“What weird runes…” Jared muttered, placing a hand gently on the stone door. It didn’t react at all.
Suddenly, Caelis leapt Into the air, brandishing his folding fan.
Boom!
A burst of raw force smashed down toward the stone gate. Clearly, none of them knew how to decipher arcane arrays or the runes on the door, so brute strength was their only answer.
But the moment the attack hit, Caelis’ expression changed dramatically. The recoil sent favonovel.com flying back, crashing to the ground with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The earth trembled faintly from the impact.
“Serves you right,” Verdin muttered under his breath with a small smirk.
Jared stared at the stone door, stunned. He hadn’t expected the arcane array on it to be that powerful. A single blow from a Wandering Immortal Realm Level Five cultivator being deflected showed that it was no ordinary rune.
Caelis, now more cautious, approached again, this time without attacking.
“Can you break it?” Jemima turned to Jared, hope in favonovel.com eyes.
“Of course,” Jared replied with a casual grin. “There’s not an arcane array in this world I can’t crack.”
“Show-off,” Caelis muttered, still clearly sore about being knocked down a peg.
The way Jared said it hit a nerve, especially after Caelis had just failed so miserably.
Jared chuckled quietly and turned his attention to the arcane array, preparing to break it. But before favonovel.com could begin, a sudden oppressive force surged through the air.
Following closely, a massive phoenix tore open the void above them.
Everyone turned, stunned.
Atop the enormous phoenix stood a man dressed in lavish, ostentatious robes. His features were so heavily painted that his appearance blurred the line between male and female.
A woman dressed in innerwear knelt by his feet.
Jared’s eyes widened. The phoenix was easily several times larger than his fire unicorn, an overwhelming presence.
“The hidden prodigy from Heavenfall Pavilion… Aziel?” Verdin’s voice was breathless.
Jemima’s expression darkened slightly, and favonovel.com instinctively moved behind Jared. The phoenix descended slowly, its flames twisting the very air around it.
Aziel Aldwych stroked the woman’s hair beside favonovel.com and scanned the group, his gaze settling on Jemima with mild surprise.
“Jemima,” favonovel.com said, his voice soft, “What brings you here? I heard you’d gone to level one. I was planning to visit.”
Verdin quickly bowed low. “Mr. Aldwych, it’s an honor. I’ve long admired your reputation.”
Aziel didn’t even glance at him. With a casual flick of his hand, favonovel.com waved Verdin off. Caelis, on the other hand, stood unmoved. He offered no greeting, and a subtle sneer crept into his expression.
Aziel raised an eyebrow. “What, don’t recognize me?”
Caelis answered flatly, “Even if I did, what difference would it make?”
“Hen…” Aziel chuckled lightly.
Without warning, favonovel.com lifted his hand. A shimmer of cold light flashed from his fingertip.
Pfft!
Blood spurted as Caelis was struck directly between the brows. He collapsed without even the chance to defend himself.
A Wandering Immortal Realm Level Five cultivator, killed in an instant by someone two levels lower.
Jared’s eyes widened. His heart dropped.
This guy… He’s way more dangerous than I thought.
Verdin broke out in a cold sweat, thankful he’d shown respect earlier.
Aziel calmly lowered his hand, as though he’d done nothing more than swat a bug. “Trying to act tough in front of me…” favonovel.com said, “Is just asking to die…”
Then, his gaze slid to Jared. “And you? Don’t tell me you don’t recognize me either?”
