Damned Healer-Chapter 613: Forbidden

It was late afternoon when, in the middle of a mountain range, a massive teleportation inscription pulsed.

It was a circle hundreds of meters wide, covered in extremely high-level spatial runes. This was the transportation method used between the central islands of the universe, built long ago to be safe and accessible to everyone from the three main islands. Of course, the cost was quite high, but it was worth it.

When the light faded, a group of nearly a hundred people appeared. Darian, Niara, Ailik, and the young Heaven-Devouring Sparrow named Ramel showed up among them.

Ramel was using metamorphosis, and his Bloodline power was almost completely suppressed. There were countless Divine Beast races with fluctuations similar to a Heaven-Devouring Sparrow, so no one even suspected his true identity.

This young one also had a large amount of accumulated resources. The currency used on these islands was points accumulated by the inhabitants, not something physical. So Ramel paid for the trip for Darian and the two of them.

The group moved forward. Not long after, Ailik’s eyes widened, stunned by what she saw. Ahead of them stood a colossal city that stretched all the way into the clouds.

Ramel was also watching the city with admiration. Even though he had lived there for a long time and seen it many times, he was always impressed whenever he saw it.

They were descending a large slope, allowing them to see the City of the Heaven Seal from afar and from above.

That city was unimaginably vast, and what they could see with the naked eye was only the tip of the iceberg. Even from kilometers away, they couldn’t see it in its entirety.

Nearby, multiple groups of beings were arriving and departing in rapid succession. There were about a dozen teleportation points spread across the island, making the city lively and dynamic, with constant movement.

Most of these newcomers were like Ailik, staring at the city in awe. The City of the Heaven Seal left them completely dumbfounded.

The ground of the entire city was covered in interconnected runic markings. Darian recognized it immediately: it was an enormous spatial seal.

Darian activated his senses, and his eyes changed instantly.

Beneath the city lay what was being sealed.

It was a colossal skeletal head, partially submerged in the ground, with half buried and the other half protruding into the city. Its scale was so absurd that its full form remained hidden, and the city’s two gigantic gates were, in fact, its eye sockets.

Ailik noticed Darian’s gaze and focused in the same direction. Then she almost jumped in shock. That sight was truly disturbing to anyone who didn’t know about it.

"Is it... is it still alive?!" she stammered.

Ramel nodded. "Of course. That’s an ancient Nether Beast that reached the Divine Venerate Realm. After devouring and absorbing countless lives, it fused all that vitality into its body and soul, becoming practically immortal. A terrifying war was fought to try to kill it, but it was impossible. So the Heaven Seal trapped it and has been suppressing it for millions of years; even so, about half of its power still remains. Fortunately, the Sacred Treasure is extremely terrifying, and this enemy will remain sealed until its energy is exhausted and it dies."

Ramel had already explained all of this to Darian. In the center of the universe, the Nether Beasts were the mortal enemies of all races. They lived scattered and hidden across the thousands of islands near the three great islands, making them impossible to completely eradicate.

In the past, there had been a Nether Beast that reached the Divine Venerate Realm, the same level of power as the Nether Tree.

All the major powers joined forces in a terrifying battle. In the end, they were forced to use the power of the city’s Sacred Treasure to seal it. Even so, that figure was absolutely horrifying, and even reduced to just a head, its essence still persisted. If given the chance, it could fully revive.

As for the Heaven Seal, it was a unique Sacred Treasure among the four, as it managed to develop consciousness and a soul.

That wasn’t so shocking. Darian knew, from that book, that in high-level universes where cultivators existed, weapons created by talented Forgers could reach such a high level that they were considered living bodies by the laws of the universe. As such, they could gain a soul.

That treasure was the only one of the four known to have such a trait. However, it was born long after the death of the Roc.

After sealing that entity, the Sacred Treasure and the city’s commanders remained constantly vigilant, since that Nether Beast had not yet been completely eradicated.

Darian stared at the eye sockets, feeling, through that figure’s karma, an immense bloodlust and a terrifying desire for revenge. It was truly alive, and its soul was being suppressed within the skeleton.

"This place is obviously forbidden to Nether Beasts. Anyone with any connection to them or even a trace of their Bloodline running through their veins will be annihilated by the Heaven Seal the moment they get too close to the city," Ramel added.

They approached the city. There was a massive crowd around, and it was hard to stay in one place. They were forced to follow the flow of the mass and gradually made their way toward the gates.

There were two gates. One allowed both entry and exit, while the other was exclusive to those newly arriving in the city, and there were many of them. The line there was absurdly long.

Ramel could have entered directly through the other gate, but he stayed with Darian and his group. He would be their guide in the city and help as much as possible. His revenge wasn’t aimed solely at the Primordial Empire; he suspected that powerful people from this city had also helped destroy his clan.

The moment they stopped in line, gazes around them immediately focused on the four... more specifically on Niara and Ailik.

Ailik was clearly a Nethergod Spirit, something everyone recognized right away. However, when they sensed her cultivation at the early Heaven Saint Realm, everyone was shocked.

It was common knowledge that this race was pathetically weak and almost never even reached the late Earth Saint Realm. Although many people there were also in the Heaven Saint Realm, no one ever imagined encountering someone from that race at such a level.

As for Niara, she made nearly half the people narrow their eyes coldly. Many there were Beasts, and Niara naturally radiated an oppressive and terrifying feeling toward them.

In that universe, there had only ever been a single Primordial Beast, long dead, and even that would be considered an insect compared to a Primordial Dragon. Because of that, no one could imagine the true reason behind what they felt from Niara.

Soon enough, they associated that sensation with that of a Nether Beast, which had something similar, though completely opposite. Those figures killed so many people that their bodies exuded a sinister pressure over anyone nearby.

Everyone became certain that Niara was a Nether Beast trying to sneak into the city. They tightened their grip on their weapons coldly, but didn’t act. She was still some distance from the entrance; the moment she got a bit closer, she would be exposed and immediately killed.

"Damn, I’d already gotten out of practice with this... these days, and it’s always you who draws the most attention, Dan," Niara said softly, clinging intimately to Darian’s arm with an amused smile. "If everyone stops walking just to stare at us, we’ll never get into this city. Come on, people, keep the line moving! Focus!"

Darian snorted. Everyone’s senses were locked onto them. On top of drawing attention because of her Bloodline, Niara always stood out for her beauty wherever she went. But now, the male gazes were turning even more intensely toward Darian.

Ailik swallowed hard, feeling intimidated. She took a discreet step to move much closer to Darian.

"Hehe... now the envy just went up even more," Niara mocked, making all those gazes sharpen even further.

Her intentions were obvious to Darian. She wanted to see if someone would attack, so she could stir up trouble and make it easier to skip the line.

A soft, feminine chuckle sounded behind them. Darian and Niara turned around and found a man and a woman carrying bows on their backs.

They were waiting right behind them in line. Both were tall and slender, with greenish skin adorned by vine-like patterns. Their translucent wings shimmered like leaves under sunlight, and they wore clothes woven from vegetation itself.

While she radiated a calm serenity, he carried a friendly presence. They didn’t belong to the Beast races, but to an extremely pure nature Bloodline. That form wasn’t a metamorphosis; it was a rare case of a natural race that was born with a humanoid body.

Both were at the early Heaven Saint stage, the realm where almost all of the strongest beings in that universe resided. People above that realm were absurdly rare.

On top of that, their pupils were unusual, bearing a faint cross-shaped mark. It was an ocular technique that helped manipulate space, something Darian had already seen in the records of the Nether Tree.

That kind of technique served to raise aiming precision to extreme levels. It was clear that both of them were master archers.

"Sorry..." the woman gestured apologetically. "You really do stand out, ma’am. But they wouldn’t dare attack, or they’d be killed by the guards."

Niara nodded back and noticed the two of them staring at Darian, as if quietly thinking something over.

Sensing their peaceful, friendly aura, Darian asked, "Your race gives off a very pure elemental presence, without Void corruption. On top of that, I feel a mix of many things. Are you alchemists?"

Darian recognized something in them that he always sensed from Veyle whenever she made pills. It was the aura of many herbs mixed and refined, embedded into the body. It had no smell or color, but it was easy to identify.

"Oh? You’ve got sharp eyes, brother. But not exactly. We’re from the Wood Spirit Race. We naturally absorb various herbs to grow stronger, in a symbiosis where we also help them grow and multiply," the man said gently.

Darian’s eyes shifted. He had never heard of this race before. For them to have this kind of potential without any record in that book meant it was a mutation that had only appeared in this universe.

"Sir..." the woman looked at Darian and murmured, a little hesitant.

Niara instinctively felt they were good people and noticed Darian’s interest. Seeing her hesitation, she took the initiative.

"Let us introduce ourselves. I’m Niara, and this is my husband, Darian. This young girl is Ailik, and this is Ramel."

"I’m Hart, and this is my younger sister, Herta. It’s a pleasure to meet you," the man said honestly, smiling.

In the next instant, the woman stepped in front of Darian and extended her hand, her expression serious.

"Sir Darian... may I confirm something?"

Darian nodded without concern. After the handshake...

...her skin began to glow with a soft emerald light.

At that very moment, shock filled both the man’s and the woman’s faces, quickly giving way to intense excitement.

She didn’t let go of his hand and started trembling.

Niara, watching everything, became slightly serious. Herta noticed her look and immediately released Darian, then showed the back of her own hand.

Something that hadn’t been there before appeared. When they saw it, Darian and Niara were startled.

It was a mark the size of a soybean, resembling a strange, unknown rune, without emitting any fluctuations.

"This only appears when my race meets someone who has received the inheritance of the God Roc. We are the protector race that the God Roc guided and taught for this very purpose! This is incredible. It’s been twelve generations since someone with this inheritance appeared!"

Herta spoke with great excitement. The people around them in line noticed the commotion, but didn’t take it too seriously.

Everyone had heard that the Wood Spirits claimed to be the ones taught by the God Roc, inheriting a great legacy. But that claim was pretty ridiculous. After all, they were just a race slightly above average in power.

Meanwhile, the Royal Family of the Primordial Empire, who were absurdly powerful, claimed to be the only ones with the inheritance of the God Roc. Power decided who spoke the truth. So to everyone else, the Wood Spirits were just a joke.

"What’s going on here? Is there gonna be a celebration in your race? If you’re short on men, plenty of my brothers are eager to help," several lewd laughs echoed from behind.

The group turned toward half a dozen men approaching them. They wore animal skins and had a wild appearance.

"Looks like the Wood Spirits are looking for human men? That one there looks too skinny and weak, won’t be able to work enough. Why don’t you let us help?" the leader of those savages laughed.

From the strong Yin aura on Hart, even though he was a man, it didn’t take a genius to realize that race had great difficulty reproducing and producing males. So the words of that figure suggested that Herta’s excitement toward Darian had a very different implication.

That figure ignored the furious looks, his eyes roaming freely over Herta’s curves.

Niara released a bloody aura, an aggressive glint appearing in her eyes as she stepped forward.

Noticing that, Herta and Hart hurriedly exclaimed, "No! Fighting is forbidden here!"

**BANG!!**

Too late.