Damned Healer-Chapter 624: Bloodsky

A sharp, clear sound of bones breaking echoed through the air, as if time itself had stopped in that silent world.

Saelil, along with the people from the Cla Scarlet Cloud and the many onlookers near the arena, were all left speechless.

A Dragoness stood at the center of it all. She flapped her wings and vanished, reappearing beside Darian just as fast as she had attacked.

That poor figure, who had been hit, rolled across the ground several times, letting out strange, muffled sounds.

In the middle of the silence, Niara took out a cloth and wiped the fist she had used to attack, making a disgusted face. "Ugh! Even his face is disgusting."

*RUMBLE!*

A wave of scarlet power spread in all directions, tearing open countless cracks in space.

"DIE!" Caofeng roared, his face twisted with fury. After all, getting punched in the face like that was worse than death. He had never suffered such an insult.

He shot forward and threw a powerful punch at Darian and Niara, using the full strength of his cultivation. However, the couple didn’t move at all, calmly watching him.

At that moment, the Wood Spirits’ bows lit up.

Shrill whistling sounds echoed through the air. The resentment and fury sealed within the remains of the dead were ignited, resembling the deep roar of a beast or the haunting wails of otherworldly spirits hungry for life.

When Caofeng’s fist was less than a meter away, his body trembled violently, and he forcibly halted his movement.

With a mocking look, Niara didn’t hold back and stretched out her hand.

*SLAP!*

It was a dry slap without much force, yet it still sent him staggering back several steps.

When he finally stopped, his face was indescribable, completely red and twisted, as if it were about to explode from rage.

"I knew you didn’t have the guts. You’re scared to face death with me. That’s why, in the future, you shouldn’t say such arrogant things, got it?" Darian said mockingly.

Darian radiated confidence, as if everything was under his control. Niara puffed out her chest beside him, her aura lively and completely unrestrained.

The crowd stared at that couple, unsure whether to feel admiration or fear.

Darian knew that the old man wouldn’t dare. Even if Niara kept slapping his face until it swelled like a pig’s, he still wouldn’t dare fight back. People like that valued their own lives too much and believed they could always get revenge later.

The only regrettable thing was that Caofeng was simply too strong. Niara’s initial punch had left only a faint mark on his face, which quickly disappeared.

Enduring the humiliation, Caofeng clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. Even so, he restrained himself from retaliating, since his life was hanging by a thread under the threat of the arrows. With those deadly weapons aimed at him, any wrong move would be fatal.

Another crucial factor was Sylvanos’s presence. Even if Caofeng used everything he had just to survive the arrows, the leader of that race was sharp and would attack in perfect sync, finishing him off. That realization pushed Caofeng to the brink of madness.

"Get lost. I hate killing people using someone else’s hands," Darian mocked, waving as if shooing away a fly.

Caofeng slowly retreated, followed by his people. Once they had put some distance between them, the four slowly lowered their bows.

"All members of my Cla Scarlet Cloud, listen to my orders! Assemble immediately! Today, we fight the Wood Spirit Race to the death!" Caofeng shouted, his voice booming across the entire city like thunder.

With a single roar, the whole city erupted into chaos. Most civilians didn’t even know what was happening.

"Hehe... it’s getting exciting. Come on, come on," Niara murmured, her eyes shining.

Sylvanos declared loudly, not retreating even a single step, "If you want to fight, my race will accompany you."

At that moment, a cold snort echoed out:

"Do you think I, the City Lord, have ceased to exist? Since when did the City of the Heaven Seal become a place where people can do whatever they want?"

The speaker remained unseen, but the authority in that voice made the entire city tremble. It felt as though it came from the city itself.

A name instantly surfaced in Darian’s mind: Alaric Celsiel. The City Lord, and the one who controlled the Sacred Treasury.

"City Lord, the Wood Spirit Race has gone too far! Today, they will pay the price!" Caofeng shouted.

"I saw everything, and this matter can be set aside," Alaric’s voice rang out again. "The martial stage has already been prepared for the duel. Move forward. I will not allow the city’s rules to be violated."

"No, I must kill them today!" Caofeng roared, his voice shaking the air.

In the next instant, the entire city trembled even more.

When the City Lord’s power manifested, the world plunged into darkness, and a dense killing aura flooded everything.

Caofeng felt suffocated. This was the power of an Emperor Saint, making everyone feel like ants before him.

"If you think you have the power to challenge me and take my position, why don’t you try right now?" Alaric’s voice turned merciless.

Caofeng merely clenched his teeth and shot Darian a dark look. In the end, he snorted and led his people away.

After he left, Maeyu and Saelil realized they were drenched in cold sweat. They nearly collapsed, their faces pale.

They had never seen such a terrifying scene. Before Caofeng’s power, they could do nothing, but before the City Lord, that sense of helplessness was beyond words.

"We should go. It’s almost time," Darian said calmly.

Everyone took a deep breath and nodded.

As they headed toward the arena, Saelil said, "Darian, as a battle participant, you don’t need to enter the stands. The martial stage has a special space for you to prepare."

"No need. I’ll stay with all of you," Darian replied flatly.

"That special space lets fighters reach their optimal condition. You really don’t want to use it?" Maeyu asked, her expression tense.

Niara smiled faintly. "Meh, there’s really no need."

As she said that, they reached the stands. However, the moment they entered, everyone’s expressions changed.

"Heavens, this martial stage... it’s huge!" Maeyu couldn’t help but exclaim. Everything in the center had changed, and it was now ten times larger than when Saelil fought.

On both sides of the center stood two gigantic Nether Beast heads, their eyeballs radiating a sinister, pulsing light. Every brick of the stage was carved with runes, exuding a terrifying aura that even the barrier couldn’t fully block.

A faint black mist permeated the area, and within it, beastly shadows could be seen roaring like specters. The scene looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

Even Saelil and Maeyu struggled to endure that oppressive aura; Herta and Hart had gone pale. Fortunately, Sylvanos was there and extended his hand, completely blocking that pressure from them. Darian didn’t even need to take more pills.

Darian scanned the arena and saw five special spectator platforms, set up to offer a privileged view. Each platform had hundreds of seats.

"These five platforms are reserved for the four clans and the City Lord. They usually watch high-level battles from there," Sylvanos explained.

At that moment, spectators began to be transported into the stands. This time, however, they were strangely silent.

The nearest spectator platform suddenly lit up. Then Darian saw Caofeng appear, still burning with rage.

"Oh? What luck!" Niara waved at them.

In response, the people of the Cla Scarlet Cloud shot sinister looks their way. Ailik and the others felt like they’d be torn apart if looks could actually kill.

"What are you staring at? Was my slap too light earlier? Do you all want a slap to the face too?" Niara taunted.

"You brutes! Just wait and see how long you can keep acting arrogant!" Caofeng shouted through clenched teeth.

"Hahahaha!" Niara burst into loud laughter, making the entire arena turn toward them with shocked expressions.

The rumors that the master of that clan had taken a punch, a slap, and then retreated with his tail between his legs had already spread everywhere. Seeing the laughter and the furious expression on the other side, it was obvious what had happened.

Caofeng stood up in rage, but a few elders beside him hurriedly pulled him back, startled. Someone activated the barrier of the viewing platform to block out further sound.

"Tch, he’s already about to explode after a few insults. How useless," Niara mocked disdainfully.

At that moment, the platform on the opposite side also lit up. When a new group of figures appeared, Saelil and Maeyu hurriedly bowed.

"Greetings, City Lord!"

All eyes locked onto the figure — none other than Alaric Celsiel.

Darian knew the city’s history from Ramel.

The position of City Lord wasn’t hereditary, but chosen by the Sacred Treasury. The selection method was simple: the strongest among the five factions became the City Lord.

After the decisive battle that sealed that terrifying Nether Beast, the four clans withdrew, leaving the city under the control of the Celsiel family — an event that marked a crucial turning point in its history.

The Sacred Treasury began suppressing the Nether Beast’s power, preventing it from assisting the Celsiel family in other matters. On the other hand, the Nether Beasts launched continuous attacks on the city as they tried to rescue that Divinity.

For tens of thousands of years, the Celsiel family defended the city alone. Although the battles were incredibly bloody and desperate, they managed to survive every confrontation.

The Nether Beasts only retreated when they realized they couldn’t conquer the city, after countless clashes.

It was during that time that the people who had left the city returned, all claiming to be part of it, since they had helped seal the greater enemy in the beginning.

The Celsiel family hated them for abandoning the city and had no intention of letting them back in, but...

When another conflict was about to break out, the Sacred Treasury delivered its message to the City Lord. It would allow those four clans to return; moreover, the position of City Lord would be granted to the strongest faction.

There were two conditions: the City Lord had to possess the Bloodline of one of the five powers, and had to pass the test of the Sacred Treasury.

The first condition was simple for everyone. The second, however, was extremely harsh. The trial of the Sacred Treasury was absolutely terrifying. Only someone at the Emperor Saint level would have any chance. Those in the Heaven Saint Realm couldn’t even dream of it, and failure likely meant death.

Even so, all five factions coveted the position of City Lord. Records showed that the four clans had occasionally held the post, but most of the time, it was the Celsiel family who ruled.

In the current generation, Alaric was the only one in the city to reach the Emperor Saint level and thus obtained the position. However, since he had no children and there was no one else at that level in the city, the next City Lord would have to be someone below that, coming from the clans.

With the decline of the Celsiel family’s power and Bloodline, this led to a rise in arrogance among the four clans, especially in recent times, fueled by all kinds of rumors and slander about Alaric.

However, when Alaric finally appeared in the arena, everyone was left stunned. He looked completely healthy.

Alaric sat alone in his seat, looking like just another spectator. Even though he gave off a sense of loneliness, he radiated immense pressure. A distortion surrounded him, preventing anyone from seeing his face.

Still, Darian noticed the City Lord’s senses were completely focused on him, secretly analyzing him.

Obviously, he couldn’t sense or perceive absolutely anything, which startled him internally. Then, he began directing his senses toward Niara.

Darian’s eyes changed, and a cold aura spread from him.

At that instant, the senses of that figure stopped and immediately dispersed. Secretly examining someone was invasive and disrespectful. That man was surprised to realize Darian had noticed everything, understanding that he couldn’t cross that line with that Dragoness.

After a few seconds, the City Lord’s voice suddenly echoed:

"Young man, fight hard. If you win, I’ll treat you to a meal."

His words left everyone in the arena dumbfounded.

Wasn’t Darian from the Primordial Empire? Did he have some connection to the Celsiel family? Everything was too sudden and bizarre, making the spectators scratch their heads.

"Then I’ll thank you in advance... I hope you don’t regret it."

The City Lord was confused by that response.

Niara’s eyes, however, shone like stars. Soon, there would be food in abundance, and she hadn’t eaten freely in many years. She would definitely make the most of that ’meal’.

Caofeng’s expression darkened instantly, but he still sneered, "Victory? Keep dreaming!"

At that moment, Darian’s tablet began to flash.

The glow indicated that he would soon be transported to the stage. The participants needed to be ready, or they would be crushed by the pressure of that place.

"I wonder if, if that bastard screams loud enough, his grandpa will jump in to fight too? Hehehe..." Niara asked with an amused smile.

"Let’s see. I hope so," Darian replied calmly.

Hearing that exchange, everyone nearby felt a chill run down their spines. In just a few words, the two of them had expressed something terrifying.

Niara stood up and lightly adjusted Darian’s clothes. Both of them looked incredibly relaxed.

In the next instant, a beam of light wrapped around him, and he vanished, reappearing on the martial stage.

Caoming’s figure also appeared there. However, cries of shock echoed when everyone saw his appearance.

"WHAT?! What is he wearing?" Maeyu’s eyes went wide.

Caoming was clad in a scarlet armor that covered his body from head to toe, with spikes emerging from his feet, fists, knees, and elbows. His helmet had dagger-like protrusions, giving him a menacing look.

The armor was covered in blood runes, exuding a nauseating metallic stench. Even through the barrier, its demonic and infernal nature was obvious, resembling the armor of a demon king.

There were demons in that universe, but only a few races, and most lived in the Primordial Empire. In the past, however, many powerful demonic clans had existed, but they had been destroyed in all kinds of conflicts.

"No way! The Cla Scarlet Cloud handed over the Bloodsky Armor!"

"Isn’t that their priceless treasure?"

"Is this a joke?! With Caoming wearing that armor, there’s no point in even watching this fight. I paid a fortune for this ticket, damn it!"

Countless whispers filled the air, some of them full of anger. Caoming was already formidable, but with that armor, it seemed simply impossible for him to lose.