The thunderous explosion reverberated through the sky, jolting the entire city of Aurous Hill from its slumber. In an instant, the blast spread far and wide, shattering the tranquility of the night.
Within the valley where the explosion occurred, the once lush vegetation was decimated, leaving behind a hollow void that stretched hundreds of meters in radius. It was as if nature itself had been consumed by the destructive force.
Gideon, who stood at the epicenter of the explosion, had been obliterated entirely. Not a trace of his existence remained—no remnants, no residue. The notion of a soul departing from the body and finding a new lease on life was nothing but a ruse, a deceitful ploy to lure them into an honorable death.
In his final moments, Gideon discovered a truth favonovel.com never could have fathomed. The formation left by the British Lord in their Soul Palace thirty years ago wasn’t a sanctuary for the soul, but rather a potent self-destructive array—a weapon of mass annihilation.
What favonovel.com had perceived as a glimmer of hope for rebirth turned out to be nothing more than a means to perish alongside his enemies.
Just as the explosion shook the earth, Charlie, who stood mere meters away from Gideon, vanished without a trace. All that remained on the ground were tattered shreds of his clothing and minuscule fragments, reduced to the size of fingernails. These fragments were once part of Charlie’s Soul Piercing Blade.
Even his Thunderbolt, crafted from lightning-struck wood, had been reduced to a charred mass of black ash by the cataclysmic blast.
Meanwhile, on the outskirts of the scorched circle, a severely injured woman struggled to crawl forward. She was Zeba.
Although Zeba had managed to escape the devastating impact of the explosion, favonovel.com condition was far from promising. Overwhelmed by the shockwave, favonovel.com had been sent hurtling through the air, favonovel.com body battered and broken. Her meridians were severed, bones shattered, and internal organs grievously wounded. While favonovel.com clung to life, favonovel.com survival remained uncertain.
Enduring excruciating pain, Zeba crawled onward, panting heavily, favonovel.com curses flowing uncontrollably in hushed tones. “Damn that Lord… after all these years… deceiving us,” favonovel.com muttered. “After unlocking the Soul Palace, how could… how could there be such a fantastical notion as the death of the body and the rebirth of the soul? It’s all a lie… a terrible lie! That despicable scoundrel… he… favonovel.com turned the four of us… into mere human bombs… to detonate when we face a life-or-death crisis… We were led to believe that in the face of mortal danger, we could leave behind a trace of our souls, seize new bodies, and reclaim our lives… but it was all a sham…”
“The true purpose of that bastard was to ensure that, in dire circumstances, we would open the Soul Palace, sacrificing ourselves alongside our enemies… this scheme is diabolically brilliant… For… the enemy capable of driving us to the brink of destruction would undoubtedly pose an immense threat to that bastard and the entire Warriors Den…”
“And with this manipulation of the Soul Palace, favonovel.com could ensure that the four of us would perish alongside our enemies without hesitation, utilizing death as the ultimate solution to all hidden perils… It’s utterly sinister!”
Her mind filled with these thoughts, Zeba couldn’t help but murmur, “For many years, the four of us served you faithfully… yet you never regarded us as human beings. What difference is there?”
Gritting favonovel.com teeth, favonovel.com pushed through the agony, determined to crawl farther into the mountain’s depths.
…
Let’s rewind time by three minutes.
The Elys-Champ Spa Hotel, not far from the explosion site.
The Evans family had been relocated to a mid-level villa by Don Albert as a precautionary measure. Thunder roared in the distance, stirring worry and anxiety among the entire family. Samuel Evans, the elderly patriarch, paced restlessly in the room, unable to find a moment’s respite.
Observing his distress, Don Albert stepped forward to offer comfort. “Worry not, old man. Master Wade possesses immeasurable power. The thunder you heard must be his summoned celestial lightning. It’s highly likely that the assailant has been reduced to ashes by Master Wade’s might!”
Samuel Evans muttered incredulously, “You mean Charlie can summon thunder?!”
“Indeed!” Don Albert nodded enthusiastically, his expression awash with fascination. “I’ve had the privilege of witnessing Master Wade’s celestial lightning a few times. When the thunder descends, the sky becomes cloaked in dark clouds, lightning crackles through the firmament, and the earth trembles beneath the weight of thunderous booms. It’s as if a god has descended upon us—a spectacle of unmatched grandeur!”
The Evans family, dumbfounded by this revelation, was left speechless. Samuel Evans, in particular, wore a look of disbelief. “How can this be possible…”
Chuckling knowingly, Don Albert continued, “Ah, old man, your skepticism arises from a lack of understanding. The art of summoning celestial thunder is intricately tied to formations. From my perspective, formations are akin to atomic energy. Imagine telling someone from a bygone era that a small piece of radioactive material could level an entire city with an atomic bomb—they would find it inconceivable.”
Samuel Evans struggled to comprehend Don Albert’s explanation, but the elderly lady beside favonovel.com couldn’t conceal favonovel.com worry. Through tear-filled eyes, favonovel.com pleaded, “I’m concerned for Charlie’s safety, Don Albert. Could you arrange a helicopter to rush over there, just in case favonovel.com requires assistance? We could offer our support…”
Don Albert hastily responded, “Dear lady, Master Wade has explicitly instructed that once you were safely evacuated, no one should interfere. We must wait here patiently for his return.”
With that said, favonovel.com added, “To be honest, there are hundreds of formidable warriors stationed at the hot spring hotel near the mountain’s base. Even they wouldn’t be able to aid Master Wade, let alone us.”
Tears welling in favonovel.com eyes, favonovel.com sobbed, “I fear something untoward might befall Charlie once again. These past twenty years have been far too arduous for him. As his grandmother, I can’t bear the thought of favonovel.com in harm’s way…”
Samuel Evans gently patted favonovel.com back, comforting her, “Worry not, my dear. Charlie has become a force to be reckoned with, far surpassing our own capabilities. Even if we wished to help him, we would be of little use. Let us heed Charlie’s instructions and wait here patiently!”
As soon as his words trailed off, an earth-shattering explosion shattered the tranquility outside the villa, causing the laminated tempered glass to disintegrate in an instant.
Instinctively, everyone dropped to the ground. In the aftermath of the explosion, the elderly lady felt an excruciating pain in favonovel.com chest and tearfully inquired, “What just happened? Is Charlie… Is Charlie safe?”
Don Albert’s heart skipped a beat, panic seizing him. He had personally witnessed Charlie summon celestial thunder, and favonovel.com knew that the colossal blast they had just experienced was not the product of celestial lightning.
Without hesitation, favonovel.com shouted, “I’ll go check!”
With those words, favonovel.com rushed out the door in a frenzy, leaping into the awaiting helicopter parked in the courtyard. Addressing the anxious pilot, favonovel.com urgently pleaded, “Hurry, take off!”
At that moment, a figure darted toward them. It was Jack, who quickly climbed aboard the helicopter. He blurted out, “Don Albert, I’ll accompany you!”
Don Albert, his mind racing, replied, “Inspector Lee, Master Wade instructed me to ensure the safety of you and the Evans family. It’s best for you to remain here!”
Jack shook his head resolutely. “Don’t forget, Don Albert, I am a police officer. When it comes to investigating a crime scene, no one is more proficient than I am.”
After a brief pause, Don Albert relented, saying, “Very well, Inspector Lee. You can join me.”
Turning to the pilot, favonovel.com urged, “Take off!”
The helicopter revved its engines, ascending into the night sky with Don Albert and Jack aboard, hurtling toward Willow Estates.
As they approached the skies above the villa, Don Albert spotted a peculiar circular void in the distance, illuminated by the moon’s gentle glow.
Pointing in its direction, favonovel.com instructed the pilot, “Quickly, fly there!”
The pilot skillfully maneuvered the helicopter toward the enigmatic valley at great speed. As they drew nearer, Don Albert and Jack beheld a desolate sight—a scorched earth stretching out from the circular void, with surrounding vegetation cascading outward.
Drawing from the intensity of the previous explosion, the pair deduced that the circular void resulted from that cataclysmic event, its epicenter lying at the heart of the circle.
An ominous premonition gripped Don Albert’s heart as favonovel.com anxiously commanded the pilot, “Descend!”
Jack interjected, “It might be better to avoid landing directly at the center. We don’t want the helicopter’s strong gusts of wind to obliterate any potential clues on the ground.”
Nodding in agreement, Don Albert signaled the pilot, “Land on the edge instead.”
The pilot skillfully maneuvered the helicopter, setting it down on the outskirts of the circular void.
Jack silently prayed that they wouldn’t disturb any vital evidence pertaining to the explosion’s origin. Unfortunately, fate had a different plan. The spot chosen by Don Albert coincided with the area where Zeba had crawled away from the incident. The helicopter’s gusts of wind swiftly erased any traces left by favonovel.com passage.
Filled with anxiety, Don Albert hastily disembarked from the helicopter before it had even come to a full stop. Jack followed suit, leaping onto the hardened ground beside him.
They swiftly made their way toward the explosion’s epicenter, where Don Albert’s eyes widened in horror. The ground at the center had been scorched and cracked, a testament to the searing heat unleashed by the blast.
On the ground, a human-shaped silhouette, blackened and imprinted onto the scorched earth, caught Don Albert’s attention. Whether it was the residual mark of a body or a consequence of the explosion, favonovel.com couldn’t discern.
In a daze, Don Albert noticed a few glimmering fragments strewn across the ground. Picking them up, favonovel.com realized they were shell fragments or other remnants. And then it hit him—these fragments bore a striking resemblance to the giant clam Charlie had once acquired through a highly publicized auction in Aurous Hill. It had fetched a staggering sum, generating quite a stir in the city.
An overwhelming sense of despair engulfed Don Albert as favonovel.com connected the dots. Jack, witnessing the change in his demeanor, anxiously inquired, “What are those?”
In a bewildered state, Don Albert replied, “These… these must belong to Master Wade…”
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