Chapter 884: The Appointed King

In Banbei City, the Empire's army launched a disciplined large‑scale plunder under the pretext of exterminating evil‑god followers, sparing almost no noble or magnate.

Because of Lei En's suggestion, the Empire's army did not unleash a mass slaughter.

But for nobles and magnates who refused to surrender their wealth or even tried to resist violently, the Empire's army struck without mercy, costing them their lives. Soon, Banbei City's aristocrats realized that handing over treasure kept them alive, and the overwhelming majority obediently complied.

Lei En did not take part.

He doesn't disdain the treasure—he's short on money himself—but this time he brought only a hundred men; though they are the strongest overall, looting a city requires enough manpower, and even the Extreme Warrior Corps can't secure much.

Nevertheless, Lei En hasn't given up this lucrative opportunity.

The richest in the Gupita Kingdom isn't any noble, nor any magnate—it's the king!

Wei Kela Madiya II has ruled the kingdom for over two hundred years, amassing countless treasures; he is the wealthiest person in the Gupita Kingdom and the entire subcontinent.

Many caught on and headed straight for the ruined Shivaji Palace.

However, they were doomed to return empty‑handed.

Before the war began, Wei Kela Madiya II had secretly moved his treasure and the treasury's gold, along with his family—hundreds of descendants—so the entire Gupita royal house fled.

The matter was highly secret; almost no one knew where the assets went, and unfortunately the Thundercast Celestial Soldiers uncovered everything.

Lei En emerged from the Tower Hall.

The Extreme Warrior Corps was still resting at Baye Square; Lei En thought there was no need to take everyone, as the Corps was too conspicuous, so he kept a low profile and quietly made a fortune, summoning only ten Extreme Warriors and ten Thundercast Celestial Soldiers to open a portal.

Passing through the portal, Lei En's party appeared in a deserted valley north of Banbei City.

Immediately, a figure clad in a black magical robe materialized, pale‑faced, gaunt, gripping a straight staff.

It was Reslin.

Lei En sensed a slight emotional shift in the ten Extreme Warriors behind him; in earlier battles they had seen Reslin wield Time Stop and clash head‑on with Luo Xi's Saint Avatar, displaying unfathomable power, almost certainly having ascended to Holy Soul Wizard.

In fact, Reslin had indeed ascended.

Just last month, shortly after the unveiling ceremony of the God of Magic statue, Reslin used the Hes Magic Array to successfully create the third Nine‑ring Technique, "Spatial Barrier," triggering the seventh soul metamorphosis and instantly ascending to Grand Mage.

If Reslin hadn't become a Grand Mage, Lei En wouldn't have dared to venture into Banbei City knowing Luo Xi was targeting him.

The Grand Mage's power gave him the confidence to confront Luo Xi.

However, Reslin currently only masters three Nine‑ring Techniques—Time Stop, Time Jump, and Spatial Barrier—all utility spells; he hasn't yet mastered a Nine‑ring offensive spell, so he can't fully unleash a Grand Mage's strength.

After ascending to Grand Mage, some spell restrictions are lifted, allowing direct upgrade to Nine‑ring level.

But it requires massive energy.

In this revenge mission, several deities watched from the heavens; under their gaze, Lei En dared not absorb souls, so he shut off the charging function, gaining no charge at all, consuming only the pre‑battle reserves.

Reslin's spell upgrade can only be postponed for now.

These matters must not be disclosed to anyone, not even the most reliable Extreme Warriors, Lei En said.

"Let's begin."

Reslin nodded without a word, raised his endless storm and cast. Soon, a towering portal opened in the valley, and Lei En led his men through in single file.

On the other side of the portal lay fertile farmland; a few miles east stood a modest city, less than a tenth the size of Banbei City, called Naxik City, over four hundred li from Banbei City, unremarkable among the dozens of cities in the Gupita Kingdom.

Lei En's target wasn't Naxik City but a castle outside it.

"Take it down."

Lei En pointed to the hills ahead, where an ancient castle was largely hidden by dense forest, a mountain path winding up the slope, guarded by several Transcendents at the entrance.

The guards, spotting Lei En's sudden arrival, drew weapons and shouted warnings.

Engines roar!

The Extreme Warriors expelled jet flames from behind, their heavy power armor leapt into the air, and the Thundercast Celestial Soldiers unfurled wind‑and‑thunder wings, soaring toward the castle atop the hill.

The terrifying aura made the entrance guards turn pale with shock.

An Extreme Warrior fired while airborne; several Explosive Shells ripped them into fragments, and a legendary Transcendent hidden among them was not spared.

The massive commotion and gunfire immediately alarmed the entire castle; the previously quiet, ordinary stronghold swarmed with countless Transcendents from every corner, with over a dozen legends alone, far exceeding a baron's domain.

The Extreme Warrior hovered over the castle and was instantly struck by spell attacks.

Boom!

A barrage of scorching fireballs hit the Extreme Warrior, causing an explosion; his figure staggered back slightly, but that was all—the fireballs left no mark on his power armor.

Bang bang bang bang…

Ten Bolt Guns fired; thunder roared in the sky, and in a single breath they blasted the recently casting legendary Wizard and several casters into fragments.

Bullets pierced the castle's stone walls, killing the Transcendents below.

The Thundercast Celestial Soldiers also hurled clusters of Electric Blast Orbs, bombarding the foes; dazzling lightning burst throughout the castle, slaying nearby enemies.

The castle's guards collapsed in an instant.

A towering figure leapt from the castle, lightning‑fast; the Extreme Warrior switched to fire, but the Explosive Shell bounced off the opponent's body, and in an instant the figure vaulted forward, brandishing a flame sword beam over ten meters long.

Its aura was wildly ferocious, like a volcanic eruption.

It was a Saint Rank strongman, a Flame Magic Swordsman who had ascended to Sword Saint!

The terrifying flame sword beam streaked across the sky like a burning cloud, about to engulf the two Extreme Warriors; the Sword Saint who wielded it seemed to glimpse the enemies' shattered fate, and suddenly his mind stalled.

The world fell silent.

Six seconds later, everything returned to normal.

The two Extreme Warriors saw the powerful foe vanish; the original body appeared in its place, one hand gripping a fiery soul greatsword, the other wielding a long sword with a crimson blade—this was the flame sword saint's weapon; the long sword changed hands, and the Sword Saint's fate was evident.

"Press the attack."

Lei En stored the long sword into the Nebula Ring, ordered the Extreme Warriors, and gunfire and thunder roared again.

In less than half a minute, no Transcendents emerged from the castle; resistance vanished. The Extreme Warriors and Thundercast Celestial Soldiers landed, stormed inside, and gunfire quickly rang, mingled with wails and surrender cries.

"Boss, the castle is under control," Xika Liusi reported via the original‑body symbiosis.

Lei En made a mental leap into the castle.

He appeared at the doorway of a spacious hall; the once luxurious decorations were mostly destroyed, the floor was pitted, countless fragments of corpses lay scattered, the air reeked with the smell of evaporated blood, like a hell on earth.

Lei En stepped onto the blood‑stained floor and went in, seeing a crowd of men, women, and children driven into the hall by Extreme Warriors; they wore noble robes, their bodies well‑kept and jewelry shining, all showing their aristocratic status.

But at this moment, their faces were pale, each trembling.

Although some in the crowd were super‑humans, after witnessing the terrifying power of the Extreme Warriors, none dared show even a hint of resistance.

They heard Lei En's footsteps, turned toward the hall entrance, and their gazes froze.

"Flame Soul Great Sword!"

"How could His Majesty's Flame Soul Great Sword be in his hand?"

"Heaven…"

Cries rose from the captive crowd, faces showing terror and despair; some could not help but wail, their bodies collapsing to the ground.

"Heaven‑Chosen King, Flame Soul Great Sword" is the national treasure of the Gupita Kingdom, held by successive monarchs; for the past two hundred years, Vikramatia II was the sword's sole master. Now the sword is in a stranger's hand, meaning the king is dead!

Most of these people are members of the Gupita royal family, relatives of Vikramatia II.

They have learned of the battle outcome at Banbei City: the Empire Legion breached Banbei City, but they do not know Vikramatia II's whereabouts. Rumors say he has been killed, yet they have not seen a corpse and still cling to a sliver of hope; perhaps the king escaped.

Seeing the Flame Soul Great Sword, their last hope was completely shattered.

"I am Ryan Augustus."

Lei En gave a brief self‑introduction, brandishing the Flame Soul Great Sword before the members of the Gupita royal family, "Vikramatia II, that tyrant who pledged to the evil god, is already dead in my hand. Who among you will avenge him?"

His voice was low, his eyes gentle.

Yet, to the ears of the Gupita royals, his words sounded like thunder; all bowed their heads, daring not meet Lei En's gaze; someone clamped a hand over a crying child's mouth to keep the sound down.

This man is terrifying!

Even the king himself fell by his hand, and the surrounding super‑human warriors—twenty of them slaughtered hundreds of super‑human guards in the castle; the Flame Blade Sword Saint, who had served the royal family for centuries and was the king's most trusted, rushed out and was killed in an instant.

The lives of everyone present were in this man's hands; with one sentence, the Gupita royal family would be extinct today.

Lei En suddenly smiled.

"Rest assured, I will not kill surrendered captives, even if you are Vikramatia II's family." Lei En's words left the Gupita royals half‑believing, but before they could rejoice, Lei En added, "Provided you hand over the royal treasure and the treasury gold."

A stir broke out in the crowd; many looked bewildered, as if they knew nothing of any treasure.

Yet a few eyes widened in shock.

"Sir, we know nothing of any treasure." A middle‑aged man spoke cautiously; his appearance resembled Vikramatia II's, he wore enchanted armor, and was himself a legendary greatsword master, not weak in strength.

Thundercast Celestial Soldier had gathered information on the Gupita royal family; this man is Vikramatia II's son, shrewd and capable, often favored by his father.

"Lie."

Bang!

As soon as Lei En finished speaking, an Extreme Warrior beside him fired an armor‑piercing round, blasting the prince's head open; blood and brain matter splattered, leaving a headless corpse.

The crowd froze, letting out a shriek.

Among these captives were several sons, grandsons, and younger outstanding descendants of Vikramatia II, mostly super‑humans, whom Vikramatia II had placed great hopes upon.

They watched helplessly as their brothers and elders were shot, each becoming mute as a cold frog, daring not utter a sound.

Lei En's All‑Seeing Eye saw it all clearly.

Their emotional hue was deep red like blood, their hatred toward themselves reached its peak.

If they had power and chance, they would kill themselves without hesitation to avenge the king and family, but now they could only endure.

However, Lei En did not care.

"Chairman Lei En." A figure emerged from the crowd, knelt at Lei En's feet, and loudly proclaimed, "I know where the royal treasure lies."

Lei En had not responded when several in the royal family shouted angrily.

"Budiha!"

"You traitor, shut up!"

Lei En's gaze swept over them; the few instantly felt as if snow water was poured over their exposed skulls, their bodies chilled, unable to utter a word.

He looked down at the kneeling man, a man in his thirties, slightly stout, wearing a magical robe; All‑Seeing Eye showed the opponent to be a legendary Iron Guard, only level ten, his Element also plain, his current emotion uneasy yet highly active.

"Do you know me?" Lei En asked.

"Yes, esteemed Chairman Lei En." The man forced a flattery, "I have admired your name for long; today I finally see you in person, more powerful and noble than the rumors. My castle is honored to welcome a figure like you."

Lei En brushed his chin, having heard such flattery too often lately.

"Your castle? Are you Viscount Maharat?"

Thundercast Celestial Soldier traced that Vikramatia II had moved the treasure to this castle, but had not yet investigated the owner; it only knew the area belonged to Viscount Maharat, a lord of the western city outskirts.

"Yes, sir." Budiha crawled on the ground.

He rattled off like a bamboo‑tube—"Sir, the royal treasure and treasury gold lie beneath my castle; the king built a secret vault long ago, I know the entrance and the magical gate's password, and can lead you there at once."

Lei En gave no immediate reply.

In fact, the All‑Seeing Eye had already found the treasure, he only wanted to interrogate these people.

He examined Budiha, a thoughtful expression on his face.

Cold sweat dripped from Budiha's forehead; just as he thought he had misspoken, Lei En asked, "Viscount Maharat, does your family have royal blood?"

"Huh?" Budiha was stunned, then answered honestly, "Sir, my great‑great‑grandfather was the king's uncle."

"Very good!"

Lei En announced in a casual tone, "Budiha, you are the new king of Gupita."

(Author's note) Today I wanted to write chapter two, but looking at the time I'll sleep early to adjust my schedule, at least I can guarantee a chapter a day.

(End of chapter)