Damned Healer-Chapter 629: My Bad

Surprised by the presence of the newcomers, Alaric's expression darkened. He asked in a cold tone, "The City of the Heaven Seal doesn't maintain such friendly relations with the Primordial Empire. In the past, my family and yours fought side by side against common enemies, but that relationship never went beyond mutual respect. Why are you here? Do you intend to interfere in the struggle for the position of City Lord?"

Among the sixteen, there were five humans, one demon, and the rest carried bestial auras. At the center of the group, a thin, pale, middle-aged human man stepped forward, lightly shaking his head.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Nehirho, the Third General of the Primordial Empire."

Alaric narrowed his eyes. "Third? The royal family has never had a Third General in its entire history."

"That is recent. We were once again granted the blessing of the God Roc, and with it, we managed to give rise to a figure so terrifying that the Emperor had to make an exception. Thus, the Third General appeared in this generation. I used to be the Second General, but I acknowledge my inferiority to that figure. That is why I now handle delicate matters outside our territories." The man spoke calmly, wearing a smile that concealed many intentions.

"We have no interest in your position as City Lord. We merely received a report from Clan Master Jason, so we came to arrest the heir of the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow Clan."

Those last words caused everyone's attention to shift to the Violet Sky Clan Master, Jason, who was boiling with rage.

They had agreed to keep his relationship with the Primordial Empire a secret. Yet Nehirho openly revealed everything in front of everyone, making it clear that Jason was the informant.

"Sect Master…" Saelil and Maeyu looked at Jason in shock.

With an impassive expression, Jason replied, "This was not made public because we did not wish to stain the name of someone already dead. But before the Heaven-Devouring Sparrow Clan was destroyed, its leader betrayed our City and the Empire and tried to ally with the Nether Beasts to save himself and his family…"

"That is not confirmed. The Primordial Empire is the only one that accepted the 'evidence' found in the devastated lands and recognized it as legitimate," the City Lord's voice echoed dryly. "I personally analyzed everything and made it clear to the four clans that it was inconclusive. I knew that man, and he was a great leader. You dared to act against my decision without any further proof?"

"City Lord, you are not the owner of the truth, nor does everything you say become a heavenly decision. I, the other three clan masters, and the Primordial Empire have a different view and are ninety percent certain of this. Out of respect for your opinion, nothing was disclosed to the public. But that does not mean we should bow our heads and ignore the matter," Jason shot back harshly.

"The leader of that clan betrayed everyone trying to save himself, but was deceived by the Nether Beasts. In the end, he died and hid the Sacred Treasure. Now his heir appears? Darian must have a connection to our enemies. He must be arrested and investigated. The Primordial Empire will do this impartially."

In the stands, Ramel clenched his fists so tightly that they began to bleed. He restrained himself with everything he had to contain his rage, but his eyes shone with pure hatred. Not only had the four clans and the Empire betrayed his race, but they had also stained his father's honor, painting him as a traitor.

They did all this so that, when the Sacred Treasure appeared, they would have a justification to steal it. Thus, they fabricated those accusations, claiming his father tried to ally with the enemies—exactly what those powers themselves had done to destroy his race.

Darian didn't know all those details, but from the story he had heard from Ramel and the sinister karma surrounding those people, he was certain it was a blatant lie. Jason's words stoked his anger, and he sneered, "Only someone with no face could be that shameless."

"Dan! He literally doesn't have half a face, and the rest is rotting. Everything about him is decay, that's why it won't heal," Niara shot back.

"Oh! Right. My bad," Darian nodded with mock apology. "You're really committing to the role, then."

A vein throbbed on Jason's forehead. Niara's and Darian's words hit him exactly where it hurt the most. Indeed, half of his face had been destroyed by a terrifying Nether Beast. It was a wound that, despite countless years and attempts, had never healed.

Because of that, he was extremely sensitive about the topic. Anyone who dared to laugh at him would be massacred without mercy. Even a faint whisper or a strange look in his direction would bring severe consequences, either by his own hands or those of his subordinates.

In truth, if Jason wore a special mask, no one would be able to see his deformed face. However, he refused to do so. He didn't want to be recognized as someone hiding behind a mask; that felt ridiculous. Yet he also feared being mocked. That internal conflict consumed him.

His killing intent erupted like a volcano. "You bitch and you damn son of a whore, you'll pay for that mouth!"

Suddenly, everyone felt the air in their lungs freeze. The atmosphere changed instantly, and all eyes turned toward the center of that change: Darian.

Darian's fury exploded in response. He would not tolerate anyone insulting Niara like that. Without saying a single word, he vanished and reappeared, attacking the old man directly.

No one expected Darian to simply charge in and attack. After all, that was a clan master, a recognized powerhouse.

Even Jason was caught off guard by Darian's boldness, realizing he had underestimated his courage. Even surrounded by countless people, Darian hadn't hesitated for a single instant.

Before Jason could fully react, a dagger was already upon him.

Though he didn't dare treat Darian lightly, he had no time to draw his weapon. So, in a quick response, he simply raised his hand, and a violet light materialized in his palm, forming a shield. Unable to wield a weapon in time, he relied on the power of his technique to create a defensive barrier.

*BOOM!*

The dagger collided with the violet shield, which blocked Darian's attack effortlessly, shocking everyone.

Up until then, Darian had seemed incredibly powerful. That confirmed the assumption that he had run out of strength after the last battle, or so people thought.

After blocking the attack, Jason felt a bad premonition and, without hesitating, shoved the shield forward and retreated.

"Since you don't have any divinity, I'll help you become complete," Darian said, his voice heavy with sinister intent, like a whisper coming from the depths of hell.

His other hand moved quickly toward Jason's cheek. Darian's hand was wrapped in a black energy that looked like a demonic flame.

*CRACK!*

With a terrifying sound of bones breaking, Darian's hand not only brutally caved in Jason's face but also ripped a huge chunk of flesh from the old man's already disfigured face.

Jason managed to escape, but not before half of his face was violently torn apart.

Unfortunately for him, the physical damage was the least of his problems. The black power penetrated that entire side of his face like the most sinister and diabolical poison imaginable.

"GUAAAW!" The excruciating pain made him howl like a wounded animal.

Using all his strength, he managed to expel the black power, but the damage went far deeper. All the flesh, and even the cells of his face, seemed to have been cursed.

Darian had used a bit of the Nightmare Flames. It wasn't strong enough to kill, but it was excellent for causing pain and things like that. To remove those 'burns,' it would take hundreds of years of extreme effort, or materials at the Yang Primordial level… which obviously did not exist in this universe.

When they saw his grotesquely disfigured face, now a mix of exposed bone and mutilated black flesh, the spectators felt a chill run down their spines. Darian's brutality was laid bare for all to see.

Darian clenched his fists and reduced the piece of flesh he was holding to ashes.

With a bloodthirsty aura and a cold gaze, he said, "Very well. Now you don't need to worry about your reputation or your face anymore. Go ahead and use any shameless move you want. No one will be fooled again or find it strange."

"Hehe…" Niara let out a soft laugh, feeling satisfied. Darian only lost his composure and clear thinking when someone touched his Achilles' heel like that.

"Die!"

Jason let out a furious roar, making the ground beneath his feet explode. People from the Violet Sky Clan nearby were thrown away by the force of the impact.

It looked like the Clan Master had completely lost his mind. In his hand, a gigantic axe materialized, making him look even smaller in comparison.

"Violet Sky Axe!" Saelil and Maeyu were stunned.

That was the clan's core item, passed down as a legacy through the generations. When it appeared, a wave of violet power covered the land, and an uncontrollable pressure descended upon Darian.

Darian, with a carefree expression, placed his hands behind his back. His gaze locked onto Jason, devoid of fear but filled with intense killing intent.

The moment Jason raised the axe to attack, a black beam sliced through the air like lightning.

Jason was startled and roared, quickly blocking with his axe.

*CLANG!*

An arrow exploded as it collided with the axe, and its immense power sent Jason flying backward, crashing through the stands.

Everyone turned their eyes to Sylvanos, who was holding his bow, its string still vibrating. His eyes were cold and unwavering. It was obvious the arrow had been fired by him.

People couldn't contain their shock. The Wood Spirit Race possessed immense vitality and lived for a very long time. Sylvanos had been the leader of the race for so long that three generations of Masters of the four clans had already passed. All the others had died of old age, yet Sylvanos still looked like he was in the middle of his life.

The ancient Clan Masters had left words for future generations. Although they had heard that this figure was extremely terrifying and that his power was not inferior to that of the Masters of the four clans, this was the first time they had seen him take action.

He was only at the eighth level of the Heaven Saint Realm, one level below all the others… and yet that single attack shocked everyone. Even when his arrow shattered upon hitting the Violet Sky Axe, the power it carried was still astonishing.

"It's been a long time since I exercised my muscles. My power has declined quite a bit. From the next shot onward, I'll use soul-devouring arrows. That should increase my power tenfold. Will I be able to kill you?"

His voice carried no emotion. Then, Sylvanos extended his hand and conjured three arrows. They spun between his fingers, forming beautiful arcs of blood-red light.

His bow bent like a full moon, and the three arrows were quickly nocked and aimed at Jason.

Runes flowed over the arrows, and the spectators could see cyclones spinning at their tips. At that instant, a deep sense of unease seized their hearts, as if their own souls were being dragged out.

"How is this possible…" The powerful figures stammered. Even the members of the Primordial Empire were frightened and confused.

Blood dripped from Jason's face—or what was left of it, since there was nothing that could still be called a face.

Frustration burned in his eyes as he stared at Sylvanos. "Is your race planning to get involved in this?!"

"Darian is the legitimate heir of the God Roc. Someone my race would give their life to protect. Does that answer your question?" Sylvanos replied, his firmness sharp as a blade.

"You…" While Jason was locked in place by the three arrows, he didn't dare move or release his aura. The instant he did, he would be attacked immediately.

Without releasing his aura, he couldn't access his full power, which meant he couldn't activate the full strength of his weapon. In that state, even if he wasn't hit by the arrows, he would certainly suffer severe injuries.

At that moment, Jason found himself completely cornered, unable to advance or retreat. Suddenly, he turned toward the figures of the Primordial Empire, who were only watching in silence.

"Didn't you want to capture Darian?! Then why aren't you doing anything?!"