Hiss!


    The sword energy shot through the giant ape''s head, killing it with one strike.


    Seeing itspanion fall, the final ape loosed a panicked grunt and lurched backward, desperate to flee.


    Jared merely lifted his hand and closed his fingers in a gentle curl. The chaotic celestial energy coalesced into a vast grey palm to seize the giant ape and mmed it into the hardened ground with bone-splintering force.


    Bam!


    The ground trembled when the giant ape crushed down.


    Lucky streaked forward, piercing straight through the giant ape''s eye socket. It burst from the back of the skull in the same breath, trailing a geyser of blood as hot and viscous as freshva.


    In that instant, the fight ended in several minutes.


    Three Lava Giant Apes at Top Level Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Seven, plus several hundred Fire Bats, were dead.


    Lyndon and Ethan stood gape-mouthed, forgetting even to breathe.


    A thousand feet back, every disciple of Earthfire Pavilion was stunned.


    Lindsay''s mouth hung open, eyes rounded into perfect circles before she finally whispered, "Th-this... this is too—"


    Elliot''s face turned sour. His fists clenched so hard the joints crackled.


    He had never imagined Jared wielding power of this magnitude.


    Jared had easily defeated three vicious beasts at level seven.


    This was not the prowess of a cultivator at Heavenly Immortal Realm Level One.


    Ferdinand''s gaze shed, fixing on Jared as though he meant to strip every secret from him.


    "A Chaotic Domain... This kid is different," he murmured.


    "No wonder the spiritual crystal couldn''t detect his cultivation. He possesses the chaotic energy."


    Then, he looked at Elliot and said, "You have underestimated him."


    "Elder, the stronger he appears, the more suspect he bes! How could a mere wandering cultivator possess such power? He might be a spy nted by some rival force." Elliot gritted his teeth.


    "We finish the mission first. Questions can wait until we are home," Ferdinand replied.


    Up ahead, Jared removed his Chaotic Domain. The gray mist slowly faded.


    He strode to the nearest Lava Giant Ape, crouching beside the hulking corpse for a closer look.


    At the base of the ape''s neck, he found a tiny crimson sigil.


    The sigil was fading, but left an aura.


    Jared''s gaze turned cold.


    The aura was simr to the cultivator from Malevolent Path Hall at the Darkwind Gorge.


    "Has the Malevolent Path Hall reached here?" Jared was rmed.


    Lyndon and Ethan hurried up and asked, "Mr. Chance, are you alright?" "I''m fine," Jared said, shaking his head.


    "Let''s keep moving. The sooner we reach me Spirit Basin, the better."


    Jared paused mid-stride. He nced over his shoulder at the Earthfire Pavilion, his eyes lingering on Elliot for a heartbeat. Without a word, he faced forward again.


    Elliot felt that brief stare scrape across his nerves like a w. A shiver slid down his spine, quickly drowned by a surge of spite. What are you looking at? Once we''re back in Earthfire Pavilion, you''ll beg for mercy!


    The party pressed on. Since Jared had unveiled that fearsome strength of his, the journey turned effortless.


    He easily defeated the vicious beasts.


    Half an hourter, they arrived at me Spirit Basin.


    The basin—a perfect circle nearly a mile across-was walled by jagged peaks on every side, broken only by a single, narrow gap that served as an entrance.


    Inside, the heat hit like a physical blow. The ground was a crust of dark-red crystal that cracked beneath each footfall with a brittle, ssy snap.


    At the very center simmered avake roughly three hundred feet wide, its surface rolling and popping with bubbles of burning gold. In the middle of thatke sat a lone crimson ind.


    Upon that ind swayed a patch of scarlet spiritual nts. The leaves were needle-thin, traced along the edges with veined gold, while


    threads of ruby light course


    through the stems in restless loops


    like mes.


    They had found the me Spirit Herb.


    There were around fifty me Spirit Herbs. Thirty of them had matured with a gold,


    fiery flower blooming out.


    "We found them!"


    Excitement rippled through the disciples.


    Ferdinand''s tone cut through the mor. "Be careful. The me Dragon could be nearby."


    He turned to


    the


    escorts, Jared


    included, and said, "As agreed, you''ll


    handle the defense and intercept any beast that dares approach. My disciples will harvest the herbs Complete the task to my satisfaction, and your pay will be doubled."


    The escorts nodded once and fanned out to the basin''s entrance and along the inner slopes, des drawn, eyes sweeping every ridge and crevice.


    Jared and the Vermilion Demon Lord chose a jutting ledge of blistered rock high above the basin.


    Under Ferdinand''s briskmands, Earthfire Pavilion disciples carefully entered the basin to harvest the me Spirit Herbs.


    Lindsay was skilled in harvesting the herbs. She moved quickly and harvested three mature me Spirit Herbs.


    Elliot kept pace at her side, while his eyes swept the perimeter.


    For a heartbeat, everything felt normal.


    Then, just as the twentieth herb left its stem...


    Roar!


    From the depths of thevake came a dragon''s cry so vast it seemed to shear the


    air itself.


    The basin rumbled. Lava surged sky-high in snarling waves.


    A colossal silhouette pulled free of the molten depths, rising slowly from theva


    The dragon stood ten feet tall, covered with sharp-edged crimson gold scales.


    Its muzzle was all fangs and menace, twin horns gleaming like forged copper, and within its eyes a tangible furnace of golden fire burned without mercy.


    Draconic pressure crashed outward.


    Cultivators beneath Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Seven felt their lungs seize. Even ther


    circting celestial energy slowed, as though forced to slog through tar.


    The me Dragon was at Top Level Heavenly Immortal Realm Level Nine.


    "This is bad! We''ve awakened it!" Ferdinand''s voice cracked above the roar.


    "Fall back now!"


    Disciples scrambled toward the exits, panic snapping at their heels.


    But it was toote.


    The me Dragon''s jaws yawned wide, unleashing a torrent of gold fire spreading across three yards.


    Where the mes swept, the very fabric of space writhed and warped, as if reality itself were blistering.


    "Form the shield array now!" Ferdinand bellowed.


    The disciples locked positions at lightning speed, igniting a scarlet barrier that barely blocked the fire.


    Waves of heat pummeled the shield, its surface shuddering, dimming-clearly


    moments from copse.