Read Novel Full Chapter 170: External Missions Branch
Chapter 170: External Missions Branch
Kyrian closed the last book on advanced mineralogy. The light of the red crystals remained constant, but his body felt a slight fatigue from days of absolute mental immersion.
He stood up, his joints cracking lightly. It was time to leave that world of ink and books.
As he left the Blood Library, the silence of the library, which was protected by some formation, was broken by a distant but familiar sound.
The dry crack of Qi colliding, short shouts of effort, and the metallic sound of weapons training. The sound came from the Core Hall.
Kyrian stretched, a long stretch that made his muscles protest after so much time sitting.
Without hurry, he directed his steps toward the commotion.
Upon entering the vast courtyard, the scene that unfolded was one of intense activity. Dong Zhen, an imposing figure in red, observed from the side, arms crossed, while the five disciples he had taken in fought fiercely in a small arena.
Bai Zhu, his right arm still wrapped in bandages but no longer with a pale face, faced Kai.
His movements were heavier and less fluid than before, but each strike carried contained fury. It seemed he was pushing himself harder after his defeat to Kyrian.
Kai, like a shadow with a weathered face, dodged and counterattacked with brutal efficiency, his blood darts seeking weak points in the giant Bai Zhu’s defense.
On the other side, Li Fen and Yan Ling engaged in a quieter duel, but no less dangerous. Li Fen, shrouded in a dark red mist, tried to close in, while Yan Ling kept her distance with her whip, weaving defensive patterns of blood Qi in the air.
It looked like a game of cat and mouse.
Mei Li, the fifth disciple, watched from the outside, her face a mask of concentration, studying every movement and weakness exposed by the others.
Dong Zhen was the first to notice Kyrian’s presence at the threshold of the hall. His sharp eyes turned toward him, and an almost imperceptible gesture caused the combat to cease. All eyes followed the master’s gaze and settled on Kyrian.
The tension in the air changed. Bai Zhu frowned, a mix of rage and hatred, but also determination passing through his eyes. Li Fen stopped moving, his expression impassive. Yan Ling lowered her whip, evaluating Kyrian.
Kai merely inclined his head, a gesture of acknowledgment. Mei Li smiled lightly, a smile Kyrian found strange for some reason.
"Kyrian." Dong Zhen’s voice echoed, dry.
"Satisfied with your stay among the books?"
Kyrian walked calmly toward the group, not caring much about the looks.
"Yes. The library was as vast as I imagined. I learned what I needed for now."
Dong Zhen nodded, a slow movement.
"Good. Then now you are ready to join the training. Your victory in the tournament was as impressive as I expected it to be, but that is only the beginning. You must strive like the others."
Kyrian looked at the other five. He saw certain expectations in them, the curiosity to see how Kyrian would perform in daily training, in addition to being glad to train with someone this strong.
Kyrian then turned his gaze to Dong Zhen, his calm carmine eyes.
"I do not possess techniques to train like them." Kyrian began, his voice clear and without hesitation.
"And, as you should already know, conventional battle techniques do not work on me. I cannot execute them, not in the way others do. Therefore, I will not participate."
The silence that followed was cutting. Yan Ling raised her eyebrows, remembering Kyrian’s battles, indeed, he had not used any known technique.
Dong Zhen did not seem surprised. He studied Kyrian for a brief moment.
"Then how do you intend to progress?"
"In my own way." Kyrian replied vaguely. He paused, as if weighing something.
"I want to leave again. I will go to the External Missions Branch."
A slight strangeness crossed Dong Zhen’s face.
"Oh, again? You barely returned."
Kyrian held his gaze.
"I prefer practical knowledge. I want new experiences. The books gave me a map, now I need to see for myself these new things I learned about." It was a half-truth, but it sounded plausible.
"Besides, my cultivation method is completely different. Training here will not benefit me at all."
Dong Zhen observed him, trying to read behind those words and the impassive face. He had seen that gray flame power and the other energies Kyrian possessed.
Kyrian was a high-risk, potentially high-return investment. Confining him too rigidly might not be good.
"Very well." Dong Zhen conceded.
"Go. The External Missions Branch lies to the northeast, hidden in the blood-stone canyons. Show your pendant to the branch leader, Elder Goran, and then you may act freely."
Kyrian inclined his head in thanks. Without looking at the other disciples, he turned and left the hall, his footsteps echoing toward the stables.
As soon as he disappeared, Bai Zhu could not restrain himself.
"He really seems to look down on us. Refusing to train with us."
Yan Ling spoke, her voice thoughtful.
"Or perhaps he is simply arrogant because circumstances allow him to be. You saw the way he fought. There is nothing for him to learn here. His path is completely different from ours, our training would indeed be useless to him."
Dong Zhen did not comment. His eyes were fixed on the door through which Kyrian had departed. He was betting a great deal on that strange boy.
"Focus on your training." He said seriously to the others.
...
Kyrian wasted no time. At the stables, the same black-winged horse, now familiar, recognized him and let out a low snort. He mounted in a fluid motion.
"Let’s go." Kyrian ordered. The creature beat its powerful wings, rising into the air and breaking through the fortress’s formation barrier.
The icy wind of the heights struck him head-on, but he received it like an old acquaintance. This time, he did not fly high enough to remain above the dark clouds. He stayed beneath them, navigating the somber and rugged landscape of the Blood Court’s territory.
His mind worked quickly. His interest in the External Missions Branch was specific.
In the books, there was one in particular that contained even more information about the Court. It was through the external missions branch that the Court interacted with the outside world more actively.
They received requests for help of all kinds from lesser forces, gathered information, located rare resources, and, crucially, maintained updated maps and records of conflict points, among other things.
It was the external missions branch that usually located the sites from which the resources branch would later collect. Most information first arrived at the external missions branch.
Kyrian wanted to know about anomalies in nearby regions. And he hoped to find places where Black Masses of Hostility could appear.
Kyrian’s ambition was clear and urgent after reading so many books in the library. It was to reach the central region. But the distance was astronomical, and his current strength completely insufficient.
The blank book in his mind, the one that had remained inactive, was the key to accelerating his growth. And to activate it, he needed the unique energy, the "fuel," coming from the Black Masses. Finding them was now his highest priority.
After an entire day of flight, the landscape began to change. The plains gave way to enormous canyons, their walls made of stratified rock with vibrant red veins that seemed to bleed under the dim light. It was the Blood-Stone region, from where the stones used for construction in all branches were extracted.
Following Dong Zhen’s vague instructions and his own knowledge, Kyrian guided the mount toward a particularly wide canyon. At the bottom, almost camouflaged against the rock wall, there was a wide and low opening, guarded by two hooded figures.
He descended, the sound of the horse’s wings echoing against the canyon walls. The guards straightened, their presences at the early Core Formation realm. They were serious and professional.
"Halt. Identification." The one on the left spoke, his voice echoing within the metal of a partial helm.
Kyrian said nothing. He simply pulled the pendant of a Main Branch disciple from beneath his robe. The symbol glowed with a carmine pulse.
The guards immediately straightened even more.
"Young Master Disciple of the Main Branch. Your passage is free. Follow the main tunnel to the great hall. Leader Goran will be informed." Said the guard on the right as he removed a stone from his clothing.
Kyrian merely nodded and passed between them, entering the darkness of the tunnel, though it was still completely clear to him. The only light came from red bioluminescent fungi growing on the walls, giving the place an even more organic and sinister air.
The tunnel descended at a gentle slope for perhaps a kilometer until it opened into a colossal cavern. It was not a constructed fortress but a transformed natural chamber. Blood-stone pillars supported the high ceiling.
Simple stone constructions and beast-hide tents scattered about formed an absurdly immense permanent camp.