Rivers of the Night
Chapter 438: Flaw

Chapter 438: Flaw

Death and destruction.

Theron hadn’t known how power an Arcane Resonance was before he stepped foot into this battle. But the moment he felt the roots streaking through the air, he knew that a Thistle would stand no chance against him.

It felt like he could control all the Water Mana for dozens of kilometers with ease. It wasn’t that his Third Eye’s range had become wider, but instead that its load for completing the same tasks had significantly weakened.

Even Water Mana trapped in another form wasn’t above being snatched away by him.

Maybe if the Thistles had a stronger Bloodline Resonance, they would be able to to fight back…

But they didn’t.

They fell in batches of dozens, and Theron didn’t even cast a single spell. He wielded the Water Mana like he was doing party tricks, his thoughts moving as smoothly as his kills.

Anyone he wanted dead would fall. There would be no other chance, no hope to reverse.

He spoke, so it happened.

Theron exhaled an icy breath, the air around him crackling as his hair only became more and more white. Just from his presence alone, the flames constantly licking at Malaya’s feet were extinguished. The Water Mana content in the air had become so high Fire Mana didn’t have any room to exist at all.

Dean Thistle was in a complete panic, trying to stir the Wood Mana in his Core again and again, but though he suceeded, the Wood Mana in the air wasn’t listening at all.

It was like the high concentration of Wood Mana that the Nightingale Empire was benefiting from had instead become a feast for Theron.

The Thistles had already suffered a great loss after Theron killed Lani and Surgen Thistle, Sigil’s cousins. But he had only done that for the sake of striking internal conflict in the family.

Considering Theron hadn’t seen a single sign of Dean Thistle’s brothers, this had obviously worked. The former Dean was probably infuriated by the fact he ahd to kill even more pillars of his family just to keep things stable.

Everything had been going to well, so perfect before Theron showed up. Their plans had moved so smoothly…

Until they suddenly didn’t anymore.

And it was all his fault.

All his fault.

Dean Thistle roared. He gave up on trying to control ambient Mana. Ultiamtely, he was a high-tier Gold Mancer and Theron was just a little Quasi Gold Mancer. The gap in their physical prowess was beyond what Theron could fathom.

He could defeat him even without Mana.

BANG!

Dean Thistle shot forward, weaving through the avalache of flying icy blades to close in the distance. A savage grin spread through his face as he slipped through.

What Theron was doing now seemed impressive, but it was too taxing. His mind could be easily distracted if he was controlling so many things at once. So long as he got close—.

Chi.

Dean Thistle froze.

He didn’t even see Ironvale’s sword move. It became nothing more than a black blur in his memory, trapped in his subconscious because his active mind was too slow to pick it up at all.

He felt pain erupt down his shoulder, and then through his collarbone, and then further through his heart.

His heart… was he supposed to be able to feel pain from there?

Collapsing, he felt to his knees, the upper half of his body sliding down diagonally across before splattering to the ground.

“I also killed your younger son, Yonowai.” Theron said calmly.

Dean Thistle’s eyes erupted with fury.

Yonowai… his son… Theron had killed his son… and then he made him think that it was some useless Luminescent Sect Outer Disciple.

If his heart hadn’t already been cut in two, he would have only exploded it once again.

Words couldn’t describe the level of unbridled fury in his heart right now. He had never experienced such pain in his life.

All the while, Theron didn’t even look toward him again, his absolute slaughter of the Thistle so unbridled and savage maybe in another generation from now…

This would be the new location of a Blood Crystal deposit…

Theron walked forward slowly, his icy wood blades still reaping lives as his swords were aimed just barely to the ground. His steps were steady as he walked toward Malaya whose gaze was still fixed on her father’s head.

She wasn’t crying. Her tears seemed to have long dried up. She hardly had anything left to give.

Theron could tell that she had actually made it to mid-tier of Silver Resonance. That was quite fast considering one of the last times they spoke in depth about anything was about what choice she should make for her Echo.

Now, however, considering the state of her heart, it would be hard to fathom a time where she could ever make it any higher in her cultivation.

Theron looked down at the remains of the bonfire that had only just been extinguished. He could sense the formation here in an instant.

It wasn’t hard to guess what they wanted to happen. This was probably their last ditched plot, a plan to kill him if everything else failed and he ended up being stronger than they all expected.

Quite funny. This sort of meticulous planning was most definitely not from the Thistles. They were far too incompetent. Probably the second person up above, there.

The Nightingales?

This formation was swirling with Laws more powerful than Theron had seen in one place. With a single wrong move, they would implode, taking Theron and Malaya both.

However, they had a flaw.

Chi.

A scythe of Water Mana cut the pillar Malaya hung from.

She tumbled down from it, landing in the bonfire, but she was neither burned, nor did the formation activate.

From the very start, Malaya had been inside. From what Theron could see, this formation wouldn’t activate until there was a second person detected.

All Malaya had to do was walk out.

However… she seemed almost completely unresponsive until she said something in a voice so soft even Theron almost missed it.