Return of the Mythic Bloodline-Chapter 306: Increasing tensions

Voltrex’s casual remark stunned every cultivator of the empire. Even the Emperor himself was taken aback. For thousands of years, the Azure Sun Empire had ruled over the entire Western Continent. Every sect, nation, and great family had bent their knee to the Emperor—a testament to the overwhelming power the empire possessed.

The only territory that even the First Emperor, who had founded the empire, could not conquer—or rather, did not even dare to offend—was the Hundred Sky Mountains. Defying the common laws of the world, these mountains floated in the sky, a breathtaking spectacle every cultivator wished to witness at least once in their lifetime. Although the mountains did not even possess one percent of the vast army commanded by the Azure Sun Empire, the Hundred Sky Mountains had still remained an independent territory within the empire’s boundaries.

And now, the prince of that very territory had the prince of the mighty Azure Sun Empire pinned on the floor, while King Voltrex himself refused to order his son to release him.

This was not merely a humiliation of the imperial family, it was an utter insult to the entire Azure Sun Empire.

The royal knights could no longer restrain themselves and rushed toward Taranis to protect their prince. However, before they could even reach halfway, the Thunderbanes had already surrounded them, their sharp gazes daring the knights to take another step.

Meanwhile, Taranis continued increasing the pressure of his lightning on Adam, his agonized screams echoing throughout the hall. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Realizing that even his father, the Emperor himself, was helpless against these monsters, Adam blurted out, his voice breaking into short, heavy gasps.

"Fo... forgive me... forgive me, King Voltrex, for disrespecting you."

The moment those words left his mouth, the lightning coiled around his body vanished instantly, and the entire hall fell into dead silence.

The people of the empire were even more shocked to witness the Second Prince actually apologizing. Famous for being unruly, cruel, and lecherous, Adam had always done whatever he pleased without conscience, backed by the absolute authority of the empire. Never once had the prince experienced something called pain. Thus, when Taranis used only a fraction of his strength, Adam could not withstand it.

Hell—it was the first time the Second Prince had ever apologized, which was precisely why the expressions of the empire’s people were frozen in disbelief.

"See how easy it is to apologize?" Taranis said, before turning toward his father.

He and Nymera then gave a slight bow to Voltrex and Aestra, as well as to Kharos and his Queen, before calmly returning to their seats.

Suppressing the anger born from the humiliation he had just suffered, Adam pushed himself to his feet and rushed out of the hall, with the two women who had entered alongside him quickly following behind.

Kharos released a weary sigh and announced, "Do not let this incident spoil this celebration of victory. Begin the feast!"

The tension among the empire’s knights eased as they realized the Emperor had taken no offense. They sheathed their weapons and returned to their positions.

With a slight nod from Voltrex, the Thunderbanes also stepped back and returned to their seats.

Before every seat in the hall, small tables had been arranged, adorned with a variety of exquisite delicacies. At the center, beautiful female dancers and singers brought from the empire performed gracefully, their movements elegant and mesmerizing.

At one of the seats where Nymeria and Taranis sat, the tension was strangely palpable.

Taranis’s gaze, accompanied by a warm smile, was fixed ahead on the elegant yet seductive sway of the beautiful dancers performing at the centre. Meanwhile, Nymeria’s sharp stare was locked onto him, the fork in her hand gripping for dear life as she sat beside him.

"Is it that good?" Nymeria asked, her voice icy.

"Yes. I’ve never seen a dance of this style before," Taranis replied, completely unaware of the storm brewing within her.

"Hmph. Then keep watching them. I’m leaving," Nymeria hissed, rising from her seat.

Before she could take a step, Taranis grabbed her by the shoulder and gently guided her back down.

"My lady, I was only surprised by their unique dance forms since they differ from our culture," Taranis said calmly. "I truly wasn’t looking at them in that way."

"You can’t look at them in any way," Nymeria murmured softly. "How could you even look at other women when your beautiful wife is sitting beside you?"

A gentle smile appeared on Taranis’s face as he replied in a warm voice, "I understand, my lady. I will look at no woman but my adorable Nymeria."

With that, the two turned their attention back to the delicacies laid out on the table before them.

"Mmm... this dish is so good," Nymeria exclaimed softly, her voice low enough that only Taranis could hear.

"Which one?" Taranis asked, turning his attention toward the table.

Nymeria stabbed her fork into a plate of noodles placed before them, twirled the strands around it, and stuffed a mouthful into her mouth.

"Th... thwis one," she replied, covering her mouth with one hand to avoid embarrassing herself in front of everyone, yet still speaking with her mouth full, she cared little about manners when it came to Taranis.

She moved her fork toward the noodles again, gathering another bite. Just as she parted her lips, Taranis suddenly grabbed her wrist, redirected the fork toward himself, and instantly placed the noodles into his mouth.

"Hmmm... this dish really is good," Taranis said casually, releasing her wrist and returning his focus to his own food as if nothing had happened. "Strange. These noodles should be spicy, so why do they taste so sweet?"

A rosy hue bloomed across Nymeria’s face as she realized what Taranis meant by those words. When alone with him, she rarely felt embarrassed, but when he pulled such antics in front of everyone, an intense wave of shyness inevitably washed over her.

Lowering her head until her chin nearly touched her chest, she continued eating quietly, murmuring under her breath, "Stupid Taranis."

---

Once a cultivator reached the Mid-Tier realm, ordinary food was no longer sufficient to replenish their energy. Even maintaining basic bodily functions became impossible through mundane nourishment alone. Instead, cultivators absorbed Soulforce from nature through meditation to sustain themselves.

As for divine beings like Nymeria and Taranis, their bodies subconsciously consumed Soulforce from the environment at all times, much like breathing or the beating of a heart. From birth, they had never needed food to replenish themselves, as their bodies handled the task naturally. In fact, consuming food was often bothersome, as it produced waste that needed to be expelled.

Yet despite this, the two continued eating dishes that offered them no tangible benefit, for a single reason—to savor the taste.

Upon reaching the Mid-Tier realm as divine beings, they had also learned how to destroy any food waste within their bodies using Soulforce, eliminating the need to relieve themselves. Thus, they could eat as much as they pleased without concern.

---

Taranis’s gaze shifted toward Stormir, who was quietly leaving the hall while everyone else remained engrossed in the feast.

"Nymeria, spend some time with Mother and Father. I’ll be back in a few minutes," Taranis said, rising from his seat.

"Uhn," Nymeria nodded, also standing up.

Nymeria moved toward Voltrex and Aestra, while Taranis exited the hall, following Stormir.

Outside, Taranis found Stormir standing at the edge of the Sentinel Line, gazing toward the distant human territories, a faint, sorrowful smile tugging at his lips.