods, embodying the finest craftsmanship of the top-tier civilizations across various realms. Though he has seen it many times, he is still struck by it each time, filling him with deep reverence for Emera’s sole true god—and, by extension, great respect for the Church of Glory. Such feelings did not exist half a year ago. Neo does not see this as a sign of weakness; on the contrary, it shows he has grown stronger. After all, only by reaching higher can one see further and understand a broader definition of the world.

With a flash of light, Neo folded up the energy therapy chamber and turned his attention to Sauron. Sauron’s life had been ended, but his skin now regained its luster. Without knowing the truth, even Neo could not tell that this semblance of life was artificial.

“Can it deceive even the greatest masters?”

“If someone like Sanders were to examine it up close, they would likely detect something,” Nancy replied through Sauron’s voice. Her tone was strangely emphatic, and her facial muscles twitched unnaturally. Neo knew this was Nancy adjusting Sauron’s voice, speech patterns, expressions, and habitual traits.

“Then it still isn’t good enough for high-stakes use,” Neo frowned, dissatisfied. If it could be easily exposed, then this puppet’s capabilities would be severely limited.

“This can be adjusted,” Soren said. “As long as the three essential elements—Blood of Nature, Dark Energy of Night, and Demon Mark—are maintained, I can make some changes to my training path. For example, becoming a lich. The necromantic faction has always been a faction of ambiguity in the darkness, an important branch among the dark folk situated between order and chaos. I suppose once I embark on this path, no one will be able to exploit the vital signs in my body. But it takes time, and it requires those who know me to accept it—hurrying things along will lead to problems.”

By the time he said this, things had improved a lot. His voice had sounded somewhat stiff in the first half, but it became more natural in the second half, taking on a distinct tone. Though Neo had never heard Soren speak normally, he guessed that this was what Nancy was trying to achieve now.

“That’s a good idea,” Neo mused. “But we don’t have any spellbooks related to necromancy.”

“The dark forces are full of talented individuals competing for positions. I defeated a powerful opponent in a duel not long ago; its life went to darkness, and its possessions became mine.” At this point, the subtly arrogant tone was perfectly portrayed—his adjustment was almost complete. This was Soren Ambentus: someone with a strong background, good talent, and considerable strength, but with a personality that earned outward praise yet hidden resentment. Feeling superior due to his status didn’t go down well in the dark forces.

“That’s indeed a good opportunity,” Neo said as he picked up the magic wand that had once cost Soren his life, waving it. “Out of covetousness for its power, he decided to take complete control through the forces of death and ice, thus embarking on the path of necromancy.” As he spoke, he frowned. “It still seems a bit abrupt! This magic vine is at best just another convenient source of power. Changing one’s fundamental path and abandoning years of cultivation for such a superficial reason isn’t something someone of Soren’s age should do.”

“There indeed lacks a compelling reason to make such a drastic change. But more importantly, I’m still lacking in imitating human thought patterns, so I still need you to guide me, especially during busy periods like now. To fully control external forces requires a series of actions, and if I try to handle them myself, mistakes are likely.”

Neo understood the core issue Nancy had mentioned. He could offer guidance from the side, but remote control—especially from afar—would undoubtedly prolong reaction time, and problems arose when dealing with large amounts of information. It was unavoidable—Nancy herself wasn’t strong enough, and with so many tasks to handle, it was difficult for her to manage such a clone.

“What’s the solution?”

“Consciousness projection.”

Neo nodded. Since meeting Saint Stephanie, he had paid close attention to the intrusion and defense of mental magic. He was familiar with the technique of “consciousness projection.” “The threshold isn’t high, but I remember that before reaching a higher level, this technique has a drawback: the original body loses consciousness completely. There’s also a distance limit.”

This meant that once this technique was used, only one body could be controlled between the puppet and the original body.

Soren raised his left hand, revealing a simple wedding ring on his ring finger. “After living for over 40 years, the most valuable thing I possess is this ring—the Dragon Vein Ring. Legend has it it was forged from the first life force generated within a true dragon embryo.”
Nio was stunned. In rural taverns, one often heard dragon slayers boasting about their heroic deeds while drinking cheap liquor, but those who claimed to have slain real dragons were extremely rare. There was only one true dragon in Aemera—the Rainbow Dragon. It had once clashed with the gods and now stayed out of worldly affairs, though it still had a rather short temper. To dare tamper with a true dragon embryo was tantamount to seeking death. Just wearing such a ring must be quite stressful.
“Really?”
“I can sense no signs of life, not even those of fossils.”
Nio sighed. “Then it’s fake.”
“Hmm, but Soren is utterly convinced of its authenticity and even killed his own father and brother for it. He was expelled from his family when the truth came out. It’s speculated that its crafting technique is related to true dragons, and its materials are also very unusual.”
“What’s so magical about it?”
“There’s a life space inside the Dragon Vein Ring. Thanks to the so-called dragon veins, this space is independent yet not completely isolated from the outside world. Simply put, this life space relies on energy exchange with the outside world rather than being a self-contained world. Otherwise, it would be a divine artifact.”
“I see!” Nio nodded. “You mean my true self goes into the Dragon Vein Ring, uses consciousness projection, and I still remain in control, with you assisting me to manipulate Soren Anvintus.”
“Yes.”
“In that case, for some time to come, the army led by Soren will have to follow Star 745 around.”
“Yes. That’s because you’re so important to the convoy. That mage who controls spirits has already come to scout four times.”
Nancy’s words reminded Nio that it was indeed getting late, and there was still a lot to deal with. “Alright, let’s decide on this for now.”
“Hmm, the space inside the Dragon Vein Ring is limited. Once you enter, you’ll have to endure close contact with another person.”
“Huh? There’s someone inside?” Nio was annoyed and joked, “Who? Could it be Soren’s mistress?”
“It’s indeed a woman, and very beautiful.”
Nio snorted. “How vulgar. What is this? A military consort?”
“According to Soren’s memories, this woman is the Duchess of Ensbass.”
Nio was stunned once again. After a long while, he almost moaned, “I just clicked a few times… What kind of trouble have I caused!?”