Shang walked towards the border, and the gate opened without anyone questioning him.
As soon as he stepped past the gate, Shang saw several warriors walk over to him while the Mages threw careful glances at him.
Obviously, they felt the threat Shang posed, and they were a bit taken aback that a warrior could give off such a strong pressure.
"Welcome back!" a Late Commander Stage warrior shouted with a laugh.
"I'm home," Shang said with an unchanging expression.
When the warriors saw how dull and emotionless Shang said these words, they lifted an eyebrow in confusion.
Most warriors would have a get-together with the border guards and tell their stories, but Shang obviously didn't seem to be in the mood.
Wasn't he happy being back in the Skythunder Kingdom?
"Everything alright?" the strongest warrior asked with concern.
Shang took a deep breath.
He was glad to be home, but the feelings weren't as strong as he had imagined them to be.
He felt more relief than happiness.
It was like he had finally finished a tiresome task.
He didn't feel any kind of achievement or happiness for a task well done.
"It's been too long," Shang said. "I've been gone for over ten years."
The jaws of several warriors dropped when they heard that.
Ten years at the frontlines of the Spirit Spring Kingdom?!
It was a miracle that Shang was even still alive!
No wonder he looked so tired!
"But it's finally over, right?" the leader asked.
Shang nodded. "It is."
"Was it worth it?" the leader asked, obviously referring to the powerful feeling of pressure Shang gave off.
The leader had to keep his shock in check since he felt like he would be helpless in front of Shang.
Being at the front for ten years had obviously done wonders for Shang's strength.
Shang thought about his journey and what he had learned.
He had learned how to strengthen his body.
He had trained his Affinity.
He had spent five years training with Teacher Mervin.
His power was absolutely incomparable to the time he had left the Skythunder Kingdom.
"Yes, it was worth it," Shang answered.
The leader smiled when he heard that. "Glad to hear! You obviously want to get home. So, we won't keep you any longer."
Shang nodded. "Thanks."
"Where do you need to go? A couple of things have changed in the last decade."
Shang threw a glance at the warrior, but he felt no ill intentions coming from him.
"Storm Eagle Zone," Shang said.
At that moment, the mood in the atmosphere shifted, and Shang slightly narrowed his eyes when he felt the shift.
Something had happened.
The warriors appeared more taciturn and careful, and Shang could even see some pity in their eyes.
"I take it something has changed there?" Shang asked.
The leader nodded. "A bit less than ten years ago, some kind of procedure that allowed warriors to have incredibly powerful bodies was unveiled."
After that, the leader narrated the specifics of the Procedure, which Shang was very familiar with. However, Shang didn't interrupt him and let him talk.
"After the Bloodline Infusion became public knowledge, things quickly started to change in the south of the Kingdom."
"Countless warriors underwent the Bloodline Infusion."
"For the first two years, there weren't any problems, but after those two years, the Mages started to protest against the Bloodline Infusion."
"The warriors that had undergone the Bloodline Infusion have shown incredible Battle-Strength, and the Mages felt threatened. For now, only General Stage warriors were dangerous to the Adepts, but what when those same warriors reach the Commander Stage? What when they reach the True Path Stage?"
Shang only nodded. He could imagine that the Mages felt threatened.
"Things only got worse over the next couple of years. More and more warriors that had undergone the Bloodline Infusion began to die or vanish mysteriously."
When Shang heard that, his right eye narrowed, and a cold light appeared in it.
"As more warriors died, more of them decided against undergoing the Bloodline Infusion. After all, only the warriors that had undergone the Bloodline Infusion vanished. Nothing had changed for the normal ones."
"At the same time, several political setbacks have cost Duke Whirlwind the Ice Wyvern Zone and the Empress Cobra Zone."
Shang didn't react as he heard these words.
At that moment, the leader snorted. "It's obvious for everyone to see that the Council has a problem with the Bloodline Infusion, and they are working in secret to get Duke Whirlwind to abdicate his position."
"Every time a small incident happens in the Storm Eagle Zone, they blow it up beyond proportion and frame it like it's because of Duke Whirlwind's mismanagement."
"Over half his Mages have already left his territory to join other Dukes, and the remaining Mages try to dissuade Duke Whirlwind from further investing in the Bloodline Infusion. After all, when the Bloodline Infusion stops, the other Mages won't care anymore."
After he said that, the leader went quiet.
"Is it fear or arrogance?" Shang asked.
The warriors looked at each other. Then, they glanced at the Mages on the walls.
Surprisingly, the Mages only sighed and showed that they didn't really care.
One had to remember that the Mages were not one collective hivemind. Every Mage was an individual, and they all had different beliefs.
The Mages stationed here had worked closely with the warriors for years, and they didn't see them as beneath them or something like that.
They also thought that these actions of suppressing the warriors were stupid.
Warriors were part of the Skythunder Kingdom, and by increasing the power of the warriors, the Skythunder Kingdom would increase in power.
"They think it's arrogance, but we think it's fear," the leader said. "The Mages still have Mana Tranquility, which still gives them an edge, but the introduction of the Bloodline Infusion shows a trajectory upward for warriors."
"It is like a distant beast that had suddenly closed half the distance to you."
"If it managed to close half the distance, there's a possibility that it might close the other half too."
Shang crossed his arms and looked coldly forward, towards the southwest.
"What about the Dean of the warrior's academy?" he asked.
"The Council is trying to send him to the frontlines bordering the Magic Purity Kingdom, but Duke Whirlwind is refusing to let him go… for good reason," the leader said.
Shang nodded. "Thank you for the info," Shang said.
The leader nodded with a concerned look. "Be careful when you return. I presume that some Mages are responsible for the disappearances of the warriors."
Shang's right eye only narrowed even further.
Then, Shang stepped forward and walked away from the border.
The warriors only watched Shang leave with concern in their eyes.
Shang was obviously powerful, and they didn't want him to die.
"You don't need to worry for him."
The leader turned around as he heard one of the Mages say something.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
The Mage only watched Shang's leaving back.
"He is more powerful than you think."
The leader was quite surprised when he heard that. He was a Late Commander Stage warrior, but the Mage that had spoken was an Early True Mage.
The Early True Mage was quite a bit more powerful than the Late Commander Stage warrior.
"I have the feeling that I wouldn't be able to resist if he were to attack me," the Early True Mage said.
"And I'm pretty certain a Mid True Mage won't feel any different."
The warriors only looked with shock at the Mage.
Then, they looked at Shang, who was still walking away.
"Pity on the fool that attacks him," the Mage said.
In the distance, Shang only looked forward with a cold expression.
'You're afraid that the beast has already closed half the distance?'
'Unfortunately, the beast is already right in front of you!'
