the city lord mansion, deep inside, outside the hidden chamber.


    A lone figure stood guard in front of the tightly shut door to the hidden chamber, straight and still like a rock left out in a storm.


    It was the kind of stillness that made the whole ce feel emptier around him.


    It was Luther.


    He wore ck from head to toe.


    His face had gone pale, drained of all color. Cold sweat covered his forehead in a fineyer, then slid down his cheeks and dripped to the ground.


    In his hand, he gripped the ck wraith de that had stayed with him for years.


    His fingers had tightened so hard around the hilt it looked like he might crush it.


    His eyes stayed locked on the golden warship in the sky.


    Past that, they fixed on the army of the Celestial Pce spread across the heavens like it could blot everything out.


    The pressure of the True Immortal Realm came down on him like a mountain.


    Even breathing had turned hard, and his legs gave a faint tremble under the weight.


    But he did not step back.


    He did not give up even an inch. He only stood there in silence, guarding the door.


    Behind him was the hidden chamber.


    Inside the hidden chamber was Jared.


    Grace stood beside Luther.


    She wore a in green dress, and the wild wind whipped it until the cloth snapped and fluttered around her. Her hair streamed loose in the air.


    Her cultivation was only at the High Immortal Realm.


    Under the crushing pressure pouring off the Celestial Pce army, her body swayed as if it might give out at any moment. She was barely able to stay on her feet, and her face had turned white as paper.


    But she bit down hard on her lower lip until a faint line of blood showed.


    She forced herself upright and did not fall.


    She did not say a word.


    She only stood there beside Luther, staying with him, guarding that door with him.


    Evelyn stood behind the two of them.


    The injuries on her body had not fully healed yet.


    The old wounds were still there, and now new pressure had piled on top of them. Her face was white like paper, without the slightest hint of blood, and her thin frame looked like a gust of wind could knock her over.


    She lifted her head and looked at the golden tide in the sky, the sight of it enough to drive people into despair.


    Her eyes shook under it, and her slender body gave a faint tremble.


    But her feet still did not move back.


    She stayed at the door to the hidden chamber too.


    The Young Lord had saved her life.


    He had given her a second one.


    Now the Young Lord was in danger.


    Even if it cost her this life, she was going to stay here.


    Vivian stood at the very front.


    She wore a in white dress that made her look almost untouchable.


    Her face was stunning, but right now that cold, distant face held no expression at all.


    There was only a heavy stillness there.


    She held a longsword in a tight grip.


    The de gave a faint tremor, carrying a restless edge with it.


    Her cultivation was the highest among the four of them.


    But facing a thousand elites from the Celestial Pce, facing Godric at True Immortal Realm Level Two, even she could not see a way to win. There was not a shred of certainty in it.


    They were too strong.


    Far too strong.


    The other side''s strengthy between them like a chasm no one could cross.


    But she did not retreat.


    Vivian slowly turned her head.


    Her eyes fell on the tightly shut door to the hidden chamber behind her, and


    something deeply tangled passed through her gaze.


    Worry. Attachment. Resolve. Finality...


    Jared was inside.


    He was in secluded ecovery, healing his wounds, refining that power, bringing his strength back.


    He knew nothing about what was happening outside.


    He did not know the Celestial Pce army had alreadye to the gates.


    He did not know Cloudhaven City was hanging by a thread. He did not know


    countless people were fighting for their lives because of him.


    But he had to live.


    As long as he lived, there was still hope.


    As long as he lived, there was still a chance to turn all of this around.


    Vivian drew in a slow breath.


    Everything in her face settled back down as she turned away from the door and looked up at the sky again. Her gaze became steady and quiet once more.


    She looked at Evelyn behind her and said in a light voice that left no room to argue, "Evelyn, your injuries still haven''t healed, and your spiritual power is unstable. Fall back. We''ve got this here."


    Evelyn shook her head.


    There was still fear in her eyes, and her voice trembled when it came out, but it did not bend. "Sister, I''m not leaving."


    "The Young Lord saved me. My life belonged to him from the start."


    "Even if I die today, I''ll die here, guarding the Young Lord''s door."


    Vivian looked into those clear, steady eyes, and the look in her own eyes shifted for a moment.


    She could see it.


    This woman was sincere toward Jared, sincere enough to give everything she had for him.


    Vivian did not say anything else.


    She only gave a small nod and let her stay.


    Off to the side, Luther, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke.


    His voice came out hoarse and rough, like sand scraping across stone, with a bitter edge to it. "Miss Janis, do you think... this time, we''re going to make it? Can we hold on until Mr. Charicees out of seclusion?


    Vivian fell silent for a moment.


    She looked at the killing intent in the sky as it pressed closer and closer, then slowly


    shook her head. Her voice stayed calm. "I don''t know."


    She didn''t know if they could win.


    She didn''t know if they could live.


    No one knew whether they could hold out until Jared came back.


    Everything was unknown.


    Luther suddenlyughed.


    The smile on his face was faint, carrying a trace of bitterness, a trace of release, a


    trace of relief.


    "Maybe it''s better not knowing."


    "Mr. Chance saved this life of mine a long time ago. It belonged to him from that day


    on. I''ve already gotten extra days out of it, and I got to stay by his side. I''ve alreadye out ahead."


    "Even if I die here today, it''ll still be worth it."


    Grace still said nothing. She only reached out and gripped Luther''s hand hard.


    Their hands locked together tightly, passing warmth and courage between them.


    During all the time they had spent togethertely, something different had quietly grown in Grace for Luther, though Jared still knew nothing about it.


    Luther turned and looked at Grace beside him. He bared a grin, bitter but gentle. "Are you scared?"


    Grace gave a slight shake of her head and looked straight at Luther, her gaze steady.


    "Scared? Of course I am. But as long as I''m with you, as long as I''m here by Young


    Lord''s side, then I''m not."


    Grace said it with a smile.


    Luther smiled and nodded. He said nothing more.


    The four of them stood at the entrance to the hidden chamber like four silent


    statues, utterly still.


    Their strength was tiny.


    In front of the army from the Celestial Pce, they were like ants.


    But their will would not break.


    In the sky.


    The golden light grew brighter and brighter, and the pressure grew heavier and


    heavier, almost enough to crush all of Cloudhaven City.


    Inside the city. Crying, screaming, pleas for help, wails of pain... they rose one after another without


    end, all of it copsing into chaos as the air of despair spread into every corner.


    In one corner of the city, inside a worn-down house.


    A young mother clutched her small child tightly and curled up beneath the bed. Her whole body shook so hard it almost looked like it woulde apart.


    She pressed a hand over the child''s mouth, not letting him make even the slightest sound, terrified of drawing down the killing god in the sky.


    Tears streamed from her eyes like snapped beads, soaking her clothes, yet not a single sob dared leave her throat.


    The child stared at his mother with wide, innocent eyes. He didn''t understand what


    was happening. He only huddled there, his small body trembling too.


    Out on the street.


    An old man with white hair fell in the


    middle of the panicked crowd. His aged body mmed against the


    hard ground, He struggled to g


    back up only to be mercilessly trampled by the people still running for their lives.


    Sharp, agonized screams kept breaking out from within the crowd, then were


    swallowed almost at once by the chaos. No one looked. No one stopped.


    In times like this, a human life was worth no more than grass.


    Inside a tavern in the city.


    A group of cultivators had crammed themselves into a corner, shaking all over.


    Every face was ashen, every pair of eyes hollow with despair.


    They kept muttering the names of every god and spirit they could think of, palms


    pressed together as they prayed over and over, begging the heavens to protect them, begging to survive this disaster.


    But against absolute power, those prayers looked pale and useless.


    Fear, despair, helplessness, grief...


    All of it rolled together like a ck tide, wrapping all of Cloudhaven City and dragging it down into a bottomless abyss.


    And behind that tightly shut door to the hidden chamber.


    Inside the Pentacarna Tower.


    Jared sat cross-legged with his eyes closed. Golden draconic energy flowed endlessly around him, and the Five wed Golden Dragon Bloodline thundered through his


    body, giving off a terrifying, majestic pressure.


    He remained submerged in his own world, every part of him focused on healing and


    breaking through.


    As for the war outside, the dread outside, the despair outside, everything beyond


    those walls...


    He knew nothing.


    He was still recovering.


    Still growing stronger.


    Still waiting in silence for the moment he woulde out of seclusion.