CHAPTER 401: 156 AUCTION

"Kill!"

A Knight of the City of Death, astride a steed with a ghostly Bloodline, ferociously charged toward the silhouette.

From a slow start to maximum speed, it only took a few Breaths’ time.

The nearly six-meter-long Long Spear was an unstoppable charging weapon on the battlefield. Its Rapid Thrust could easily tear through a giant elephant.

The metal spearhead shattered the curtain of rain and, carrying immense force, struck right at Carl’s chest.

However, the anticipated sensation of shattering did not occur. Instead, it was like striking a sturdy city wall cast from iron and steel. The Knight on horseback turned pale, his expression changing drastically.

"BANG!"

The immense force of the collision caused the Long Spear to shatter inch by inch.

"NEIGH!"

The horse lost its balance and toppled forward. The Knight on its back spat blood and tumbled to the ground.

The remaining Knights hadn’t even gotten close before an invisible force blasted them away. Mage’s Hand!

Carl lightly patted his clothes and flicked his finger. One-Circle Witchcraft—Tidal Force!

Streams of water gathered in the air, instantly forming a huge sphere, which then burst into waves sweeping in all directions. Screams ensued shortly thereafter.

For a First-order Middle Stage Cultivator, Great Knights posed a slight threat, but regular Knights were hardly a match. As long as he struck, no one could stand against him.

「Before long,」

Carl, leading five children, found Norton, who had been captured alive and tied to a wagon. Their party thus grew by one.

"Thank you!"

The beaten Norton spoke in a muffled voice, "If it wasn’t for Mr. Karl’s intervention, we would certainly have... anyway, thank you very much."

"There’s no need for thanks. I’ve already received the agreed-upon reward," Carl said, showing the two wooden planks in his hand. "You should actually be thanking Matthew. If he hadn’t helped, I might not have been able to make it in time."

Matthew had a special Bloodline ability that allowed him to detect extremely faint scents, unaffected even by the rain. Carl had encountered Matthew first, which then led him to Qiao. Without Matthew, Carl would still have found them eventually, but it certainly would have taken more time, and he might have even missed his chance.

Speaking of destiny, Matthew was the boy who had intended to enter the Dark Market a few days ago. Back then, Carl had persuaded him to back down and given him a sum of Divine Grace Coins. Later, after his mother passed away, he paid the redemption fee intending to leave the City of Death, and then ran into Qiao and the others.

As the others were thanking Matthew, Carl slowly asked, "What are your plans going forward?"

He could not possibly escort them to the Duke Territory; at most, he could take them to a relatively safe nearby area.

Norton fell into thought. When leaving the City of Death, his parents had specifically instructed him to take his siblings to the Duke Territory. But having barely left the city, they had almost perished. The long journey to the Duke Territory might be fraught with unseen dangers. Having never ventured far alone and with his body nearly incapacitated, he truly felt uncertain.

"Qiao, how did you find Mr. Karl?" Norton asked.

"After the incident at home, I remembered the Dark Market that Grandpa mentioned, so I thought to seek help there," Qiao replied.

"Did you ask anyone else for help?"

"Yes, but no one else showed up."

"What are your thoughts on the road ahead?"

At this moment, Norton no longer saw Qiao as a child, but as an equal partner in discussion.

While the group was quietly deliberating, Carl turned his attention to the wooden planks in his hand, inspecting them closely.

Holy Skill—Angel’s Stab! Or rather, it should be called War Angel’s Stab!

This was a swordsmanship technique, requiring a matching rapier, and it even detailed the method for forging said rapier. This Holy Skill boasted extreme Thrusting, piercing, and defense-breaking capabilities, especially adept at close combat. Its signature killing move, Infinite Thrusts, could unleash a frenzied flurry of attacks at close range, its power terrifying. Once locked on, a First Order Early Stage cultivator using it would definitely have a chance to kill a First-order Middle Stage opponent, or even seriously injure a First Rank Late Stage one.

Explosive power, speed... Carl couldn’t help sighing in resignation. Although it doesn’t require a special Bloodline, it would be best paired with an appropriate Breath technique. It also doesn’t suit me.

Alas! Human hearts are truly insatiable.

Before acquiring Holy Skills, Carl thought that having just one Holy Skill to practice would suffice. After all, with the high Tier of a Holy Skill, even without a suitable Constitution and Breath technique, its power was still formidable. Now that he had obtained Holy Skills—and more than one at that—he felt a twinge of regret that they weren’t suited to his Constitution.

"Mr. Karl," Qiao’s timid voice rang out, "Could you help our family resolve our troubles? The Hill family is willing to pay any price."

"Sorry," Carl refused without hesitation. "The conflicts within the City of Death are not something an outsider like me can intervene in. Considering the reward, I can, at most, take you to a nearby safe place."

"Then..." Qiao began, "can we follow you back to Jiliu City, and from there, we’ll look for a caravan heading to the Duke Territory?"

Hmm... Carl refocused. "It’s tough to find caravans going to the Duke Territory from Jiliu City. However, there is indeed an emissary of the Duke there."

"Alright then!" Carl said. He then looked at Matthew and his sister. "Do you two share the same thoughts?"

"No," Matthew shook his head. "We plan to settle down in Jiliu City. The Duke Territory is too far, and we don’t have enough money."

Their family’s enemies didn’t have as much power and influence as the Hill family’s and wouldn’t be able to affect Jiliu City.

"A smart choice," Carl nodded. "Let’s go!"

He waved his long sleeve lightly, and the Magic Flying Carpet flew out on its own, adjusting its size and landing at everyone’s feet.

"Come on."

With his current spiritual power, Carl wouldn’t find it strenuous to pilot the Magic Flying Carpet with a few children aboard.