Chapter 823 A Re Beneath a Looming Threat
“Marius... You’re a grown man now.”
“And Tanya. Look at you—you’re all grown up too.”
Kael released Aria’s and Harper’s hands, then stepped forward and embraced his son and daughter. When he drew back, he studied them from head to toe as though admiring two priceless treasures finally returned to him after far too many years apart.
Marius looked almost exactly as Kael had in his youth. The resemblance was so striking that anyone could tell at a glance they were father and son.
The only real difference lay in their eyes. Marius possessed none of the hard-earned wariness Kael had accumulated over the years. His gaze remained clear and open, untouched by the countless dangers his father had survived.
Kael’s own gaze, by contrast, had become deep and unreadable.
He turned to Tanya.
She had inherited the best of both her parents—Kael’s striking features and Aria’s beauty, blended together almost perfectly.
“How are your studies in talisman crafting progressing, Marius?” Kael asked with a smile.
“Not bad.”
Marius smiled in return.
He carried himself with a natural air of distinction. As Kael’s son, he had grown up under constant scrutiny. Wherever he went, people took notice, and more than a few young female cultivators had gone out of their way to approach him.
“I have a copy of the Celestial Warden Talisman Codex. I acquired it from Sunlance Academy. Study it carefully from now on.”
Kael reached into his Inner Cosmos and took out the Celestial Warden Talisman Codex.
“What?”
Everyone stared at the codex in astonishment.
They all knew how powerful Sunlance Academy was. None of them had expected Kael to return with one of its most precious talisman inheritances.
“Kael,” Rook asked, “did they hand that over willingly, or did you use some... special method to get your hands on it?”
A young man who bore a noticeable resemblance to Rook stood beside him.
“I might as well tell you the truth. I killed the Dean of Sunlance Academy, and humanity has taken control of the academy.”
Kael spoke as though he were recounting something perfectly ordinary.
“The four races that once ruled Sunlance Academy have been reduced to humanity’s servants. Every member of those races now wears a Soul-Locking Collar.”
“What?”
Rook immediately perked up.
“Then I have to visit Sunlance Academy. I can’t believe I missed something that satisfying.”
“You can, but wait a few years. I still have a great many matters to settle over the next century.”
“Fine!”
Rook nodded.
The young man beside him stepped forward and bowed.
“You’re Cadmus Moy, aren’t you?”
Kael regarded Rook’s son.
“That’s right. I’m glad you still remember me.”
Cadmus smiled.
After a moment’s thought, Kael drew a drop of Immortal Spirit Liquid from his Inner Cosmos and placed it in a small jade bottle.
“This is for you. It will be extremely useful when you attempt to break through to the Deity Transformation Realm.”
He handed the bottle to Cadmus.
“Thank you!”
Cadmus accepted it with obvious delight.
He had, of course, heard of Immortal Spirit Liquid. It was so precious that even Kael’s wives had received only a little over a dozen drops each.
Kael then turned to Tanya.
“Tanya, how are your formation studies coming along?”
“Pretty well, Dad.”
Tanya beamed at him.
Her attention remained fixed on her father’s imposing figure.
She had grown up surrounded by Kael’s legend. Within the Star River Sect, nearly everyone treasured her, and no one had ever dared show her the slightest disrespect.
“This spatial ring contains every ancient formation text I’ve collected. Take them with you and study them carefully.”
Kael took out another spatial ring and handed it to her.
“Thanks, Dad.”
Tanya happily accepted the ring.
Father and daughter had not seen each other in many years, yet there was no distance between them. Their bond remained as natural and immediate as ever.
Kael then embraced his other two wives, Calla and Seraphyne.
“Seraphyne, I’ve already spoken with your foster father. Before long, he’ll send some members of your race here to keep you company.”
Kael looked at her fondly.
“That doesn’t matter. All I care about is that you returned safely.”
Seraphyne held on to his hand, reluctant to let go.
“Come on. Let’s return to the Star River Sect.”
Kael took the lead and flew toward the sect.
Over the past several decades, he had lured the Machine Race Patriarch to his death, killed the Lord of Northguard City, and slain the Dean of Sunlance Academy.
Those years had left him exhausted in both body and mind.
It was time for him to rest.
Kael made no attempt to hurry on the journey back. Instead, he deliberately slowed his pace to match the flying speed of a Qi Refining cultivator.
As they traveled, he quietly examined the cultivation of his family and old companions.
Seraphyne was undoubtedly the strongest among them. Thanks to the countless resources Kael had provided over the years, she had already reached the middle stage of the Stellar Realm.
Aria came next, having reached the early stage of the Stellar Realm.
Arthur and Rigel followed behind them, both having entered the Planetary Realm.
Everyone else remained below the Planetary Realm.
Kael’s attention eventually settled on Caleb.
Age had ravaged the old man. At times, even speaking clearly had become difficult for him.
In truth, if Kael had not remained the power behind the Star River Sect and continuously funneled cultivation resources into it, Caleb would have exhausted his lifespan thousands of years ago.
The fact that he was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.
Kael then looked toward Shenzo Yu and several of his other old friends.
Most of them had never possessed exceptional cultivation talent. If Kael could not find a way to take them out of the Blood Jade Galaxy within the next hundred years, many of them would likely reach the end of their natural lifespans.
Before long, the group returned to the Star River Sect.
Kael spent the next several days wandering through the sect and seeing how it had changed. During that time, an endless stream of people came hoping to visit him, but Elliot and Caleb turned them all away.
Several days later, Kael finally took his seat in the sect’s council hall.
A large number of humanity’s senior figures had already assembled inside.
Every gaze settled on Kael as they waited for him to speak.
“The Broodmother has already contacted me. As for the Patriarch of the Machine Race, the Lord of Northguard City, and the Dean of Sunlance Academy—I killed all three of them.”
Kael paused before continuing.
“Sunlance Academy now belongs to humanity. Northguard City is also predominantly under human control.”
The hall erupted.
“What?”
“That’s incredible! Has humanity finally turned the tables?”
“Then we should visit Sunlance Academy ourselves!”
The last speaker was Lucian.
He had suffered terribly at the hands of the Golden Dragon Race while working as a menial servant at Sunlance Academy. Now that humanity had risen to power, he naturally wanted to return and settle some old grievances.
“Don’t be in such a hurry.”
Kael’s next words immediately smothered the excitement in the hall.
“As I said, the Broodmother has already contacted me. She has given me one hundred years to travel to the Insect homeworld and refine Immortal Spirit Liquid for her. If I refuse, she will mobilize the entire Insect Race against humanity.”
Kael swept his gaze across the hall.
“Given the sheer numbers of the Insect Race, how long do you think humanity would survive if they devoted everything they had to wiping us out?”
The council hall fell silent.
“Kael,” Samuel asked, “if you were powerful enough to kill the Dean of Sunlance Academy, couldn’t you kill the Broodmother as well?”
“Killing the Broodmother is easier said than done.”
Kael shook his head.
“To put it simply, the Insect Race is the strongest race in the entire Blood Jade Galaxy—and that is with most of their true strength still hidden.”
“If the Insect Race decides a species must disappear, its extinction is only a matter of time. The Machine Race was the sole exception.”
“But now, even the Machine Race Patriarch is dead. I lured him into a black hole and killed him.”
Kael let out a quiet sigh.
“There is no longer a single race in this galaxy capable of standing against the Insect Race.”