Damned Healer-Chapter 746: Retribution

"Rudeness? You still have no idea what rudeness really is. Not only do you show up where you weren't invited, you even dare to profane the soil of my sect with that senile audacity. Grumpy old women these days seem to have lost their sense of self-preservation. Do you really think your age is a shield that keeps me from killing you right now?"

Gildor replied coldly, and the entire atmosphere in the hall grew heavy under his threat. Even so, he remained motionless where he sat.

The three young women behind the Queens were completely frozen, as if they had been sealed. It was their first time visiting the Golden Crow Sect and their first time encountering the legendary Sect Leader, Gildor.

The fact that they were accompanying those three meant they were not ordinary people, but they had never imagined the pressure exerted by this Leader would be so terrifying.

They didn't feel like they were simply standing there… instead, it felt as if their bodies and souls had been nailed in place. They didn't dare move in the slightest. Not even the pressure exerted by the three Queens together compared to this.

At that moment, the three young women fully understood why the three Queens feared the Leader of this sect so much, even though the Golden Crow Sect was weaker than the Bakunawa Abyssal Triarchy.

For the three Queens, such dignified figures who could eclipse the heavens within their domains, being considered "visitors" was a great mockery. However, Queen Myna did not become irritated and instead laughed while remaining slightly bowed.

"We three know that our arrival this time is truly impertinent, but we have no choice. A few months ago… we tried to make contact through normal means… but we were rejected even for a conversation. So, a few days ago, when we learned of this grand Assembly, we resorted to this measure." She spoke in a tone full of respect and calm.

"Please, we don't want trouble. We wouldn't have intruded if we had other options. In the name of the ancestral friendship that your sect and our kingdoms shared in the past, we wish to express our sincerity and also ask that you hear us just this once."

After taking a deep breath, she turned to the three young women behind her. "Vymara, Gelidra, Neblis, why haven't you greeted the Leader of the Golden Crow Sect yet?"

Darian had heard Minril's explanation about this. Several months ago, these Queens had indeed tried to speak, but they were summarily ignored.

The truth was that they wanted to beg for Minril and Gildor's help. That was because the greatest inheritance left behind by Bakunawa was a sacred place called the Abyss Lake.

It was a deep lake formed from the water element mixed with extremely high-level Yin. A dreamlike place, on the same level as the Golden Celestial Lake. But… Bakunawa would not leave anything for free. Guarding that place, he left behind a Demonic Sea Orc.

This was another Draconic Beast Race, similar to Wyverns and Hydras. This creature had cultivation at the peak of the universe and could absorb the lake's power, entering a kind of hibernation to extend its life almost eternally.

The Sea Orc was terrifying and nearly invincible, even against an army of figures at the same cultivation level. The entire Abyss Lake remained sealed by Bakunawa's power, and every thousand years, the moment came when it opened so that all could attempt to defeat this enemy.

Millions of years had passed since the Bakunawa Abyssal Triarchy was created, and they had never even come close to victory.

In this generation… the three Queens were not even close to having enough strength to so much as scratch the Sea Orc. But the Celestial Tournament of this generation was approaching, and this time, all humanoids would benefit greatly. They could not afford not to try to defeat that enemy and thus have that lake at their disposal to cultivate their talents.

The main reason was that in those three kingdoms, pure humans were the overwhelming majority. There were also many demon hybrids; because of the Yin nature of Demons, this was a good combination.

The thousand-year period was approaching; with it, the three Queens were becoming increasingly anxious… because without the strength of Gildor and his wife, they would have no way to even dream of defeating that enemy.

The chances were higher because Gildor's Yang power had a natural advantage in balancing and nullifying a large portion of the Sea Orc's Yin power. Combined with the Bloodline suppression his wife could impose on the enemy, even though it was frighteningly terrifying, the chances of defeating it were not low.

In the hall, the three young women knelt before the Sect Leader.

"Vymara, core disciple of the Tide-Shadow Kingdom, pays respects to the Leader of the Golden Crow Sect," said a small woman with silver hair. Although her body was not very slender, it was very well-proportioned.

A young woman with short black hair, thin, with eyes and eyebrows sharp as blades, murmured, "Gelidra, core disciple of the Dark-Frost Kingdom, pays respects to the Leader of the Golden Crow Sect."

"Neblis, core disciple of the Ebon-Haze Kingdom, pays respects to the Leader of the Golden Crow Sect," said a third young woman with a very beautiful face and exuberant feminine curves as she bowed.

All the Palace Masters silently sensed the aura of the three.

None of them could be compared to the Golden Crow Sect's top disciples, because their cultivation levels and auras were far too strong and impressive for their young ages. It was as if they were several levels above anyone in the sect; that feeling of inferiority was terrifying.

In the universe, although the Golden Crow Sect and the Bakunawa Abyssal Triarchy were both above-average organizations, the overall strength of the Golden Crow Sect was indeed far inferior.

If one ignored the Sect Leader and his wife, then the Golden Crow Sect was in a much worse situation than any of the three Kingdoms in terms of disciples, resources, and overall power.

Historically, the Bakunawa Abyssal Triarchy had always been considered the most powerful mid-tier organization, while the Golden Crow Sect had always been seen as one of the weakest. However, that changed thanks to the rise of Gildor and his wife in this generation.

Together, they reached the midpoint of the Celestial Master Realm, the final cultivation realm. This had never happened before in the sect's history, and they were still a human and a dragon who always fought side by side.

With their emergence, the sect rose rapidly, suddenly jumping to an upper mid-tier level and even slightly surpassing the Bakunawa Abyssal Triarchy.

This couple was feared by all, but the reverence the sect's people held for them was just as impressive. That was because they had completely transformed the sect's status.

If not for the existence of this couple, why would those three Queens have come personally and acted with such courtesy in the face of such coldness? How could they have restrained themselves?

Gildor's gaze swept over the three young women as he said indifferently, "Gelidra and Neblis, if I'm not mistaken, the two of you are the Queens' daughters, correct?"

Myna nodded. "Indeed. We were fortunate to have such excellent daughters. As for Vymara, she is a direct disciple whom Queen Veyra has just accepted. We brought them with us this time so they could visit the Golden Crow Sect and experience more things."

At that moment, Queen Veyra's hands not only clenched tightly, but also began to tremble visibly.

"Humph, they truly are worthy of being your daughters. They have the potential to far surpass the two of you in the future. Your kingdoms are in good hands," Gildor said without showing any emotion.

"Hahaha, I appreciate the praise." Myna laughed a bit awkwardly. But in truth, her daughter would surpass her one day, since every possible resource had been poured into the current generation because of the Celestial Tournament.

At that moment, Queen Veyra's eyes shone with a dark light.

"I will temporarily set aside the fact that you invaded my sect. I will hear what you have to say. However…" Gildor's eyes narrowed slightly, "I will give you only five minutes."

Queen Myna stepped forward and spoke solemnly, "Understood, the three of us thank you for giving us this opportunity."

Those three young women had already returned to their positions behind the three Queens. But massive waves were stirring in their hearts.

Everything they had known since youth had been completely overturned… the three Queens had become so cautious and careful before this sect's Leader that even their expressions seemed frozen.

"I believe the Sect Leader already knows why the three of us came here. That's right, we came once again because of the Demonic Sea Orc. However, there are some differences compared to last time," Queen Myna began seriously.

"What difference?" Gildor asked with an icy gaze.

"This time, our Bakunawa Abyssal Triarchy will give you all possible support so we can finally secure the Abyss Lake. We are willing to hand over 100% of the Demonic Sea Orc's body. We can even negotiate if you wish to select some female disciples from your sect to cultivate for a while in that place."

The eyes of all the Palace Masters widened.

Within the sect, there were very few women. But if they could cultivate in that Abyss Lake, their Yin would be greatly nourished, and the natural fertility of the human race would be restored. This could produce a future generation of many figures with the Golden Crow's natural Bloodline.

Queen Myna continued calmly. "That Sea Orc is at least tens of millions of years old, and the scales covering its entire body are supreme and rare treasures. If it is hunted and killed, it will certainly result in an immense amount of resources for your sect. With the Celestial Tournament so important to us humanoids approaching, your disciples will rise several levels."

"And also," she took a deep breath and continued seriously, "a thousand years ago, success was within our grasp, but we ultimately failed due to an unforeseen accident. However, that Demonic Sea Orc was also injured. Such injuries do not fully heal within the short span of a thousand years. The three of us have not stood still over the last thousand years, and we have all improved our cultivation. Sect Leader and your esteemed wife are certainly far more powerful than they were a thousand years ago as well. These facts give us a tremendous chance to hunt and kill it. If we miss this opportunity, it is extremely likely that it will fully recover in another thousand years. At that point, things will be much more difficult."

After the speech, all three Queens remained silent. Gildor's icy expression remained completely unchanged from beginning to end.

After a few minutes, he asked flatly, "Have you said everything you wanted to say?"

Queen Myna's heart tightened slightly.

"Since you're finished," Gildor straightened his body and said solemnly, "Grand Supervisor of the Palaces, escort them to the exit."

The three women's expressions changed at the same time, and Queen Kaltis spoke loudly, "Leader of the Golden Crow Sect, you… What do you mean?!"

"What do I mean?" Gildor rose with deliberate slowness. As he stood, the air became suffocating, as if space itself were being crushed by his will. "If you had come crawling in tribute, I might have bothered to return some courtesy. But you barge into my Assembly and still have the nerve to mention the Sea Orc?!"

He fixed his gaze on them, his voice now laced with cold venom: "Did you lose your memory, or just your shame?! Do you really think a thousand years is enough to wash away the filth your Kingdoms committed?! My memory is as long as my patience is short."

Gildor's shout made the three juniors stagger backward. Their faces turned instantly pale, and they almost coughed up blood.

A sharp killing intent flashed in Gildor's eyes as he fixed his gaze on Veyra, who hadn't spoken since the beginning.

Veyra's entire body pulsed with an intense bluish light. The sound of teeth cracking came from her mouth… yet she refused to speak. Even so, blood was already trickling from the cracks between her fingers.

Faced with Gildor's sudden fury and killing intent, although the other two Queens had been somewhat prepared, their hearts still tightened abruptly.

Myna tried to remain calm as she spoke: "Leader Gildor, it was you who gravely injured Queen Veyra's only granddaughter back then… and also killed her daughter… and nearly all the kingdom's generals…."

"Silence!" Gildor's gaze and killing intent cut through the air like a blade. "That ignorant brat crawled toward the Sea Orc in a pathetic grab for glory, only to later claim a victory that was never hers. With that mediocre cultivation, she wasn't a hero; she was a burden that almost buried my plans and my life."

He took a step forward, the crushing pressure bending the space around him. "Don't you dare play dumb with me; you know perfectly well that if I hadn't lifted a finger, the Sea Orc would've chewed her bones that very day."

"I even went out of my way to secure everyone's retreat. If that little bitch ended up torn apart by my power, at least she's still breathing, isn't she? However…" His voice dropped to a glacial tone, heavy with a promise of death. "…that treacherous old hag dared to scheme against my brother, using a poison as vile as her own soul. And you still have the nerve to compare an accident along the way with a deliberate betrayal? Watch your insolence!"

Queen Myna clenched her teeth slightly and said in a deep voice: "Sect Leader, my words were indeed wrong. However, after that incident, in your fury, you attacked the Tide-Shadow Kingdom and killed the Queen, along with countless powerful figures. Our losses are ten thousand times greater than your sect's! Moreover, although Veyra's granddaughter is alive, her life has been forcibly prolonged, and she can barely survive; even standing has become difficult for her. It can be said it's a life worse than death. Queen Veyra became extremely enraged, which led her to commit such a heinous act…"

"Bullshit! She was the one in the wrong, most likely acting under orders from her mother and grandmother. And you still thought you had the right to retaliate?! Who the hell do you think you are?! I should've destroyed all three kingdoms back then, but I only took revenge on that Queen." Gildor roared coldly.

Darian snorted, also listening to Minril's explanation.

A thousand years ago, the daughter of the current Queen Veyra was the one in charge of the Kingdom. They had offered Gildor a solid plan to defeat the Sea Orc, but before the surprise attack, the Queen's daughter at the time, who was Veyra's granddaughter, tried to make a hidden move ahead of schedule.

It was a foolish move that would alert the Sea Orc to the ambush. Realizing this, Gildor acted by explosively unleashing all his power. He managed to wound the Sea Orc and make everyone escape. But that idiot brat was gravely injured.

After that… enraged, the Queen plotted against Chrysos and poisoned him in revenge.

Upon discovering this, Gildor and Minril directly attacked the Tide-Shadow Kingdom and killed the Queen. Of course, many powerful figures tried to stop them, and they all died.

Thus, Veyra, who had already retired, took up the throne as Queen again. But… the hatred of having her daughter murdered and her granddaughter left in such a terrible state tormented her day and night.

"GILDOR!!"

That shout was like an erupting volcano or a sudden thunderclap capable of ravaging the land. Veyra finally exploded after her wound was reopened. A wave of water and Yin power flowed from her body, expanding dozens of meters outward.

"You haven't forgotten the 'conspiracy' against your brother? Then know this, I will carry the taste of blood in my mouth until my final breath. I will never forgive the monster who slaughtered my daughter and turned my granddaughter into a crippled wreck. That hatred is the only thing keeping me alive!"

She stepped forward, her voice trembling not from fear, but from uncontrollable fury: "I, Veyra, admit my own insignificance. I am incapable of crushing your heart with my own hands today… but if fate grants me even a single opening, I swear: I will make your corpse a banquet for worms, piece by piece, until not even dust of your existence remains!"

Veyra howled with inhuman ferocity, distorting the air around her. At the same instant, the hall erupted in an uproar; the killing intent of the sect's big shots crashed down on her like a storm of invisible blades.

The other two Queens turned pale with fear.

Myna quickly stepped in front of Veyra, blocking her as she spoke hurriedly: "Leader Gildor, Queen Veyra is naturally quick-tempered, and this was a grave slip… we will leave immediately. Please forgive the offense!"

Veyra wasn't usually this explosive. In fact, the two Queens had agreed to come because they were certain she wouldn't cause trouble. But… they had forgotten something very important that had changed everything recently.

Some time ago, the three of them heard that Chrysos had recovered from the poison through some miraculous means. In a short time, he was completely renewed, and his power had almost fully returned.

Meanwhile, Queen Veyra's granddaughter was on the verge of madness. Her life had been forcibly extended for a thousand years, even though she wanted to die. But now, after so long, the young woman wouldn't last much longer and could die at any moment.

After Myna said that, she quickly tried to pull everyone out of the hall, but…

Veyra shoved Myna's hand aside and stared straight at Gildor. "Brat, your retribution will come one day! Make no mistake, you will not have a good death in this life!"

"Just you?" Gildor's voice was filled with extreme disdain and ridicule.

Darian simply watched everything with a bored expression. Did this old hag have shit for brains? How could she still blame Gildor for anything?

Well… she must have lived tens of thousands of years and gotten used to being an all-powerful figure everyone could only obey. The only logic that worked for her was the stronger fist.

Gildor stepped forward as the entire hall was covered in golden light.

"!"

The three Queens were frozen in place, unable to move.

"Veyra, you should be grateful that my brother is now safe and sound. Back then, I swore that if anything happened to him, that would be the day I abdicated the sect leadership… and it would also be the day your entire kingdom would be destroyed forever. But…"

He paused and stared coldly at the three Queens.

"Since Chrysos is now safe and sound, I will spare your entire kingdom. Your death alone will be enough."