Chapter 2171: Chance Encounter

Holy Court, inner hall.

Su Xiao and the Old Duke sat before the council table. After deducing that the leader of the Pantheon was Lirin, the Old Duke remained silent.

Lirin's goal was now obvious: to eliminate the remaining four dukes and the Holy Descendant King, thereby seizing control of the Sera Empire.

This near-brutal method of seizing power had many drawbacks, but Lirin could no longer wait. The front lines were strained, and the sea between the two continents was completely occupied by the Northern Alliance.

Just half a month ago, the main battlefield had pushed to the borders of the Sera Empire. The Northern Alliance's frontline troops were already stationed at the Sera border, ready to launch a full-scale invasion at any moment.

The total military strength of the Sera Empire was over 2.3 million, most of which were land-based units; their naval forces had been nearly wiped out.

As for the Northern Alliance, although their total strength was only around 1.2 million, these soldiers, raised in the extreme cold, were exceptionally skilled in combat. The climate there was so harsh that without a strong physique, survival itself was a challenge.

Because of this, the inhabitants of the extreme cold were born warriors—men, women, young, and old alike. From childhood, they had to fight polar creatures and survive by eating their meat.

The Northern Alliance had a tradition: after a newborn was born, it had to survive alone in a cold wooden hut for a day—that is, freeze for a day. Only then could it drink breast milk. This was not because the inhabitants of the extreme cold were cruel or insane; infants who were naturally weak could not survive a month in the extreme cold. Only by being strong could they live. Resources were limited, and reproduction was the only hope.

In the "warmest" season of the extreme cold, the temperature was around -26°, and at its coldest, it reached -79°. Everything was frozen solid, even fire could not provide warmth, and the snow on the ground reached over 1.3 meters.

In contrast, the Sera Empire also had winters with snow-filled skies, but the minimum temperature was only around -30°. More importantly, as long as one endured the two-month cold winter, spring would return, the earth would recover, and various crops could be planted.

The polar people fought for survival, and the Holy Descendants were no different. Once the Sera Empire perished, the Holy Descendants, who needed human blood to replenish their vitality, would be like rats crossing the street.

Lirin wanted to assassinate the Old Duke because the Old Duke was the most dangerous. After all, this old fellow was a first-generation Holy Descendant, one of the first batch of God-Eaters cursed by the God of Death, Lei Sita.

As for assassinating the Angry Lion Duke, it was because of his inaction. He held the majority of the empire's army, but even with the Northern Alliance at the border, the Angry Lion Duke had not personally visited the front lines to boost the soldiers' morale. Instead, he was eating, drinking, and having fun at a winery outside the capital, Yalansi City.

The Angry Lion's death was not unjust at all. Lirin killing him was a very wise decision; an incompetent ruler was simply too fatal during wartime.

As for killing the White Dragon Duke, it was because Lirin couldn't quite figure out this shut-in duke. The other party seemed obsessed with women, yet after so many years, the position of duke remained firmly held, with no intention of passing it on.

Lirin was furious. It didn't matter that the White Dragon Duke was inactive, but he hadn't even sought a successor for the dukedom. Was he planning to enjoy himself forever? To stay comfortable forever?

Facts proved that comfort was reserved for the dead. The White Dragon Duke was cold, now lying in a coffin. Judging by his appearance, he looked peaceful, except for half his head being chopped off, with the stitching marks looking slightly rough.

"The Iron Feather King cannot hold on much longer."

Su Xiao broke the silence.

"I know."

The Old Duke sighed. He knew his good days were coming to an end.

"At the very least, he can hold on for a few months..."

"It's a few days."

"What?!"

The Old Duke's hand paused, and the two small skulls in his hand slipped, falling onto the council table with a *clatter*, one of the skulls cracking.

"A few... days?"

For the first time, the Old Duke was this unsettled. The current situation was no longer as simple as his good days coming to an end.

Su Xiao stood up and walked out of the inner hall. He glanced at the pure gold lamps on both sides of the short corridor. Prosperity leads to decline; a towering giant tree with completely rotted roots could not be saved by the efforts of just one or two people.

Walking out of the main gate of the Holy Court, Su Xiao took off the duke's medal from his chest. This thing was no longer that important.

Walking on the street, Su Xiao pondered how to change his subsequent plans. He truly hadn't expected Sera to be unable to hold on. Once the Northern Alliance attacked, Sera would cease to exist. A new kingdom or empire would be built upon the corpses of the Sera Empire, gradually flourishing.

However, this had little to do with Su Xiao. He only needed to accomplish two things now: first, eliminate Lirin; second, destroy the Holy Descendant King, Ye Geer.

Regarding eliminating Lirin, Su Xiao planned to do it today. He had already arranged the specific details.

As for the Holy Descendant King, Ye Geer, Su Xiao had once thought this Holy Descendant King was hiding his true strength. Now it seemed that the guy was simply inactive. His sleeping during the imperial meeting previously was not a disguise.

Ye Geer was chosen as king simply because of his family's heritage, and with the inaction of the four dukes, Lirin had no way to depose the Holy Descendant King.

There were three benefits to killing the Holy Descendant King: 1. Obtain the Soul-Severing Shadow Stone; 2. Complete the fourth ring of the side quest; 3. Rule out whether he possessed a Space-Time Hub device.

Su Xiao began to stroll down the street, preparing to find a place to wait, but a figure caught his eye at this moment.

This was an old man in loose gray clothing, his white hair withered. Because he was so old, his face was covered in age spots. Under his wide-open clothes, his body was gaunt, and each rib was clearly visible.

It was the Iron Feather King. He was sitting in a small tavern by the street, holding a ceramic cup with a pointed bottom, filled with strong liquor.

This pointed-bottom ceramic cup was something soldiers on the battlefield had devised; one had to drink the liquor in the cup in one gulp, leaving not a drop, otherwise, it would spill out once set down. It was just like on the battlefield: charging forward without hesitation, never relaxing for a moment.

Su Xiao stopped and turned to enter this small tavern with a "Niquan style." Niquan was a small country near Sera, the Iron Feather King's hometown.

Su Xiao sat opposite the Iron Feather King. He could judge without fighting that he would definitely win; the Iron Feather King was simply too old, like a candle in the wind.

The Iron Feather King said nothing, only drinking the strong liquor in the cup in one gulp.

"Ha~ As expected, this is how liquor should be drunk."

The Iron Feather King exhaled a faint alcoholic breath, turned the cup upside down on the table, and smiled. It wasn't a heroic smile, but it was satisfying.

He picked up a piece of dried meat and chewed it carefully in his mouth, as if it were a delicacy. He had gotten used to eating this way on the battlefield.

The Iron Feather King didn't have to die. The Holy Descendants would try every method to keep him alive, even sacrificing many Holy Descendants to turn the Iron Feather King into an immortal Holy Descendant.

The Iron Feather King refused. It was true he was protecting Sera, but he didn't need the power of demons and monsters. Or rather, this was also the reason for his strength. He was the purest form of strength, a Spear Art Grandmaster who had killed his way out on the battlefield.

Death was just death. As a human, the Iron Feather King was willing to accept dying in a human way, because this was his life, without any regrets. Since he was called a King, then he would die in the empire he protected, protecting it until... the very last moment of his life. ===== CHAPTER 2172 =====