Chapter 833 The Battle of True Spirit City
“Not immediately,” Aethera replied. “But the power of the galaxy’s laws will accelerate certain events.”
Her answer only confused Kael further.
“Accelerate what?”
“I don’t know exactly. Whatever it accelerates, it won’t be anything good.”
Kael stood motionless in the void, his features unreadable.
Unbeknownst to him, several strands of his hair had turned white.
Countless light-years away, near the center of the Blood Jade Galaxy, a black hole that had once drifted quietly through space suddenly became violent.
Its gravitational pull surged, dragging more than a dozen nearby planets into its depths and crushing them into fragments.
...
On the White Tiger homeworld, four Eternal Realm cultivators sat inside the City Lord’s estate at the heart of True Spirit City.
The White Tiger Patriarch occupied the seat of honor. His cultivation had reached Eternal Tier 9.
“I never expected Kael to come after the White Tiger Galaxy so soon,” he said. “What do all of you think? Should we fight or seek peace?”
Patches of stone covered half his body, and one of his eyes had completely petrified. He was so ancient that even the slightest movement required effort.
“The White Tiger Race may not be the strongest race in the Blood Jade Galaxy, but we still rank among the top ten,” said the tiger cultivator seated second. “If we simply beg Kael for peace, the experts of the other galaxies will look down on us. Some may even seize the opportunity to attack.
“We must take a firm stand—not only for our own sake, but to show the other powers that the White Tiger Race never lets an offense go unanswered.”
“But Kael’s reputation has already spread throughout the galaxy,” the White Tiger Patriarch replied. “He killed the Dean of Sunlance Academy, the Lord of Northguard City, and even destroyed Hadrian’s original body. If we confront him recklessly, the White Tiger Race may meet the same fate.”
“Then we fight first and negotiate afterward,” the Second Grand Elder said.
“We must show Kael what the White Tiger Race is capable of and make him understand that exterminating us would cost him dearly. Only then can we negotiate without allowing him to dictate whatever terms he pleases. It will also prove that we are not easy prey.”
“That is reasonable.” The White Tiger Patriarch turned toward the other two cultivators.
“Huang, Zhu, the two of you will go and meet Kael. Defeating him would be ideal. If you cannot, warn him that if he insists on exterminating the White Tiger Race, we will send cultivators to the human homeworld and wipe out humanity. That should make him reconsider.”
“What?” Huang and Zhu both stiffened. “Patriarch, Kael is among the strongest cultivators in the Eternal Realm. If we go alone, we may not return.”
“Do not worry. I would not send you without making preparations.”
The White Tiger Patriarch took out an iron ring.
“This is the Spirit-Suppression Ring. Catch Kael off guard and place it around him. Once it closes, he will be able to use no more than a tenth of his divine abilities—perhaps even less.”
He handed the ring to Huang, who sat closest to him.
“The Spirit-Suppression Ring?” Huang stared at the treasure in his palm. “I never expected you to part with it.”
“According to the legends, the founding ancestor of the White Tiger Race once used this ring in an attempt to escape the Blood Jade Galaxy. He nearly succeeded.”
“There is no need to discuss the distant past,” the White Tiger Patriarch said. “Go to the teleportation array nearest our homeworld and wait for Kael there. Keep the battle beyond our borders.
“With cultivators of your strength, even a small amount of stray Origin Power could cause irreversible damage to the homeworld.”
“Yes, Patriarch.”
The two figures rose from True Spirit City and disappeared into the depths of space.
After they left, Kael’s translucent form gradually solidified above the White Tiger homeworld.
He watched the two cultivators depart through the teleportation array, and a faint smile touched his lips.
“So the White Tiger Race really does possess a supreme treasure. In that case, I’ll deal with the Patriarch first.”
Kael vanished into True Spirit City.
The moment he entered the hall, the two remaining Eternal Realm tigers stared at him in disbelief.
“You’re Kael? How did you reach True Spirit City directly?”
“Why didn’t the planet-protecting formation detect you?”
They spoke at the same time.
“Which question am I supposed to answer first?”
Kael gave them a cold smile.
The White Tiger Patriarch studied him for several seconds before releasing a long sigh.
“As expected of the man who destroyed Hadrian’s original body. Even I failed to sense your arrival.” He reached a decision immediately. “Very well. The White Tiger Race concedes. Tell me what you want.”
The Spirit-Suppression Ring had already left with Huang and Zhu. The Patriarch still possessed several valuable treasures, but none was particularly effective against humans.
“Summon every White Tiger cultivator at or above the Deity Transformation Realm to True Spirit City. Do it now.”
“All of them?” The White Tiger Patriarch paused as he began to understand Kael’s intentions. “What do you intend to do?”
“Nothing complicated. I merely intend to put them on trial.”
Silence settled over the hall.
The White Tiger Patriarch let out a low, humorless laugh.
“Kael, I know you possess considerable strength, but you are not qualified to pass judgment on the White Tiger Race.”
“Is that so? If necessary, I can take the time to hunt down every elite cultivator in your race. But if you summon them now, I may allow a remnant of the White Tiger Race to survive.”
“You...” Anger roughened the White Tiger Patriarch’s voice. “Do not push me too far, Kael. Did you assume I offered peace because I was afraid of you?
“The truth is that I simply cannot guarantee that I could kill you. I offered you a chance to leave with your dignity intact, yet you mistook my restraint for weakness and chose to press your advantage.”
His breathing grew increasingly labored as he spoke.
“I don’t need a way out. If you refuse to summon the White Tiger leadership, I’ll attack now.”
Kael’s body expanded abruptly as he activated Stage Twenty of the Fiendgod Transformation.
The immense aura radiating from the towering fiendgod distorted the surrounding void.
Kael had no intention of underestimating the White Tiger Race, so he assumed his strongest form from the outset.
In truth, he estimated that Stage Thirteen of the Fiendgod Transformation, combined with either his spirit sword or the Myriad Spirit Eye, would have been more than enough to defeat the White Tiger Patriarch.
“You forced me into this!”
The White Tiger Patriarch transformed as well, growing several hundred yards tall. A black iron hammer appeared in each hand.
He struck the hammers together, sending waves of sound rolling outward.
Regulus, the other Eternal Realm tiger, summoned an ancient spear. His arm remained perfectly still, yet the spearhead already emitted a piercing shriek as it tore at the surrounding space.
“Very well. Today, I’ll see what two of the White Tiger Race’s greatest experts can do.”
Kael gripped his spirit sword with two hands and brought it crashing down.
The White Tiger Patriarch forced his heavily petrified body into motion and crossed his hammers, meeting Kael’s strike head-on.
At the same moment, Regulus appeared behind Kael and thrust his spear forward.
Kael had already anticipated the attack.
His other two hands summoned Astral Mountain and positioned it behind his back.
The spearhead struck Astral Mountain and shattered piece by piece.
Kael tore his spirit sword free and swept it backward.
“What?”
Regulus hurriedly summoned a massive sword and raised it in front of himself.
The shriek of tearing metal filled the air.
His weapon could not withstand Kael’s spirit sword. The blade cleaved straight through it without slowing and sliced cleanly through Regulus’s waist.
“Regulus!”
The White Tiger Patriarch froze in horror.