Black Snake Breaks Limit!

Emerald Royal City.

The young king listened to the urgent report that had arrived.

"Black Serpent Baron..."

The king was reminded of distant memories.

He had almost forgotten that such a family existed.

According to the laws of the kingdom, Baron Levi is indeed the rightful heir to Tulip Territory and Storm Territory.

However, because of the Black Mountain Duke's interference, the Royal Family originally intended to turn a blind eye and take back the two territories.

The Black Serpent Family had been silent for too long, and he thought that his heir Levi, wouldn't care about this matter.

Unexpectedly, it was because of the Snow Wraith Disaster in the north.

This forced Levi, who originally did not want to come to the South, to come.

The king summoned his ministers to discuss the matter.

Ultimately, everyone reached a consensus.

That means let's just leave it at that and not mention it again.

After all, the kingdom itself was in the wrong first.

The kingdom, having just emerged from a long period of war, was extremely fragile, leaky on all sides, and on the verge of collapse.

The kingdom no longer wanted to wage war.

Moreover, it seems that Baron Levi is now Peak Great Knight, just like his father, and even the Red Willow Divine Sword, one of the Seven Divine Swords of the King, is no match for him.

Baron Levi was in his prime, and at this time, there was no need for him to antagonize a Peak Great Knight.

Besides, although Levi eventually learned that the Black Serpent Knight and his soldiers had sacrificed their lives for the country, it was the Black Mountain Duke's doing, and had nothing to do with the kingdom.

However, the kingdom's tacit approval of the Black Mountain Duke's subsequent usurpation of power was not without fault, and it further emboldened the Black Mountain Duke, ultimately becoming a catalyst for rebellion.

Therefore, after careful consideration, everyone concluded that allowing Baron Levi to return to his territory was the most appropriate option at present.

Carrying gifts from the kingdom, the messengers set off for Tulip Territory.

Not long after, within Storm Territory, the Nation Protecting Divine Sword also led his troops to withdraw from the area.

The last few days of the year 1014 in the Holy Radiance Calendar.

Levi also received a reply from the kingdom.

The kingdom has given its permission for his actions.

Since it was legitimate, the kingdom couldn't say anything about it.

Otherwise, if the power base of the nobles is shaken, then the king, as the "Alliance Master of the alliance," will also be unable to sit still.

Levi naturally replied, expressing his gratitude and loyalty to the kingdom and flattering the new king.

Later, the Red Willow Duke, with a dark face, came and took away his son and army with the ransom.

Levi readily released the man.

If looks could kill, the Red Willow Duke's old eyes could have killed him countless times.

After all, he had crippled their family's Rising Star, the Seed of Life of the Red Willow Divine Sword.

However, the old man couldn't say anything, as he had already received compensation from the kingdom.

Moreover, even his own son was no match for Levi. Levi's current strength was no weaker than that of the Black Serpent Knight back then.

Gradually, the great nobles of the South learned that the powerful "Black Snake" had returned and was now entrenched in Tulip Territory.

Levi's fame also began to spread to a small circle.

The titles "Giant Bear Lord" and "Black Serpent Lord" began to spread slowly.

Although this was not the effect Levi wanted to achieve, there was nothing he could do about it.

Being low-key isn't about suffering injustice; sometimes, you need a bit of a fearsome reputation to avoid trouble.

Of course, there must be a limit to this.

That's fine for now. Just live a peaceful life from now on. People can be famous, but not too famous. The fattest pig is the easiest to be sent to the slaughterhouse.

"No matter what, we can finally live a more peaceful life from now on."

Levi murmured to himself.

He heard that the Snow Wraith of the Northern Territory had appeared on the edge of Earl Silver Mountain's territory.

This made him very glad that he had moved to the south.

If I were still stuck in the North, constantly worrying about Blue Frost, how could I possibly cultivate?

Sometimes, you just have to give in.

Facing the Snow Wraith Disaster of Icewind City.

Levi could only wish his old friend, the Earl Silver Mountain, all the best in overcoming his difficulties.

Even after regaining Tulip Territory and Storm Territory, Levi wasn't particularly happy.

Having so many territories is troublesome in itself.

In particular, the Storm Territory and the Tulip Territory are not adjacent.

He also lacks talent within his territory.

Levi's focus will always be on spiritual practice; he cannot afford to waste too much energy on his territory.

Left with no other option, he had to recruit talented individuals at great expense to help him govern his territory.

Previously, we only needed to manage Blackwater Valley, so the talent problem wasn't that prominent.

Tulip Territory and Storm Territory are highly sought after these days.

Levi knew that many people must be coveting his territory.

The talent recruited is definitely not as good as the talent cultivated in-house.

But Levi had no choice; his heart wasn't in this territory. He was only a lord now because he didn't want to hand over his family's property to someone else.

"Don't mess with me, I'm really easy to get along with, really..." Levi muttered to himself.

Hopefully, the nobles in the south will be sensible, otherwise the few remaining Great Knight in the world may be even fewer.

Having essentially resolved the issue of the territory, Levi focused on his cultivation, waiting for the Fire Paper to burn.

The year 1015 of the Holy Radiance Calendar, the New Year.

Levi gave a speech in the Flower City, officially announcing his return.

The kingdom also sent envoys to offer their congratulations.

This surprised Levi.

More than a decade has passed since Levi transmigrated to this world.

He has grown from a little boy into a muscular 25-year-old man.

He was two meters tall, with powerful muscles, a angular face, and a rough beard.

This is Levi's current look, which is getting further and further away from the original image of a handsome young man.

It actually gives off a feeling similar to Yan Chixia from Tsui Hark's version of A Chinese Ghost Story.

Levi also went to Blackwater Valley and brought the Hengha Er Jiang, to Tulip Territory. Levi hid them in the dense forest behind Flower City and designated this area as a restricted zone.

He did this entirely for the safety of his people.

Two colossal beasts at the level of Great Knight; if anyone foolish enough to enter, they would most likely never return.

With these two behemoths guarding Flower City, ordinary enemies wouldn't even know how they died.

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, another six months have passed.

Levi has been living in the Flower City for more than half a year now.

Big cities have their advantages too.

At least Levi won't need to go into the city so often to visit the Shining Tavern.

After all, it's in my own city.

However, Levi basically has everything he needs now.

So I went to the Shining Tavern less and less often.

Most of the time, he was practicing meditation.

I would occasionally go to the Shining Tavern to eavesdrop on other people's conversations.

Or perhaps we should check if there's any trace of Radiant Stone.

I continue to improve my Meditation Technique little by little each day, without fail.

However, this is a good thing for practicing Breathing Technique.

After all, there is still a lot of time left after practicing Meditation Technique every day.

Levi spent all this time practicing Breathing Technique.

He now sleeps no more than three hours a day on average, and witnesses the Flower City at three in the morning every day.

Given his current physique and physical condition, he certainly doesn't need that much sleep.

Three hours is enough for him to rest efficiently.

Under such intense work, the Breathing Technique progressed rapidly.

However, Levi's Breathing Technique also has its own emphasis.

Because the Black Snake has been stuck at the Ninth-Rank Limit for a long time.

Therefore, during this period, Levi focused on practicing the Elephant Tortoise Breathing Technique, a defensive Breathing Technique of excellent quality.

After more than six months of hard work, Levi has pushed this Breathing Technique to its limit.

Levi ——————

Elephant Tortoise Breathing Technique: Ninth Rank (Limit, can be broken), Special Effect: Elephant Armor (Gaseous).

The Elephant Armor effect after Ninth-Rank Limit the Elephant Tortoise Breathing Technique is essentially similar to the Black Scale effect of the Black Snake Breathing Technique.

Moreover, Levi tested it and found that the defensive capabilities of the Elephant Armor were almost the same as those of the Black Scale.

However, the Elephant Armor makes itself look like a turtle.

It is not as aesthetically pleasing as the Black Scale.

Today, Levi's body is covered with layers of gaseous shells, like those of a tortoise.

Suddenly, Levi noticed a problem.

The Elephant Tortoise Breathing Technique and the Black Snake Breathing Technique can be performed simultaneously.

However, only one of the special effects for the Elephant Armor and the Black Snake can appear at a time.

"It seems that special effects can't be simply repeated and layered," Levi remarked with some emotion.

He pondered that if the Elephant Armor effect and the Black Scale effect could be stacked, then he wouldn't merge the Elephant Tortoise Breathing Technique into the Black Snake Breathing Technique.

But now it seems that Levi was overthinking things.

Just like two Extraordinary Defense cannot be simply superimposed at the same time.

Elephant Armor and Black Scale cannot be combined at the same time.

Since that's the case, Levi has nothing left to regret.

He incorporated the Elephant Tortoise Breathing Technique into the Black Snake Breathing Technique, along with a rudimentary defensive Breathing Technique he had previously acquired.

Levi's Black Snake Breathing Technique has once again broken through its limits.

Levi ————

Black Snake Breathing Technique: Ninth Rank (1/150000), Special Effect: Black Scale (Gaseous).

"I can continue practicing the Black Snake Breathing Technique. Once I reach the Tenth Rank level of the Black Snake, my cultivation level should be on par with the former Empire's Fist and the Black Mountain Duke."

After Black Serpent Breaks Limit, it went beyond the scope of an excellent quality Breathing Technique.

This should be a truly perfect Breathing Technique.

Levi left the castle and secluded himself for six months.

The Fire Paper remained silent.

Levi always carried the Fire Paper with him, afraid of missing the summons.

"The wizard's efficiency is really low."

Levi couldn't help but complain.

His stomach was rumbling; his Whale Sac was empty.

Moreover, the Gluttony Pouch seems to be hungry as well.

He had his servants prepare a large table of food for him.

They also prepared a whole cow for the Gluttony Pouch.

Next up was the "gluttony time" for the two big eaters.

While eating, Levi listened to the newly recruited Flower City officials report on the situation in the territory.

In terms of the territory's finances and military affairs, these two core departments are both staffed by the group of people Levi brought out from Blackwater Valley.

One is in charge of money, and the other is in charge of the military; both are crucial, especially the one in charge of money.

The Flower City is not Blackwater Valley. Even for the wealthy Levi, its annual fiscal revenue is still a considerable sum, and Levi cannot afford to give it up.

In addition, Stormwind City's revenue is not to be underestimated.

This is why the Black Mountain Duke was determined to take these two territories no matter what.

So far, everything is normal within the territory.

The situation was much better than Levi had imagined.

Perhaps because of the lingering influence I had in the past, everyone is behaving themselves these days.

Moreover, his neighbors also expressed their goodwill to him in various ways.

After all, he was still young and at the peak of his strength.

The mere fact that he is a Peak Great Knight is enough to instill fear in the vast majority of his enemies.

Moreover, the three Northern Giant Bear under his command, capable of tearing apart countless enemies, and the well-equipped Crimson Blood Cavalry, left a deep impression on the others.

The Northern Giant Bear is a symbol of fierceness. It is possible to tame three Giant Bear as pets. In other people's minds, Levi is a rude, savage, and violent barbarian from the Northern Territory.

Such people are unreasonable.

If you can avoid provoking someone, then don't.

The hypocritical southern nobles, of course, understood this principle as well.

Finally, Levi heard a report on the security issues within his territory.

"My Lord, some strange murders have recently occurred in the territory. My abilities are too weak to find out who the murderers are, but I suspect that the killer is not human," the sheriff reported anxiously.

"Oh? Not human."

Levi didn't care much about things within his territory.

But as soon as he heard that the murderer might not be human, he was wide awake.

He smelled the scent of Evil Spirit.

"My Dragon Might Seal is almost at Third Order. Let's see which lucky guy is delivering takeout." Levi had almost used up Evil Spirit Dust in order to increase the proficiency of his Dragon Might Seal.

Now only a few essential ones remain for practical use.

He was just worried that no Evil Spirit would catch him.

He even considered opening an exorcism agency.

At that time, some lords suffering from Evil Spirit will pay me to remove the spirits. I will receive Evil Spirit Dust and money, and the lords will be safe.

A win-win situation, isn't that wonderful?

"Take me to see the dead. I want to see which bastards dare to cause trouble in my territory," Levi sneered.

The sheriff led Levi to the morgue.

Levi stared at the three corpses in the morgue.

"The wounds on these three victims are all similar. I suspect that they were inflicted by the same person."

The sheriff lifted the white sheet, and Levi looked at the slightly rotting corpses.

Where is the heart?

Levi suddenly realized that none of these corpses had their hearts.

"When my subordinates found it, the heart was already gone." The sheriff trembled at the thought of such a heart-stealing maniac hiding in the shadows of Flower City.

Levi carefully examined the corpse.

The first corpse was an ordinary person whose heart was missing and whose body was shriveled up.

The second corpse belonged to a Formal Knight, who appeared to be a minor nobleman; similarly, his heart was missing.

"Even Formal Knight is no match for it; it could be Evil Spirit."

Levi's inner analysis.

But he had never seen Evil Spirit that attacked by tearing out the heart.

According to Levi's understanding, Evil Spirit spirits generally do not use physical attacks; they attack the soul directly.

For example, the Soul-Stealing Nun and the Water Nymph are both like this.

If it's a physical attack, then the Evil Spirit must be a physical entity; a spirit cannot launch a physical attack.

"Could it be that Evil Spirit have physical forms?" Levi wondered to himself.

"I understand. Continue to increase patrols and reconnaissance. The criminal may be a human, but disguised as some kind of monster by removing the heart, in order to deceive others. If you discover any potential enemies, do not take action, but report to me first."

Levi said.

In retrospect, it doesn't matter whether the murderer was human or not.

In short, an ordinary Knight should be no match for him.

"Yes, sir!"

The sheriff, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, retreated, panting.

Standing in front of the two-meter-tall lord, I had some difficulty breathing.

Levi closed the door.

He released Tutan.

Now, whenever he is unsure about something, he consults Tutan.

Tutan was, after all, a Wizard Apprentice.

His knowledge certainly far surpasses mine.

Tutan turned grave upon seeing the state of the dead body.

"If we rule out human murderers who play pranks, then the closest and most likely possibility for this kind of death is the work of the Blood Clan."

"Blood Clan? Aren't they Evil Spirit?" Levi asked.

"It shouldn't be Evil Spirit. The deceased's heart is missing, and all the blood in his body has been drained, leaving him looking like a Blood Clan. It should be a vampire. According to the wizard's research, Blood Clan have appeared in the human world for a long time, and they have never left. They come from the intersection of multiple planes in ancient times. They are monsters left behind in our world after creatures from certain planes invaded our world."

"You need to be careful. Blood Clan are not as easy to deal with as ordinary Evil Spirit or Snow Wraith. Evil Spirit are actually mutated creatures born from the combination of mortals with strong obsessions and the Demon Tide. Snow Wraith are mutated undead creatures that have been infected by Blue Frost. Although they possess some supernatural qualities, their strength is limited."

However, Blood Clan are different. Blood Clan are powerful beings from different planes. They are as powerful as in the legends. Moreover, unlike the Legendary Realm stories told by bards, Blood Clan are not afraid of silver, sunlight, or garlic. Although they do not like sunlight, they do not die when exposed to it as in the stories.

Even for Wizard Apprentice, Blood Clan are not easy to deal with, and powerful Blood Clan can be a headache even for Formal Wizard. My suggestion is to report this matter to the Church the Church have them send professionals to handle it.

Tutan said.

"The Church? Are we counting on them?"

Levi couldn't help but think of the Evil Spirit that had been wreaking havoc in Icewind City for half a year; the Church nowadays was just a bunch of rabble.

If they can't even handle a Dangerous Level Evil Spirit, let alone Blood Clan.

"Do you have any monster encyclopedias or similar books here? As Wizard Apprentice, monster knowledge should be a required course, otherwise how will you deal with monsters?" Levi Wei asked, seizing the opportunity.

He desperately needs something like that right now. He needs to brush up on his knowledge of monsters so that he can know his enemy and himself, and be more composed when facing these monsters that have resurfaced with the Demon Tide.

Within the Equivalent Exchange Pot, a thin booklet appeared.

"Knowledge is money, and monster manuals are quite valuable. After all, much of the knowledge about monsters comes from the unique research of wizards, who don't usually give it away easily. However, this one is relatively basic, containing information about common monsters. Based on the Principle of Equivalent Exchange, in exchange for a Knight's soul, this manual is yours," Tutan said nervously.

"No problem." Levi casually picked up a death row inmate from the dungeon and then exchanged the booklet with Tutan.

The Frankenstein Wizard's Monster Manual.

"Looks like you have quite a few good things here." Levi looked at Tutan with a half-smile.

Upon seeing Tutan, Tutankhamun immediately slipped back into the pot.

Levi shrugged, returned to the castle, and began his tutoring.

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