Solar Blood Masters (176)

Chapter 176 - Julian’s Temple

The crowd at Gas Plain unleashed a series of gossip.

“That domain… It took them away! I can’t see the fight!”

“Who do you think is stronger? The bull or the lemur?”

“That lemur, Sly Ringtail. He’s Julian’s son, you know.”

“Yeah, but the bull… He won the Great Divine Tribulation!”

“And that snake… He’s Lu Ignis’s son!”

BOOM!

Suddenly, a tear appeared in the sky above Gas Plain. A huge explosion rocked the ground and sent those lesser creatures flying backwards. Then Sly Ringtail, in his Red Mane Lemur form, came tumbling out of the rift in a mangled mess. He crashed into a huge rock that shattered into a million pieces.

Five more figures emerged from the rift. Ma Osu, King Wa, and Ge Vanisher landed in a heap, frothing at the mouth. Lu Jade, wounded but alive, was wrapped around Raphael’s horns.

And Raphael…

He stood tall and unarmed. His Abyss Nylon flickered with a few lingering flames, which he casually brushed off with a hand.

He snorted. “Your flames… they can’t hurt me, lemur. Try again… in a million years.”

“You…!” Sly Ringtail struggled to his feet. He glared at Raphael.

“You haven’t seen anything yet, bull! I’m about to show you…!”

BOOM!

He began burning his Solar Essence, pushing his power to the max. The air around him warped and sparkled. The very ground beneath his feet began to melt.

The crowd gasped.

“He’s powering up! This is going to be epic!”

“That bull’s dead!”

“Sly Ringtail’s Red Mane Lemur form is legendary!”

“Yeah, I heard he can incinerate a mountain with a single breath!”

“But the bull… He has the Gem of Knowledge! Lingshi's treasure!”

“This is going to be a close one!”

As Sly Ringtail continued powering up, a dark shadow fell upon Gas Plain.

At first, no one noticed.

Sly Ringtail was too preoccupied. He  focused solely on Raphael.

But then…

He saw Raphael staring upwards, behind him. Not only Raphael, but the crowd as well. Their eyes almost fell out of their sockets.

‘What are they staring at?’

He turned.

And craned his head.

Above them, looming like a mountain of molten fury was…

“Ga… Gastaroid!” Sly Ringtail hollered hotly!

The crowd erupted in panicked screams.

“The Bull Mountain Demon has arrived!”

“Why is he here?! He’s supposed to be at the peak!”

“Fool! Lower your voice! Gastaroid is an Emperor Calamity now! He can easily melt us to cinders!”

“This heat… it’s unbearable!” a 5th Layer Nightmare Calamity Blazoid cried out. “How… how can he be so powerful?!”

“Hmmm…” Raphael, however, remained calm. He stared up and casually say, “Yo, Gastaroid. How’s it going?”

“Huh???”

The crowd stared at Raphael in shock.

“Did he just… casually greet Gastaroid?”

“He’s insane!”

“He’s going to die!”

“Someone tell him to apologize! To grovel! Before Gastaroid kills us all!”

But to their surprise, Raphael ignored their warnings and walked towards his companion, passing Sly Ringtail whose fiery form had begun to cool drastically.

“You’ve gotten… bigger.” He commented, glancing up at Gastaroid's massive form. “Those years… they haven’t gone to waste. I bet you’re happy that you met me during the Selection Trial in Black Wind.”

“HMPH!”

Gastaroid snorted and sent forth a wave of heat that scattered the lesser creatures.

“Don’t get too full of yourself, bull. I would have crushed that Great Divine Tribulation… regardless. I am that capable.”

“Yet you were eliminated by Lingshi?” Raphael teased.

“That’s…”

“Enough boasting, Gastaroid.” Raphael cut him off. “I didn’t come here to measure horns.”

“Hmmm… Now that you mention it… Why have you come to Kongming Mountain? I was in my forge, minding my own business, when I smelled your stinking ass beating Julian’s brat to a pulp.”

“Oh, so you came to stop me from killing him? How sweet.” Raphael glanced at Sly Ringtail, who was cowering in a corner.

“Bastard!” Sly Ringtail cursed under his breath.

Raphael turned back to Gastaroid.

“I’m here to see Julian. Do you mind telling me where I can find him? He did… invite me.”

He produced the bronze-plated invitation.

The crowd gasped.

“He has an invitation?!”

“From Emperor Julian?!”

“What’s going on?”

Sly was baffled, ‘That bull… he’s here to see Father? But why? What dealings could they possibly have?’

Gastaroid stared at the invitation, then snorted.

“Hop on, bull. I’ll take you to see Julian.” He turned and gestured to his mountainous form.

“Oh, thanks for the lift.”

Raphael didn’t hesitate. He hopped onto Gastaroid’s back, and in a blink, they vanished.

The oppressive heat that had blanketed Gas Plain also dissipated.

“They’re gone…”

“Gastaroid… gave him a lift?”

“On his mountain?”

“I’ve never seen him do that before…”

The crowd was stunned.

Sly Ringtail watched them go. He was cooling rapidly as he reverted back to his normal size.

“That bull and Gastaroid. They will… pay… for this humiliation.” He clenched his fists. ‘Why did that bull want to see Father?’

He turned to his unconscious minions and kicked them!

“Wake up, you lazy bastards! We’re going to the peak!”

…

Gastaroid was soaring through the airspace of Kongming Mountain while his mountainous lower half trailed smoke and ash.

“Over there… that’s the ‘Whispering Woods’. It’s home to the Whispering Willow Clan, a bunch of gossiping trees. And that… That’s the ‘Crystal Caves’. It’s where the Crystal Rats reside. They’re known for their beautiful furs and their venomous fangs. Be careful if you ever encounter one.”

Perched on Gastaroid’s back, Raphael listened intently. He appreciated the impromptu tour. “Thanks for the intel, Gastaroid.”

Lu Jade, coiled around Raphael’s horns, swallowed a crimson pill and his injuries began rejuvenating.

Gastaroid pointed a massive, molten arm towards the active volcano in the distance. “And that over there  is my humble abode and my forge.”

‘His forge? What’s he talking about?’ Raphael thought.

“Your forge?” he asked.

“I’m not simply a powerhouse capable of toppling mountains with a snort, bull. I’m also a passionate Weapon Grafter. I have been for the past two million years. I’ve crafted countless weapons – Earth Grade, Heavenly Grade, even a few Divine Grade ones! But I’m still not content. I yearn to craft a Divine Grade weapon capable of evolving with its user! That would truly put a smile on my face and cool my hot heart!”

‘A Weapon Grafter?’

Gastaroid explained, “We Weapon Grafters morph Solar Essence into understandable quantum particles. Then we use these particles to manipulate raw materials, combining them into all sorts of weapons with varying attributes. It’s a delicate art, a blend of science and brute force!” He sent tremors through the air with a snort.

“Wow. I didn’t know you had such a passion, Gastaroid,” Raphael was genuinely impressed. “Maybe one day I can commission you to graft me a weapon.”

Gastaroid laughed, “Sure, sure. But it won’t be cheap.”

“I’ll expect a discount since we’re… friends.” Raphael grinned.

“Friends?” Gastaroid raised a molten eyebrow. ‘This bull… he’s not intimidated by me. Despite my Emperor Calamity aura. Unlike those others, who grovel at my feet and shiver at my presence. He’s surprisingly down to earth.’

“Over there, Big Brother! That’s where Julian Ringtail resides!” Lu Jade’s voice interrupted Gastaroid’s thoughts.

Raphael looked up and saw a structure coming into view.

It was a small temple made of concrete. Several other concrete structures were scattered around an expansive courtyard. Broken fragments of wine gourds and empty wine bottles littered the area. It looked more like a tavern than an Emperor’s palace.

A large tree grew through the temple roof. Its branches were laden with glistening, golden fruits that extended over the courtyard.

“That’s the Buddhi Papaya tree, Big Brother. The most prominent tree in Julian Ringtail’s ‘Patch of Eternal Youth’ garden. It is said that each of those fruits can extend a life by 50,000 years!” Lu Jade explained.

A strong, sweet aroma wafted from the tree. It filled Raphael’s nostrils and gave him a pleasant sensation. He inhaled deeply.

The scent had Lu Jade fully recovered. His emerald scales glowed with renewed vigor.

“The Buddhi Papaya… It’s Julian’s favorite, bull. It helps cure his hangovers. Seeing as he’s an excessive drinker.” Gastaroid chuckled.

‘So, Julian’s a drunkard. Just like me… or rather… Shao Jin. I can work with that.’ Raphael thought.

Unlike the other Emperors, who resided in lavish Marble Worlds like Lu Ignis’s Hebikuni, Qi Hawk’s Nestoria, and Sindoll’s Skydom, Julian Ringtail lived a simple life, a surprising contrast.

‘Perhaps it’s because he’s hardly ever home. Always off indulging in his wanton lifestyle. His abode is meager. More wine than treasures. Or maybe these wines are his treasures?’ Raphael thought.

Gastaroid hovered over the courtyard.

Then he landed with a thunderous THUD that shook the entire temple.

“Oi! Old drunkard! You have guests! Get your hairy ass out here pronto!”

“He… He just talked to Emperor Julian like that?! He is and Emperor Calamity and the ruler of Kongming Mountain. Julian Ringtail can obliterate us with his farts!” Lu Jade’s scales paled. “He’s going to get us killed! Big Brother! We have to leave! Now!”

Gastaroid ignored him and bellowed again, sending more tremors though those very foundations of that small temple that threatened to crumble.

Inside the temple, hanging from a tree branch, Julian Ringtail snored peacefully. A bubble grew from his nostril.

Gastaroid’s voice reached him.

BOOM!

The bubble popped.

Julian’s eyes snapped open.

His tail slipped.

He fell onto a cloud bed below on a pile of sleeping female lemurs. A few monkeys and sloths were also nestled amongst them.

“EEK!”

“What was that?!”

“Go back to sleep, my beauties. It’s still night. I’ll come pleasure you later.” He grumbled and climbed off the cloud.

Unfazed by the commotion, the ladies snuggled back into their slumber despite the heat radiating outside.

“That damn Gastaroid. Waking me up this late… This better be something important…”

He girded up his pants and walked towards the exit while mumbling to himself.

Coming outside, he noticed Gastaroid hovering in his courtyard. But he wasn’t alone.

Raphael stood before the Bull Mountain Demon. And Lu Jade was slithering up a tree branch.

‘Hmmm? Are these the guest he mentioned?’

He glared at Gastaroid angrily.

“Oi! What the hell do you want, Gastaroid?! I was in the middle of a wonderful dream! You even disturbed my women!”

“This bull… he came to see you.” Gastaroid gestured towards Raphael with a molten hand.

“Greetings, Emperor Julian,” Raphael said, approaching the lemur. “Remember that invitation you gave me?”

He tossed the bronze-plated invitation to Julian.

“I’m here… to have that drink… now.”

Julian caught the invitation.

“Oh?” He glanced around. “Where’s that tree woman, Thienika? Didn’t she come with you? I was looking forward to having a drink with her.”

“Grandma… she’s…” Raphael's voice faltered. A wave of sadness washed over him.

“My Grandma… she passed away… during the Great Divine Tribulation.”

“That powerful hag is dead?” Gastaroid looked at Raphael strangely, so did Julian Ringtail.

‘That power she displayed… Peak Void Emperor Calamity. Higher than Sindoll’s. She’s dead? Her internal injuries… They must have finally taken their toll. Qi Hawk did his best to stabilize her, but that damn Lingshi… he pushed her too far.’ Julian shook his head sadly and walked over to Raphael. He patted him on the shoulder.

“Sorry for your loss, bull. Well, you know what they say… The best remedy to wash away sorrow is liquor. Come, join me for a drink. You too, snake.” He glanced at Lu Jade.

“Yes! Emperor Julian!” Lu Jade hissed excitedly.