The Corruption Dragon God: Lust System Chapter 417 - You did this to yourself

A heavy gloom hung over the Belgrath family stronghold that morning.

The fortress walls, once protected by a massive army of ten thousand elite warriors, were now sparsely manned by barely a hundred defenders. These few souls were the only ones who had stayed to stand by their lord until the bitter end.

The rest of the forces had departed on a treacherous trek, tasked with guarding the duke’s kin during their escape to the Rose Empire.

"Sir, something is approaching..." a young defender called out, his voice trembling with anxiety. He addressed the captain of the guard, a formidable warrior of the eighth ring.

The captain squinted, channeling mana into his eyes to pierce through the thick mist encircling the citadel.

He spotted hundreds of silhouettes emerging from the fog. Those hundreds quickly multiplied into thousands, and then tens of thousands.

The moment of reckoning had arrived. They were completely surrounded.

Gritting his teeth, the captain’s gaze burned with rage. He reached out to trigger the fortress's defensive arrays—ancient formations powerful enough to repel even ninth ring mages.

"I have lived for two hundred years," the captain declared.

"My entire life has been dedicated to protecting the Belgrath line, just as my father and his ancestors did for a millennium, back to when they were the true sovereigns of this realm. Our record is spotless!"

He gripped a small talisman, preparing to shatter it to ignite the magical barrier.

"And that won't—..." The captain’s sentence was cut short. Beside him, the young soldier’s eyes stretched wide in pure horror.

For a fleeting second, an ethereal, lightning-fast flying blade appeared—a mere streak of light whistling through the air at an impossible velocity. It tore straight through the captain’s throat.

In a heartbeat, the veteran’s head was severed, sent tumbling through the air amidst a spray of crimson. His expression remained frozen in shock, his mind unable to register his own demise.

The captain’s headless corpse collapsed, twitching with violent spasms.

"Shit, grab the talisman! Activate the formations!" another warrior screamed. The young man lunged for it, but he was far too slow.

A chorus of sharp whistles filled the sky as countless blades descended, each finding a mark. Even those seeking cover behind thick stone fortifications were slaughtered instantly; the flying swords sliced through concrete as if it were soft butter.

"Your Highness possesses a truly efficient method of execution. I could never hope to cull them so neatly..." the general remarked to Qingyi. The young man let out a soft, dry chuckle.

"The land I hail from does not show mercy to those unskilled in the art of killing; the strong there are even more lawless than in this place," Qingyi answered, hovering above the ramparts.

He cast a frigid gaze over the many corpses littering the stronghold before turning his attention to the central manor.

"Instruct the troops to secure the perimeter and hold the walls. I shall deal with Belgrath personally," Qingyi ordered.

"Understood, Your Highness." The general gave a respectful bow and departed to bark commands at his soldiers.

Qingyi drifted toward the main building. Before entering, he paused to look out at the world beyond the fortress boundaries.

This citadel served as a shield against the lands to the north—foul, stinking marshes teeming with lethal beasts and creatures born solely for carnage.

He felt a flicker of curiosity about those wilds, but he knew now was not the time for exploration.

With a faint sigh, Qingyi stepped into the manor, but his eyes snapped wide as he sensed danger.

He twisted his frame and thrust his hands forward. A thunderous boom shook the room as his fingers clamped around a black spear. The impact shattered the stone beneath him, and he was forced back a single step as the floor cracked.

The spear vibrated violently in his grasp, struggling to drill into his chest.

Qingyi refused to budge, even as the friction of the steel tore the skin from his palms, drenching the weapon in his blood.

With a fluid motion, Qingyi tightened his grip and snapped the spear in two, tossing the fragments aside.

"Was this your grand strategy? Truly disappointing." Qingyi laughed, looking up at the withered figure slumped upon an ancient throne.

The man’s head was bowed, a faint, weary smile playing on his lips.

As Qingyi approached, he flexed his hands. The stinging pain vanished as the Seed of Life activated, mending his flesh in an instant.

"Ah... Hahaha." A hollow, bitter laugh rattled in Belgrath’s chest. "It was an ordeal to trigger that array without my mana heart. You truly have brought me to ruin, boy."

"You are the architect of your own downfall," Qingyi said, shaking his head. "First, by attempting to force a marriage between your son and my Isabel. Second, by trying to usurp the throne from my father-in-law, David Valemont."

"U-usurp? Hahaha." Belgrath forced his body upright, bracing himself against the throne. His voice rose into a beastly snarl.

"One cannot usurp what belongs to them by right. I was merely reclaiming what was stolen... The Valemonts are the true thieves!"

Belgrath slumped back, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

"It matters little now," Qingyi remarked coldly, unsheathing the Heaven-Defying Thunder Sword.

"Ultimately, you turned your blade against my wife's kin, and for that, only death awaits you."

With a swift, clean strike, he decapitated Belgrath. He then cast the body into the Mind World, telling Ruxue to pass it to Khaedryss.

The creature would likely find the corpse to be a magnificent feast.

Sighing, Qingyi stowed the severed head in the Mind World and walked out of the throne room toward the courtyard. His forces had already occupied the area and were taking up defensive positions along the battlements.

"Your Highness... is the task complete? Where is the traitor Belgrath?" the general asked, dropping to one knee before him.

"He is dead. I am keeping only his head for my father-in-law," Qingyi replied with a dismissive wave.

"Ensure this fortress is well-stocked and garrisoned against the northern threats. Once that is settled, march with the main force. I am heading out ahead of you."

The general started to protest, but he thought better of it and remained quiet.

He was a warrior of the ninth ring, a rank comparable to a True Immortal. He was more than capable of handling the logistics on his own.

With his business concluded, Qingyi took to the sky, flying back toward the capital of the Valemont Kingdom.