“Cut the nonsense…” Granny Deadclaw glared at him. “The Ravenousor Wraith isn’t the only creature capable of that.”
“In Third Heaven, what other spirit beast can swallow everything?” pressed. Ignoring him, rummaged through the rubble, found a broken shard, and held it to nose. A shiver coursed down spine. “This scent… It was the Celestial Devourer!”
Lord Drowned Souls cried out, “The ancient horror said to consume all things? How could it be here in Third Heaven? That beast was Vermilion Demon Lord’s mount in the Ninth Heaven!”
“Besides, vanished thousands of years ago,” added, incredulous. Indeed, Vermilion Demon Lord had disappeared millennia ago, no one knew his fate.
In truth, had died in the Ethereal Realm, and his Celestial Devourer had died alongside him, but a remnant of his divine soul had hid inside a cave, and the dying Celestial Devourer had laid a single egg.
“It can’t be Vermilion Demon Lord himself,” Granny Deadclaw said, weaving a coil of negative energy around the shard. “This is the Soul-Devouring Saliva of a Celestial Devourer cub. Ghostmask and the rest were swallowed whole, no time for their divine souls to escape.”
“Could it be the demon lord’s son, gifted the cub at birth?” Lord Drowned Souls swallowed, face tense.
If so, investigation would be suicidal. The Underworld Shadow Guards nearby drew sharp breaths, no one fancied chasing a son of Vermilion Demon Lord.
“Stop spouting trash!” Granny Deadclaw’s glare sharpened. “Vermilion Demon Lord’s cultivation ruined his ability to sire children centuries ago. He never had a son.”
“How do you know?” Lord Drowned Souls asked warily.
“l guessed, satisfied? Now quit the rubbish.” She cursed under breath.
Lord Drowned Souls stared at the sky. “A Celestial Devourer cub must imprint on a master to survive. Whoever dares raise one, if not Vermilion Demon Lord’s son? In the Third Heaven, Top Level Wandering Immortal Realm is already the ceiling… Hmm… Unless…”
His gaze swung back to her. “Unless it’s his adopted son? Could it be…”
“Get lost!” Granny Deadclaw looked ready to kick him.
Had Jared heard himself promoted from Vermilion Demon Lord’s son to adopted son in minutes, would have laughed and cried at once.
“Enough guessing! I haven’t detected Ghostmask’s aura, but I do have the attacker‘s. Follow me!” She whirled and led band in swift pursuit of Jared’s party.
***
Meanwhile, Jared and his companions trekked toward the Seventh Hall.
Jhaelyn suddenly pointed at a lone mountain peak. “That one looks so strange!”
Jemima followed finger, astonished. “It‘s like a sword driven into the ground. Beautiful, yet terrifying…”
Following their line of sight, Jared spotted, a few hundred kilometers away, a mountain rising over three thousand meters high, its massive point thrust into the earth like an enormous blade. Even at this distance, felt the oppressive sharpness radiating from Sword-Peak Mountain.
“At the summit is the hilt,” noted, sensing its keen edge.
“Everett, where are we? How does a mountain take that shape?” Jared asked the only native of the Third Heaven among them.
