Rivers of the Night-Chapter 263: Congratulations

Theron looked around much like everyone else, showing off the same hints of surprise that he should, but inwardly, he already knew that this would happen.

The Blood Crystals were a bonus. It was the aftereffects that both parties were either trying everything in their power to stop, or everything in their power to accelerate.

In the end, the Thistles might have lost out on the opportunity to explosively increase their bloodline potential, but the core of what they needed to happen still had.

Only Theron knew just how much they lost this time, though.

That Blood Crystal Vein… it was deeper than anyone could have imagined, so deep that it didn't quite make sense.

Sure, it could be said that it just took a very long time to accumulate. But it would have also required the deaths of many exceptionally powerful Mana Beasts. So…

Why would so many powerful Mana Beasts be here in the first place?

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That was a question Theron didn't have the answer to, but he had a feeling that General Pennel had an inkling—or he wouldn't have bought the Water Mancer Beast story so wholly and fully without pushback.

Theron was at the point now where he didn't even need a full scope of understanding to use little tidbits of deductions in his schemes. So long as it worked, then it worked.

What else was there to consider?

"It doesn't seem like we can leave anymore, General," Theron said softly.

The Pennel Clan Patriarch narrowed his eyes. He understood what Theron meant, but he looked at the child with a shocked look in his eyes nonetheless.

"How did you know they were here?"

"Your actions all this time have been very odd. Your choices seem a bit clumsy. It's almost as though you're being like that on purpose to try and catch someone off guard. At first, I thought it was the spies from an enemy nation, but after I felt this Wood Mana, it became obvious… the Thistles are here."

The sound of clapping resonated from on high.

Dean Thistle had appeared in a tree canopy above, twisting into being from an array of vines, branches, and flowers as though he was nothing more than a clone.

But Theron was at the point now that he could see the things Dean Thistle did quite clearly.

This was most definitely the Thistle Marquis' real body, and as for his cultivation…

Seventh Resonance of Gold Mancy.

This stage seemed to be a huge demarcating line for the Nightingale Empire. Every step forward in Gold Mancy was enormous, but every leap across watershed realms—from low-tier to mid-tier, and then from mid-tier to high-tier—might as well have been a completely new Realm of Mancy.

Not only did each leap come with new abilities, but the gap between them was far more substantial than the gap between Silver Mancy and First Resonance of Gold Mancy.

In fact, facing off against Marquis Thistle now, it was more accurate to say that Theron was a full three cultivation Realms behind than to say just one.

"You've always been quite smart, boy. I didn't expect you to make it so far. You've exceeded my expectations."

With one flash after another, the Thistles appeared, displaying such a careless disregard for their Mana usage that it made the other geniuses feel on edge.

They had only just been in a long, protracted battle. They shouldn't have even fully recovered yet. The only reason they could use their Mana so recklessly was because the concentration of Wood Mana in the air had suddenly become so thick that they only needed to circulate a fraction of the Mana in their Cores as compared to before to produce the same effects.

The advantage was striking.

Theron looked up to meet the Thistle Marquis' gaze, still sitting on the Alpha's back with a calmness in his eyes before he smiled.

"I guess congratulations are in order."

"Why thank you."

"You haven't asked me what I'm congratulating you for."

"Oh?" A dangerous smile spread across the Thistle's lips. "And what would that be?"

"You actually brought so many of your heirs here to die. I'm congratulating you on living long enough to become senile with old age."

A harsh, cold wind swept through the battlefield. The brashness of Theron's words echoed in pulsing waves that rode along its back.