Release William

"Another new undead!"

Gu Sheng looked at the roaring creature before him. Feeling its aura rapidly break through to the Fourth Star Level, he couldn’t help marveling at the power of Perfect Blood.

The creature before him was lean and muscular, with the appearance of a Wolf Ghost, but it had bat wings growing from its back. It was as if it had combined the strengths of the Wolf Ghost and the bat monster into one new creature.

"Roar~~"

Gu Sheng temporarily dubbed the creature a Bat-Wolf. It roared at him, a trace of madness flashing in its eyes, then charged at him with its body tensed.

"Even though your animal instincts have taken the upper hand, you still haven’t forgotten your grudge against me?"

A strange emotion flashed through Gu Sheng’s eyes. He reached out, seized the Bat-Wolf by the forehead, and slammed it to the ground.

"Bang~"

The entire room seemed to tremble. Gu Sheng’s palm vibrated at a special frequency, and under his movements, the struggling Bat-Wolf gradually calmed down. A trace of clarity returned to its eyes.

"Since you’ve regained your senses, change back into human form!"

Gu Sheng released his right hand and spoke to him.

"Cough, cough~~"

After a series of changes, the man Gu Sheng had named Bat-Wolf transformed back into a naked man in a thoroughly unscientific manner. Clutching his neck, he coughed nonstop. Although Gu Sheng had struck him on the forehead, his fragile neck was what hurt the most.

"Lord Victor, would you like to become stronger?"

Gu Sheng glanced at the man, then turned and spoke to Victor again. The Three Elders of the Blood Clan had reached a consensus: Victor would remain regent for this century, so the Blood Clan’s decision-making authority still rested with him.

"You want to make a move against Alexander."

Victor looked hesitant. As someone who craved power, he was also deeply afraid of death. Alexander’s strength could be seen from his eldest son, Marcus Corvinus.

He and Amelia had completed the same Hybrid transformation as Marcus, but the difference in their auras was obvious. Victor and Amelia were still somewhere between the Third Star Level and the Fourth Star Level, while Marcus was firmly at the Fourth Star Level.

They had both undergone the same Hybrid ascension, yet their strength had changed so drastically. Or rather, as the Corvinus descendant closest to Alexander, Marcus had potential second only to Alexander. In the original timeline, he had been killed purely because of the protagonist’s plot armor.

Gu Sheng shrugged. "Although you’re no longer afraid of sunlight, it still affects you. Under the scorching midday sun, you’ll become drowsy. That gives you another weakness, neither major nor minor.

"I don’t think any of you want to keep it, do you?"

"Your plan?"

After pondering for a moment, Victor still decided to cooperate with Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng was simply too powerful. He had subdued an undead monster clearly stronger than Victor, an elder, with a single move. This showed that Gu Sheng’s strength exceeded Victor’s estimates by far.

Gu Sheng seemed easygoing, but how could the cunning old fox Victor fail to see his true nature? He was domineering to the extreme and could not tolerate defiance.

Victor didn’t want to lower his head, but circumstances were stronger than people. William’s matter had caused resentment between Marcus and him, while Amelia was merely an alliance of convenience, and someone who could always betray him.

Lucian and his daughter Sonia now trusted that fellow on the other side more than him, so they couldn’t be relied upon either. As for relying on the army, he had abandoned that idea after becoming a Hybrid.

He was now close to the Fourth Star Level. Perhaps he only needed to undergo another slumber and awakening to reach it. But precisely because he was so close to the Fourth Star Level, he could sense how terrifying that level was. It was simply not something an ordinary army could deal with.

The Blood Clan army had obvious weaknesses. Their enemies only needed to tear off the roof during the day, and they would be helpless. As for the Werewolves, Victor had never trusted that group of slaves.

"Alexander has always been watching the struggle between William’s and Marcus’s Blood Clan descendants. Aside from using his own power to confine the struggle within a certain range, he hasn’t paid it any further attention."

Gu Sheng’s words made Marcus unconsciously clench his fists. This was why he resented Alexander: Alexander could clearly have stopped his younger brother William, yet he had done nothing and simply watched.

"However, he has always been watching the battle between the Blood Clan’s Mad Wolf and the others. If the intensity escalates, he won’t stand by and do nothing."

Gu Sheng said confidently, "As long as he senses that the situation might spiral out of control, he may instead come out and meet us of his own accord.

"For example, by releasing William!"

"Release William!"

Victor’s expression shifted repeatedly. He had never intended to release that beast.

"Victor, Master, please!"

Marcus immediately dropped to one knee and bowed his head to Victor.

"All right!"

Victor noticed the uncertainty in Amelia’s eyes from the corner of his vision, and his heart jolted. If he refused, he would offend both Will (Gu Sheng) and Marcus. That deeply calculating woman might join forces with them and use the opportunity to overthrow his rule.

"Excellent! Sonia! The key!"

Gu Sheng beckoned to Sonia. She hurriedly removed the necklace from around her neck, and Gu Sheng tossed it to Victor. Victor took out the other half from his own person.

"Click~~"

After a series of interlocking sounds, the two halves of the necklace joined together and became a special key.

"Marcus!"

Victor handed the key to Marcus. He knew exactly how to win people over.

"Thank you, my master!"

Marcus accepted it with both hands, utterly humble. His gaze toward Victor also softened considerably.

Amidst raging winds and heavy snow, an ancient castle stood out sharply atop a snow-covered peak. The entire castle was pure white beneath the thick snow, resembling a sacred realm. If a few sections of its walls hadn’t remained partially uncovered, it might have been impossible to recognize its original appearance.

On the ice field below the peak, a line of tiny black dots gradually grew larger. In this frozen, snowbound environment, people were actually making their way here.

"The castle is just ahead. When it was built, it was summer, and we could barely walk through here with ease. But the wind and snow are too heavy now, and the road has been buried. Even I can’t recognize the way anymore."

At the foot of the snow-covered peak, the group stopped. Victor pointed toward the castle and explained it to the others. This area was now buried beneath an unknown amount of ice and snow. If they recklessly charged ahead and accidentally fell into a snow pit, they would be in serious trouble.

"Mark, it’s your turn!"

Gu Sheng ordered Mark, the respectfully obedient Bat-Wolf beside him. He had completely subdued the creature, and it now listened only to him.

"Yes~ Roar~"

Mark roared and transformed into a Bat-Wolf. He repeatedly charged straight ahead, breaking through a snowy path. When he encountered snow pits along the way, he simply flew over them and continued forward. Before long, the road to the castle had been cleared.