Myriad Devils-Chapter 200: The Mad Ancestor

Grand Purity Ancestral City was founded by the first Empyreans in this inverted sky dimension.

Daemons and those who were corrupted by the slaughterous energy of the inverted world were forbidden from entering this city.

Such a rule was ordained by the first Empyreans, and the Empyreans that resided within the chained palaces above this ancestral city made sure that this rule was upheld.

This city was grand and pure.

Only ancestors could perceive this spiritual city, and only the pure ones can enter.

In less than a month, Anon had made several acquaintances and had established his own ancestral manor.

This spiritual city boasted peace, an extremity on the other side of the scale when compared to the world atop the crimson sea.

Here, ancestors made unique delicacies to be enjoyed by other ancestors, and could be used for bartering with other delicacies concocted by other ancestors.

Actually, this was the main attraction of the spiritual city.

Even with the crazed slaughter in the crimson heaven above the city, even if an ancestor slayed another ancestor, at the very least, within this spiritual city, Grand Purity Ancestral City, there was only serenity and unity...

With the mysteries of blood magic assisting him in the concoction of his Burning Blood Wine, Anon bartered with other ancestors and acquired some delectable delicacies.

His own Burning Blood Wine was greatly sought after since he revealed it to the spiritual city.

Since the time of its invention, even with a strong taste, it has had a loyal following. Naturally, once word of a newly appeared ancestor spread throughout the ancestral city, the product would inevitably experience the initial boom.

One would experience a period of high demand, restrained only by one’s limited ability. Anon had experienced this as well.

Yet still, ancestors were unlike mortals. Longevity was not an issue, and even death battles did not happen as often...

After all, ancestors were much rarer across the crimson heaven; their spiritual bodies within the spiritual city would have much time to develop their concocting abilities.

It also helped greatly that this was a city of peace, designed to assist in the maintenance of a drifter’s sanity.

The act of bartering and concocting delicacies was only a form of entertainment for ancestor drifters such as themselves.

Numerous ancestor drifters did not partake in this hobby.

In a humble courtyard, Anon sat before a marble table. His seat was forged from emerald-colored gemstones.

He sipped on a cup of tea. This cup of tea released a splendorous golden hue and was incredibly delightful and soothing to the spiritual body.

Each mouthful released a strange sensation as it went down his throat. This sensation quickly transformed into a soul-calming coolness that spread throughout his body.

Anon observed the youth opposite him.

On the other side of the table was a young man with a slender figure. There was a lotus pattern etched on the space between his brows.

He radiated a youthful brilliance, and his charming gaze met with Anon’s. His thin and delicate lips gently sipped on a glass of red wine.

His expression was strange as he sipped on the wine. The burning sensation landed on his taste buds with each sip of wine, bringing about the birth of a multitude of expressions.

And still, these expressions were capable of leaving the masses in a daze.

Such a charm could hypnotize men and women alike. It was to the point of otherworldly and not easy to resist whatsoever.

Anon looked at the youth before him, showing no sign of infatuation.

For this youth, it was not the first time he came across such a steady individual; however, even in their first encounter, Anon had not even so much as flinched in surprise.

Almost as if his charm was not worth mentioning.

"Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor," Anon sighed and shook his head. "Your Hazy Sky Soul Soothing Brew is absolutely exemplary."

A dazzling smile appeared across the face of Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor once he heard Anon’s praise, but then he looked at the glass of wine, and his smile froze.

How to put it?

Could he really express the truth to Anon after hearing the latter’s praise?

Upon perceiving Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor’s strangeness, Anon cackled out loudly.

His laughter was so boisterous that it escaped the courtyard and caught the attention of multiple ancestors who were leisurely passing by.

Their steps quickened.

Anon’s laughter slowly died down before he looked toward the gentle youth before him. The youth’s peach-colored eyes were mesmerizing.

"My Burning Blood Wine is not suitable for everyone. In fact, back then, when I first saw you, I had a mind that you won’t enjoy it."

"Individuals with a fiery willpower and bold personalities tend to enjoy this Burning Blood Wine the most. As for a refined noble individual such as yourself, it is to be expected."

Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor sighed.

One could even see traces of embarrassment on his delicate face.

"You say this, but don’t you enjoy my Hazy Sky Soul Soothing Brew?" He, Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor, had a voice akin to a melodious tune that radiated warmth and gentleness.

"To create this Burning Blood Wine, from your words, your personality would not match with my brew. Is it that your words are merely sweet nothings, and that my brew isn’t really that good?"

The youth before him seemed to be on the verge of tears. It was not a sight one would expect to see from an ancestor drifter.

Anon stifled the bubbling laughter, his eyes flashing with amusement.

"Simply because I am bold and may even be fiery at times, does not mean that I am not noble. I can enjoy the Burning Blood Wine, but I can also appreciate your Hazy Sky Soul Soothing Brew."

Anon sighed and said, "To limit oneself to one lens, and one perspective, is to hamper one’s attempt at understanding all things."

Hearing Anon’s words, Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor appeared to be caught in a stunned silence.

Anon laughed again, this time it was more controlled.

"Actually, I did not wish to see you simply for an exchange. I’m more interested in you, rather than your creations!"

The youth instantly snapped out of his trance and glanced weirdly at Anon. Sensing this, Anon chuckled.

"Do not misunderstand. It is just that, with such a title, I only hope that you can give me a couple of pointers so that I may improve my sword mastery."

Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor’s heart calmed, and he smiled faintly.

"Ah, I did hear about this. You’ve exchanged pointers with dozens of sword-wielding ancestors since you entered the ancestral city."

"Thirty-five to be exact." Anon chipped in.

"But, may I ask?" Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor tilted his head with doubt, "As a sword-wielding Ancestor yourself, I am certain that your sword mastery must be no less than mine."

Anon smiled mysteriously.

"I faintly perceive that I’m on the cusp of grasping at something higher, better. Who knows, maybe with you, the thirty-sixth ancestor, I might gain some inspiration."

Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor immediately stood up.

Walking to the center of the courtyard, he unsheathed the thin, elegant sword tied to his slender waist and looked toward Anon, asking, "It is just exchanging pointers, right? Or do you wish to spar inside your manor?"

"No, the courtyard is just fine." Anon snickered. Thereafter, wielding his longsword, Anon began exchanging pointers with Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor.

One was naturally sharp yet smooth, fast yet elegant, each attack melded naturally with the next, and the other appeared wild yet refined, slow yet unavoidable, each attack containing endless might.

Exchanging pointers with Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor, Anon was akin to a sponge, absorbing the principles behind the former’s attacks.

He was gleeful as his mastery of the sword continuously improved. As time passed, he began losing himself in this exchange, and his laughter shook a district of this ancestral city.

Many ancestors made their way, and before long, there was a small group that stood just outside his courtyard.

Their expressions were strange to say the least.

As Anon cackled madly, exchanging words with someone who was not present, or more accurately, with someone that did not exist, the other ancestors just stood outside with a sense of peculiarity welling up within their hearts.

"How did he even enter the ancestral city?" One of the ancestors couldn’t help but voice her doubts.

"It can’t be helped, he isn’t a daemon, nor is he consumed by the slaughterous energies. What can we say... he’s just insane."

They did not know how to properly explain this situation.

"The Mad Ancestor strikes again. This is the thirty-sixth time he has ’exchanged pointers’ with an invisible sword master."

"Tch! At least, when he’s ’exchanging delicacies’ with those invisible ancestors, he’s usually quiet and can be ignored. If not for the city rules, I’d already have dealt with him."

As the ancestors gossiped and even made jests, Anon’s ears twitched. He turned toward the busy street just outside his courtyard.

The ancestors passing by were clearly in a hurry; however, this scene began falling apart, and the scene of a group of ancestors laughing in his direction appeared.

Anon’s expression grew cold.

He turned toward Flowing Lotus Sword Ancestor, and before his stunned gaze, the delicate youth faded away.

Tch!

Anon grabbed his head in pain.

The world before him, the sky and earth reversed, and the spiritual city quaked. The chains above snapped, and the crimson palaces fell.

The spiritual city quaked violently, and space trembled. Cracks began forming in the space before his eyes, and then, a blinding light swallowed the world...!