Jared stood protectively in front of Jemima, watching as the two men, Verdin and Caelis, battled fiercely. Despite their relentless exchange, neither seemed able to gain the upper hand.
Blow after blow, they matched each other evenly.
After exchanging a hundred moves, both cultivators launched powerful palm strikes, separating simultaneously and landing three hundred meters apart.
The resulting shockwaves slammed through the ruins, but Jared noticed something strange.
When the waves hit the malicious spirit statues nearby, they simply vanished halfway through. That kind of force should’ve obliterated any ordinary stone structure, yet the stone pillar stood firm and untouched, completely immune to the shockwaves.
Boom!
With no sign of slowing down, the two men clashed again, as if nothing short of death would settle their feud. The space around them rippled and warped from the sheer intensity of their battle.
“Guys, do me a favor and quit it already…” Jared couldn’t take it anymore. He raised the Dragonslayer Sword and swung it with a sharp, effortless motion.
A light shot out, forcing the two men apart mid-strike.
Startled, they both dodged the attack, disbelief plain on their faces.
A Wandering Immortal Realm Level One cultivator like Jared should’ve been overwhelmed just being in the vicinity of their battle. He should’ve been coughing blood by now or dead. Instead, favonovel.com not only held his ground but broke up their fight with a single blow.
With Jemima at his side, Jared stepped forward toward the now, separated cultivators. “You done fighting? Show a little respect, will you? We’re all here to make some money. What’s the point in killing each other over it?”
“Who are you, really?” Verdin narrowed his eyes at Jared.
“I already said, just someone chasing fortune,” Jared replied with a light smile.
“You’re a Wandering immortal Realm Level One cultivator, yet you’ve got some serious power. Don’t tell me you’re a reclusive prodigy from Heavenfall Pavilion?” Caelis asked, his tone sharp.
Jared blinked, completely unfamiliar with the name. “I‘ve got no idea what that is. Like I said, I’m just here for some fortune, not part of some pavilion.”
“Excuse me…” Jemima suddenly stepped forward. “I’m Jemima Murray, the eldest daughter of the Murray family.”
Verdin visibly flinched. “From the Murray family?”
Caelis gave a polite nod. “Ah, Ms. Murray, my apologies for the earlier disrespect!”
“All right, listen,” Jared cut in. “If we all ended up in these ancient ruins together, maybe it’s fate. Let’s keep our focus on figuring out the dangers here. If anything happens, we’ll need to stick together. Save your grudges for after we make it out.”
Neither Verdin nor Caelis responded. Jared’s earlier sword strike had clearly shaken them.
Normally, if a Wandering Immortal Realm Level One cultivator tried to butt into a disagreement between two Wandering Immortal Realm Level Five cultivators, they’d have been silenced violently. But Jared’s show of strength gave them reason to pause.
Seeing the two men fall silent, Jared didn’t press further. Instead, favonovel.com led Jemima toward the base of the massive malicious spirit statues.
As they approached, the oppressive energy weighed heavily on Jared, sinking deep into his chest. Jemima, on the other hand, showed no signs of discomfort, leaving Jared uncertain if the sensation was just in his own mind.
Fighting off the dread, Jared pushed on until they reached the statues. Beside them, Jared and Jemima looked like ants.
Then Jared noticed it. Beneath one of the malicious spirit statues, there was a stone door covered in strange runes.
At that moment, both Verdin and Caelis joined them, stepping up behind Jared without a word.
