Chapter 232 - 40: The Sisters Are Eating This Well?
The levitating train stopped before the manor. Following Yolanda through the wide estate gates, they saw over a dozen Warriors clad in expensive armor waiting in the spacious courtyard.
They were men and women, all exceptionally young and full of life, with a distinctly sharp and ambitious aura.
Ailu’er’s gaze swept over them, her brow furrowing slightly.
’The Knight Path...’
’They’re still considered Knights for now, but not for long.’
Yolanda said,
"These are the people who will transition into the Qinghui Guard today. They first need to use the Magic Tome of the Knight Path to complete their Tier One consolidation, then go to the front lines and battle Chaos."
"After proving their valor and merits, they will be granted an audience with my brother to transition into the brand-new Path: the Qinghui Guard."
As the name implies, the Qinghui Guard inherited its name from the Purity People’s traditional legacy, the Glowing Guard. Although the two have virtually nothing in common besides both using Glowing Combat Techniques, it was necessary to retain a hint of the original, so people would know it was a Path from the Qinghui Territory.
After all, without the "Qinghui" prefix, no one would ever associate this Path with the Purity People.
The Glowing Talent inherent to the Qinghui Bloodline, the regenerative power from the Withered Glory Sun, the monstrous stats of the Knight Path, and a hodgepodge of other modifications paying homage to the Army of Light and the Azure Sky Mecha.
Under the harmonizing effect of the Bright Radiance Manifested in the World Talent, all these elements were organically integrated. Even though each individual Talent was weakened a hundredfold, the result had the surprising power of a perfectly synergistic, budget-friendly build.
"Next."
As they walked a few steps further, a deep, magnetic male voice came from one side of the courtyard. The Knight Apprentice at the very front of the line immediately stepped forward, and Yolanda and her group crossed the courtyard at the same time.
The Witches finally laid eyes on the much-rumored Duke Qinghui, and a single glance was enough to stun them into silence.
A tall figure with black hair and purple eyes stood in the center of the garden on a smooth, white jade platform. The Knight Apprentice approached Westheid and knelt on one knee.
Ailu’er froze, her gaze locked onto Westheid.
’Sister Hecate, you’ve been eating this well?’
A Flawless Face that seemed divinely blessed. His dark brown, layered hair was soft and clean, and his handsome features held no trace of effeminacy—only a dazzling brilliance like the blazing sun, making it almost impossible to look at him directly.
His pair of deep violet eyes were incredibly profound, their resolute gaze seeming to reflect the cosmos—an otherworldly sight mortals could seldom hope to witness.
His slightly pursed lips exuded a cold, ascetic air, yet possessed a unique allure all their own.
What was even more lethal was that Westheid, having just used his own flesh and blood to create a batch of Path seeds, was currently shirtless.
His Charm Attribute didn’t just apply to his face. His physique was also as perfect as a work of art. The flawless lines of his muscles weren’t exaggerated, but they were clearly defined, projecting an image of immense power and masculine beauty.
An intoxicating aura, like that of a fragrant, aged wine, washed over them, making their vision blur.
No joke. When Westheid was being deliberately seductive, his appeal reached a level capable of toppling cities and kingdoms. If he were a woman, he could easily be the cause of a war... then again, perhaps he could do it even as a man.
In short, having fully grasped the power of the Charm Attribute, this die-hard believer in pragmatism, operating on the principle of "if it works, abuse it," was ruthlessly exploiting his advantage.
’The pressure on me is immense. I have to ascend to godhood, save the world, and fulfill my promise to Wan Qi. It’s going to be damn hard if I don’t take some shortcuts.’
’Whatever. If I have to use my looks to get what I want, so be it. I don’t care anymore.’
The results of Westheid lowering his standards were indeed exceptional.
When Hecate had claimed to be Duke Qinghui’s lover, the other Witches were shocked. As pure Demon Practitioners, Witches are generally indifferent to romance; they were all virgins who were curt and dismissive toward men.
However, at this moment, all that doubt vanished into thin air.
’They got it. They totally got it now.’
’The moment they saw Duke Qinghui, their fucking libidos skyrocketed! Surged! Went through the roof!’
This desire, born from the most basic of instincts, crashed over them like a tidal wave, making it impossible to resist.
’Ailu’er was instantly convinced she had been right. With Duke Qinghui’s looks, scores of noblewomen would be willing to bankrupt their families just to spend one night of passion with him!’
’He has the motive and the means. He’s definitely selling himself!’
Westheid was, of course, aware of the Witches observing him, but he didn’t give them so much as a sidelong glance, remaining focused on the task at hand.
He looked at the Knight Apprentice half-kneeling before him and said,
"Relax. Accept my blood."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Knight Apprentice turned his back to Westheid, removed his armor and shirt, and said respectfully,
"I am ready to embrace the glory of Qinghui."
Westheid picked up the enhancement material—made from his own flesh and blood—from a nearby round table. With his other hand, he made a few gestures over the Knight Apprentice’s back, casually applying a Healing Technique before beginning the modification surgery.
SIZZLE... HISSS—
The continuous sound was like flesh dissolving and evaporating, tissue breaking down and rebuilding itself. The Knight Apprentice’s mouth hung open and his eyes were shut tight, his entire body trembling.
The Witches’ attention shifted to the procedure, their expressions growing serious as they watched the transition.
As time passed, the Knight Apprentice’s aura changed repeatedly—at times it was eerie, then violent, then somber. It felt as if countless conflicting and mutually-repulsive energies were running rampant inside him.
Yet, at the final moment, all the chaotic energies instantly converged, transforming into a serene, pure Glowing Radiance. Unable to bear the strain, the Knight Apprentice collapsed, unconscious.
’Wait, is this really a proper procedure? Not some forbidden experiment?’
The Witches wanted to say something, but on second thought, they realized that as Demon Practitioners, they were in no position to criticize.
Westheid said, "Alright, take him away to rest. He’ll probably be asleep for a few days."
Once the Knight who had completed the transition—no, the Qinghui Guard—was led away by the servants to rest, Yolanda stepped forward.
"Brother, I or the others could perform these procedures. All we need are the seeds."
Westheid shook his head.
"The Path is constantly being updated. I have to perform every minor update myself to confirm it’s flawless before I can safely hand it over to you all. The Qinghui Guard is the very foundation of our power."
With those responsible words, Westheid stepped down from the platform and approached Hecate and the other Witches.
"These ladies... must be our guests from the Ring of Clear Skies."
Duke Qinghui sized up the incredibly beautiful Witches before him.
Hecate was already one of the most bewitching and seductive beauties Westheid had ever seen, and her companions were certainly no less stunning.
’Witches were, without exception, stunning beauties, but these had the full ensemble: sheer bodysuits, lace miniskirts, flesh-squeezing thigh garters, fingerless gloves, the whole "baby face, huge breasts" trope, the Absolute Territory... they had it all.’
’Okay, okay, okay. So this is how they want to play, is it?’
’Looks like my plan to conquer the Ring of Clear Skies with my astonishing Charm and the "Revolving Wheel Technique" might be more of a challenge than I thought.’
Ailu’er took the lead, removing the small top hat she wore, placing it over her chest, and curtsying slightly.
"Duke Qinghui, all along the way, our Sister Hecate sang your praises. We had our doubts then, but now we see our imaginations simply fell short."
