“But all the faith resources on Heaven’s Vault Continent have been fully split among other parties. Where am I supposed to spread my faith to? What a headache!”
Just as Meng Lei was lost in his troubled thoughts, his magic communication device suddenly rang. He took it out to see that it was actually President Fred who was calling.
“Where are you now, Meng Lei?”
President Fred had an awful look on his face.
“I’m in the Magical Beast Village.”
“The Magical Beast Village?”
President Fred was a little taken aback by his answer, but he regained his senses right away. “Why are you at the Magical Beast Village? Weren’t you in the Lost Continent?”
“It’s a long story, President.” Meng Lei shook his head lightly. Then, he asked in puzzlement, “Is something up?”
“Something terrible has happened! Prince Barbarossa is dead! And so is the 13th Princess whom His Majesty loves and dotes on the most!”
Chapter 197: Going Onto The Dragon Flesh-Scraping Platform, Falling Out Completely
“Among the 108 contestants who were captured, 72 died on the spot while the remaining 36 also passed away one by one while on the way back.” In a low, grave tone, President Fred said, “They’re dead! All dead! All 108 contestants are dead! Among which include Prince Barbarossa and the 13th Princess whom His Majesty dotes on the most! They’re actually all dead!”
Meng Lei fell silent.
“Meng Lei, answer me honestly.” President Fred asked gravely, “Do their deaths have anything to do with you? Is it really like what the surviving contestants claimed? That you’re the one that caused their deaths?”
“I caused their deaths?” Meng Lei couldn’t help but laugh. “If I tell you that this matter has nothing to do with me, would you believe me?”
President Fred stayed quiet for a moment before he replied, “If you dare give me your word, then I’ll believe you.”
“Alright! Since President trusts me that much, then I’ll tell you.”
Meng Lei let out a laugh and replied, “The 108 deaths indeed have a little to do with me, but the main cause of their deaths is still their greed!”
“Their greed?”
President Fred frowned slightly.
“This is what happened...”
Meng Lei hid nothing from him and truthfully recounted everything that had happened.
President Fred fell into silence at the end of the recount.
After a long while, he finally said, “Based on what you’ve said, you are indeed not to be blamed for this matter. Had they not coveted the divine tree’s fruits, they wouldn’t have brought down such calamity on themselves... But!”
President Fred changed the course of the conversation and said, “That’s not what His Majesty and all the officials think. All of them have pushed the blame onto you. They believe that this wouldn’t have happened had you not stolen that native half-deity’s possessions. Thus, all blame lies on you!”
“So, they intend to make me the scapegoat no matter what I say?” Meng Lei chuckled contemptuously and scoffed. “What a joke, this tragedy was obviously brought about by the emperor’s lapse in judgment and the contestants’ greed, yet they want to make me the scapegoat?”
“Meng Lei, His Majesty is the emperor. We can make mistakes, but His Majesty must never make any!”
President Fred chastised him furiously, “Moreover, not only are Sachhen the Golden Dragon-Lion, Miriam the Immortal Fairy, and so on, part of the fatalities, but it includes even Prince Barbarossa and the 13th Princess!
“One’s the empire’s future emperor, while the other’s the most favored princess—His Majesty cannot afford to make such a mistake! Therefore, the only thing that all the officials and nobles can do is to vent their anger on you!”
“So, what do they intend to do?” asked Meng Lei with a scornful laugh.
“His Majesty has already deployed the Royal Holy Knight Order to the Lost Continent to capture you.” President Fred shook his head and added, “If nothing goes wrong, you’ll be held responsible for the whole matter.”
“I’m to be held responsible for it?”
A sharp glint flashed across Meng Lei’s eyes as he said, “Just as well! I’ve been in a terrible mood recently and sorely missing a venting outlet!”
“What do you intend to do, Meng Lei?”
“Return to the Imperial City!”
At Dragon God Empire, conference hall...
Emperor Frederick the 32nd sat high above the others on the throne, his countenance frighteningly dark and sinister.
Academy presidents and teachers-in-charge from the various major academies, a great number of Saint Domains, and all the court officials stood at both sides of the grand hall.
In the center of the grand hall quietly laid more than a hundred corpses. All of them had been wrapped in yellow fabric, their faces hidden from view. However, the occasional glimpse of skin exposed outside the fabric showed signs of extreme dryness and shrinkage.
Evidently, those 100-odd corpses belonged to the 108 contestants who had just lost their lives.
Not a sound could be heard in the grand hall at the moment. Filled with dead silence, the atmosphere in there was frighteningly repressive.
Everyone stayed still and silent, none of them daring to open their mouths.
As time passed, at last, Emperor Frederick the 32nd couldn’t stand it anymore. He asked, “Is there still no news from the Royal Holy Knight Order?”
“No, there isn’t, Your Majesty.”
“It’s already been a day and a night since they’ve set off for the Lost Continent, yet there’s still no news from them. Has Meng Lei soared into the heavens or burrowed into the ground or what?”
Frederick the 32nd was enraged. “Send men there! Dispatch more hands at once! Meng Lei must be brought back! I have to get the truth from him face-to-face!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!” At once, an official left upon the order.
“Reporting!”
A golden-armored guard ran briskly into the hall all of a sudden. He knelt down and
