Free Web NovelChapter 447: Chapter 53: Change Your Thinking or Be Replaced
In the past, this strange phenomenon in the Forest of Serenity had sparked all sorts of speculation. In the end, countless Scholars came to a single conclusion—
It was fury. The forest was simply enraged.
That was why the once-peaceful forest would transform into a perilous land that devoured everything. Historically, every time the Forest of Serenity produced Burning Amber, it was to annihilate vast swaths of life and territory.
The Holy Land was, of course, safe and peaceful under normal circumstances. But if that was all there was to it, it would never have earned the reverence of the Ten Thousand Races of the Land of Thousand Lakes. Without demonstrating some thunderous power, some divine might, how could it command respect?
’Is it getting serious? Or has it chosen a different strategy?’
Westheid calmly watched the bizarre transformation unfold, yet his taunts never ceased.
"To think the one who claims to bring harmony and peace would turn around and try to scorch everything with flames. As a Holy Spirit, you’re so thin-skinned, it’s pathetic. Even worse than a certain someone I know."
Since getting under its skin was proving effective, trash talk was, of course, a valid tactic.
To say someone was worse than the Pure Holy Spirit was the ultimate insult!
Unfortunately, the Master of Armor Tomb did not know the Pure Holy Spirit and was therefore completely unfazed by Westheid’s insult.
[This is not rage born of shame. I have long since overcome such vulgar emotions. There are simply too many chattering insects, and only fire can purify them. This, too, is a part of the natural order—not the distortions you create with your Melody! This is true purification.]
[This has nothing to do with victory or defeat, love or hate. When faced with an enemy that obstructs natural harmony, it must be extinguished with raging fire... unless you can reverse it with a mortal’s will, as Thousand Laws once did...]
[Foreigner, if you do not intend to retreat, then let us speak with a power we both acknowledge.]
Westheid had intended to engage the Master of Armor Tomb in further conversation, hoping to pry more information from an enemy that knew nothing of concealment or lies. But the Demon had no intention of speaking further, leaving only a declaration of war before departing.
Reiya hurled a Sunlight Spear wreathed in Pure Dragon Thunder, but it failed to find any trace of the Demon, merely plowing a spectacular hundred-meter-long trench through the ash-stained forest.
The dissipating Magic Power sizzled and hissed in the air. Beneath the golden arcs of electricity, white smoke billowed up.
"West, what do you want to do now?"
Facing the White-haired Dragon Lady’s question, Westheid licked the split skin on the web of his thumb and said:
"I was just probing, but I didn’t expect it to be so easily provoked. Going all-out like this... it’s being awfully cautious."
Before, they only had to fight the Armor of past Heroes—a battle of high intensity but limited scale. But now that the Master of Armor Tomb was getting serious, they faced the entire Forest of Serenity on a full war footing.
Everyone knew how nasty the buffs from a Demon Realm were, especially here in this part of the Land of Rhythm. A fully mobilized Demon Realm was an incredibly tough opponent.
Previously, Westheid had always provoked the Demons on their borders, goading them into pulling him into an Imaginary Space for a dark duel.
It was an incredibly clever trick, condensing a protracted war into a one-on-one duel.
It was practically a gentleman’s duel of honor.
Still, he had gained a lot from this. The enemy’s reaction seemed to confirm that the Ten Thousand Wind Melodies was indeed the Demon Demigod’s weakness.
Otherwise, given the disposition the Holy Spirit of the Forest of Serenity had shown, it would never have resorted to a tactic that would kill a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of its own unless it was absolutely necessary.
This cautious, all-out approach certainly left Westheid with no clever way to win, and the price of victory had just been raised by more than a single level.
But Westheid wasn’t annoyed. On the contrary, he was delighted. He burst out laughing.
’I’ve won!’
A Demon Demigod had chosen to retreat and play it safe in front of him. Perhaps it was a rational decision, but among Warriors, there was no such excuse. To lose momentum was to truly lose.
’I know you’ve turtled up! You coward, no better than Duke Qinghui! Get out here!’
Westheid took a deep breath and shouted:
"Since it wants to play big, then let the defeat of the strongest Demon in the Land of Thousand Lakes announce our victory!"
"Mephit! Yolanda! Authorize the release of all weapon restrictions! No more holding back! Constructs, Forbidden Techniques, bring them all out!" he added with a grin.
Mephit looked every bit as delighted as Westheid and immediately asked:
"Does that include things like the Riding God Giant Statue?"
The secret weapons of the Country of Yonglan had always been full of surprising and delightful twists. However, the Royal Court’s reclamation plans had always focused on liberating territory intact, so large-scale, land-clearing tactics and weapons had been sealed away.
The Thousand Laws Royal Court didn’t have any purely violent Divine Structures like the giant statues. The true power of this Realm of Order was almost entirely sealed within the Thousand Laws Ceremony.
"Of course. Don’t just stop at the Riding God Giant Statue—use every Forbidden Technique you’ve got. This isn’t a fight where we can afford to hold back."
Westheid said, his eyes fixed on the carriers of the Burning Amber that were slowly but steadily emerging from the dense forest.
"Brother, wouldn’t it be better to ask the Elves for their opinion first?"
Yolanda reminded him, which made Westheid pause. He realized she was right.
If the Riding God Giant Statue took the field, it would inevitably cause extreme destruction. And if more forbidden technologies were unleashed in the Land of Rhythm, it would be hard to say who would cause more damage to the Grand Ensemble.
Although he had effectively become the one who called the shots in the Thousand Laws Royal Court—thanks to the immense prestige of his reinforcements and his status as the future king consort—this was merely a tacit agreement. The proper procedures had to be followed. It was a matter of showing the Royal Court some respect.
