Chapter Ninety-Four: The Imperial Capital Without War, Part 7

Both Chu Tian and Andor found themselves trapped in a predicament, unable to advance or retreat.

Though Andor could have escaped using the power of the Death Magic God, he neither dared nor wanted to flee. His purpose in coming here today was to capture Chu Tian alive. If he failed to seize even a Sacred Priest unable to cast magic, the dignity of the Death Magic God would be utterly shattered. Furthermore, to confront the Scarlet Flame, Andor had already revealed his magical pet—the Bone Dragon. If he failed to kill everyone and silence them today, he would face the wrath of the Tenth-Rank Dragon Emperor and tens of thousands of dragon troops. Such a price was unbearable not only for Andor but also threatened the very existence of the Reese Empire.

Chu Tian was no better off. To eliminate Andor, he had put all his resources on the line. If he could not detain Andor today, not only would he fail to report back to Ludie III, but he would also have to face the constant threat of the Death Magic God in the future.

As both men found themselves cornered, Andor struck first, still holding back his full power. Curse, magic, undead magical pets, and viruses—all combined, this was the true terror of the Death Magic God.

A faint black mist spread through the air. Chu Tian was shocked; having spent so much time with Barbosa, he had come to understand the horror of the dark virus.

"Damn it!" Chu Tian shouted. Hearing his command, the half-blood dragon NMD stretched its body and began spinning rapidly. Its graceful figure twirled faster and faster in the air, quickly forming a massive spiral airflow around Chu Tian.

"Serena!" Chu Tian grabbed his fiancée tightly, shielding her beneath NMD’s wings.

As Chu Tian ordered NMD to create an airflow to disperse the poisonous fog, Paige reacted swiftly. Wielding her long sword, she chopped off a piece of cloth, covering her mouth and nose. Through the fabric, she shouted hoarsely, "Hold your breath! Launch the attack!"

The Imperial Guards surrounding Andor copied Paige’s action, quickly covering their mouths and noses. Then, drawing short spears from their backs, Paige shouted, "Attack!"

Following her command, the guards held their spears backwards, leaned back, and swung their weapons in unison.

Seeing their flurry of activity, Andor snorted coldly, hands clasped behind his back, seemingly unafraid of the impending hail of spears.

"Hmph! Holding your breath? Does that help?"

Just as if to prove Andor’s confidence right, the guards, about to thrust their spears, suddenly collapsed one after another with the precision of soldiers wielding blades on a battlefield. "Doesn’t go through breathing..." Paige gritted her teeth, glaring at the rapidly decaying skin on her arm and the poisonous mist seeping through the wound. Before finishing her sentence, she too collapsed.

"Boss! The wind can’t blow away this poison!" NMD’s spiraling figure slowed, the virus unlike magic or battle qi. Even NMD’s half-blood dragon body was struggling to withstand it. The black mist seemed embedded in the air itself, unmoved by the wind, instead accelerating its assault on Chu Tian.

“Cough, cough!” Chu Tian coughed violently twice, obviously beginning to succumb to the poison.

He gently released Serena’s hand but slipped a crystal vial into hers. Then he said slowly, "Anna, no more attacks. NMD, you stop too..."

Staggering, Chu Tian stepped out from under NMD’s protection. "Vladino, you..." Serena looked at him in confusion, about to say something, but then collapsed from a sudden, severe headache.

"Mr. Andor, you win..." Chu Tian slowly approached Andor, removing the spatial ring from his finger and tossing it to the ground. "Spare Serena and these soldiers! I’ll go with you!"

As Chu Tian approached, Andor tightened his defenses, having already experienced Chu Tian’s cunning. But when Chu Tian discarded the spatial ring, Andor relaxed. He knew Chu Tian’s possessions were all stored inside that ring.

Without any equipment and unable to cast Dragon Language magic, Chu Tian was now just an ordinary man, easily killed by an average soldier. Moreover, Chu Tian was poisoned. Why should Andor, the Death Magic God, fear him?

"Hahaha, Prince Vladino! Welcome to the Reese Empire!" Andor laughed joyfully. With Chu Tian, not only could Andor report to Tyran, but the Reese Empire’s domination of the continent was soon to come!

"Mr. Andor, do the terms you mentioned still stand?" Chu Tian’s legs wobbled, barely able to stand, his face growing paler by the moment.

"Of course!" Andor knew that without generous rewards, even if Chu Tian reached the Reese Empire, he would not wholeheartedly serve His Majesty Tyran.

"I want you to sign a contract with me now. Do you dare?"

"I do!" Andor nodded, pulling out two blank magical scrolls from his pocket. He infused them with mana, writing down the agreed terms between him and Chu Tian.

"Mr. Andor, have you cured the poison in me yet?" Chu Tian grew weaker.

"Not yet!" Andor’s fingers moved swiftly, a faint smile on his lips. "Once the contract is sealed, I will, of course, detoxify you!" Magical contracts, a mysterious power left from the magic age over a thousand years ago, required both parties to seal the pact with blood. The content was then registered with the Continental Magic Guild Headquarters. Should either party breach the contract, the guild would immediately publicize the violation, causing all intelligent beings on the continent to scorn the offender.

"One more question, Mr. Andor. Are you authorized to sign contracts on behalf of Reese?" Chu Tian, unhappy with Andor’s refusal to detoxify him, posed another question.

"Absolutely!" Andor smiled arrogantly. "Once the contract is signed, you will know my true identity!"

"Done!" Andor showed the two contracts to Chu Tian, then bit his finger, dripping blood onto both scrolls before handing one to Chu Tian. "Your turn, Prince Vladino!"

"Cough, cough! Okay... I'll sign right away..." Chu Tian swayed as he took the contract and tried to bite his finger, but then smiled bitterly. "Mr. Andor, can you help me...?"

Andor was momentarily stunned but quickly understood Chu Tian’s meaning. The poison was too severe. Chu Tian no longer had the strength to bite his finger. Andor smiled apologetically, then traced his fingers through the air. A pale white light shot toward Chu Tian’s finger. "Sorry, Your Highness, but I believe we will cooperate well in the future..."

Soon, Andor was speechless.

"Huh?" Surprised, Andor stared at Chu Tian’s finger in disbelief. "Prince Vladino, your blood..." He was dumbfounded. A chill ran up his spine. Golden blood—what did that mean? The Dragon Emperor!

Praise the Goddess of Life! Damn it! Just as I wanted you to be stunned! Chu Tian’s eyes narrowed as he quickly flipped his hands, grabbing Andor’s shoulders.

"You’re not poisoned!?" Andor gasped, unable to believe anyone could be immune to his dark virus—not even Barbosa, who lacked magic, could do so!

Andor shouted in shock, but Chu Tian gave him no chance. He picked up the spatial ring at his feet. Then, a flash of fire appeared before Andor—the Fury of Dracula!

"Hmph! Asking for death!" Andor raged. How dare he be played for a fool? The Death Magic God humiliated? The continent’s ultimate warrior deceived? This disgrace must be washed away with blood! "Bone Spear!" A seventh-rank bone spear was enough to deal with Chu Tian!

"Praise the Goddess of Life!" Chu Tian narrowed his eyes, smiling at Andor. Meanwhile, the fiery blade of Dracula’s wrath struck Andor. "Bone spear? Ha! Show me what you’ve got!"

Blood sprayed wildly from Andor’s mouth as the blazing long blade plunged deep into his frail body—the greatest regret of all magicians.

"Impossible... my hands..."

Casting magic requires two steps: incantation and guidance. The incantation awakens the magical elements, while the mage must guide the elemental attack. Andor felt the familiar undead power gathering around him, but he could no longer guide it. His arms were immobile, all because of the two slender magical needles embedded in his shoulders.

I won the gamble... Chu Tian finally relaxed. He had been betting on Andor’s habit of using both hands to guide magic.

As the Death Magic God, every part of Andor’s body could channel magic, but he was still human with habits. Even if Andor could use his toes to guide magic, without deliberate intent, he would default to his accustomed hands.

From the very start of the battle, Chu Tian had closely watched Andor’s spellcasting. Whether summoning magical pets or casting spells, Andor used both hands—this was Chu Tian’s greatest wager.

Poison? After performing surgery on Kuyata, Chu Tian had nearly forgotten the word. The continent’s bezoar had many wondrous effects, but fundamentally, it was an antidote. Kuyata’s ninth-rank bezoar could detoxify even the most severe poisons. No one doubted this, and Chu Tian was now certain it could immunize him against Andor’s virus.

A halo of light shone above Chu Tian’s head. The title of Ancient Sacred Priest was splendid, but Chu Tian preferred to be a veterinarian—one well-versed in traditional medicine. Doctors could save lives, but if they chose to harm, who better understood the body’s structure?

As Chu Tian approached Andor, he discarded the spatial ring, clutching two surgical needles in his hand. When Andor was startled by the golden Dragon Emperor blood, Chu Tian grabbed his shoulders and plunged the magic-forged needles into the bone sutures and nerves of Andor’s shoulders.

Humiliated and enraged, Andor tried to attack Chu Tian, but using his habitual hands was now his downfall. The two fine magical needles blocked the operation of his bones and nerves.

Without guidance, how could the bone spear be unleashed? As Andor struggled to use other body parts to channel magic, Chu Tian gave him no chance. Not only did Dracula’s wrath embed itself in Andor’s body, but Chu Tian also drove another magical needle into his spine.

"Praise the Goddess of Life!" Chu Tian smiled as the Death Magic God Andor slowly collapsed paralyzed. "Mr. Andor, now it’s time for us to do business..."

[...Chapter Ninety-Four: The Imperial Capital Without War Part 7—Jiuku Literature Network—Fastest Online Updates...]