359-360

The Plight of a Doting Brother

 While the Zenith Ant army rose to do what they did best, within house Serkar, a strikingly handsome, olive-skinned man appearing to be in his early thirties sat on a wooden chair, trapped by dazzling golden chains that rippled with formidable Divine Power. The man struggled, thrashing against the Divine Chains, but to no avail.

 And if anyone aware of his identity witnessed this scene, their eyes would have undoubtedly popped out of their socket.

 "Gulie, all these years, I have spoiled you in vain! How dare you do this to your eldest brother?! Let go of me!"

 The man roared, for indeed, he was Hejin Serkar, the house's number three expert, and Gulistan's eldest brother. Berken Serkar had eight children, five sons, and three daughters. Of the eight, the dead Bayiz ranked at the bottom while Gulistan stood at the top. And though their relationship wasn't necessarily strenuous, calling it harmonious would be a blatant lie.

 Although now their position within the house was clear and cemented, the endless competition and innumerable battles of their youth ensured that true harmony would never exist.

 Gulistan and Hejin was the sole exception. Was it due to the millennia standing between them? The gender difference or the inexistent need for competition among them? For one reason or another, those two were so close that all saw them as the ideal pair of loving brother and sister.

 And how could they not be? From infancy to maturity, Gulistan had been spoiled rotten by Hejin, and it was no understatement to call him her "second father." After all, while Berken taught her cultivation, it was Hejin that raised her and dispelled doubts when their father was too busy to.

 But now, that same Hejin was locked on a chair by none other than Gulistan herself.

 "Resistance is futile. I sealed both your energy center and soul power. You can't escape."

 Gulistan stated in a relaxed tone while sipping a cup of tea. That stance only served to further aggravate Hejin, who thrashed harder against his chains. All, to no avail. After another ten minutes of resistance, his last bit of strength vanished, and he sighed in defeat.

 "Gulie, getting this one daughter wasn't easy. You can't really expect me to sit and await news of her death, right?"

 Indeed, this situation stemmed from the recent news Hejin received regarding his precious daughter, Helbin. As one of the most promiscuous Serkar scion, Hejin didn't lack children. Aside from his six legitimate sons, he had plenty of bastards loitering both inside and outside the house, being raised by men who either knew nothing of their true heritage or dared not question it.

 However, all were sons! It was as if he'd been cursed by a supernatural force that prevented him from siring a daughter! At first, Hejin cared little about this situation. But with the sons succeeding one another across millennia, despair gradually settled within him, and he urgently sought a daughter!

 Alas, all attempts proved fruitless, and as he finally lost hope, the Northern Khanum finally bore him that long-awaited daughter! Better, she'd inherited his golden blood and the talent that came alongside it!

 His only regret was that while Helbin's birth was the fulfillment of all of his desires, he couldn't openly claim her as his. The reason was simple…

 "What daughter? You dare call her your daughter? As far as I recall, the last time you attempted to bestow that title upon her, father beat you half an inch into death. What? Last time wasn't good enough?

 No problem. Although I didn't peg you for the type to find delight in physical abuse, I guess that after more than ten-thousand years of existence, you need to diversify your kinks. No need to repeat the past, I can help you."

 Gulistan replied, and waved her right hand, causing jolts of electricity to erupt from her chains and electrocute the trapped Hejin.

 “AAAAGHHGHAAAGH!”

 He jumbled in anguish. And indeed, the reason why Hejin dared not claim Helbin as his daughter was Berken himself. Although the Serkars were an ancestral Dual Cultivation House with a history predating the Infernal Cult, the ancestors believed that a key difference lay between a dual cultivator and a boorish whore.

 To them, dual cultivation was nothing more than an efficient and rapid way of enhancing cultivation that, once mastered, could enable them to stand tall even before stronger bloodlines. For that reason, they believed in measure in all things, and in an established order to not lose house dignity.

 Depending on bloodline rank, cultivation levels, and the status they held within the house, Serkar scions would be matched with a partner and then given concubines and dual cauldrons.

 They could also earn merit to obtain more cauldrons and resources. There was no fundamental difference between men and women in terms of rights. But before they were paired, the couple would fight for dominance, and the strongest of the two would be the only one able to have concubines and cauldrons.

 But with enough talent, some could reject that process and enter House Serkar's specific priesthood division to cultivate solely for the sake of currying favor with mighty Gods, like Gulistan did. But because it was both a binding and life-threatening path, very few chose it.

 The rules were strict. As the First Inheritor of a generation, and chosen heir to Berken's seat before Konrad's birth, Hejin naturally possessed an outstanding wife, countless concubines and even more dual cauldrons. But in exchange for this abundance of women, like all the others, he wasn't allowed to sow his seed beyond his harem, and especially not in the secular world.

 However, he did exactly that. And with Berken spending most of his time in secluded cultivation, none could stop him.

 But being a man-whore was one thing, another to bring the results of his indiscretions to light.

 Although Berken wasn't the most pedantic of men, he would never allow Hejin to set up a precedent that was bound to trigger uncontrollable domino effects such as rampant disregard of rules and increasingly diluted bloodlines. For that reason, any mention of revealing Helbin's identity was, quite literally, punished with an iron fist!

 But when he received news that the khanum was raped and murdered, the khan grievously wounded, all bodyguards slain, and Helbin nowhere to be found, Hejin couldn't restrain himself and without a shred of hesitation, shot toward the Northern Khanate!

 But before he could exit the Blood Barrier, Gulistan suppressed and tied him to a chair!

 "Gulistan, you're far too evil! I should have sold you off when I had the chance!"

 Hejin sobbed in indignation, and silently cursed all the gods in the multiverse. While his peers could relax with adorable little sisters rubbing their backs, he had to endure this sassy despot days and night!

 What a sorrowful fate!










































 360: House Serkar Confronts the Enemy
And while warm tears welled up within Hejin's eyes and trickled down his cheeks, Gulistan shook her head.

 "Brother, I'm doing this for your own good. Don't you think this is far too convenient? Within the Ancient Crystal World, how many forces can sneak into the Northern Khan's palace to brutally injure him, kill his wife, slay the bodyguards you arranged, and kidnap the princess, all on her coming of age ceremony?

 The Celestial Church doesn't have that much free time. That leaves us with the Hidden Forest's tribes, the Zenith Ants, and the Jade Dynasty. Of the three, the Hidden Forest's tribes have no cause. We can directly eliminate them. As for the Zenith Ants, I'm afraid they wouldn't stop until the entire palace turned into a blood feast.

 Therefore, the most likely candidate for this deed is the Jade Dynasty headed by my beloved son, who clearly doesn't have our best interest in mind. Although we've grown exponentially in the last decade, sloppiness is the root of all evil. If he wants to lure you out, then all can go, except for you."

 Gulistan replied with such a clear analysis that Hejin was struck speechless. He was no fool. Although his scouts and other chieftains and khans could attest to the event, it reeked of baiting. However, with his current cultivation and strength, Hejin had full confidence to investigate this case without a hitch. That plus the fear of losing his hardly gained daughter made him rush toward the pit.

 But following Gulistan's words, a single reflection allowed him to figure out that this might very well be a plot from that dastardly nephew to seize their house's secrets!

 "Don't worry, I dispatched the ninth elder. If he comes back without issues, it won't be too late to go. If he doesn't, then just obediently stay here. That son of mine loves beauties the most. At worst, he will give Helbin a third hole. No need to be frightened."

 Gulistan stated, and hearing this, Hejin's tears dropped faster! With such dreadful words, how could he possibly stay in peace?!

 "Gulistan, no wonders you…"

 Hejin began, but before he could finish his words, wild tremors shook the Infernal Cult while dozens of mighty auras descended from the sky to lock on them all! And as they appraised the strength behind those auras, Gulistan and Hejin's eyes narrowed.

 Not only they, but all experts throughout the Infernal Cult were alarmed by the sudden arrival of such a mighty force!

 "More than one hundred Divine Ascension experts, thousands of Sages, one million Saints."

 Gulistan appraised while lowering her teacup. Even from within her quarters, she could sense the clearly demonic nature of those energies and the thirst for destruction bloating the sky. Just like the Celestial Church, the Infernal Cult's headquarters was a massive floating domain standing in suspension several hundred miles above the Barbarian Continent's tallest mountain.

 It stretched across thousands of miles with the houses occupying domains corresponding to their rank. Since the coup ten years ago, the Serkar domain occupied more than seventy percent. Leaving less than thirty for the rest. For that reason, the disciples of the other houses, especially the Orrag and the deposed Torul, spent their days grumbling in silence.

 But when the auras of legions of Saints and Sages locked on them, all instantaneously forgot their preoccupations to shiver in fright! And the lower-ranked Serkar disciples were no exception!

 After all, as far as they knew, the Infernal Cult only had dozens of Sages, and even at their peak, their Saint number didn't exceed one-hundred thousand! But following the ten years ago battle for the Holy Continent, less than ten percent of that force remained!  How could they possibly challenge this force?!

 This was the effect the Ant Queens were aiming for. Half the battle was won if they could crush enemy morale before making their assault. Afterward, they only needed to destroy the Blood Barrier at lightning speed, prevent the Infernal Cult from organizing their formations, and surf on the wave of dread they induced to obliterate the enemy at one fell swoop!

 And recalling how their ancestors were slaughtered and forced into hiding by the Infernal Cult Founder, Marduk, the ant queens could barely suppress their excitement!

 Time! The time had come to wipe off that shame!

 "Brethren of the Infernal Cult, after one million years of silent accumulations, we Zenith Ants have returned to reclaim our rights! Henceforth, the Barbarian Continent is ours!

 Surrender, and you will be spared, resist, and destruction is your sole fate!"

 The First Queen bellowed, and her booming voice dived past the barrier, to reverberate throughout the Infernal Cult!

 And though the younger members only had a shallow understanding of Zenith Ants, all were frightened!

 "What a formidable force, how can our Infernal Cult possibly survive this tribulation?"

 A cultist wondered in fright.

 "Nonsense, the Blood Barrier was bestowed by Lord Ashara himself! How can they possibly break it?"

 Another replied, attempting to use indignation to cover fear.

 "Within mortal worlds, the might of foreign Gods' gifts is limited. The Infernal Kings are no exception. Do you really dare claim that the combined assault of thousands of Sages cannot shatter it?"

 Whoever said those words crushed the morale of the surrounding disciples who now felt their knees quiver.

 But while the lesser surrendered to confusion and fright, the top-level remained stoic.

 "They've finally made their move. We've been waiting for them for so long that I was starting to think they wouldn't show up before draining the World Tree to the last bit."

 Gulistan stated while rising from her seat. Indeed, one of the principal reasons why the Serkar chose to remain secluded across those years, was to lure an offensive from the Zenith Ants. Since they possessed no information on the enemy's strength and had no means to effectively probe it, as the leading Warchief, Gulistan opted for a defensive stance.

 If the Zenith Ant forces proved too strong, then the Serkars would put everything into holding their ground. But with what she saw...

 …her lips curled into a smile.

 *Crack*

 With a wave of her hand, Gulistan released an energy wave that shattered Hejin's bindings and freed him of her seals.

 "Since they came to our doorsteps with such fanfare, as the hosts, we can't keep those good guests waiting."

 Hejin declared while stepping toward Gulistan's right.

 "That is natural."

 Gulistan replied, and in tandem, the brother-sister pair vanished to reappear outside the blood barrier, right before the massive, demonic horde. But they weren't the only ones. By the time they arrived, nine more figures had appeared by their sides.

 Those were the nine highest-ranking members of House Serkar after Berken, Gulistan, and Hejin. Of those nine elders, three were Berken's children, another three were his siblings, while the rest either were cousins or predecessors.

 And without exception, all gazed at the demonic horde with a calm the Ant Queens soon found disturbing. But as they probed the other party's cultivation bases, their eyes widened in disbelief!

 "How…could this be?"

 The Ant Queens wondered. But before their thoughts went a step further, in a whirlwind of golden light, a handsome middle-aged man appeared, standing before the eleven Serkar elders who bowed upon his entrance.

 "Greetings, patriarch."

 "Greetings, father."

 Indeed, if not Berken, who could it be? And because he just emerged from secluded cultivation, his eyes remained closed.

 But as the Ant Queen's gazes locked on him, they opened wide, revealing a piercing pair of black eyes that nailed all foes and suppressed the demonic horde's momentum!

 "Slaughter them to the last. And with their blood, show the world the price of challenging our house."

 Berken ordered, and alongside the eleven Serkar elders at his back, released the full might of his cultivation base.