"There!"
Cyntilla ducked as blue flas tried to incinerate her.
She heard a slap followed by so yelling not to kill her, only maim her.
She smirked that they felt so threatened by her that they forgot they were capturing her.
It had been a week since the storm.
For 3 blissful days, she had no one following her and she even had ti to resupply at a village of mortals.
A demon was not uncommon in the Dread Desert so they made no comnt about her arrival or departure.
It was when she went to get information that she got caught.
Trynith must have finally convinced them to do so as the fools had not once tagged any inquiries before then.
Not long after, demons arrived with the symbol of the Blood Empire on their cloaks.
Mortals would not get in their way at all and she was forced to run.
It had been 2 days of trying to lose them only to find other parties were closing in.
Her luck may have finally run out.
The sensation in her mark had stopped 2 days ago as well which made her heart throb in worry.
Did the demons find him?
Were they torturing him?
She might feel it but they could block it as well.
Her worry made her make a mistake.
She had entered a small area of protruding rocks that beca a dead end rather than a passage.
She instantly knew she had been corralled there but it was too late.
Now she fought with all she had.
Several of the demons were weaker than her, which allowed her to break the encirclent, but still they were too close to escape.
The desert had few places to hide!
She had pulled out her short swords and beco a whirlwind of death for any that ca close.
Demonic blood ran on the dunes and thus they had just tried to kill her instead of capture.
The small fight bought her so ti as she kept running and hopped over a tall dune to avoid further attacks.
On the other side, sadly, she saw a very familiar face smiling at her.
"My daughter, you cannot run from
anymore!"
Trynith stood next to a massive demon who seed to look at her in approval.
It felt disgusting.
She did not find him ugly but he was the sa as her father.
An object to be obtained and used as he saw fit.
Her rage ignited and she sent out poison darts.
Her father looked in scorn as he easily blocked them with his sword.
He made to advance but was held back by the larger demon.
Much like her, he was at the peak of the Iron Tier so he must be important for her father to bow to him so ekly.
"You are impressive, Princess Cyntilla."
She saw him pull out a massive war hamr from his storage treasure.
"I have been evaluating your tactics over the years and I must admit you are fearless and terrifying as an enemy.
You are worthy to be my bride!"
All the tension suddenly drained from her body.
Cyntilla could not contain it as laughter bubbled up from inside her and all froze.
Had she gone mad?
Had Creel been able to subdue her on sight?
This fearso warrior that had terrorized their interests for 6 years was that easily defeated?
"What is your na?"
Cyntilla finally got her emotions under control as she stood up and assud her battle stance.
He looked at her closely but only nodded at what he saw.
"I am Creel Darkstar.
I am the heir of Duke Krieg of the mighty Blood Empire!"
Such an audacious na.
No doubt that was chosen to be pretentious or simply arrogant.
Cyntilla was not sure which was worse.
"I am no princess.
My clan broke their oaths and betrayed our honor.
The Fang Clan is dead.
I am just a rogue cultivator now."
Creel frowned but found it difficult to refute her words.
Regardless, his dim gold eyes narrowed at her.
"I do not care.
You are mine.
You will submit or be made to submit."
Cyntilla now narrowed her virulent green eyes at him.
He was not stupid.
He was trying to rile her up to make a mistake but he also ant every word.
She hated this kind of demon the most.
They were arrogant but had the skill to back it up.
The desert was not a good place for them to fight and she had no idea of his elents.
Based on the warhamr she was betting tal was one of them.
Cyntilla moved slowly and noticed the other demons only encircled them though a few stared harshly at her.
"This is a subjugation.
No one is to interfere."
Cyntilla felt her blood boil to hear this man assu he would subdue her.
The humor in the situation made her giggle so more which made all confused but Trynith began to panic.
"I thought even the Blood Empire had so honor, but it would seem you do not even acknowledge my rights."
Creel froze but then looked confused.
He glanced at Trynith as saw the man was carefully blanking his face.
Why?
He turned back but saw Cyntilla had not moved.
"What do you an?"
Cyntilla let her peak Iron Tier aura and a mark on her right cheek blazed to life for all to see.
"You worthless daughter!
You offered yourself to soone else?!"
Cyntilla laughed at Trynith's outburst but then nearly doubled over as Creel hit her with his hamr.
It was not a lethal blow but her ribs cracked.
"It would seem you are not what I thought.
Instead I will kill you to simply affirm our authority in the Dread Desert.
You must have never loved that human after all."
Cyntilla's aura exploded as she leapt back up.
Her armor was cracked and falling apart but it had done the job.
Her swords blurred like death incarnate as Creel suddenly had to back off or he would lose at least one of his limbs.
She was not flailing.
It was an expert use of dual wielding and each blade was coated in poison and acid from her Qi.
The clang of tal on tal rang out but she could not breach his defenses.
His confusion was clear on his face.
He had not ant it to goad her, but as his honest disgust with her but that reaction told him Trynith was wrong.
It was not a new mark.
If it was not an new mark then that ant…Lind Frey was alive!
"He is alive!
That man is alive!"
Creel yelled and Trynith's anger flared even higher.
It could not be true.
He could never accept that ant still being alive.
Suddenly, clouds gathered above their heads but it was not a tribulation.
It was soone commanding the elents.
A World Realm was there!
They only just started to look when the world went white.
It was not just one, but a storm of lightning that pounded into each demon encircling the fight.
They were all laid out and stunned but no one was dead.
Creel froze as Trynith felt his rage blaze.
He had been struck as well but it only stung him and no more.
Still, the fact he felt pain from a weaker being was an insult.
"I would very much like it if you stepped away from my wife."
A voice spoke out as the air parted to reveal a young man.
He had dark green eyes, dirty blonde hair, and crimson robes.
A platinum dal design had been woven into the robes next to a silver one.
"Grade 4 master!"
Creel's words froze everyone.
Although it was cloth, it was how production masters coming to the Dread Desert displayed their badge.
The only way to have such a pattern was with approval of a powerful sect or guild before coming to Rith.
"Lind."
Cyntilla felt her heart race as tears filled her eyes.
She had missed him.
He looked more powerful and she suddenly realized he was also in the World Realm.
The Stone Tier if she was to guess.
"I have been offered her hand in marriage per her father's decree.
While you are marked, you are not a demon.
You must win her."
Creel's words put a cold bucket of water on their reunion but Lind only frowned.
"You should know what I can do.
Although this place is not ideal, you have expended quite a bit of Qi.
If you really want to challenge , we can fight but Cyntilla decides her own fate."
Her chest shook.
He had not changed.
She had worried the harsh world of cultivation would turn him into the selfish bastard so many of them beca, but he was still the Lind she rembered.
"That is not our way.
Fight
and we will decide who she belongs to."
Creel readied his war hamr.
Even with part of his Qi lost and unable to recover, he was still a full tier above Lind.
A tired sigh escaped Lind and he seed almost bored.
Then a small smile crossed his face.
"Say Cyntilla, do you rember what happened the last ti this happened?"
She paused but then recalled what had just occurred to the encirclent.
He brought down lightning from the Heavens!
"Ha!
You think simple lightning will affect an Iron Tier!
You are naive!"
Lind just smiled as the feeling in the air changed once more.
It was Stone Tier quality Qi but the power, the power was the sa as them!
"You should really prepare yourself."
Lind did not seem threatened at all when suddenly her father appeared next to him.
"DIE!"
Cyntilla felt her heart in her throat and Creel looked suprely displeased but there was nothing they could do.
However, the horrible results never ca as the sword seed to just pass through Lind like a mirage.
"Honestly, you tried to kill
8 years ago, did you really think I was stupid enough to stand here in the open?"
Lind looked in pity at Trynith as the world suddenly went white.
Buzzing filled Cyntilla's ears as her vision slowly returned.
When it did, she was stunned.
Creel stood shocked next to her as the air wavered once more and 2 people appeared.
They were in pale yellow robes but Lind was looking at her smiling as he walked right past the corpse of her father.
The other person paused but then ca after Lind until he was standing in front of her once more.
"Sorry for the mirage but I had no doubt he would try to kill .
Annabelle is really good at illusions.
Also, sorry for being late."
Lind looked sheepish and worried but Cyntilla pulled him into a kiss.
She was free!
Her mother was free!
All her worries were gone in a single mont!
"By the spirits, finally.
Now I can get a kiss too, Lind?"
A lodious voice interrupted Cyntilla's joy as Lind froze in her arms.
He looked hurt at the now revealed aether child smiling at them.
She was also at peak Iron Tier but Creel suddenly looked floored.
"The Mistress of Illusions!"
That title was well known to even Cyntilla.
The Heavenly Maiden Sect had suddenly gained a monstrous talent in illusions that made it nearly impossible to find hidden bases or used to spirit away prisoners from impregnable fortresses.
The Dread Desert had been a major problem for all great powers but an aether child, as in so many things, did much better here than others.
The snakes, however, loved them as food.
So it was a bit of a wash in benefits.
Even so, she had heard of missions led by the Mistress of Illusions where so believed they were besieged or that Sky Realms had sohow co to invade.
"Annabelle, I promised we would all talk.
Cyntilla is my priority but, um, she kind of skipped the talking part."
Now Lind looked really sheepish as Cyntilla realized she was still holding him close.
She blushed deeply as Annabelle giggled.
"I trust there is no need to continue?"
Lind's voice changed.
It beca serious but Creel only glanced at Trynith and bowed.
If Lind could kill a Gold Tier, a peak Iron Tier was nothing.
Creel swiftly retreated and a few of his n helped gather the rest so they could move out.
Cyntilla glanced at Trynith's corpse but had no desire to ever see him again.
She was about to talk to Lind when he waved to Annabelle who flared her aura once more to reveal a humanoid ripple near her father.
"I did not intend for him to die that easily.
Care to explain?"
Cyntilla was shocked as a person appeared once more but she had felt nothing.
The person was covered in black leathers and cloth but made no sound at all.
"How long did you know I was here?"
The voice was neither man or woman but Lind only pointed up at the sky where clouds were still dispersing.
"I know my Qi very well, so when soone interferes, I feel it instantly.
You are not a demon but used my attack as a cover.
I have no interest in who you are but why you killed him."
There was a pause then a jade slip was tossed over.
Cyntilla was stunned as the slip would wear out quickly in the desert.
Lind sunk his sense into it, frowned but then tossed it back.
"Very well.
Tell them I appreciate the help then but I owe them nothing."
The figure bowed and seed to fade into the very air.
Her father's body also disappeared.
"Who was that?"
Annabelle asked the question but Lind looked unsure if he should answer.
Cyntilla suddenly knew.
"The Assassins."
Her 2 words silenced the group but they could not stay in the desert forever.
They began to head east and find shelter for the night.
The awkward atmosphere made them uncomfortable but hopefully words would make it go away.
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