Novels by Alfonzo Perez

Aji shook his head in quiet wonder, his gaze fixed upon the glossy black earth that stretched out before him. He could not begin to guess how many seasons would pass before this land might bear life again—if ever it would be fertile enough to sow crops or grow grass beneath the sun.“I must return,” he murmured to himself, his thoughts turning back to the academy and all those who relied on his protection.Once he was certain not a trace of poison remained within the Earth Dragon Sword’s dark blade, he pulled it free from the soil and slid it carefully into its scabbard, the metal whispering softly as it settled into place.Before setting off toward Ki Mangkubumi’s residence, Aji cast his eyes toward the village archway—and his jaw tightened at what he saw. Some twenty-five followers of the dark path were making their desperate bid for escape, streaming out of Kelor Arum with frantic haste. They had clearly realized their cause was lost, and now sought only to save their own skins by

“To think you might flee this place after sowing such chaos—do you truly believe I would let you go unpunished? Even if you were to hide within the deepest crevice of a beetle’s nest, I would hunt you down without rest until you are found!” Aji’s voice was not raised to a shout, yet it carried a weight of menace that cut through Suwarta like shards of ice. Each word echoed in the elder’s ears with the finality of a death knell.The Master of the Black Skull Academy felt as though he stood face to face with the very embodiment of Death itself—an immortal being come to claim what was owed. Aji’s wide, predatory grin seemed to tear at the very fabric of Suwarta’s deepest fears, leaving his mind reeling and his resolve shattered beneath the shadow of his impending end.In that moment, Aji’s thoughts turned to the lingering clouds of venom that still hung heavy around Ki Mangkubumi’s residence—a toxic legacy left by Suwarta’s dark arts. He knew he must return swiftly to purify the air with

“You dare to harm my Master—death shall be your reward!” Suwarta’s voice had twisted into something guttural and coarse, as if gravel had been ground into every syllable. The timbre was no longer wholly human, carrying within it an undercurrent of something ancient and wild.Aji furrowed his brow at the transformation, his keen eyes studying the elder warrior with both caution and curiosity. In all his years of training and combat, he had never faced an opponent whose very voice could shift so dramatically—or whose strength could swell in such an uncanny fashion. While the power gain was not exponential, it was enough to alter the balance of their duel, leaving him momentarily perplexed.“Do not let confusion cloud your mind, Aji,” the voice of his great-grandfather echoed within his thoughts, steady and wise as ever. “He has been possessed by a shapeshifter—but of a common breed, nothing more than a lesser spirit bound to mortal form.”A faint smile touched Aji’s lips as he turned hi

“If dividing your focus proves too great a burden,” the voice within persisted, “strike him down with all haste—before the venom can spread its blight across the land!”“By your will!” Aji answered, channeling the full current of his inner energy as he invoked the Wind-Step Technique, sending his form surging forward with supernatural swiftness. His mind was set not only on vanquishing his foe, but first on stemming the tide of toxic fumes that poured ceaselessly from the elder’s black staff—for the safety of all who dwelled beyond this battlefield weighed heavy upon his heart.Hard steel met enchanted wood in a deafening clash as Suwarta leaped high into the air, bringing his staff crashing down in a vertical arc that Aji turned aside with flawless precision. The force of impact sent the older man reeling backward, his body spinning once through the air before alighting softly upon the earth. Even so, his hands trembled violently from the shock of their collision, his knuckles white

The triumphant smile that had graced Suwarta’s lips vanished in an instant. With his own eyes, he could discern that the striking man before him—his adversary—parried each and every one of his assaults with no more than a faint, almost imperceptible curve upon his mouth. A suspicion began to take root in Suwarta’s mind: that this warrior named Aji possessed arcane arts or ancient enchantments to preserve his youth, his visage bearing the bloom of early manhood despite skills that defied the natural order of mortal development.Such conjecture was not unfounded, for Aji’s mastery of mystical combat far surpassed his own—a reality that bordered on the impossible when one considered how young the man appeared to stand before him.With renewed fervor, Suwarta launched another flurry of attacks. His prowess with the trusted Black Staff was beyond dispute; the seamless fusion of blistering speed, agile footwork, and concentrated inner strength he wielded would have left any onlooker breathl

In the aftermath of their earth-shaking collision, Aji wasted no time—his fingers moved with reverent precision to touch the ornate hilt of the Dragon of the Earth Blade at his back, drawing forth a gentle current of its primordial energy. Like warm liquid light, the power coursed through his veins, chasing away the faint but insidious taint of venom that had crept into his system during their clash. A fraction of a moment’s delay would have sealed his doom; the poison would have spread through his body like ink through water, paralyzing his limbs and clouding his mind beyond repair.With deliberate, measured steps, he advanced toward Suwarta, who was still regaining his footing amidst the dust and carnage of the battlefield. The elder warrior’s chest rose and fell in heavy, ragged breaths as he gathered his strength, his dark eyes fixed on Aji with newfound wariness. Though victory seemed within reach, Aji did not rush to deliver the final blow—caution was his watchword, for he knew

“But I will not accept being accused of belonging to that cursed sect! If they dare accuse me again, I’ll make sure everyone here dies!” A Long’s yellowish skin turned white as his anger flared.“Don’t be afraid, he’s only trying to scare us!” shouted A Fu, trying to sway the others.“If you accuse us one more time, I will let my brother here kill all of you!” Fang An barked, pointing his finger straight at A Fu’s face, which immediately froze in silence.“Watch your tongue, A Fu!” another man shouted, backing Fang An.Ying Sue and all the villagers in the dining house swallowed nervously. They didn’t know whether the young, sharp-eyed man’s words were true or just a bluff. But one thing was certain: the accusations A Fu hurled at the two young men were a mistake.“If you don’t want us in this village, we will leave. But only after we finish our meal. If I hear even one more accusation, I’ll hang the man’s head at the village ga

"Yu Wei, how are the preparations for the Grand Blood Moon Ritual? Is everything ready?""My apologies, Leader… Of the thirteen virgins required for the grand ritual, we are still short of two. Our members are already moving to find the remaining ones. I am certain that before the ritual begins, the number will be complete," replied the long-haired man named Yu Wei."For the success of this grand ritual, I entrust everything to you, Yu Wei. Do not fail me, for I have never known the word failure. You know very well what I will do to you if the ritual fails!" said the man who was, in fact, Ren Zhi, the leader of the Holy Blood Moon Sect.It should be known that the Grand Blood Moon Ritual was a mandatory ceremony for Ren Zhi. Besides strengthening his martial power, the ritual also served to keep the leader of the Holy Blood Moon Sect eternally youthful.If at present his face looked around thirty-five years old, then after the ritual he

Fang An gave a small smile and nodded."At the very least, we need some information from you, Sir, about the situation inside that sect."Duke Song Jian took a deep breath and released it slowly."As for the current situation, I do not know, Prince. It has been more than twenty years since I last joined them.""It’s all right, Sir. At least it can serve as a rough picture for the two of us about the situation there. But for now, we want to bathe first. Later, we will meet you again," Fang An said."Very well, Prince." Duke Song Jian bowed slightly to show respect. After that, he walked back to his chamber.Nearly two hours passed before Fang An and A Fu came out of their room. The two of them hurried toward Duke Song Jian’s private chamber to continue their discussion.Inside the chamber, Duke Song Jian still looked uneasy about the situation he was facing.On one hand, he feared that Fang An and A Fu might fail in their plan to attack the Holy Blood Moon Sect. If that happened, he to

Although it looked like a smile, to the four figures dressed in black, the smile on Fang An’s lips appeared terrifying and intimidating. The wide grin of the young man with white hair instantly drained their courage.“You must have thought we had already left this province, didn’t you?” Fang An chuckled softly, recalling how he and A Long had led their horses out of the palace gate earlier that morning.The four figures exchanged disbelieving glances. They, who were used to spying, had now been thwarted by two young men still younger than them in age.The exits were sealed tightly, leaving the black-clad figures confused about what decision to make. Their only hope of escape was to fight back, though they knew the chance of success was almost nonexistent.Unconsciously, cold sweat began to drip from their pores. The chill that gripped their bodies was nothing compared to the icy sweat brought on by fear.“Why do you look so confused? Relax, I won’t kill you. But on one condition—tell

“The Sacred Blood Moon Sect is a dark sect hidden in a valley beyond Mount Yuelu, Prince. They use the blood of virgins for their offerings,” explained Duke Song Jian.“Then why are they extorting you, Duke? What connection do you have with them?” Fang An pressed. He already sensed a breakthrough.The duke lowered his head, regret written across his face.“I was once part of them, Prince. I joined secretly before I was married.”“And after you married, you left them?”“Yes, Prince. I left without permission from Ren Zhi, the leader of the Sacred Blood Moon Sect.”Fang An nodded, understanding. He could see the duke’s regret was genuine.No matter how strong a man was, when the safety of his wife and children was threatened, he would become fragile—especially when he was powerless to act.“Very well. Now we know who the perpetrators are. What remains is to uncover which of their members is hiding inside this palace.” Fang An’s gaze lifted to the ceiling as he thought hard.“Do you have

Not long after, the two of them finally arrived in front of the palace of Province Sihan. The gates, which had been tightly closed, opened at once when the two young warriors arrived.From inside, a finely dressed man escorted by two guards hurried toward the gate.Fang An and A Long leapt down from their horses and handed the reins to a soldier.“Welcome to Province Sihan, Prince Fang An, Prince A Long. It is truly a great honor for me to receive the arrival of both Princes.” The finely dressed man, who turned out to be Duke Song Jian, bowed respectfully.“Do not be so formal, Duke. We just happened to pass by, so we decided to stop here. Besides, we also need a place to rest for the night,” replied Fang An with a smile, though his sharp eyes studied the finely dressed figure before him.From his experience dealing with officials, such respectful behavior often had two meanings. Some showed respect because of rank and position, while others used it to flatter or to cover up their wro