Return of the Mythic Bloodline-Chapter 308: The Rains of Sentinal Line

"Uncle, you shouldn’t lose hope," Taranis said, his voice firm. "She didn’t say she was waiting for her lover. It could be someone from her family. I’ve never met that lady, but if she truly waited for someone for a thousand years, she must be an extremely strong-willed person. You mustn’t give up."

Stormir gave Taranis a silent look before bursting into laughter again, this time even louder.

"I never thought I would receive love advice from a five-year-old," Stormir laughed. "What’s even more ridiculous is that the advice is perfect."

Taking a few more gulps from the white jade bottle, Stormir announced, "I was having second thoughts about meeting her again, but now I’ve made my decision. I won’t give up until she either agrees to my proposal or reveals who the person she’s waiting for truly is."

With that, Stormir continued drinking, a faint smile tugging at his lips as his eyes locked onto something distant.

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Author’s Note:

Advice: Wear your headphones or earphones and play The Rains of Castamere by Ramin Djawadi and Serj Tankian on loop while reading the rest of the Chapter. If you find the lyrics distracting, then play the same song by Sigur Rós. Make sure to play it on loop.

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To give his uncle some space as he reminisced about his spar with the beast woman, Taranis rose from the edge of the wall and began walking toward the grand hall, where slow romantic music was being played, music that felt eerily soothing to his ears.

With every step he took toward the hall, Taranis’s heart began to beat faster, and his breathing gradually grew heavy for no apparent reason.

The clear blue sky was slowly engulfed by terrifying black clouds, hiding the rays of the sun and drowning the day in a darkness deeper than night itself. Golden lightning flickered through the clouds, becoming the only source of light.

Thunder roared. Unnaturally cold winds began to blow, and slow rain mixed with snowflakes started pouring down, as if the heavens themselves were crying and trying to warn Taranis of something inevitable.

"S-something... something is not right," Taranis murmured, clutching his chest as his breath came in short, heavy gasps.

For the first time in his life, his steps wavered as he hurried toward the hall.

His eyes shifted toward the soldiers of the empire, who were rushing into their camps to escape the rain, their faces slightly annoyed by the weather, yet still relieved and drunk on the victory of war.

"I’m the only one having this strange feeling," Taranis thought inwardly as he quickened his pace.

At the entrance, the guards were still standing in the rain, dutifully ensuring that no drunken soldiers entered the hall while the two imperial families continued their feast inside.

"Prince Taranis," the guards bowed as he approached.

However, troubled as he was, the prince did not respond to their greeting and walked straight inside.

The cultivators from the Hundred Sky Mountains were gathered around the center, glasses of wine in their hands and calm smiles on their faces, their eyes fixed on the scene before them.

At the back, musicians played their instruments, while a man standing at the front sang a romantic song, his soothing voice echoing throughout the hall.

At the center, Voltrex and Aestra danced a graceful salsa, their eyes locked onto each other, their bodies moving in perfect harmony with each beat of the music. The expressions on their faces carried the bliss of newlywed couples.

Every member of the Thunderbane family was completely mesmerized by the beautiful performance.

Taranis’s eyes darted toward Nymeria, who stood a little apart from the crowd, her expression completely opposite to everyone else’s. Clutching her chest, she breathed heavily, bearing the same terrified look that mirrored Taranis’s own.

Their eyes met. Nymeria’s lips parted as she realized she was not the only one experiencing this ominous feeling. She tried to call out to Taranis, but strangely, no words left her mouth.

Taking heavy gasps, Taranis moved farther inside, his gaze shifting toward the people of the empire who stood among the crowd, silently observing Voltrex and Aestra’s dance. Strangely, all of their faces were completely unreadable, devoid of any emotion, which only intensified the storm raging within him.

The rhythm of the music quickened. The singer’s voice grew louder, striking higher notes. Voltrex and Aestra followed the rhythm, their graceful movements accelerating to synchronize with the music.

"Good heavens!" the Thunderbanes erupted in cheers, now utterly captivated by the otherworldly performance.

It was not only the music that intensified. The thunder echoing outside also grew louder, though it was buried beneath the overwhelming sound of the music.

The ominous feeling inside Taranis became unbearable, and he parted his lips to call out to his father.

However...

No voice came out.

He tried again, and once more, no sound followed. Desperation surged exponentially, veins bulging on his face as he strained to force out even the faintest sound, yet he remained utterly silent.

The realization struck him even harder when he attempted to use his Soulforce to project his voice.

He could not use it. He could no longer access his Soulforce.

Chills ran down his spine as he began pushing past the spectators, forcing his way toward his father and mother at the center, just as their performance was coming to an end.

From the opposite side, Nymeria also rushed toward the center, her entire body trembling.

"What in the heavens is happening? Why can’t I speak or use my Soulforce?" Taranis thought inwardly. "An array? No, there was no array on the Sentinel Line. Then what? Poison? That can’t be possible either. My body cannot be poisoned unless the toxin is potent enough to affect a High-Tier Cultivator."

Pushing aside the final line of spectators, Taranis reached the center, with Nymeria arriving from the opposite side at the same moment.

Meanwhile, Voltrex and Aestra completed their graceful performance, greeted by thunderous applause from the spectators.

Voltrex noticed that Nymeria and Taranis had stepped forward together and asked with a smile, "Oh~ you two also wish to dance?"

Taranis rushed toward his father, his entire body drenched in sweat as a primal, raw fear surged through him, a sensation he had never experienced before.

Voltrex and Aestra’s expressions turned serious as they noticed the distress etched across their son’s face.

"Taranis, what happened—"

Suddenly, Voltrex’s vision began to distort. The music sounded as though it were drifting farther and farther away, and his breathing grew heavy.

In the next instant, a mouthful of blood burst from his lips, splashing onto the floor.

His head slowly lowered, his eyes fixed on his abdomen, where a sharp, stinging pain erupted.

A sword had pierced through his stomach from behind. Blood dripped to the ground from both his mouth and the wound in his abdomen.

And then...

A sinister voice whispered into his ear from behind.

"As I promised, King Voltrex, by the end of this feast, the Azure Sun Empire will provide the compensation that the generations of the Hundred Sky Mountains will remember."