430 Coercion and Humiliation (1/2)

The mystical core was obviously missing, an occurrence that the Emperor of Ziyou truly had not expected to happen.

The mystical core of a ninth class mystical beast was a rare gem to most of the practitioners all across the world. It was an undeniable fact, and a common truth.

However, the Emperor of Ziyou could not have imagined that there was someone brazen enough to keep the mystical core to themselves even when faced with the threat of a nation's subjugation!

The fact that it had invariably happened made his face burn.

His rage no less fierce than Yun Yang's – it was even more fervent!

Clearly, to some scoundrel, a country's fate and the lives of billions of people were not as important as a mystical core! What kind of a heart must a person possess to think that way?

”Where is the mystical core?” Emperor of Ziyou turned around, his gaze stern as it went through the assembled crowd before settling on the person he was asking.

Yun Yang looked over, following the emperor's gaze to see a man with an aged face, in green robes and a long sword. It was the swordsman who had chased him away with his sword in the sky!

It was also this swordsman's ambush that obstructed Yun Yang's last stage of his escape; first, it had been Whitey Three that was severely injured before Yun Yang himself was wounded, thus causing the situation to turn deadly. Otherwise, how would the little bear have perished in this battle?

This swordsman was undoubtedly a mighty foe.

However, he felt a strange sense of worry as he looked at the murder clearly painted on Supreme Cloud's face.

Yun Yang glared coldly at the man, feeling a murderous intent rage within him.

”Your Majesty, here.” The swordsman bowed politely while holding his sword, in reply to the Emperor of Ziyou's question.

”You've taken the Niello Bear's mystical core?” The Emperor of Ziyou did not beat around the bush given that the situation was about to explode at any moment.

The swordsman's expression betrayed a subtle sense of fear, but he still replied with grace, ”That is right. According to the martial world's rules, such a treasure belongs to whoever kills the previous owner. It has always been this way.”

The Emperor of Ziyou sucked in a deep breath and said, ”We are faced with the destruction of the Empire of Ziyou, and all you can think about is this mystical core?”

There was a raging fury blazing in the Emperor of Ziyou's eyes.

Do you dare to speak of the martial world's rules with me when miles of the country was about to turn into a swamp?

What are martial world rules when your world was crumbling around your ears?

The swordsman said in a light-hearted tone, ”As long as Lord Supreme Cloud doesn't have any other request, I would be more than happy to hand over the mystical core with both my hands to end this catastrophe.”

The emperor frowned lightly and repeated absently, ”Other request?”

”After all, I was the one who killed the Niello Bear. Supreme Cloud will definitely want revenge. I am just a man who values his life...” the swordsman's voice trembled slightly with trepidation as he offered his terms.

Realization struck like a bolt of thunder as the Emperor of Ziyou suddenly understood what was going on.

This man was clearly afraid. He was afraid that Supreme Cloud would ask for the killer along with the mystical core. If it came to that, there was no doubt that he would die an extremely painful death.

The Emperor of Ziyou, despite being deeply angered, could not help but feel a pang of pity for the beleaguered man.

Can a saint of the sword be slightly less reserved? We are at a crossroads of theEmpire of Ziyou's fate; are you jeopardizing our chances of survival because of your personal decision?

Yun Yang's icy gaze was trained on this swordsman as he said faintly, ”There is no need to say more. Give me your name, and I shall promise not to take your life today.The little bear is a mystical beast but since it has accompanied me throughout the massacre in Zilong City, I consider it my comrade! There's nothing wrong for a fighter to fall in the battlefield, but I do not wish it's afterlife to be flawed.”

”As for this grudge, well, there will come a time for us to settle it in the future.”

Yun Yang's voice was as cold as death. He would want to kill this person, even if it was only in his dreams.

Besides, he was confident that if he insisted on carrying through with the threat to drown the Empire of Ziyou, with this person's life as the only way to circumvent that horrible fate, the Emperor of Ziyou would gladly hand him over as well.

No matter how reluctant the emperor was, he would still sentence a man to death in exchange for Ziyou's safety.

However, Yun Yang felt that such a form of revenge was another layer of insult added to the little bear's sacrifice – a vehement humiliation!