<h4>Chapter 2049: Chapter 2049: Conversation</h4>


    In the resplendent temple.


    Pranay Martinez and Julius Reed yed chess as if no one else was around.


    The chess pieces hovered in the air.


    Time passed without anyone finding victory.


    "Have you found it?"


    Julius Reed suddenly spoke.


    "Seems...I’ve found it," Pranay Martinez looked at the chess pieces on the board and suddenly pointed to the first statue. "There!"


    Julius Reed sprang up!


    The Break Sky Knife in his hand sliced directly!


    Thud!


    Blood spattered out!


    The statue slowly dissipated.


    A man knelt on the ground, crying out in agony.


    "Is there more?" Julius Reed picked up a chess piece and ced it on the board again.


    "There!" Pranay Martinez looked at the images forming on the chessboard and pointed to the corner.


    Swoosh!


    Julius Reed swung his long knife!


    It pierced directly into the corner of the wall!


    A man slowly appeared, his head tilted, already dead.


    Julius Reed reached out to retrieve the Break Sky Knife.


    "More?" He raised an eyebrow.


    "Quite a few indeed." Pranay Martinez looked at the chessboard and slowly ced another piece. "Here."


    He pointed.


    Julius Reed dashed out!


    One slice down!


    A man’s head was severed, instantly dead.


    "Thest two." Pranay Martinez wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed, "Really exhausting."


    ncing at the chessboard, Julius Reed wielded his knife and charged forward!


    After killing two more, the scene within the temple visibly changed.


    The originally resplendent temple became tainted with crimson.


    It turned into a mortal purgatory!


    On the splendid golden pce, crimson blood continuously covered it.


    Eventually, only crimson remained, without a hint of golden light.


    "The Holy Master, indeed the Holy Master."


    Pop! Pop! Pop!


    A man stepped out from the crimson, pping continuously.


    "To think you could use a grid to segment the temple and use chess pieces to probe the positions of those I’ve ce. There might not be another like you in the world."


    The man wore a suit, kept short hair, and had a confident smile.


    "I didn’t expect even the illusion couldn’t hold you."


    He finished speaking and stood in ce.


    Smiling as he watched the two.


    "Not being able to hold me is normal; if it did, there would be a problem." Julius Reed took out a book from his chest and tapped it in his hand.


    "This is a Strange Skill I wrote myself, interested? Meeting is destiny, consider it fate."


    Julius Reed tossed it forward, caught by the man. "A lot of people think Strange Skill is outdated, useless. But if you’re truly willing to spend an hour reading this book..."


    He didn’t continue.


    But in his mind he mused, ’It’ll waste an hour for nothing.’


    Curious, the man opened the book and started flipping through it.


    During this gap, Julius Reed closed his eyes, starting to sense the changes around.


    This is not above ground!


    Unbeknownst to them, they had arrived underground.


    Leaving the illusion, human perception was unbound.


    Julius Reed took twenty-something minutes to roughly understand the surroundings.


    "You’re ying me?" Finally, the man finished the book, angrily throwing it on the ground and stomped on it: "What is this nonsense!"


    The contents on first nce seemed meaningful, but by the end it was utter nonsense!


    "Sorry, ying you isn’t the goal, the goal is to kill you." Julius Reed drew his knife, pointing at the man.


    "May I ask boldly," Pranay Martinez spoke from the side, "Who are you? I am one of the Six Emperors, the temple’s former enforcer, yet I’ve never seen you before?"


    Given their current situation, those appearing should logically be those old folks from before.


    And yet here’s a young man.


    Not an immortal young man either.


    Amon martial artist, estimated to be two hundred years old.


    The man in the suit, very spirited, yet his eyes carried an overbearing arrogance.


    This was definitely not the gaze of an immortal.


    Immortals, having lived through that darkest era, would not face Julius Reed with suchposure.


    Young calves unafraid of tigers.


    "Sorry, I haven’t introduced myself." The man adjusted his suit and spoke very confidently. "My name is Ramiro, a member of an ancient Chinese family. Here today, I’m responsible for..."


    Mid-sentence, he suddenly clutched his throat, painfully pointing at Julius Reed!


    With a thud!


    He fell to the ground, convulsed once.


    And died.


    "You poisoned him?" Pranay Martinez asked in surprise.


    Ramiro’s death was too strange.


    Throughout, he only came into contact with Julius Reed’s book.


    "I forgot." Julius Reed chuckled, scratching his head: "upational habit, all my belongings are poisoned. Don’t forget, back in Medicine King Valley I yed a lot."


    "Defenses are hard to prevent." Pranay Martinez instinctively distanced himself from Julius Reed. "At this level, people usually aren’t so petty."


    Poisoning, such tactics were not respectable.


    Everyone had reputations, surely wouldn’t stoop to this.


    Yet Julius Reed did.


    And he did it covertly.


    "Alright, the man’s dead, time for the next one to appear," Julius Reed suddenly turned, looking at the dark space, "Come out, Limping Man."


    "Worthy of the Holy Master, truly has some methods."


    In the darkness, an elder with a cane, supported by others, slowly emerged.


    The elder had white hair, slightly plump, coughing even as he spoke.


    "I am the owner of the Dusty tform, inviting you here today, though methods were somewhat rude, yet I hope you can understand." The elder waved, and immediately someone brought over two chairs.


    "Sit." The elder smiled faintly, asking: "What tea shall we have?"


    "I’m not interested." Julius Reed sat directly in a chair, crossed his legs: "Say what you want directly. I don’t like people who beat around the bush."


    Seeing Julius Reed preparing to sit, Pranay Martinez wished to join him.


    But Julius Reed stopped him. "The chair’s poisoned, I’m immune, but you aren’t."


    Pranay Martinez paused, looked at the old man, furrowing his brow.


    The elder didn’t feel embarrassed, insteadughed: "The Holy Master’s prowess, this old man acknowledges. Today, I hope we can talk well."


    He sat on a very luxurious wooden chair, pointing at the crimson purgatory behind Julius Reed. "Your location is at the lowest point of the Dusty tform. And I, am the Sect Leader of Dusty tform and its owner."


    "Darin is one of your people?" Pranay Martinez interrupted.


    "Yes, and no." The elder shook his head. "Darin is my person, but also belongs to the temple’s people. In fact, the temple lies within the mountain of Dusty tform. You must have seen the previous illusion."


    "State your purpose." Julius Reed stretched out a finger, pointing at the elder.


    Very impolite.


    "I want to transform the temple, create a new order." The elder squinted, spoke in a deep voice: "I inherited everything from the temple, including how to create those monks. As long as you’re willing, I wish to honor you as king. Holy Master, how about it?"


    "Conditions!" Julius Reed spoke nonchntly: "I can’t believe you’re so kind-hearted."


    "I want to be a god, a true god!" The elder’s eyes shone with light: "Only you can help me!"