Chapter 154: Chapter 148: Immune to All Diseases, The Perfection of Rituals
Beneath the pyramid, in that man-made river of blood, Conqueror Cortes, stimulated by the icy river water, finally calmed down.
Beatrice has already been killed by that damn traitor. We must take back the Golden Code that we have worked so hard to create! Otherwise, not only the large sums of gold in the city, but also the soon-to-appear vast ownerless lands on Yucatan Island, will become a feast for those hyenas.
Rather than calling Beatrice his lover, it was more accurate to say she was his indispensable partner. Grieving for the beauty, he grieved even more for the massive benefits vested in her.
Moreover, this person cannot possibly still be that dog-loyal Falcon, Alvin. He’s more like the Bayfolk legend that has become famous in the North Sea area... the Mad Hunt, as reported by Lighthouse Weekly! This bastard just helped the Bayfolk of Iron Anchor Bay repel the Kingdom of Hightins, then ran off to be the savior of the Aztecs in the Bantaan Archipelago? But no matter who you are, you must die today!
Cortes slapped the blood-colored sword-shaped badge on his chest—the Thirteen Knights Medal of the Fortress Knights from the Kingdom of Castile (Chapter 133). At the same time, he activated the main ability "Knight Commander" of the various Knight Professions at the Third Order (Chapter 92). A fierce blood-colored halo exploded out of nowhere. In the absence of an Attendant, the Transcendent ability, which should have been impossible to activate, was successfully triggered. The Conqueror’s aura soared mightily, and his Spiritual Radiance manifested, swirling around his mouth and nose, and even dyeing the blade in his hand a blinding blood-red.
Having held the advantage of attacking first, the Kingdom of Castile had been wealthy for decades, equipping its Transcendents far more lavishly than any wild Transcendent. The badges of the various great knight orders, crafted by Artisans and symbols of pride and power, were also part of the "Title" system. The Grand Cross Medal, the Golden Fleece Knights’ Medal, the Order of Chivalry Medal... and so on all belonged to this category. Each type of badge possessed completely different extraordinary effects. The effect of the Thirteen Knights Medal was to be able to beckon the power of the legion out of thin air, replacing knight Attendants and dispensing with the inconvenience of carrying guards.
Cortes also didn’t forget to shout a judgmental inscription: "Let all dance!"
The boots under his feet quickly transformed into a pair of high-heeled dancing shoes popular among Old Continent nobility.
Arcane Object: Dancer at Will.
It allowed the wearer to dance gracefully on any stage, not limited to grass, treetops, water surface... even the edge of a knife.
BOOM!
A burst of water splashed as Cortes, having activated his full state, leaped from the blood-colored river. Empowered by "Knight Commander" and "Aura: Demon Break Mark," his body trailed with a long afterimage. He then achieved Man and Sword as One, his entire being transforming into an extremely bright and piercing sword light, neatly slicing through the river surface along the way. Stepping on the crest of the waves, he met Byron, who was racing towards him on a Phantom Warhorse over the water, and bellowed:
"You damn Mad Hunt! You should never have troubled the Ocean Overlord, let alone provoke me, Cortes. I will take off your mask and expose you, a creature that hides its head but not its tail, to the sun, find your relatives, and kill them all. Then let you die in excruciating pain!"
He clearly despised this interloper who had messed up his plans.
If it were anyone else, facing off against a fully equipped Heavy Knight with just a slender Swift Sword, that person would surely be mad. Even a Miracle-level Swift Sword possessed considerable killing power, but any slight mistake would inevitably result in an atrocious death. The tolerance for errors in battle was far too low!
But when Cortes regulated his breathing and activated his Flow State, he immediately took perfect control of his body, sword movements, Transcendent abilities... and even all the Miracle objects on him. As the two were about to pass by each other, he adopted a sword move that looked very much like "Rolling Sword" to block the lance from the side, turning its strongest point into mere decoration. The Swift Sword breathed out cold light, thrusting forward, intending for Byron’s chest to collide with the tip of his sword in accordance with the momentum of the warhorse. This was the art of using skill against brute force; the stronger the opponent’s strength and the faster the speed, the quicker their demise.
However, things did not progress as he had planned. The Phantom Warhorse was already like a phantom, and with the "Child of the Storm" negating gravity, Byron, the Storm Knight, came to an instant halt. And like a piece of paper unaffected by any force, he was lifted by the wind stirred up by Cortes.
Over the past month, Byron had practiced daily with Alfred, also known as Blood-Red Whiskey, who had also mastered the Flow State. Not only did his experience with the Flow State and the Supreme Art skyrocket, but his swordsmanship also advanced by leaps and bounds. The distance to the next level was now merely a paper-thin barrier away.
Then the two became two streaks of light, clashing together again. The river roiled violently as they alternated between the surface and diving underwater. Azure flames and crisscrossing sword lights caused the river to undulate with ripples from their terrifying destructive power and mobility, even splintering the continuous waves into surging white steam. Giant bubbles, undercurrents, and splashes exploded continuously as the combatants became like two sea monsters stirring up the waves.
BANG!
Suddenly both leaped from the water surface, shattering the currents and racing at high speed, ascending to the pyramid while battling on. The blood-colored river raged, dragging behind them two long crimson trails, like two roaring, rampaging dragons climbing up the river bank.
When the battle between the two had become slightly deadlocked, CAW CAW CAW... Accompanied by the weird cawing of crows, the uncontrollable "Bizarre: Plague Doctor" on the pyramid, after directly or indirectly infecting most of the city’s population that lacked immunity to smallpox, had, like a specter spreading death, silently drifted away from the Imperial City. It was conceivable that even if it moved slowly, just by traveling from the northern to the southern tip of the crescent-shaped Yucatan Island, it could easily cause a catastrophic disaster of ethnic extinction. Transforming into a top-tier "Curse Spirit" was also an effortless feat. Moreover, with so many viral carriers around, once they spread out, the natives of the island would soon be in big trouble.
The most critical issue was that Byron’s own body... had never had smallpox either! Just by looking at that handsome face in any mirror, it was obvious — not to mention pockmarks, there wasn’t even a single freckle. He hadn’t had it, Bruh hadn’t had it, Catherine hadn’t had it either. Even if the people of the Old Continent had a higher resistance to smallpox, he dared not take the risk of even a quarter, a tenth, or one percent mortality rate.
Should such misfortune befall him, the danger would be one hundred percent!
At this time, Hightins’ expeditionary forces had already completely broken through Tlacopan City on the west shore, looting a massive amount of war spoils from the city. All the high-ranking members stood by the lake, gazing towards the chaotic Imperial City in the distance. A "Navigator" even used his lantern to create a screen of light, projecting the gruesome scene inside the Imperial City. The expeditionary forces, from top to bottom, were all appalled:
"Look at the pustules on those people’s faces."
"Is that the plague?!"
Quietly standing in the crowd, Byron, who was multitasking to control the Mad Hunt "Alvin’s" battle, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the plague doctor didn’t drift towards his side. In fact, the Decryption Rate of the associated Hidden "Ambition of Conqueror Cortes, Historical Influence 30" also surged to 100% during the recent ritual. Now, Byron really wasn’t completely confident that he could put an end to Cortes’ ambition. But he had gained a new, highly targeted entry "Immunity to All Illnesses":
"At the cost of randomly activating a hidden genetic disease, you become immune to all external diseases and toxins forever, maintaining a healthy state. You can choose to activate or not activate at will."
This newly generated entry was still rooted in his current real-world needs. It was the perfect counter to the "Plague Doctor."
But! He had to say but. Others might use this entry, but could he, a Lancaster born to an Old Continent royal family, dare to use it? Activate a hidden genetic disease? Are you crazy, or am I crazy? My great-uncle was mad, my great-uncle and my grandfather on my father’s side were mad, do you think I want to activate a hidden genetic disease? Aim to become the third ’Mad King’ in history? And it’s not just mental illnesses; hemophilia, which runs rampant in many royal families, or the Ferdinand family’s male dysfunction can also be lethal. Especially the Kinquan family, known as ’Ferdinand’s gift to the world’—they’re nearly extinct, you know? Once I activate this, even if I solve the issue with my tentacle fetish, how can I face Lancaster’s ancestors? And even if it’s just the most common problem in the Kingdom of Hightins... baldness, even if I can accept it, not everyone else might!
However, he soon had no time to sweat the small stuff. A bone-chilling sense of crisis descended, forcing him to focus all his attention on Cortes on the other side. The Conqueror brought the Flow State to its limit.
"HUU—HAA—"
He exhaled a hot breath produced by the rapid circulation of his blood, and the pattern of his breathing changed. The strength of each muscle, each fascia, and each organ in his body was integrated along the meridians of his Spirituality. The Swift Sword in his hand moved through the air, drawing a circle in front of him. It was as if the sword could cut through water without disturbing it; the air, brimming with sharpness, seemed to refuse any external force entry. The water splashing under his feet was shredded instantly, turning into a mist that lingered around Cortes, clearly outlining a spherical space with a radius of three meters. Rows of intricate numbers and formulas materialized along with the mist.
At this moment, this circle seemed to become the Conqueror’s absolute domain and inherent territory. Within this realm, he was the supreme ruler, possessing ultimate sovereignty! This was the "Secret Sword Technique: Ritual Circle," far more powerful than the "Secret Sword Technique: Listening Sword: Mad Storm" that Blood-Red Whiskey Alfred had used before. The essence of the supreme art of the Kingdom of Castile was encapsulated in the "Mariazeski Circle." And the so-called "Ritual Circle" was a sacrificial offering to any enemy who dared to step within it, signifying absolute execution!