“No!” Aurelius let out a scream so sharp it seemed to tear itself apart. There was refusal in it, confusion in it, and the last collapse of a man who had run out of road.
Until the moment he died, he still could not understand why Skylar was killing him. He had obviously been helping Skylar. He had obviously wanted to work with him. He had obviously lowered himself and cast aside his dignity, so why…
The demonic flames finally withdrew. Aurelius’ body had already turned to ash and scattered between heaven and earth. As for the few Elders who had come out with Aurelius, they did not even get the chance to scream before the demonic flames caught them too and killed them on the spot. Their bodies burned in the demonic flames for less than a breath before they were erased completely. Not even bone was left behind.
But the demonic flames did not stop there. After devouring Aurelius, the Fire Dragon kept going forward and slammed straight into the Mountain-Guarding Grand Array of Saintlight Peak.
Boom! The whole of Saintlight Peak shook. That Mountain-Guarding Grand Array, strengthened by countless Celestial Basilica ancestors over tens of thousands of years, looked like it was made of paper in front of Skylar’s demonic flames.
A huge gash was ripped open through it in an instant. The golden barrier melted and evaporated under the blaze of the demonic fire. It burst apart into a sky full of golden motes, like golden rain pouring down. Cracks spread out from the breach in every direction, dense and tangled like a spiderweb.
In no more than a few breaths, the entire array collapsed with a thunderous crash. The golden barrier vanished completely, exposing the Saintlight Peak hidden inside, shaking where it stood. The buildings on the peak swayed under the aftershock of the demonic flames. Countless palaces and pavilions collapsed with deafening crashes as shattered stone sprayed through the air and dust rolled everywhere.
The Basilica disciples scattered and ran. Crying, screams, and desperate pleas for mercy tangled together and rang across the entire mountain peak. Skylar lowered his hand and looked at the scene in front of him. His face stayed flat, like what he had just done was nothing worth mentioning.
The whole place went dead silent. On Saintlight Peak, the surviving Basilica disciples sat collapsed on the ground, their whole bodies shaking. None of them even had the nerve to run anymore. They stared at the black-clad figure at the mountain foot as if they were looking at an unbeatable demon god.
Lydia looked at Skylar, caution packed in her eyes, and without thinking she shifted Jared behind her. Luther tightened his grip on the wraithblade and stood in front of Grace. His palm was slick with sweat. Evelyn hid behind Jared, shaking from head to toe, unable to force out a single word.
Jared stood there and watched Skylar in silence. Something unreadable passed through his eyes. Skylar turned and looked at Jared. “What, you didn’t see that coming?”
Jared said nothing.
Skylar spoke in an even voice. “Aurelius got what he deserved. People like him love to call themselves righteous, then do filthy things behind everyone’s back. I’m not a good man either, but at least I know better than to respect trash like that.”
He paused. His gaze turned cold. “That’s enough for today. When we get another chance, we’ll finish our fight.”
With that, he turned away. His body became a streak of black light and vanished into the distance. The black streak ripped across the sky. Where it passed, even the clouds were torn open into a long gash that hung there for a long time without closing.
Skylar wasn’t stupid. He knew that if things turned into a fight to the death, Lydia would definitely step in. And once Jared joined forces with Lydia, he wouldn’t stand a chance. And Skylar wasn’t worried about Jared running, either. As long as Josephine was with him, Jared could never walk away. Skylar still wanted to see Jared die by Josephine’s hand!
Jared remained where he was. He watched Skylar’s back fade into the distance and stayed quiet for a long time. Lydia walked to his side and lowered her voice. “This Skylar… What is he, exactly?”
Jared stayed silent for a moment before he finally opened his mouth. “A lunatic…”
He turned and looked toward Saintlight Peak. That mountain had once stood towering and sacred. Now its Mountain Guarding Grand Array was broken, more than half of the palaces and pavilions had collapsed, and Basilica disciples were fleeing in every direction. There was nothing left of a holy sanctuary.
“Let’s go. I still have business with the Celestial Basilica.” He stepped forward and headed for Saintlight Peak. His left arm still hung useless at his side. Blood still stained the corner of his mouth. Every step still pulled at his wounds. But his back stayed straight, sharp as a drawn sword.
Lydia followed behind him. Luther and Grace came up as well. Evelyn wiped her tears away, forced herself to keep moving, and followed too. Five figures walked toward that ruined mountain.
Before long, Jared found a Guardian Elder inside one of the Celestial Basilica’s wrecked palaces, just as the man was trying to flee. The second the Guardian Elder saw Jared in front of him, he dropped to his knees with a thud and burst into tears. “Grandpa, spare me! Grandpa, spare me…”
The Guardian Elder had seen Jared’s strength with his own eyes. He was already half scared out of his wits.
“Do one thing for me now, and I can let you live…” Jared said to the Guardian Elder.
“Grandpa, just say it. I’ll do anything…” The Guardian Elder nodded again and again as he spoke.
Jared took out a soul crystal that held the remnant souls of Sidney and his wife, then held it in front of the elder. “This is a soul crystal refined by the Celestial Palace. There are two remnant souls inside it. I know the Celestial Basilica has the ability to release the remnant souls sealed in a soul crystal, let them directly take shape again, and then restore their physical bodies.”
