Chapter 371-Culprit
The four spirit beasts maintained constant contact with him, reachable through the necklace.
They informed him that by acquiring the energies of all four beasts, he could recreate the Celestial Key, enabling entry into sealed worlds without restrictions.
The Celestial Key was the reason a clandestine figure lurked in the shadows, waiting for the four women to attain True Saint status and create the key, opening the Ashura World.
Although this was Dave’s hypothesis, he believed it held about 80% accuracy.
During his dual cultivation with the four women, he absorbed their physique energies without compromising their cores or taking their physical attributes.
Although he had the option to absorb their physiques, it would harm them, and as it was unimportant to him, he obtained the energies of the four spirit beasts to create the Celestial Key.
He could now harness the power of the four spirit beasts and summon their incarnations, as long as he had mana.
Dave waited, but the person failed to appear.
Despite his vigilance and continued patience, Dave’s tolerance waned.
“So you don’t want to show up, huh? You’ve left me no choice.”
Dave unsheathed his sword, “The Extinguisher,” radiating a palpable aura of killing intent.
Previously thrown by Dave, the sword hungered for blood.
Having absorbed the life force of many in the Dark Valley, it grew more potent.
Infusing his sword with space and time law, Dave cleaved the formation below him.
Time seemed to halt, and space twisted chaotically.
An explosion rocked the area, alerting those within the domain.
Boom!
The forest bore a massive slash, marking where his attack had struck.
The colossal formation lay in ruins, decimated by his might.
Sensing movement, Dave lunged forward to intercept the fleeing figure.
“Finally”
The person, masked like a fox, wielded a red sword, a deep comprehension of its use evident.
Dave confronted him and stopped him from leaving.
“Did you enjoy watching us?”
Masked man’s eyes, purple with black strands, locked onto Dave.
“Dave Alexander, your death draws near. Someone will claim your life, and even this clan won’t deter them.”
Dave’s playful smile followed. “Are you angry?”
Perplexed by the question, the man sneered, admitting to his frustration over their meticulous plans being thwarted by Dave’s actions.
“Of course,”
The destruction of the formation disrupted their millennium-long designs.
Dave’s smile persisted. “I hope you’ll forgive me.”
With a bow, Dave extended his Token of Forgiveness.
The man, taken aback, found Dave strangely amiable and decided to forgive him.
He nodded and lay down his vigilance.
Dave’s gleeful grin matched the glimmer of his forgiveness token, a powerful item usable once a day.
Approaching the man, Dave draped an arm over his shoulders.
“Since you’ve pardoned me, care to share your identity and your scheme?”
The man’s face transformed as he removed his mask, revealing an elderly man with crimson hair.
A sense of familiarity washed over Dave.
“Ah, one of the sword saints, right?”
Dave delved into an investigation of all the sword saints, scanning their appearances throughout the domain.
To his surprise, he discovered that one of them was an enemy and definitely working from the other force.
The man seemed ready to introduce himself, but Dave found the situation troublesome.
Fearing he might miss something crucial, Dave raised his hands to his head and invoked his sin of sloth, plunging the man into a deep slumber.
The man was caught off guard, unable to resist Dave’s overpowering influence.
Dave employed his token to ensure the man couldn’t escape his grasp, using the tactic to lull him into complacency.
<Soul Reading>
Silently, Dave probed the old man’s memories, uncovering hidden information.
He sensed the potential chaos his actions could incite, yet his concern was minimal, as he intuited that the matriarch herself will investigate this place personally.
………
After 3 minutes, he had gleaned everything about their plans.
He didn’t delve into the old man’s entire life due to his extensive age and experiences, which would have taken too much time.
However, he did focus on the old man’s sword comprehension, discovering valuable insights that could potentially lead to a breakthrough in his own “Sword of Calmness” technique through further practice.
He deserves his title as a Sword Saint.
Additionally, he absorbed all pertinent information, even experiencing the sense of terror instilled by the mastermind behind the old man, despite merely observing his memories.
Having comprehended the situation, Dave proceeded to apply a slave mark to the old man and transported him into his domain.
He intended to address the situation later once he had devised an explanation to present to his grandmother.
A minute after he put the old man inside his domain.
In an instant, Matilda appeared in front of Dave, taken aback by the scene before her. It had been several days since she had last seen him.
“Are you the one who did this?”
Matilda inquired, her gaze fixed upon the lengthy sword mark etched into the ground.
The mark had caused significant damage to the forest, yet no injuries had been incurred due to the area’s remoteness and the presence of menacing beasts that discouraged people from venturing there.
Dave scratched his head and responded, “Well, I was practicing my sword technique and unexpectedly gained enlightenment, which led to accidentally destroying the forest.”
Matilda, anticipating such an explanation, displayed a mixture of preparedness and shock.
The remnants of the sword’s energy still lingered in the surroundings, despite the attack’s dissipation.
The sensation of terror associated with the sword strike was palpable to her even as a True Saint.
Nonetheless, Matilda smiled, looking at Dave with pride shining in her eyes.
She assured him, “Since it was an accident, you don’t need to worry. Even if you were to destroy the entire area, your grandmother wouldn’t blame you.”
Her smile conveyed her lack of concern about the destruction caused by Dave.
She even indicated that she wouldn’t mind if he were responsible for the demise of elders, as long as his actions made him content.
Dave’s smile transformed into an expression of sudden inspiration.
He proposed to Matilda that the area could be designated as a sacred ground for sword practice, considering the lingering essence of his sword intent within the forest.
This essence contained the supreme laws of time and space.
Matilda was taken aback by this proposition, realizing the magnitude of Dave’s potential.
She felt that even she and Lucien couldn’t compare to his accomplishments at their age.
With a resigned sigh, she acknowledged, “The younger generation is destined to surpass us, the older generation.”
However, Dave swiftly coaxed her, reminding her of her youthful appearance and beauty, suggesting that such worries were unnecessary.
Her delight at being praised for her beauty was evident; being complimented in this manner was a source of pride for any woman.
Agreeing to Dave’s proposal, Matilda decided that the place should be named “Dave’s Mountain” to honor his sword legacy.
She was confident that Dave’s sword comprehension had likely reached the level of a sword saint, and she briefly considered giving him that title.
However, Dave humbly declined, stating that he didn’t need such a designation.
Though she respected his decision, Matilda believed that anyone who visited the area would naturally consider Dave to be a sword saint.
Despite his enigmatic nature and concealed strength, she sensed no ill intentions from him.
His genuineness and the respect he demonstrated towards her were evident in their interactions.
Matilda was adept at gauging people’s characters, and she recognized that her grandson held genuine respect for her and treated her like family.