Chapter 59: Specter Festival
The inquiry from the Great World Tree was like a thunderclap, shaking the atmosphere of the entire meeting room.
Although everyone had guessed that this meeting would be related to the Ghost Horror Clan, none of them expected the Great World Tree to start the confrontation right away.
The Netherworld Dominator's face showed confusion, but he quickly realized the seriousness of the matter.
He knew that the Great World Tree was known for its candidness and would never fabricate things to corner him into achieving a certain goal.
Thus, the Great World Tree must have discovered enough evidence to choose to interrogate him at this meeting.
"This is defamation, pure defamation!" the Netherworld Dominator immediately denied. "Our Ghost Horror Clan is innocent, this is absolute defamation."
As he spoke, his gaze turned to the Tide Spirit Dominator and the Mechanical Dominator, filled with fury.
"You two bastards, you joined forces with outsiders to frame me just to avoid war!"
In his view, Richard being able to produce evidence convincing enough for the Great World Tree meant that there must have been meddling by the peace-pursuing factions of Mechanical and Tide Spirit.
"Framing!?"
The Tide Spirit Dominator seemed to have heard something utterly absurd and couldn't help but exclaim in anger.
"You're actually accusing me of framing you! Netherworld, oh Netherworld, has your brain been dulled by corpse stench to accuse us of framing you?
Do you even know that nearly a hundred Federation Worlds' Tide Spirits have been devoured by that monster! And the Mechanical family members suffered millions of losses due to this erosion!
Netherworld, oh Netherworld, how can you speak such outrageous words!"
The affair of Richard purging the Civilization Devourer's minions certainly couldn't escape the Tide Spirit Dominator's notice. After all, with each purge, Richard removed a Tide Spirit from a world.
The Tide Spirit Dominator was initially furious at this, but upon seeing those eroded Tide Spirits, his anger turned into sadness.
Tide Spirits are a race rich in emotions; even for those Tide Spirits they have never met, they would weep at their deaths.
And now the fact that the Netherworld accused him of deliberately using people to defame him turned the Tide Spirit Dominator's sadness back into anger.
Between his words, the Tide Spirit Dominator's voice seemed to transform into countless sharp knives, causing the souls of any Dominators who heard it to tremble, and its target—the Netherworld Dominator—felt a sensation as if being cut by a thousand blades.
"Hmph!"
The Netherworld gave a cold snort, as a murderous intent as terrifying as the Asura Hell surged from him, neutralizing the Tide Spirit Dominator's voice.
As a fellow member of the Natural Federation, Netherworld was naturally informed about the Tide Spirit. The Tide Spirit Clan is a race with inherent talent in the soul, whose young members can sing chants to let their souls enter the Sea of Souls.
Their racial talent is named Soul Sound. This talent can integrate the emotions of the Tide Spirit Clan into sound waves, producing various effects.
In that long-distant era when the Tide Spirit Clan had not yet dominated the Tide Spirit Great World, they used this talent to lure passing ships for hunting.
Through years of development, the Tide Spirits have evolved this talent into a highly sophisticated discipline.
"Tide Spirit, you dare strike at me too!"
Netherworld lightly tapped his slender, giant Blood Claw on the table, with scarlet mist spreading from him, like an invisible fierce beast ready to swallow all the Dominators in the meeting hall.
Suddenly, this mist was resisted by a pale green force field.
Netherworld looked towards the origin of the force field, seeing the Great World Tree quietly observing him.
"Netherworld, do you wish to fight?"
The yellowing leaves of the Great World Tree began to turn fresh, and a magnificent vitality was recklessly spreading throughout the hall.
Under this life force, the decorations of the Council Hall began to activate, sprouting branches and leaves.
Controlled Life Energy is medicine, but uncontrolled Life Energy is a poison with no cure.
"Hmph."
Netherworld issued an unconvinced cold snort, then retracted the scarlet mist.
He could overlook the Tide Spirit Dominator, but he could not disregard the Great World Tree.
"I said, this is pure defamation. Our mother world is under my watchful eye, it's impossible for the pollution you mention to exist."
"Whether it's pure defamation remains to be seen." The Great World Tree said calmly, "Isn't your ghost festival about to start?"
Netherworld Dominator's eyes slightly narrowed, and the blood-red mist once again seeped from him.
"Old Tree, I respect you as the head of the Federation, but you better know, it's not that I can't fight, it's that I don't want to. Suggesting to search my mother world, how dare you say such a thing!?"
For a race, the mother world is undoubtedly the most sacred and secretive place. Its secrets require strict scrutiny, even down to the breeze, before leaving the world.
Allowing other races' Dominators to enter the mother world for a search is no different than being stripped naked and examined by a crowd.
"Netherworld, let me tell you this," the Great World Tree stated firmly, "I've long wanted to beat some sense into you, you bastard. Ever since you happened to Break Limits, you've been more unrestrained in your actions.
This time, the search will proceed whether you agree or not!
If you try to stop it, I'll be here to meet you! I want to see just how capable you are!"
As he spoke, a powerful pressure exploded from the Great World Tree, so overwhelming that even the ordinary Dominators present felt a slight sense of suffocation.
Seeing this, Netherworld also erupted with a formidable pressure, not at all inferior to the Great World Tree's.
"Come on, do you think I'm afraid of you?"
In just the blink of an eye, both sides' pressure rose to a terrifying level, and even the meticulously enchanted Council Hall began to tremble under this pressure.
Just at this tense moment, a voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Cough, cough, why must the two of you be so confrontational?"
The Great World Tree and the Netherworld Dominator simultaneously looked towards the source of the voice, only to see the origin of this dispute—Richard, calmly watching them.
"Although the Civilization Devourer has always acted domineeringly, no one can rule out the possibility that this is a conspiracy by the Civilization Devourer to provoke internal conflict among us.
Perhaps the two of you could calm down and have a discussion.
I don't think the Netherworld Dominator is someone who disregards reason, and there is no need for you, Lord World Tree, to be so aggressive, harming the harmony within our alliance."
"Discuss? Discuss what?" The Netherworld Dominator sneered, "You've already labeled me, so what is there to discuss?"
Upon hearing this, Richard couldn't help but shake his head.
"Netherworld Dominator, you should calm down first. I don't think the Ghost Horror Clan is at a point where they could stand against the other four races alone.
Your words may be satisfying, but your clan could suffer greatly because of them."
The Netherworld looked at Richard, his eyes cold and sharp.
"As long as I exist, so does the Ghost Horror Clan. But as for you... who among you can keep an eye on all the worlds?"
Upon hearing this, Richard couldn't help but display a mocking smile.
"Haven't you heard of the Divination Technique? You are merely at the Breaking Limit stage; divining your whereabouts is not a big deal for the Wizard Alliance.
Once more, calm down. I seek allies, not to sow discord."
Richard's words brought the situation to this point, and the Netherworld withdrew his oppressive aura.
Though he spoke boldly, he understood that if a real fight broke out, escaping might not be certain.
The Great World Tree also withdrew his pressure upon witnessing this calmness. Seeing peace between the parties, Richard spoke again, "Although current evidence shows a lot of Ghost Horror Clan's Mother World coordinates.
However, I believe that as a whole, the Ghost Horror Clan is not a problem.
Just like the Tide Spirit Dominator didn't notice a group of Tide Spirits under his command being corrupted, the Civilization Devourer's means are ever-changing and exceptionally deceitful. Heaven knows if they used some method to infiltrate the Ghost Horror Clan's Mother World and take root unnoticed."
"Netherworld Dominator, although you often reside in the Mother World, you must understand the principle of 'the darkest place lies under the lamp.'"
"The most dangerous place is also the safest place.
I assume you wouldn't want your Mother World to be unknowingly polluted, correct."
The Netherworld Dominator looked at Richard and asked, "What are you trying to say?"
Richard smiled slightly, "I mean, I can help the Ghost Horror Clan find the pollution."
"You?"
The Netherworld suddenly laughed.
"So you were waiting for me here."
Saying this, the Netherworld's gaze suddenly became sharp.
"I don't trust you, outsider."
Richard shrugged nonchalantly, "I can use a clone, but the Mechanical Dominator, Tide Spirit Dominator, or the Great World Tree, at least one of them will have to take a look."
The Netherworld Dominator wanted to say more, but was interrupted by the Great World Tree, "I'll go."
Saying this, the eyes on his trunk looked at the Netherworld Dominator.
"Netherworld, you can trust me to go."
The Netherworld remained silent but after a moment, looked at the Great World Tree and spoke slowly, "Okay. But you have to come for the Soul Festival."
The Soul Festival is a grand festival of the Ghost Horror Clan, during which many Ghost Horrors return to the Mother World to pay homage to the Great Spirit that they believe created their race.
In the past, the Soul Festival did indeed have the custom of inviting other Dominators.
However, in recent years, the Netherworld suddenly stopped inviting people to the Ghost Horror World.
"Then it's settled," Richard said with a smile, "You see, calmly discussing things is much better than fighting."
The Netherworld gave Richard a cold look, and behind him, a Dimension Gate appeared.
The other Dominators, seeing this, made no further stays, and after exchanging greetings with the Great World Tree, they all chose to leave.
After they left, Richard and the Great World Tree exchanged a glance.
"Did you notice any issues?"
Richard gently tapped his fingers on the council's round table and shook his head slightly.
"I didn't feel any problems, but my intuition tells me there's an issue with the Tide Spirit."
Though not a native race, the abilities displayed by the Tide Spirit civilization, which only has one Dominator, surprised Richard somewhat.
That voice indeed made Richard's soul tremble.
It must be known that his soul is firmly protected by the Dominator Puppet.
"Then let's continue,"
The Great World Tree stood up, and behind it, a Dimension Gate appeared.
"As long as they have a goal, flaws will eventually show."