Elliot kept his head lowered. Darkness shed in his eyes.
He secretly used a message talisman to inform the Malevolent Path Hall.
He told them that Jared had the Golden Dragon Bloodline and might be injured from fighting the me Dragon. He also gave them Jared''s current location.
When he looked up again, his smile was warm. "Mr. Chance, we owe you. Once we reach the Earthfire Pavilion, my father will see your heroism properly rewarded!"
Lindsay added, voice bright as crackling tinder, "Yes! I''ll demand Father shower you with gifts!"
Jared answered with a calm nod. "I appreciate it, but first we move. The me Dragon may rethink its mercy at any moment."
"Agreed," Ferdinand said, forcing himself upright. "Let''s head back to Crimson me City!"
They moved once more, but the atmosphere was different.
At first, Jared was looked down upon.
Now, he had be the Earthfire Pavilion''s savior.
Lindsay hovered at his side, never more than an arm''s length away. She tended to Jared''s needs, and her eyes showed affection.
Elliot was calm, but his murderous intent was intense.
Vermilion Demon Lord was wary of him and reminded Jared to be watchful.
Jared, meanwhile, breathed slowly to recover his body while nning his next step.
He had revealed his Golden Dragon Bloodline. Although only Elliot and Lindsay saw it, he did not trust Elliot.
The Malevolent Path Hall was after him. He should improve his strength as soon as possible.
Moreover, he needed the Earthfire Pavilion''s help to locate the Jadeheart Marrow. The convoy headed for the me Gorge exit.
Far behind, deep within thevake, the me Dragon opened its eyes. Confusion filled its gaze, then changed to reverence.
It rumbled low, the sound trembling stone. Beneath the growl hid a note of— submission.
Elsewhere, outside the me Gorge, several dark-robed figures appeared. The man leading the group was Bet from the Malevolent Path Hall.
His red eyes traced the convoy''s dust with a crooked smile. "Golden Dragon Bloodline... What an unexpected treasure. Bonefiend, is the array ready?"
Bonefiend, wrapped head to toe in jagged white spikes, cackled. "No worries. I have set the Almighty Soul Devourer. When they reach the outside of me Gorge, they can''t escape."
"Excellent," Bet replied.
He licked his lips. "Spread the word. This time, I shall extract the Golden Dragon Bloodline myself. Such nourishment is too rare to waste."
Danger was lurking in Jared''s group.
*****
A hundred miles on, Jared and the others had reached the Dragonfall Ravine.
The cliffs were riddled with
honeb hollows said to have
???
been drenched in dragon blood ages ago the stain refusing to fade even after ten millennia.
Only a single passage wound through the ravine-barely nine feet wide, twisting like
a serpent and lit by grudging shards of sunlight.
A faint odor of decay clung to the air, stark against the ze Region''s usual scent of mes and life.
"Move! We need to get past Dragonfall Ravine soon!"
Ferdinand still looked pale even though he had taken a pill.
"The negative energy is dense here. We shouldn''t stay for long," he ordered.
At the warning, the Earthfire Pavilion disciplesshed their Crimson me Steeds.
Jared and Vermilion Demon Lord flew in the air, guarding the convoy.
Since leaving the me Gorge, an uneasy tug had gnawed at Jared''s gut.
The surroundings were eerily quiet. Dragonfall Ravine was infamous for its negative
energy, yet even here, vicious beasts normally prowled.
Aside from the sounds of the wheels rolling and footsteps, the rest was dead silence.
energy is
''s not right. The negative
too dense. MY D
technique is reacting tot Vermilion Demon Lord said through telepathy.
Jared nodded. He activated the chaotic celestial energy to expand his senses.
He could sense that the holes in the cliff walls were filled with a weak aura. The aura belonged to Demonic Cultivators, not vicious beasts.
"Ambush! Prepare to battle!" Jared informed everyone through telepathy.
The next instance, a creepyugh echoed from all sides.
"Hahaha! You''re quick! But toote!"
Then every hole within the cliff walls erupted in sickly green light, hundreds upon hundreds igniting at once.
Each light was a pair of eyes.
Hundreds of ck-robed figures jumped out of the holes and filled the cliff walls.
They wore the signature robes of Malevolent Path Hall, faces hidden behind demon masks, twisted weapons gleaming in their grasp.
Worse still the instant they
appeared, the ground, the cliffs, even the au pulsed with the same ghastly, green runes igniting everywhere at once.
The runes formed a colossal array covering the Dragonfall Ravine.
"Almighty Soul Devourer-activate!"
The creepy voice appeared again. The entrance and exit of the ravine were blocked with a ten-foot green barrier.
Numerous malicious spirits crawled out of the runes and started screaming.
The negative energy caused the temperature to drop vigorously.