"Mchy Vane lied to you," Gwendolyn said suddenly. "He told you Magnus Storme was True Immortal Realm Level Six. He was actually True Immortal Realm Level Seven."
"I know." Jared nodded. "That old fox was up to no good from the start. Sending me to kill Magnus Storme wasn''t just about revenge. He wanted to test my strength too."
"Then why did you still agree?"
"Because I needed the Reincarnation Core," Jared said. "Whatever game he was ying, once I killed Magnus Storme, he wouldn''t have any excuse to go back on his word. And if he does..." He smiled a little. "Then I don''t mind killing one more."
Gwendolyn didn''t answer. She just looked at him.
Sometimes, this man really was hard to look at without a chill creeping in.
Most of the time, he came off gentle. He stood by his friends, and when he saw the weak getting crushed, he never looked away.
But once he decided something had to be done, everything in him locked into ce. He moved cold. He moved fast. And he stopped caring what it took.
Maybe that was how he had made it this far.
"Let''s go. I''ll take you back to the Moonshade Realm first. Once your body''s healed, we''ll go im the Soulkindling me," Gwendolyn said.
Jared nodded and followed Gwendolyn back to the Moonshade Realm.
And before that day was over, word that Jared had killed Magnus Storme spread through the entire Fifteenth Firmament.
Everyone was stunned.
Magnus Storme was the Deputy Hall Master of the Celestial Tribunal. A True Immortal Realm Level Seven expert. For 5 thousand years, he had run wild across the Fifteenth Firmament, and no one had ever dared challenge him.
Now he was dead.
Cut down in a single strike by a Top Level High Immortal Realm Level Eight human cultivator.
At the Wandering Cultivators Alliance, Windclear was drinking tea when the news reached him.
The teacup slipped from his hand and shattered on the floor.
"What did you just say? Jared killed Magnus Storme?"
"Absolutely true. More than a dozen people saw it with their own eyes on Thunderpeak."
Windclear said nothing for a long time. Then he let out a long breath.
"That man isn''t someone anybody can afford to provoke."
In the beast-race Skywolf Tribe, Wolf-Fang was drilling his men when the news reached him.
He set the battle-ax down.
He went quiet for a moment, then a smile spread across his face.
"Jared really did it. I''ve hated the sight of that old bastard Magnus Storme for a long time. Good. He deserved to die."
In the demon Shadow Hall, when Mchy Vane got the news, he was seated on the ck throne with his eyes closed, resting in stillness.
He opened his eyes.
Somethingplicated flickered through them.
"Magnus Storme... is dead?"
"Dead. Jared killed him in a single strike."
Mchy stayed silent for a long while.
Then he smiled.
That smile carried too many things at once-satisfaction, approval, and a thin edge of wariness.
"Jared," he murmured. "You''re even stronger than I thought."
He rose to his feet and walked into the deepest part of the Shade Abyss.
There, a hidden chamber stood sealed away.
Inside it rested the Shadow Hall''s greatest treasure, the Reincarnation Core.
It was a pearl the size of a fist, ck from end to end, with silver patterns flowing across its surface like winding rivers.
Reincarnation powery sealed inside the pearl.
It was the key to opening the path of reincarnation.
Mchy took the Reincarnation Core out of the hidden chamber and held it in his palm.
"Jared, let''s hope we never end up as enemies."
The words fell from him in a low murmur.
Then he walked out of the hidden chamber.
The next day, Mchy personally delivered the Reincarnation Core to the Moonshade Realm.
He stood at the city gate, looking the broken-down underground ancient city, and something
eyes.
The Ghost n had once stood in glory.
Now there were only this few left.
UX
his
Jared walked out from the ancient city and took the Reincarnation Core from him.
His face was still a little pale, but more than half his injuries had already healed.
"Thanks."
Mchy Vane shook his head. "No need. You earned this."
He paused, then added, "Magnus
Storme is dead. The Celestial
Tribunal won''t let this go. The Tribunal Venerable is the kind of man who never forgets a slight. Watch yourself."
Jared nodded. "I know."
Mchy turned to leave, then stopped.
"Jared, if you ever need help,e to the Shade Abyss and find me. The doors of
Shadow Hall will always be open to you."
Then he left.
Jared stood at the city gate and watched his figure fade into the ck mist.
He stayed there a long time without saying a word.
"What''s that supposed to mean?" Gwendolyn came over and stopped at his side.
"He''s trying to win me over," Jared said. "He saw what I could do, and now he wants me on his side."
"Would you go?"
Jared shook his head. "No. I''m not anyone''s de."
He turned and walked back into the ancient city.
Behind him, ric and Lydia stood at the entrance to the Council Hall, staring at the
Reincarnation Core in his hand.
Their eyes shone with tears.
That made one.
Two were still left.
The Soulkindling me was in the beast-race Skywolf Tribe.
The Nether Lamp was in the Celestial Tribunal.
Jared lifted his head and looked at the ck mist and moonlight overhead.
"Tomorrow, we go to the Skywolf Tribe."
Gwendolyn nodded.
Lydia parted her lips like she wanted to say more, but in the end she only said, "Be
careful."
Jared smiled, then turned and walked into the stone hall.
L came running out of the stone hall and threw herself into Jared''s arms.
"Uncle Jared! You''re back! Did you bring me something good to eat?"
Jared took out an emberstone crystal from his Storage Ring.
It was as big as a fist. His chaos-me had polished it smooth, until
The surface shone like a mirror
and gave off a warm, gentle light.
"This is for you.
Go y with it."
L took the crystal, and her eyes lit up like stars.
"It''s so pretty! Thank you, Uncle Jared!"
Jared rubbed her head, then carried her into the stone hall.
Behind him, moonlight spilled across the ruins of the ancient city and washed
everything in silver-gray.