Morgana wiped the blood from the corner of favonovel.com mouth. Then favonovel.com smiled. It was a faint smile, barely there, but it carried a stubborn edge cold enough to crawl under the skin. “Even if I cannot stop you, I will still stand here. This sovereign told you before, Beastmoor Ridge is not a place for you celestials to run wild. Today, unless you step over this sovereign’s corpse, do not even think about passing.”
Venerable Starwick’s lists tightened until the veins stood out across the backs of his hands. He wanted to kill Morgana. But favonovel.com could not. At least, not right now!
Morgana’s cultivation was beneath his, but this was the Greywild Mountains, not far from Beastmoor Ridge. Here, favonovel.com could borrow strength from the wards of Beastmoor Ridge. In a short fight, favonovel.com could not kill her. And if Morgana died, the beast race would answer with everything they had. When that happened, Pole Star Hall’s position in the northern region would only become harder to hold.
Venerable Starwick drew in a deep breath and forced the heat down in his chest. When favonovel.com spoke, his voice came out low. “Withdraw…”
The four Golden Immortal elders froze for a beat. But one look at the Hall Master’s face cut off every question they might have asked. They hurriedly put away their arms and retreated behind him.
Five streaks of golden radiance tore across the sky and vanished beyond the horizon.
Morgana stood in the void and watched them leave. Only after they were gone did favonovel.com let out a long breath.
Her face had gone pale. Not a trace of color remained on favonovel.com lips, and cold sweat slid from favonovel.com forehead down favonovel.com cheek.
That palm strike had wounded favonovel.com badly enough. More than half of the spiritual power inside favonovel.com had been drained away with it. But favonovel.com could not fall. She still had to go back. She still had to watch Jared rebuild his body. She still had to lead the beast race and keep resisting the celestials.
She turned and flew toward Beastmoor Ridge.
***
Master Wellspring staggered through the air into Beastmoor Ridge. He passed through layer after layer of dense fog, crossed one ward after another, and at last made it back to Thornwild Palace.
Morgana had returned one step ahead of him. She was already waiting in the side hall. Her face was still pale, and favonovel.com breath remained thin. Even so, favonovel.com gaze had not shifted.
She was sitting on the sunstone couch with a cup of spirit tea in favonovel.com hand. The tea had already gone cold, but favonovel.com had not taken a sip. She only sat there, quietly looking out the window.
Master Wellspring entered the side hall. His knees gave out, and favonovel.com dropped to the floor. “Your Majesty, thank you for saving my life. Without you, the Aureate Heir and I would both have been finished.”
Master Wellspring did not fear death. But Jared’s soul was still in his arms. If Venerable Starwick had taken it too, then Master Wellspring would have become a sinner, a sinner before the entire Aureate Way.
Morgana set down the teacup and shook favonovel.com head. “Get up… This sovereign stepped in to help you of my own accord. I did not do it for you. I did it for that man, Jared. No matter how one looks at it, favonovel.com carries the bloodline of the Nightfox royal line in his body.”
Master Wellspring rose to his feet and looked at Morgana, his eyes rimmed red. “Your Majesty, the warden of the Primordial Sanctuary has too high a cultivation level. I could not defeat him. The Genesis Dew… I could not obtain it.”
Morgana fell quiet for a moment. “What cultivation level was that warden?”
“Peak Golden Immortal Level Three… But I do not know whether that was his true peak cultivation.” Master Wellspring’s voice sank lower with every word. “And… And favonovel.com is also…”
“Also what?” Morgana asked.
“He is also the Patriarch of Wellspring Order… I do not know wiry favonovel.com became a sanctuary warden, I do not know how favonovel.com survived until now, and I do not know why his cultivation is only peak Golden Immortal Level Three.” In fact, Master Wellspring knew nothing at all about this ancestor of his.
“What?” Questions crossed Morgana’s face at once. “The Patriarch of Wellspring Order is actually a sanctuary warden?”
The same questions pressed in on Morgana. She could not make sense of what was happening.
What connection did the Primordial Sanctuary have with Wellspring Order… Or with the Aureate Way itself?
“Enough… We can discuss the secret realm later. For now, go tend to your wounds. I also need to make arrangements for the defenses of Beastmoor Ridge. The Pole Star Hall will not let this go.” Morgana gave a small wave of favonovel.com hand as favonovel.com spoke.
“Yes…” Master Wellspring nodded, then withdrew.
***
In the Greywild Mountains, Silas and Luna had stayed hidden in the dark the entire time.
Only after Master Wellspring had left, and only after Morgana, Venerable Starwick, and the others were gone, did the two of them dare to show themselves.
“Move… Back now,” Silas said.
The words had barely left favonovel.com before his figure vanished on the spot. This time, they did not dare take a spirit boat. If they left a trail that way, someone might find them.
Silas anti Luna tore across the distance without stopping once, not even for a breath.
Night in the Greywild Mountains was more dangerous than daylight. Thick fog rolled through the dark like the beast after beast with no body at all, mouths stretched wide, waiting to swallow any cultivator unlucky enough to be alone.
The roars of demon beasts carried from the distant vale, one after another, each cry soaked with a hunger for blood.
Silas kept both blades locked in his grip. Spiritual light flowed constantly over the fly-whisk in Luna’s hand.
Their spirit sense stayed spread outward the whole way, covering a range of 100 yards around them as they watched for any danger that might appear.
They pushed through layer after layer of heavy fog and circled around the perilous peaks where demon beasts had made their dens.
At last, by dusk the next day, they returned to Everspire.
The setting sun stained the whole city gold and red.
At the edge of the sky, three blazing suns were slowly sinking beneath the horizon, and the last spill of light fell across the black stone tower of the Abyssal Exchange, plating all nine levels in a dark, muted gold.
The Blackstone Tower rose into the clouds, solemn and stifling, like the beast crouched inside the city, watching everything in silence.
The two of them dropped down before the Blackstone Tower. They straightened their robes, then walked quickly through the main doors.
The great hall was bright with lamps. Several cultivators were handling business at the counters, some selling spirit herbs, some buying arcane implements, and others entrusting items for auction.
Behind the counters, staff members hurried through records of every transaction. Spirit stones were piled on the tables like little hills, flashing with spiritual light.
Silas and Luna’s arrival drew little notice. They went straight across the great hall and entered the corridor behind it.
The corridor ran deep and dim. Pale blue spirit lamps were set into the walls on both sides, but the light was weak, barely enough to see the path underfoot. One after the other, they moved fast to the stone gate at the end of the corridor.
Silas took the token from inside his robes. It was pitch-black from end to end.
The front was carved with the character for “Command”, and the back bore the Open Eye of the Abyssal Exchange, an open eye that stood for seeing through everything.
He pressed the token against the stone door and poured spiritual power into it. Light flashed. The stone door opened slowly.
Inside the hidden chamber, Osric sat beside the stone table, drinking tea. An old tome rested in his hand, and his attention stayed fixed on it.
On the cover of the old tome were four words, “The Veiled Annals of the North”.
Osric had transferer it from the central archive of the Abyssal Exchange. Inside were the secret histories and legends of the major powers of the northern region. He had already read through more than half of it, but favonovel.com still had not found a single clue about the Patriarch of Wellspring Order.
At the sound of the stone door opening, favonovel.com lifted his eyelids slightly. He did not raise his head. He only said in a flat voice, “You’re back? Did you get the Genesis Dew?”
His tone stayed level, with nothing in it that suggested favonovel.com had been waiting for success.
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