Chapter 809 The Solar Apex Firmament Array
“No!”
Aethera’s warning finally rang out, far too late.
Kael had already entered the area covered by Northguard City’s grand formation.
The void hummed.
In less than half a second, the surrounding darkness became as bright as day. At the same time, the temperature began rising rapidly.
“After you.”
A predatory smile touched Malachar’s lips when he saw Kael enter the Solar Apex Firmament Array.
He didn’t activate the formation’s killing power immediately. First, he intended to lure Kael into its center.
Kael had already seen through the formation’s mysteries, but he wasn’t concerned.
He had Astral Mountain, a Machine Race vessel, and a host of extraordinary divine abilities.
If even a black hole couldn’t hold him, why should he fear a mere formation?
And so, the two opponents who had been trying to kill each other moments earlier flew side by side toward Northguard City.
Half an hour later, the enormous city in the sky came into view.
Bloodstock City still stood below it.
The humans inside, however, continued to suffer.
Several Shadow cultivators were whipping ordinary human cultivators without provocation, forcing them to gather atop the city walls.
An Eternal Realm expert of the Shadow Race hovered overhead, supervising the entire city.
“Stop.”
Malachar’s voice carried across the distance.
“City Lord, Kael has already turned against us. Why bother keeping these humans alive?”
Only after speaking did the man notice Kael beside Malachar. His body went rigid.
“What?”
His surprise quickly gave way to disbelief.
He hadn’t expected Kael to truly enter Northguard City’s territory. The human clearly had no idea how close he was to death.
“Release all of them,” Kael ordered.
“Are you speaking to me?”
The Deputy City Lord arched an eyebrow and regarded Kael with open mockery.
Meanwhile, the temperature around Kael continued to rise.
“Lucan, send the humans back into the city.”
To Kael’s surprise, Malachar also ordered the man to obey.
“City Lord, but—”
“No objections. Do as Lord Lin says.”
Malachar’s voice hardened as overwhelming pressure spread outward.
“Yes, City Lord.” Lucan turned toward the cultivators below. “Send all the humans back into the city.”
The Shadow cultivators reluctantly obeyed, herding the humans down from the walls in large groups.
“Look! It’s Lord Lin! Kael has returned to save us!”
Several humans had recognized Kael.
“Is that really Lord Lin?”
“Of course it is. If you don’t believe me, examine him with your Spiritual Sense.”
“Kael! Why did you take so long to come back?”
“We’ve suffered terribly all these years! We—”
A whip suddenly cracked across the weeping man’s back.
“Get back into the city. If you want to cry, save it for a funeral.”
The Shadow cultivator mocked him with a contemptuous smile.
Every Shadow cultivator present knew that Northguard City had already deployed the Solar Apex Firmament Array. Now that Kael had entered its range, there was no possibility of escape.
“Humanity is not to be mistreated again,” Malachar announced. “From this day forward, humans will be considered friends of the Shadow Race. The myriad races will no longer be permitted to treat them as bloodstock.”
Kael listened in silence, his gaze cold.
“There, Lord Lin. Out of respect for you, I have removed humanity from the ranks of bloodstock. I have been more than accommodating, wouldn’t you agree?”
“And what comes next?”
“I ask that you become my chief alchemist and devote yourself to refining Immortal Spirit Liquid for me. Northguard City will provide all the ingredients. You need only handle the refinement. You may keep seventy percent of everything you produce. I require only thirty percent.”
This was the greatest concession Malachar was willing to make.
Instead of satisfying Kael, however, the offer gave him pause.
“City Lord Tuo, my answer remains the same. I will take the ingredients with me. Whenever I successfully refine Immortal Spirit Liquid, I will give you a drop from time to time. In exchange, you must ensure that every human in the Northguard Galaxy is treated properly.”
“Take the ingredients away? Where?”
“That is none of your concern.”
Malachar’s tone sharpened. “If you take the ingredients away, how will I know whether you successfully refined anything? How could I possibly tell whether you were hiding most of the yield from me?”
“Then there’s nothing more to discuss. I will not refine Immortal Spirit Liquid anywhere within the Northguard Galaxy.”
“Kael, I’m afraid you still don’t understand your situation. I would like to invite you into my Inner Cosmos as a guest for the next thousand years. Once those thousand years have passed, I will naturally release you. What do you think?”
Malachar looked toward a distant figure.
The man held a gleaming golden array compass.
“I knew you had prepared a grand formation,” Kael said calmly. “Are you ready to turn against me already?”
“I have no desire to become your enemy. Enter my Inner Cosmos willingly, and I will guarantee that humans throughout the Northguard Galaxy receive the same treatment as members of the Shadow Race.”
Malachar sounded completely sincere.
“It seems a battle between us is unavoidable after all.”
Kael turned to face him directly.
“Do you truly intend to force my hand?”
Malachar’s gaze turned glacial. He abruptly looked toward the Galactic Realm cultivator holding the array compass.
The man was Northguard City’s greatest Formation Master.
The next instant, Malachar’s eyelid twitched violently. He reached for Kael without hesitation.
Kael’s body dissolved into motes of spiritual light and vanished.
He reappeared above the Formation Master. One hand slashed downward while the other reached for the array compass.
The Formation Master had no time to react.
His right hand was severed, and the array compass controlling the Solar Apex Firmament Array fell effortlessly into Kael’s grasp.
“You useless fool!”
Malachar appeared before Kael as though he had teleported and reached for the array compass.
Kael swung his sword.
Malachar hastily snatched his hand back.
The Galactic Realm Formation Master remained frozen in place, staring blankly as he clutched his severed wrist.
Kael seized him and lifted him into the air, binding him with Origin Power.
“Tell me how to control this array compass.”
“I-I’ll fight you!”
The Formation Master swung his remaining hand.
Kael tightened his grip.
The man vanished into his Inner Cosmos, where his cultivation was immediately sealed.
“Release Master Kim!”
Figures flickered into view below.
Several Eternal Realm Deputy City Lords joined Malachar and surrounded Kael.
Farther away, countless Galactic and Stellar Realm cultivators converged from every direction. Experts from the Shadow Race and the myriad other races formed ring after ring around Kael, enclosing him within several layers.
Inside Bloodstock City, every human raised their head toward the sky, their faces drawn with grief and despair.
“Is even Kael Lin going to be captured?”
Hopeless whispers spread throughout the city.