Chapter 26: The Duke’s Estate and a Shadowy Arrival

Is this the place then…?

The Dragonblood Steed halted before a truly magnificent mansion, its gilded gates bearing a prominent family crest that unequivocally marked it as the Duke’s estate.

The messenger dismounted with practiced ease, presenting the secret seal to the gatekeeper.

In mere moments, the guard hurried inside to report, the messenger following closely on their heels.

Having confirmed the coordinates were correct, Ye Xingchen glanced up at the crystal clock in the direction of the academy.

Traversing half the royal city in less than thirty minutes, the Dragonblood Steed’s speed truly lived up to its formidable reputation.

The Qimen Plate unfurled!

Ye Xingchen lightly tapped the ground with his toe, activating the Goddess of Taiyin and the Dumen of the Eight Gates—a technique for concealing his form!

A faint shimmer passed, and the young man’s figure vanished into thin air like an ink wash painting.

The Goddess of Taiyin was inherently a deity of protection and concealment, and Dumen was the gate most suited for evasion and stealth.

Their combined power not only erased his physical presence but also reduced his sense of existence to the absolute minimum, rendering him undetectable even to ordinary cultivators, let alone the common mages of this world.

Of course, Su Liyue was an exception, for she was, after all, his other self.

Even passing guards, whose gazes clearly swept over his position, found their pupils eerily losing focus, as if no one had ever been there.

“Space folding,” Ye Xingchen murmured.

He joined his fingers like a sword, slicing open a hair-thin rift in the space before him.

This technique was ten thousand times more refined than his previous, cruder spatial tearing, failing to trigger even the most sensitive spatial monitoring arrays.

With a single step, the inner courtyard of the Duke’s estate unfolded before him, a scene of sudden clarity.

He stood within the shadows of a fountain statue, the brightly lit main hall visible not far off.

Through the stained-glass windows, he could discern numerous figures moving within:

The messenger knelt on one knee, presenting the secret letter, prompting Duke Xiao, who had been seated, to suddenly shoot to his feet, a wine glass shattering on the marble floor.

In the deeper shadows, a mage wearing gold-rimmed glasses was sneering coldly.

Ye Xingchen stood atop the fountain statue in the center of the courtyard, gazing down upon the Duke’s estate, which was touted as one of the ‘Ten Grand Mansions of the Empire’.

A greenhouse with gilded edges, stables capable of housing twenty Dragonblood Steeds, and even a small magical training ground…

‘Is this all?’ Ye Xingchen mused. ‘Truly a miniature ducal residence. This dilapidated house, even with the entire courtyard, is still smaller than the Jade Pond Saintess’s bath. If she were to learn this is considered a grand mansion in this world, she’d likely find it too shabby even for washing her feet.’

Sensing the conversation within the room, Ye Xingchen knew the time was right.

He withdrew the Goddess of Taiyin, retaining only the Dumen of the Eight Gates, which allowed the others to vaguely sense his presence without being able to discern his true identity.

With a single step, Ye Xingchen appeared directly inside the room, casually settling into the chair at the very center of the main hall.

***

Duke Xiao, a member of the imperial family of the Aethelred Empire, held his hereditary title thanks to the merits of his ancestors.

Though he himself possessed only the strength of an Archmage, his imperial lineage granted him control over a portion of the political and military power.

In this world where magic reigned supreme, he understood that power alone could not endure; he had to cultivate true powerhouses for his family.

It was precisely for this reason that when he discovered his youngest son possessed astonishing magical talent, Duke Xiao felt as if he had found a priceless treasure.

Though his ‘rascal son’ was somewhat mischievous—children would be children, after all, and it was ultimately harmless—he calculated that if he could properly nurture his son, he might use this to solidify his family’s standing.

After all, in this cutthroat world of magic where the strong preyed on the weak, a noble title without substantial power to back it was ultimately a castle in the air, destined not to last.

On this day, his estate welcomed an esteemed guest: the Imperial Saint Archmage.

This being, comparable to a strategic weapon, was someone Duke Xiao had gone to great lengths to invite.

It was well known that while Saint Archmages received national courtesies, they were not beholden to any power within the nation.

If he could forge a good relationship with such a figure, it would undoubtedly be an immense boon to the Xiao family.

What Duke Xiao anticipated even more was the possibility of persuading the Saint Archmage to take his ‘academy genius’ son as a disciple…

At this thought, the wrinkles on his face smoothed out slightly.

Duke Xiao continued to swirl the contents of his cup.

As an imperial relative, he knew better than anyone that in this world where strength reigned supreme, power was like a throne on ice; without matching strength to support it, it would ultimately totter and become utterly worthless.

“Lord Saint Archmage,” he began.

He plastered on a fawning smile, pushing a precious Ninth-Tier Magic Crystal toward the white-haired elder across from him.

After all, only a treasure of this caliber would be enough to impress a master of the Saint Archmage’s standing.

“My humble son is quite promising at Starfall Academy, you see…”

This elder was none other than ‘Frostflame’ Leander, one of the three Saint Archmages mentioned throughout the Aethelred Empire, who was at that moment nonchalantly toying with the magic crystal.

Just then.

“Report—!”

A guard stumbled into the hall, dropping heavily onto one knee.

“The Young Master has been gravely injured at the academy! This is a secret report that just arrived; please, Your Grace, take a look.”

Upon hearing this news, Duke Xiao, seized by urgency, snatched the secret report, his eyes rapidly scanning its contents as he abruptly stood.

Then came the sound of a crystal wine glass slipping from his grasp, shattering on the marble floor and spreading a crimson stain.

“Nonsense!” he roared. “A mere magic apprentice with no elemental affinity?! And a complete academic failure at that?!”

Veins pulsed angrily on his forehead, and his voice was so charged with fury that he wished it could shake the very hall, making everyone feel his rage.

“How dare someone lay a hand on the heir of my Xiao family? I will make them wish they were dead!”

With a crisp ‘crack,’ the magic crystal in Leander’s hand suddenly disintegrated into dust.

Beneath the Saint Archmage’s ashen brows, icy blue flames began to subtly ignite within his pupils.

“Interesting,” he drawled. “An elemental-less magic apprentice, capable of injuring a high-ranking probationary mage?”

Just as Duke Xiao was about to roar out his commands, a strange peal of laughter suddenly pierced the heavy air from an unknown source.

“Heheheh…”

The chilling laughter seemed to emanate from all directions, even causing the suspended crystal chandeliers to emit a precarious jingle.

“I have long heard of Duke Xiao’s great name,” the voice echoed, “and came especially to see for myself. It appears your reputation is well-deserved!”

“Who!?” Duke Xiao’s scepter clattered to the floor with a loud clang as he frantically searched for the source of the voice, his gaze darting around.

Finally, his eyes landed abruptly on the main seat in the hall.

There, at some unknown moment, a blurry figure had appeared, completely unnoticed even by the Saint Archmage beside him.

The figure seemed veiled by a warped spatial curtain, its reality and illusion indistinguishable, filling observers with an unsettling sense of eeriness.

“Space folding?!” Leander’s staff vibrated wildly, and seven layers of shields erupted instantly around him, yet cold sweat had already drenched his robes.

He was a Saint Archmage! How could someone have infiltrated his barrier without his slightest detection?

A figure with such terrifying power—could it be… a Forbidden Mage from the Continental Magic Association?!

Yet, the Aethelred Empire had heard no rumors of any Forbidden Mages appearing recently.

Moreover, once mages reached that level of existence, their every action was closely monitored by the Magic Association, for no one could predict when they might do something outrageous.

It was even more unthinkable for a powerful individual to suddenly appear here, completely silently and unannounced.

Observing Leander’s tense demeanor, Duke Xiao’s pupils also constricted sharply, his expression shifting between shades of apprehension.

A being capable of making a Saint Archmage lose his composure to such an extent… this person’s background likely far exceeded his imagination!

The shadowy figure casually ran a hand over the recently shattered glass fragments, which, like tamed elemental spirits, gently whirled in his palm.

He let out a low chuckle, his voice imbued with a bone-chilling coldness:

“Indeed, the saying ‘like father, like son’ rings true… And the Xiao family’s hospitality, to use an entire commercial street as a betrothal gift, hoping to forcefully marry off this venerable one’s precious disciple?”

Before the words had even fully faded.

A resounding “CRACK—!” echoed through the hall!

All metal objects in the great hall suddenly began to twist and deform.

Even more terrifyingly, Duke Xiao’s Lionheart Armor, a three-hundred-year-old heirloom capable of withstanding a Saint Archmage’s attack without fatal damage, instantly exploded into countless fragments.

The family crest on its breastplate seemed to be crushed into powder by an unseen force, scattering like fine dust.