Rania stopped her quiet gasping and suddenly sat up to stare at Rolfene.Chase sat at the door as he quietly closed his eyes to rest. He looked like he had handed the situation completely over to Rolfene. He stood guard at the door to prevent the supernatural being inside of Rania from escaping. It was better to be careful."Stop putting on an act. Come out here to chat," Rolfene said once more."I didn't expect to meet someone like me in a small place like Eagle City," Rania finally spoke, but the voice did not belong to her. It sounded like someone much older and experienced. "Well, I guess you're just too inexperienced," Rolfene replied haughtily."I'm curious. We're both supernatural beings who chose the unorthodox path and fought against every rule and restriction of society. How did you end up with a human?"Rania asked Rolfene while glancing at Chase, who was guarding the door."You shouldn't ask that question. It's none of your business. Let's talk about this. Let go of
After all, this happened because Chase had acted obstinately.What happened next was much easier to deal with.Chase put up an act by first getting Harold and the others into the room and informing them that he had resolved the root of the problem.Even though Harold asked many questions about the process after entering the room, Chase managed to provide answers to him that seemed to be solid. It sounded as if Chase was the one who did all of it.Harold was filled with gratitude and insisted on keeping Chase at the manor to talk about it.Chase finally could not take it and gave the excuse that he had wounded himself internally while treating Rania so that he could leave. He returned to his private courtyard.Next, it was time to get his reward.They had agreed that Harold would help him fulfill one request after Chase cured Rania.Chase had wanted Harold to help him find out more information about the divine crystal but changed his mind.If he mentioned the divine crystal, Ha
Chase expressed his preference to handle this on his own. After some polite chit-chat, Harold expressed once more that he would give full support to Chase if he needed it, but Chase rejected this offer again.This matter involved the secret of the divine crystal, after all. It was best that he did not get Harold involved.After he left the city lord's manor, Chase put on a disguise. He made sure that no one could recognize him before making the decision to investigate the hidden location on his own.He headed straight to the location. It was a dirty and messy store. At least, it looked that way from the outside.A middle-aged man walked into the store. That man was Chase in disguise. He had originally wanted to disguise himself as an old man, but on second thought, he felt that he could not pull off the demeanor of a man in his twilight years. He decided it was safer to pretend to be a middle-aged man.That was how this wrinkled middle-aged man appeared inside the store.Chase wa
"Is there an issue, sir?"The store assistant thought there might be something difficult to convey that Chase might be concerned about by the look on Chase's face. However, he did not leave Chase alone like a short-sighted salesman. Instead, he gave a sneaky look left and right before whispering in Chase's ear."Do you have something difficult to convey? If so, I have a proposition that you might be interested in.""Oh? Let's have a listen." Chase pretended to look extremely interested.The store assistant got more confident in his own judgment when Chase said that. This customer indeed had something too troubling to voice out. He felt quite sure of what he should do next."I believe you might not know this, but our store provides mercenary services. You look like someone with a high cultivation. Would you be interested in accepting mercenary work?" The store assistant paused at this point."Continue." Chase pretended to look drawn in.He was glad to be in the right place."The
"For someone like you, the job can be divided into two parts. Find the man in the picture and your mission is considered complete. You'll receive a hundred gold coins as a reward. If you manage to kill this man and bring his corpse back, then I'll have to congratulate you as the reward will be 10,000 gold coins," Toledo explained the reward in one go.To be honest, Chase would have been interested if the target was not him. He had killed three men a few days ago at the city gates and only got a few dozen gold coins for it.Chase pretended to look excited to make his act more convincing.He said, "Is that true? All I need to do is find this man and I'll earn a hundred gold coins? If this is true, I'll have to thank you properly, Toledo.""Don't be too happy yet. Now that you've accepted this job, I'll need to give you more information. There is one other person other than you who has taken on this mission. He's also an early-stage marquis of martial arts. His name is Hal Chadman, an
"Is that so? Hal, your information is always so reliable. I'm really benefiting from it," Chase said."Not at all, but I do hope you'll share any news about the person in the portrait with me as well," Hal replied. Although his words sounded casual, his expression clearly conveyed that he expected some valuable information in return for what he had provided.Hearing that, Chase responded, "Of course, of course."Their conversation was pleasant overall, and when Chase took his leave, Hal even walked him downstairs.After leaving Hal's inn, Chase went to the tavern he frequented. He looked for a secluded spot, removed his disguise, and reverted to his true self before heading back home.On his way back to the small house, Chase continued to ponder how he could fake his own death to infiltrate Shadow Pavilion. Upon seeing Chase's dilemma, Lucas offered a suggestion, "Find a corpse and destroy the face. That should do the trick.""But will the fake really pass as me?" Chase was int
"Yes, sir. Please go ahead and absorb it," Chase said. He then sat down cross-legged, patiently waiting for Lucas to provide feedback.Within half an hour, Chase suddenly felt a surge of heat within his body. He remained calm, knowing that this was the result of Lucas digesting the divine crystal.He guided the heat flow to circulate through his body once. As he began the second circulation, the heat flow diminished until it completely disappeared. It was now fully absorbed by Chase.However, when Chase checked internally, he found that his cultivation level hadn't increased at all. He released his aura entirely in disbelief, confirming that there was indeed no change. Puzzled by this, he retracted his aura again.In that brief moment, many people in the city sensed his aura. Several individuals rushed out of their rooms, but as the aura quickly vanished, they could only look around in confusion and give up.Among those who noticed were Hal from the inn, Toledo from the shop, an
After breakfast, Harold and his wife felt that Chase seemed more genuine. Previously, he had been so calm and composed, almost unnaturally so for someone his age.Once Wanda led Rania away from the table, Chase returned to his usual demeanor. It was not that Chase had feelings for Rania or anything, but he naturally had a soft spot for gentle and fragile women."Chase, my young friend, why don't you settle down in Eagle City instead of wandering around? We have everything you could need here," Harold suggested with a hint of meaning in his tone."A man's ambition should know no bounds, Lord Scanlon. Please don't make light of such things," Chase understood immediately and changed the subject.Reluctantly, Chase asked, "Lord Scanlon, do you have any prisoners on death row?""What do you mean by 'death row'?" Harold was puzzled.Oops, they did not understand what 'death row' meant here."I mean people who have committed serious crimes and are awaiting execution," Chase explained.
"What has this got anything to do with me?"Chase could not understand the woman in front of him. Why would she say all these in the arena?"Before that, allow me to share a secret with you. The male and female phoenixes were supposed to be one."Chase was about to say something when Yara interrupted him, "The Rising of the Phoenix is not only about enhancing power after rebirth; it's a process of a male turning into a female and vice versa."But since the Dragon and Phoenix Calamity, the Phoenix Deity is the only Phoenix Demon Saint left, and he lost his power from the Rising to switch genders. He's unable to recover to his original power as well."However, he predicted that someone would be able to break him out of his suffering while wading in the river of fate."Yara looked into Chase's eyes with a smile."Is that person… me?"Anyone could tell the answer at this point.Chase was aware of what Yara was trying to tell him, but he still found it unbelievable when he asked the
Chase was the only person qualified to judge if there was murderous intent as he was the opponent in the arena.When Yara played the flute, it sounded like a beautiful melody from above the Ninth Heaven at first. If one listened closely, one could identify the vague signs of murderous intent.Chase scoffed at this. He thought it to be childish for one to hide murderous intent that way.He did not know music at all, but even he could tell what Yara was doing. Yara was looking down on him by doing this.When Chase was about to make his move, he was suddenly pulled into an illusion by the opponent. Chase was on a floating cloud above the Ninth Heaven in the illusion. It was just as Carla had said.He was initially flustered. How was he going to defend himself against the next killing move with such a powerful technique?While he was gathering all the vital energy within him, a sweet, melodious voice was heard. "Please don't retaliate, Mr. Collins. I bear no ill will."A tall, slen
"History scrolls don't really help with my cultivation. They make me drowsy every time, so I don't read them," Ford continued explaining without holding back. It did not seem wrong to him.However, his words made an impression on those listening.Ford was able to pick up the dragon clan's mystical techniques after reading them once. He even claimed it was not necessary to read them a second time. Was he even human? Oh, wait. He was a dragon. Tiana stared at him, not knowing what to say next.The Saintess of Emerald Lake Holy Land had not only fought with her talents yesterday but also with her hard work.When Tiana first entered Emerald Lake Holy Land, her master told her that her talents were upper-middle at best. She was considered extremely lucky to be accepted to the sect.Emerald Lake Holy Land was one of the top five sects in this world. It was second only to Sky Dragon Holy Land among the Four Holy Lands. Every disciple was the cream of the crop.Tiana grabbed attention t
Yara placed his flute to his lips and warned Chase, "I'll be making my move, Mr. Collins.""Please go ahead." Chase waved his hand casually and indicated for Yara to go ahead.It was the third round, and everyone at this stage was not to be underestimated. A powerhouse with a musical instrument for a weapon was rare. Chase looked forward to exchanging hands with him.The melodious sound of the flute was soon heard. All of the spectators could feel the atmosphere become more relaxed."Why is this Musical Technique non-lethal?""This can't be right. How did Yara Fries get into the third round? There's nothing formidable about this piece of music.""Is there anyone here who can explain?""He used his flute as a weapon in the previous rounds and knocked out his opponents with a couple of moves. He didn't play any music then.""Is he giving leeway to the opponent?""Could he be hinting at the opponent with his music that they're soulmates? They might end up being taken with each oth
As Clive had gained quite a lot, he decided to let it be. He allowed himself to let go of things. However, that being's consciousness began to open up to Clive, and that was when Clive realized how powerful the being was.It was one against the 12 Primal Treasures, and the universe was its target. It had existed for millions of years. The result of allowing it to take over was Clive losing complete control of his body. It was a projected image that vanished after Chase defeated it.However, Clive's body had been modified by it, and Clive's mind and soul were unable to control his own body. This was what had caused Clive to look like he was in a daze right after the match.Rania then used a mystical technique to transmit her cultivation and combine the powers of both parties. It triggered a lost talent within Clive that merged all of the swordsmanship he cultivated to form an unknown sword form that had never been seen before.Clive felt like he had been revived.He looked at the Ni
Inside the halved corpse, faint outlines of Rania and the coachman's bodies could be seen. They were twisted and contorted.Foul-smelling digestive fluid bubbled and hissed, corroding their bodies.Rania appeared to retain a shred of consciousness. "Cli... Clive... Clive... Help me... Save..."Her voice was faint, tremulous, and laced with sorrow. It stirred pity in the heart.In truth, even before she had spoken, Clive had already detected her presence through his spiritual consciousness. He raised his sword. His face was tormented as if he wanted to put a swift end to things. Yet in the end, he let out a long sigh and released a surge of true essence, pulling both the coachman and Rania from River's corpse.The coachman's cultivation was far too low, and his clothes were made of ordinary fabric. They offered no resistance to the corrosive and toxic digestive acid inside River's body.Half of his body was already unrecognizable, with the bones and internal organs exposed. His b
"Pathetic."The Nine-Sea Giant Squid that River had transformed into spoke with a human voice, then opened its gaping maw and swallowed her whole.The coachman, who had leaped off the horse the moment River transformed, scrambled and sprinted away. He was already dozens of feet out.Just then, a dark blur flashed past, and one of River's tentacles shot forward at incredible speed, snatching him back and devouring him in a single gulp as well."Disgusting. That woman tasted better," he muttered while slithering toward the carriage on his tentacles.Suddenly, an explosion echoed from within his belly, and faint glimmers of light shone through the surface of his body."That woman's protective artifact is so weak. Looks like she wasn't treated well in the Norths, after all."River examined himself carefully and found that it was indeed Rania's protective talisman that had just detonated. Yet his body remained largely unharmed. With some minor healing over ten days to half a month, he
Outside Light Divine City, Rania sat inside a carriage with Clive."Clive, say something, will you? You staying silent like this is really worrying me," she said while wiping the sweat from Clive's forehead and letting out a sigh.As a collateral descendant of the Norths, Rania's life had never been particularly easy. She had thought she had finally snagged a golden opportunity with Clive, only for him to fall into a daze after just one match.What was she supposed to do now?Everyone had witnessed their behavior during the tournament. Though some might look down on them, they would undoubtedly see the two of them as a pair by now.If she abandoned Clive at this point, she would surely be labeled a heartless woman.Just then, the carriage came to a halt. They had only left the city less than an hour ago and were still far from Universal Holy Land. Was someone blocking the road? Rania frowned and lifted the curtain.Sure enough, there was someone standing in the way.She looked c
Even though the match had ended, Lisa still could not fully escape the lingering terror.The slimy, wriggling tentacles covered in suction cups and jagged teeth, stretching out toward her… Such images were seared into her mind. The impact had been too great.Though she was a direct descendant of the dragon clan—an authentic ancient lineage and one of the top races in the entire world—she had been completely overpowered then.Normally, her bloodline would exert natural suppression over most others. However, at the time, she was almost crushed by another.She could not even begin to imagine what kind of race could do that."It tried to eat you?" Walter exclaimed in shock.As a great beast himself, he understood just how powerful the dragon clan's pure bloodline was.Even though the incident with the Lightning Dragon kneeling to Chase had dulled some of the mystique around dragons, it remained undeniable that they were a superior bloodline."For a creature to make a dragon feel lik