Chapter 201: Bloodline Node

Rod couldn't help but warn: "This group of dark elves might be warlocks who worship a Duke of Demons. I have news that they may possess a dark art granting an indestructible body."

During this period, he had encountered three seventh-rank individuals in total.

The feathered woman, Caroline, was fine; she had always followed a path of immense offensive power combined with high-strength dispelling capabilities.

If Rod hadn't possessed the 【Will of the Firmament】, an explosive skill, he might truly have been slashed to death by her sword after she dispelled his 【Dragon Scale Technique】.

As for the demon Artu and the Plague Mage Amel, these two seventh-rank beings, it would not be an exaggeration to say their survivability was terrifying.

Therefore, he had gained some experience dealing with opponents possessing strong vitality.

But ultimately, the so-called indestructible body of those dark elves, warlocks who borrow power, did not originate from themselves at all.

Rod had once seen an explanation in the knowledge section of the Snow Hill Evening Post regarding why certain warlocks who worship Dukes of Demons are difficult to kill completely:

While worshipping a Duke of Demons and borrowing their power, the warlocks have already sold their souls.

And the Dukes of Demons, in order to obtain a sturdy, durable worker or a terrestrial proxy, cast the warlocks' souls into a spring named 【Blood Life Pool】, thereby keeping their souls immortal while permanently imprisoning the warlocks.

In short, a demon warlock is either a desperate person with nowhere to turn or a fanatic believer; regardless of which, they are all madmen.

The three people present in the office naturally understood this principle.

A still-rational old tiefling, Lu Lu Xiusi, versus a band of mad dark elf warlocks; naturally, they were far less willing to face the latter.

"Fortunately,"

Humbert said with a bitter smile, "judging by their attitude during the negotiations, the dark elves seem to be searching for something and are not in a hurry to begin their mad expansion."

"One cannot place hope on the opponent's attitude, Gentleman Humbert."

Dimia reminded him.

As an official managing military power in Shi Ying Town, she always needed to prepare for the worst.

She flipped through the confession report in her hand: "Lu Lu Xiusi's confession mentioned that the Duke of Demons they serve requires them to find the so-called 【Bloodline Node】."

"Bloodline Node?"

"Perhaps it is some scheme of that Duke of Demons? Lu Lu Xiusi did not mention what this is, only knowing that this so-called Bloodline Node is a pair of tiefling siblings."

Hmm?

Rod paused, stunned.

Tiefling siblings?

He immediately recalled that Farshad had once said he had entanglements with the dark elves, and the reason lay with his two tiefling students.

So, wasn't the so-called Bloodline Node simply Cecile and Prula?

Rod silently shook his head and smiled bitterly.

Farshad, oh Farshad, running away from your wedding was one thing, but how did you get involved with such a major event the moment you appeared?

As for the matter of Cecile temporarily residing in the forest.

He didn't care much; seeing how this group of dark elves was still blindly searching in Coral Bay like idiots, it was clear they had no grasp of the tiefling siblings' location at all.

The elf Lady Kali had once mentioned that Farshad's technique for concealing star fate had become increasingly superior; this must be one of the reasons.

Returning to the forest.

Bai Yu District, Temporary Hospital.

Rod found that the tiefling Cecile had come to visit, holding a bouquet of wildflowers in her hands.

But she did not enter the ward, only looking on from outside.

She was quite concerned about the sulfur smell on her own body; she must have been afraid of disturbing the patients because of it.

Coincidentally, Rod had wanted to talk to her anyway, saving him the trouble of going to find her.

It was dusk; the woods seemed covered by a layer of soft golden gauze.

Rod and Cecile stepped slightly away from the temporary hospital.

Before they even started speaking, they found a wild fruit tree; he tasted one, found the flavor quite good, and while picking, asked directly.

"Bloodline Node?"

Cecile was holding her clothes open to catch the wild fruits Rod picked.

Hearing this, she paused, then said bitterly: "I knew I couldn't hide it from my lord Rod."

"If you are willing, you may speak."

Although he didn't care much about the matter, as a tenant of the forest, he needed to understand it to some extent.

Cecile hesitated for a moment, then said seriously: "My teacher forbade us from discussing this with outsiders, but... my lord Rod is a trustworthy person."

Rod shrugged.

Cecile continued: "There is a Duke of Demons... I cannot speak his name. He possesses a spell named 【Name Echo】. This Duke believes that a special demon bloodline is born every thousand years, and within this special bloodline lies the commonality of the many demon bloodlines; therefore, it is called the 'Bloodline Node'."

Demons in the Inferno are not all of the type with double horns on their heads and cow hooves on their feet.

There are small demons like imps, demon dogs, giants, beastmen, those with scales, those without scales, those with physical forms, and those without.

Their variety cannot compare to the intelligent races of the continent, but there are still many.

It is just that, as beings of the chaotic evil alignment, they are not keen on classification.

And the tiefling race, possessing demon bloodlines, naturally does not have only one form.

Humanoid tieflings like Cecile and her sibling, and Lu Lu Xiusi, are actually not too numerous; most tieflings undergo even more drastic changes upon awakening, which is directly related to the category of bloodline they possess.

Rod had heard of someone in Stormwind City giving birth to a tiefling who awakened as a two-headed snake.

"So what is this Duke's goal? Is he conducting some mad spell research again?"

Cecile shook her head.

"No one knows the thoughts of a ninth-rank Duke of Demons. The only thing known is that he controls the vast majority of dark elves underground; therefore, wherever dark elves appear, it can almost be assumed to be the work of this Duke."

Rod immediately recalled that Vivian had once encountered a group of dark elves in the Tree Realm.

So was that also the work of this Duke's subordinates?

The World Tree can be considered a convenient teleportation gateway for the entire continent and even across various dimensions—what are they after?

"Since he is a ninth-rank Grand Duke, how were you able to escape his pursuit?"

No matter how powerful Farshad's technique of concealing star-fate is, it couldn't possibly block a Hell Grand Duke whose faction's strength is maxed out, could it?

"My teacher has a treasure that can conceal prophecy. It was by relying on this that Prula and I were able to escape the calamity."

Bang!

Not far away, the door of the temporary hospital was flung open violently.

Revealing Kali's perfect figure.

Her very first glance fell upon Sael and Rod, not far away, picking wild fruits while chatting.

She narrowed her eyes slightly.

Then she turned and left decisively.

The half-deer person Miss Xiao Ke hurriedly chased her out from inside: "Lady Kali! You haven't fully recovered yet!"

"Don't bother with me!"

The elf left behind a single line, then vanished on the spot with a 【Spatial Shift】.

Sael said blankly, "Lady Kali, what happened?"

Rod: "You know how it is—elves are all a little odd in temperament."

Even as he said that, he still went forward to inquire about the elf's condition.

But Miss Xiao Ke only knew that Lady Kali had been like this the moment she woke up, and had not said anything else.

(End of this chapter)