Xayah furrowed her brows slightly, feeling frustrated, but she didn’t show it. She still maintained a warm smile and said, “My lord, Xayah speaks with all sincerity.”
John merely glanced at her, his tone indifferent as he replied, “If that’s the case, then stay.”
“Thank you, my lord!” Xayah said, her face lighting up with joy as she slowly walked towards John.
A faint, elegant fragrance filled the air.
Sini cast a cold glance at her, her expression one of mild disdain. She spoke, “Tracy, let’s go check the flight paths. The night is unsettled, and there could be magical beasts appearing. We should remain vigilant.”
As she spoke, she pulled Tracy, Debbie, and Spoorate with her and left.
“Sini, why are we leaving? It’s obvious that Xayah has ill intentions toward the old man,” Tracy said with a frown, clearly displeased.
Sini answered, “We can see through this woman’s crude methods, and John certainly knows. Don’t worry, she won’t be able to do anything with us around.”
“I see.” Tracy’s eyes brightened, and a knowing smile appeared on her face. It seemed this woman had underestimated the old man.
“Tracy, why do you call him ‘old man’?” Spoorate asked, looking at her curiously.
Tracy’s face flushed slightly, and she snapped, “Mind your own business!”
Spoorate scratched her head, continuing, “No, I mean, if you call him ‘old man,’ doesn’t that make me higher in rank than you?”
Tracy paused, then realized what Spoorate meant. Her expression darkened, and she grumbled, “Little brat, daring to take advantage of me. You’re asking for a beating!”
“Ow… Tracy, I’m sorry!” Laughter and playful banter echoed in the distance.
Xayah, hearing the girls’ laughter, felt a bit of relief. For some reason, in Sini’s presence, she always felt a subtle pressure, as though the other woman could see right through her.
“My lord, with your strength, have you considered participating in the King Selection? You could definitely rank highly, or even become the Lord of an Advanced City.” Xayah approached John from behind, massaging his shoulders, as though she had truly become his attendant.
King Selection?
John listened to her words, slowly closing his eyes and looking like he was enjoying it. This Xayah had repeatedly tried to persuade him to take part in the King Selection, clearly with some hidden agenda.
He remained calm, asking with feigned curiosity, “I wonder, how does this King Selection actually work?”
Xayah’s eyes lit up, and she quickly explained, “The King Selection is a process where major advanced cities select the strongest to go to various royal city regions for an assessment. Typically, several city lords are chosen. My lord, I am well-acquainted with the higher-ups in Dragon Ascending City, so if you wish to participate, you could join Dragon Ascending City’s slot.”
She spoke, slightly raising one hand. A faint glow flickered in her palm, and there was a subtle wave of Spatial power.
Whoosh!
In an instant, a mangled and bloody Ender Worm corpse appeared in her hand.
She was startled, nearly gasping in surprise, and quickly tossed it into her Storage Ring.
“Is that so?” John spoke in a calm tone. He seemed to catch a faint smell of blood but didn’t pay it much attention, unaware that the Ender Worm corpse from his World-in-Hand had been stolen.
It seems this woman is from the higher-ups of Dragon Ascending City, but why is her power so weak?
He had figured out Xayah’s identity but remained expressionless.
After a moment of contemplation, he spoke again, “If participating in the King Selection really could lead to becoming a Lord of an Advanced City, that wouldn’t be too bad.”
Xayah noticed that he didn’t show any strong reaction, which put her at ease. Hearing his words, her eyes brightened with excitement.
“Really? My lord, are you saying yes?” she asked, her face full of joy. She became even bolder in her actions.
Buzz!
A strange stone appeared in her hand.
Enhancement stones? What are these?
Confusion filled her mind, but she casually pocketed it. She then activated her thievery skill again. Glimmers of light flashed, and random, meaningless objects appeared in her hands. Sweat beaded on her forehead. Her talent, Empty Hands, allowed her to steal anything she touched, including items from storage spaces or even from a World-in-Hand.
However, the stolen items were random, and she couldn’t control what she got.
She looked at the haphazard assortment of objects in her hands, feeling a quiet sense of panic.
What she wanted were those powerful longswords and the Black Magic Crystal.
The longer this dragged on, the more dangerous it became for her.
Another flash of light, and she found a pile of mangled flesh in her hands.
Ugh…
She nearly gagged and quickly threw it away. Seizing the moment before John could notice, she swiftly changed the subject, “My lord, both Sini and Tracy possess considerable strength. They could also participate in the King Selection.”
“Oh? Does Dragon Ascending City have so many slots?” John responded, a little surprised. The Forest City jurisdiction covered numerous cities, and he knew of at least dozens of advanced cities within its borders. He suspected that each city’s King Selection would only have around four or five slots.
Yet, Xayah seemed to want all three of them to participate.
Three slots all at once-this woman’s identity was definitely not simple.
Boom!
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed, and Xayah stumbled to the ground. In front of her, a huge longsword was embedded in the wooden planks, almost cutting the ship in half.
She had stolen The Immortals inheritance.
The enormous noise immediately caught the attention of the women at the bow of the ship.
John was also startled by the sudden appearance of the massive sword. He exclaimed in shock, “You can even steal items from my World-in-Hand!”
Only then did it dawn on him. No wonder he had sensed a faint smell of blood and an unusual energy fluctuation earlier.
Xayah’s expression changed slightly, her eyes darting around. She hadn’t expected such a large object to be hidden in John’s World-in-Hand. As she searched for a way to explain
herself, Sini stepped forward and immediately restrained her.
“Hmph, so you’re a thief, after all. You’re with those pirates, aren’t you?” Sini growled angrily, ready to strike and kill Xayah.
“Wait, I’m not with them! I was captured, too!” Xayah said, panic flashing across her face as
she hurried to explain.
She had already witnessed Sini’s methods. With her own strength, she had no chance of
resisting.
John stepped forward, blocking Sini. He swiftly pulled The Immortals inheritance back into his World-in-Hand, his brows furrowing as he coldly fixed his gaze on Xayah. “How did you
manage to do that?”
World-in-Hand was an isolated space. Without his permission, no one could enter.
Yet this Xayah had somehow managed to steal something from within.
John quickly checked the contents of World-in-Hand. Only some Ender Worm corpses and random items were missing. No valuable items had been taken.
“Answer me!” Sini growled when she saw Xayah staying silent.
“I’ll speak,” Xayah said, startled by the pressure. She swallowed nervously before continuing, “It’s my talent, Empty Hands. It allows me to steal items from any space.”
Empty Hands? Such a peculiar ability.
John studied Xayah carefully, pondering whether or not he should kill her. Perhaps he could
Plunder her Empty Hands ability.
However, he quickly dismissed the thought. While it was a fascinating auxiliary ability, it
wouldn’t significantly enhance his own power.
Moreover, even if he killed her, there was no guarantee he would plunder this talent.
Xayah seemed to sense John’s murderous intent. Her face paled in fear, and she hurriedly spoke up, “My lord, I know I was wrong. I can help you steal things!”
“Oh?” John’s interest was piqued. While this ability didn’t enhance combat strength, as an auxiliary skill, it could still be quite useful.
Sini spoke coldly, “If you want to stay with us, you must recognize John as your master.”
“Impossible!” Xayah immediately refused. She had already humbled herself enough by acting
so submissive. These people were going too far.
John glanced at her, his voice indifferent, “Sini, handle it.”
“Understood!” Sini’s eyes brightened, and with a flick of her hand, the Power of the Nine Nether formed into a rope that tightly bound Xayah.
“You… What are you going to do to me?” Xayah’s heart raced in panic.
Sini stared at her coldly and said, “I’ll give you one more chance. Acknowledge John as your
master and sign a soul contract.”
“Dream on!” Xayah’s face was full of defiance, her spirit unyielding.
Sini didn’t waste any more words. The Power of the Nine Nether transformed into a rope,
binding her legs and then throwing her upside down into the swampy water.
Gurgle…
Xayah’s upper body sank into the swamp, her body twisting and her legs kicking desperately,
but it was all in vain.
She was firmly bound by the Power of the Nine Nether rope and couldn’t break free.
Sini stood at the edge of the ship, silently watching this unfold, with not a trace of pity in her
expression.
Debbie felt a chill run down her spine.
Fortunately, she had encountered John, not this female demon.
Whoosh!
Sini felt it was time and directly lifted Xayah out of the swamp.
Cough cough… Xayah violently coughed, her eyes burning with hatred as she glared at Sini.
She cursed angrily, “You vile woman! Do you know who I am? I am the daughter of the Lord of Dragon Ascending City! My father will never let you get away with this!”
She had never experienced such humiliation before. Even the pirates, once they knew her
identity, had been polite and merely imprisoned her, planning to ransom her to Dragon Ascending City.
She hadn’t intended to reveal her identity, but these people were pushing her too far.
“The daughter of the Lord of Dragon Ascending City?” Sini raised an eyebrow in mild
surprise, but there was no fear in her expression. She loosened her grip slightly and submerged Xayah back into the swamp.
“John, this woman is the daughter of the Lord of Dragon Ascending City. Just kill her,” Sini
said, her tone cold. She had no fondness for the city lords of the Land of Exile.
John, uninterested, shrugged. “Do as you wish.”
“Ughhh…”
In the swamp, bubbles rose to the surface as Xayah heard their conversation. She struggled
with all her might.
It was then that she realized how terrifying these people were-they seemed to have no fear
or respect for Dragon Ascending City at all.
She couldn’t help but think of the recently destroyed Golden Tiger City. Could these people be
responsible for it?
“Sini, she seems like she has something to say. Should we give her another chance?” Debbie, feeling some sympathy, looked at Sini and cautiously spoke up.
“Fine, I’ll give her one more chance,” Sini replied with a nod. She was also surprised by Xayah’s methods; perhaps she could be of use to John.