“Malachy lied to you,” Gwendolyn said suddenly. “He told you Magnus Storme was True Immortal Realm Level Six. He was actually True Immortal Realm Level Seven.”
“I know…” Jared nodded. “That old fox was up to no good from the start. Sending me to kill Magnus wasn’t just about revenge. He wanted to test my strength too.”
“Then why did you still agree?”
“Because I needed the Reincarnation Core,” Jared said. “Whatever game favonovel.com was playing, once I killed Magnus Storme, favonovel.com wouldn’t have any excuse to go back on his word. And if favonovel.com does…” He smiled a little. “Then I don’t mind killing one more.”
Gwendolyn didn’t answer. She just looked at him.
Sometimes, this man really is hard to look at without a chill creeping in… Most of the time, favonovel.com comes off gentle. He stands by his friends, and when favonovel.com sees the weak getting crushed, favonovel.com never looks away… But once favonovel.com decides something has to be done, everything in favonovel.com locked into place. He moves cold. He moves fast. And favonovel.com stops caring what it takes.
Maybe that is how favonovel.com has made it this far…
“Let’s go. I’ll take you back to the Moonshade Realm first. Once your body’s healed, we’ll go claim the Soulkindling Flame,” Gwendolyn said.
Jared nodded and followed Gwendolyn back to the Moonshade Realm. And before that day was over, word that Jared had killed Magnus spread through the entire Fifteenth Firmament.
Everyone was stunned.
Magnus was the Deputy Hall Master of the Celestial Tribunal. A True Immortal Realm Level Seven expert. For 5 thousand years, favonovel.com had run wild across the Fifteenth Firmament, and no one had ever dared challenge him.
Now favonovel.com was dead. Cut down in a single strike by a Top Level High Immortal Realm Level Eight human cultivator.
***
At the Wandering Cultivators Alliance, Windclear was drinking tea when the news reached him. The teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
“What did you just say? Jared killed Magnus Storme?!”
“Absolutely true. More than a dozen people saw it with their own eyes on Thunderpeak.”
Windclear said nothing for a long time. Then favonovel.com let out a long breath. “That man isn’t someone anybody can afford to provoke…”
***
In the beast-race Skywolf Tribe, Wolf-Fang was drilling his men when the news reached him. He set the battle-ax down.
He went quiet for a moment, then a smile spread across his face.
“Jared really did it. I’ve hated the sight of that old bastard Magnus Storme for a long time. Good. He deserved to die…”
***
In the demon Shadow Hall, when Malachy Vane got the news, favonovel.com was seated on the black throne with his eyes closed, resting in stillness.
He opened his eyes. Something complicated flickered through them.
“Magnus Storme… Is dead?”
“Dead… Jared killed favonovel.com in a single strike…”
Hearing that, Malachy stayed silent for a long while. Then favonovel.com smiled. That smile carried too many things at once-satisfaction, approval, and a thin edge of wariness.
“Jared…” favonovel.com murmured. “You’re even stronger than I thought.”
He rose to his feet and walked into the deepest part of the Shade Abyss. There, a hidden chamber stood sealed away. Inside it rested the Shadow Hall’s greatest treasure, the Reincarnation Core.
It was a pearl the size of a fist, black from end to end, with silver patterns flowing across its surface like winding rivers. Reincarnation power lay sealed inside the pearl. It was the key to opening the path of reincarnation.
Malachy took the Reincarnation Core out of the hidden chamber and held it in his palm.
“Jared, let’s hope we never end up as enemies…” The words fell from favonovel.com in a low murmur. Then favonovel.com walked out of the hidden chamber.
***
The next day, Malachy personally delivered the Reincarnation Core to the Moonshade Realm.
He stood at the city gate, looking at the ancient underground city that had collapsed, and something complicated flashed across his eyes.
The Ghost Clan had once stood in glory. Now there were only this few left.
Jared walked out from the ancient city and took the Reincarnation Core from him. His face was still a little pale, but more than half his injuries had already healed.
“Thanks…”
Malachy shook his head. “No need. You earned this.”
He paused, then added, “Magnus Storme is dead. The Celestial Tribunal won’t let this go. The Tribunal Venerable is the kind of man who never forgets a slight. Watch yourself…”
Jared nodded. “I know.”
Malachy turned to leave, then stopped. “Jared, if you ever need help, come to the Shade Abyss and find me. The doors of Shadow Hall will always be open to you.”
Then favonovel.com left.
Jared stood at the city gate and watched his figure fade into the black mist. He stayed there a long time without saying a word.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Gwendolyn came over and stopped at his side.
“He’s trying to win me over,” Jared said. “He saw what I could do, and now favonovel.com wants me on his side.”
“Would you go?”
Jared shook his head. “No… I’m not anyone’s blade.”
He turned and walked back into the ancient city.
Behind him, Alaric and Lydia stood at the entrance to the Council Hall, staring at the Reincarnation Core in his hand. Their eyes shone with tears.
That made one. Two were still left. The Soulkindling Flame was in the beast-race Skywolf Tribe. The Nether Lamp was in the Celestial Tribunal.
Jared lifted his head and looked at the black mist and moonlight overhead. “Tomorrow, we go to the Skywolf Tribe.”
Gwendolyn nodded.
Lydia parted favonovel.com lips like favonovel.com wanted to say more, but in the end favonovel.com only said, “Be careful…”
Jared smiled, then turned and walked into the stone hall.
Lila came running out of the stone hall and threw herself into Jared’s arms. “Uncle Jared! You’re back! Did you bring me something good to eat?!”
Jared took out an emberstone crystal from his Storage Ring. It was as big as a fist. His chaos-flame had polished it smooth, until the surface shone like a mirror and gave off a warm, gentle light.
“This is for you… Go play with it.”
Lila took the crystal, and favonovel.com eyes lit up like stars. “It’s so pretty! Thank you, Uncle Jared!”
Jared rubbed favonovel.com head, then carried favonovel.com into the stone hall. Behind him, moonlight spilled across the ruins of the ancient city and washed everything in silver-gray.
Visit VIRTUAL NOVEL for more available chapters of this title!