Dyon sat patiently as he waited for Veles to think through his proposition. The truth of the matter was that although the idea of clearing out spies was enticing, Dyon knew that it probably wasn’t enough, which was exactly why he started with his weakest offer. What he didn’t expect was for Veles to be so close to saying yet regardless.
If you thought about it, it made sense. It was likely for a combination of two reasons.
For one, regardless of how cold hearted Veles pretended to be, he was someone who placed relationships very highly on his list of priorities. Because of that, when he saw the chance of his long time friend coming back to him, the longing within him was overriding much of his logic.
The second reason was very related to the first. How could someone who placed such emphasis on relationships stand the idea that those close to him could be betraying him? It ate away at his heart the same way Dyon’s change in personality back then had hurt him. Merchant Brinsop had used to be a good friend of Veles’. Despite him being quite weak, he had a life perspective that Veles appreciated. Plus, his wife Nina loved the goods he brought from the Moon clan. To think he was actually a spy!
Dyon, of course, had purposefully brought up Brinsop for this reason. Not only did Brinsop’s appearance prove that Dyon knew of many spies, how could Dyon not know how close his and Veles’ relationship was after questioning him? It would be a shame of Dyon hadn’t taken advantage.
However, in the end, Veles’ logic won out.
“Your offer is tempting, I won’t lie to you. But, with time, couldn’t I weed out these very spies just the same? A good portion of the reason why my conquests have been so reserved is in acknowledgement that there was a good possibility that these spies exist and I have confidence in weeding them out within the decade.
“I can’t, in good conscious, risk the lives of my clan members for short term benefits, especially when I know that the Moon clan had been searching for a reason to wipe us out all these years.”
Veles answered resolutely, bracing himself to see the disappointment on his friend’s face. However, all he saw was a still confident smile that made him feel slightly uneasy. Could it be that there was more to this proposal? He was beginning to feel like he was being toyed with.
Ever since the beginning of their fight, Dyon had seemed to have the advantage. It wasn’t until he used that pressure to break through that Veles finally reversed the tides. In truth, that had felt quite good. It was like he was finally one upping his long time rival. But, that was when Dyon suddenly pulled out his wings and completely decimated him.
Originally, Veles didn’t think too much about it. After all, he had finally stepped into the eighth stage of his Dragon Refining Arts, why would he have time to care about losing that one battle? He estimated that with just a few hours alone, as long as he consolidated his foundation, he would finally break into the celestial level of body refinement. With a few extra days, he would break into the celestial level of energy refinement. When that time came, he was sure that his rival would no longer be a match with him.
Yet, there was something about Dyon’s smile that made him feel as though he could never win. As though the man sitting before him was some insurmountable mountain peak that no mortal had ever tread on before.
Maybe if Veles had been a little less flustered, he would have realized that this was because Dyon’s Presence was still steadily growing and now had the effect of making people want to follow him. This was the characteristic of the King level.
Dyon didn’t know when, but his Presence had crossed over what should have been a massive bottleneck with ease. Even with his intelligence, how could he ever pin the reason on that petite silver-haired beauty?
This couldn’t really be blamed on Dyon. He had never experienced what it felt like to improve a Martial Art through dual cultivation. He had assumed that the reason he hadn’t felt a bump in his cultivation was because Luna’s was lower than his by a significant margin. That was the easiest conclusion to come to, was it not?
At the moment, his best guesses were that it was because of the pressure Veles gave him during their fight, or, his favorite thought was that it was connected to his wings. After all, he felt the change in his wings… It no longer felt like a manifestation, but rather, as though it was a part of his real body. To Dyon, that seemed like the most logical guess.
In the end, the fact remained that Dyon’s Presence was now a hair away from crossing over into Emperor levels, resting at Peak King. His words were no less than an irresistible magnetic attraction to those around him, men and women alike.
“How could I come here and show you such meager benefits?” Dyon said slyly. “Given our past relationship, even if I didn’t need your help, I would have told you about these pesky spies of yours.
“As for the real benefits… Have you ever thought about the kinds of treasures my father accumulated over the years? Or…” Dyon’s eyes sharpened. “The kind of powerful abyssal cores that resulted from our spiritual vein?”