Chapter 982: Rakshasa Royal Clan

The Rakshasa Royal Clan suffered two consecutive defeats; even the sluggish Yujue Tianwang realized that this human Tianjiang named Taiyi was far from as simple as he appeared.

The opponent hadn’t merely concealed his strength—he was also a prodigy of extraordinary talent; if they continued sending Rakshasa warriors of comparable power, their fate would be the same as Chi Feng and Chi Tongling.

Thus, Yujue Tianwang’s gaze swept over the many Rakshasa warriors behind him; though several Tianjiang among them were promising, they were already on the third match, and if they didn’t win now, they’d lose all face—besides, every loss forced him to pay a massive price to the Shenwei Tianwang.

The Rakshasa clan couldn’t afford to lose, and neither could he.

Then, Yujue Tianwang turned his gaze to a noble Rakshasa Tianjiang beside him.

“Prince Sanye, this matter must be handled by you personally.”

This Rakshasa Tianjiang named Sanye was unlike others—he was of the Rakshasa royal bloodline, his father a Rakshasa Emperor; though the Emperor had many offspring and Sanye was unremarkable among them, his royal bloodline granted him unparalleled, terrifying power.

His appearance on the interstellar vessel was purely coincidental.

Moreover, Sanye was no pampered noble; he often traveled alone across the Heavenly Realm on interstellar vessels, honing himself, all to become a Tianwang as soon as possible.

Only as a Tianwang could he inherit a portion of the Rakshasa Emperor’s territories, resources, and wealth.

Yujue Tianwang had once assessed him: barring unforeseen circumstances, Sanye would break through to Tianwang within a hundred years—a Rakshasa royal of limitless potential.

“Yujue Tianwang, your subordinates are mostly old generals; though each is experienced and battle-hardened, they lack sharpness and have exhausted their potential. Sending them against a human prodigy? You overestimate them,” Sanye said with a smile. “If they could defeat someone like a prodigy, they wouldn’t have been stuck at Tianjiang for so long—they’d have broken through long ago.”

“Are you a Tianwang and still don’t understand this?”

Yujue Tianwang’s gaze flickered—he understood Sanye’s meaning perfectly. The Tianwang realm was a barrier in the Heavenly Realm, trapping countless cultivators for their entire lives.

Just as in one sea of the Gui Xu, there was only one king, and all others were soldiers and generals.

Those who became Tianwang were always one in ten thousand.

He himself had once been a fiery young prodigy of the Rakshasa clan, suppressing countless veteran Tianjiang, and only through a stroke of fortune had he broken through to Tianwang.

Whether Chi Feng or Chi Tongling, neither was truly brilliant; their strength came from years of grinding, but some things could never be accumulated through time.

“If that Taiyi isn’t eliminated today, he’ll grow into a dire threat to our Rakshasa clan. Prince Sanye, I know full well his extraordinary nature—but I made a pact with the Shenwei Tianwang, so I could only rely on my veteran generals. If Prince Sanye is willing to kill this man, I’ll give you my Tianwang weapon as a reward.”

Yujue Tianwang spoke again, knowing full well that to get Sanye to act, he needed to offer something valuable.

He was currently investigating the disappearance of the Chili Tianwang and Manluo Princess; if he failed to deliver a satisfactory result, returning to his post as Tianwang would be impossible.

“Your words are too modest, Your Highness. We are of the same clan, and now that outsiders are acting violently, I naturally must act.” Sanye rose with a smile. “I’ll take the third match. I hope this Taiyi truly is as strong as he appears—otherwise, I’ll be disappointed.”

He agreed to act; the two reached an agreement.

At that moment, Ji Du, one of the former vessel-guard captains who had left earlier, returned to claim the stakes from the second battle’s victory.

This time, Yujue Tianwang handed them over without hesitation—he had already lost so badly, he no longer cared.

In the next match, he would win it all back in one stroke.

After collecting the treasures, Ji Du merely laughed and returned to report.

Yet the Shenwei Tianwang, who had won two matches and made a fortune, showed no joy. He said: “As I suspected, Yujue Tianwang is about to send a Rakshasa royal bloodline warrior.”

“So this third match is the key—if Taiyi wins, the Rakshasa clan will have no one left to send. Then they’ll either pay up—or get off the vessel. Paying means giving away free money; getting off means all their efforts are wasted.”

“I hope this Taiyi can withstand this final wave of pressure—and doesn’t die inside the Death-Realm.”

With that, he waved his hand, and a jade vial flew out, landing in the hands of the Dragon Maiden Yushang nearby.

“This is Taiyi’s prize from the second match. Take it,” said Shenwei. Like other Celestial Clan members, he kept his word—his spoken promises were golden decrees.

Breaking a promise meant degrading the Celestial Clan’s own status.

Dragon Maiden Yushang accepted the jade vial; adding this to the previous one, Li Yi had now earned four jin of Nine Heavens Celestial Water—a fortune for a Tianjiang.

At this moment,

Inside the Death-Realm, after winning the second battle, the realm opened another small gate; divine light poured down with boundless spiritual energy, healing his wounds and replenishing his magic power.

Though the second match had consumed some energy, it meant little to Li Yi.

But he remembered Shenwei’s words: the third match would be the hardest. After two consecutive losses, the Rakshasa clan would be desperate—they’d send their strongest Tianjiang yet to guarantee victory.

Li Yi sat calmly atop a white auspicious cloud, receiving the divine light’s purification, restoring his magic power while secretly preparing himself.

He understood that once he entered the Death-Realm, he wouldn’t leave easily; the first two battles were merely warm-ups—the real trials lay ahead. So from the start, Li Yi had held back part of his strength.

“No need to conceal anything in the third match. Use the Five-Colored Divine Light combined with True Dragon’s Struggle Against Heaven—kill the opponent swiftly, and make the Rakshasa clan realize they can’t win.”

Li Yi was now fully prepared.

If he didn’t show his value now, how could the Shenwei Tianwang protect him? Though the Shenwei Tianwang acted for profit, Li Yi didn’t care—as long as he could get through this crisis. Once he found a chance to leave, the vast Heavenly Realm was his to roam.

Soon,

The great gate of the Death-Realm opened again.

A figure swiftly flew toward him; his aura was extraordinary. Though his face resembled a demon’s, he carried innate nobility, and his Rakshasa energy was terrifyingly dense.

Moreover, the twin horns on his forehead glowed gold-red—unlike any Rakshasa Li Yi had seen before.

“A Rakshasa royal?” Li Yi guessed his identity.

Such uniqueness could only mean he was the Rakshasa royal the Shenwei Tianwang had mentioned.

“Human Taiyi, you’ve done well—slaying two of our veteran generals. But your luck ends here. Dying at the hands of the Rakshasa Royal Clan is your honor,” Sanye appeared, sneering.

“All talk, yet you’ll still die,” Li Yi glanced at him. “Royal blood or not—prove you can win before you boast. If you lose, you’re just mud and roadside filth.”

“Hah! Your tongue is sharp. Doesn’t matter—I’m not angry. The thought of twisting off your head fills me with indescribable excitement,” Sanye laughed.

He didn’t despise this human; on the contrary, he felt only the thrill of battling a worthy foe.

The Rakshasa clan was born bloodthirsty and warlike—he, as royal blood, was no exception.

Ordinary opponents bored him; only prodigies of brilliance were worth his personal attention.

“Stop laughing. Your fangs are showing—do you want everyone to know you bite?” Li Yi said calmly.

At this, Sanye’s smile vanished. “Interesting. In all my travels across the Heavenly Realm, I’ve never met a human who insults so well. But don’t bother with this lowly trick—anger won’t work on me.”

“Anger you? Don’t misunderstand—I never intended to anger you. I simply wanted to insult you. After all, you’re about to die, and then I won’t be able to insult you anymore,” Li Yi said.

“Since you like talking so much, say a few more words—consider it your last testament,” Sanye said calmly. His entire body erupted in crimson light, as if clad in a blood-red armor.

This was his Rakshasa energy; as royal blood, his energy was several times stronger than an ordinary Rakshasa’s—just this power alone could let him easily crush any Tianjiang of the same realm.

Rakshasa energy was merely their bloodline power. Beyond that, his magic power was terrifyingly vast, and with his Primordial Spirit’s strength added, his total power reached an astonishing level.

“Indeed, extraordinary.”

Li Yi sensed the unusual power within him. His expression turned grave, but this time, he too would hold nothing back. Let fate decide who would prevail.

The brief standoff between the two stirred discussion across the vessel.

“It’s the Rakshasa royal! I knew it—given the Rakshasa clan’s nature, after two losses, they’d panic. They’d have to win this third match against the human Taiyi at all costs.”

“I recognize that Rakshasa royal—Sanye. He frequently travels the Heavenly Realm, challenging warriors of all clans. Rumor says he has the potential to break through to Tianwang.”

“I don’t care who wins—I just want to bet big. I’m betting on the Rakshasa royal. Taiyi has revealed his Purple Thunder bloodline—likely spent his reserves. He’ll die horribly in this third match.”

“Not necessarily. This human Taiyi’s strength is unfathomable. Anyone who enters the Death-Realm must have some hidden advantage.”

Some believed Li Yi would lose; others thought he still had hidden strength.

Yet many powerful cultivators aboard the vessel were intensely interested in the outcome of the third match—this was a rare clash between a Rakshasa royal and a human prodigy.

“If this Taiyi wins this match, he qualifies to enter the Thunder Department,” thought a Thunder Department Tianjiang.

If he won, he’d approach him.

Would the vessel guard or the Rakshasa clan dare refuse the Thunder Department’s face?

(End of Chapter)