An Understated Dominance
Chapter 2428

Willem was so fast that, even to a grandmaster, it would appear as though he had teleported, leaving no time to react.

Bailey had already drawn Arion’s full attention, making Willem’s sudden attack almost impossible to counter.

When everyone thought his attack was about to succeed, a red divine talisman suddenly shot out and stuck to his forehead just as his fangs were mere inches from Arion’s neck.

The talisman exploded, releasing a surge of violent energy that blasted Willem over ten yards away. Before he hit the ground, a blazing fireball instantly engulfed him.

He screamed as he turned into a human torch. The fire burned fiercely, scorching his flesh and charring his body.

The flames clung to him like a curse and were impossible to put out. His blood energy crackled and hissed as the fire burned, and thick black smoke rose from his body.

The sight shocked everyone.

Just moments ago, Willem had almost succeeded in his ambush, but Arion had been prepared. With a single talisman, he stopped the attack and set Willem on fire, leaving him screaming in agony.

Despite Willem possessing remarkable vital energy, he still felt pain. Ordinary wounds were nothing to him since he could heal instantly, so the pain was barely noticeable.

But being burned by fire was different, especially with flames that couldn’t be extinguished. For someone with regenerative abilities, it was a nightmare of continuous pain as his skin burned and healed. This endless cycle proved unbearable, even for someone as strong as him.

“Let me help you.” A god from the Hall of Gods quickly pulled out a blue orb and hurled it toward Willem.

As soon as the orb touched the flames, it exploded and released a torrent of mist. The raging fire was immediately suppressed as water and flames clashed to create a thick cloud of white smoke.

Seeing the effect, the god threw two more blue orbs. Finally, the flames that had consumed Willem were extinguished.

At that moment, Willem was unrecognizable-his body charred beyond recognition, and he looked horrifying. Fortunately, his regenerative power was so formidable that the scorched skin began to peel away, revealing tender flesh underneath.

In just a few minutes, Willem had fully recovered, though his complexion had grown noticeably paler.

Vampires possessed incredible vital energy, but regeneration came at a cost. Unlike martial artists who restored their strength with spiritual energy, vampires relied on drinking blood-preferably from stronger individuals, as it could even boost their strength.

“I didn’t expect you to have that trick up your sleeve, old geezer. Looks like I underestimated you.” Willem panted heavily, and his face was full of resentment

“You not only underestimated me, but you also overestimated yourself,” Arion retorted with a smirk.

“Looks like I’ll need to step it up if I want to kill you today.” Willem suddenly turned to the god from the Hall of Gods who had just saved him. He smiled and said, “Thanks for the help earlier, but I’ll be needing something else from you.”

“What do you need?” The god was puzzled.

“Your life.”

In an instant, Willem appeared behind him with his mouth parted and sank his fangs into the god’s neck.

The god’s body went rigid, his face frozen in terror. He struggled to fight back but found himself paralyzed, unable to move.

Willem drank in large gulps, and the god’s body visibly shriveled and withered before everyone’s eyes. In mere moments, the once-mighty figure was reduced to a lifeless husk- gray hair, sunken features, and wide- open eyes frozen in eternal horror.

Willem wasn’t just draining the man’s blood, but his life essence. He then inhaled deeply, with a look of satisfaction on his face.

With the blood energy restoring his strength, he felt more powerful than ever. However, his actions sparked disapproval from the other fighters. After the god had just saved him, Willem repaid the man by draining his life away. Such a heinous act couldn’t be ignored.

“Hey! Are you out of your mind? How could you kill your own ally?”

The other gods from the Hall of Gods erupted in anger. Though their bonds weren’t deep, they were still on the same side. Watching one of their own reduced to a lifeless husk by Willem’s betrayal filled them with outrage.

“You exist to serve me,” Willem said, licking the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiling wickedly. “It’s his privilege to become part of me. Now, I’ll use his strength to crush that old geezer.”

With that, he let out a thunderous roar. Suddenly, two massive black wings unfurled from his back, like those of a demon.