“No, absolutely not!” Jared caught wrist, his grip firm despite exhaustion. “He planned this. After years of weaving allies through court and city, Ieuan can twist any accusation. If you walk into the palace now, he’ll claim that we two conspired with foreign powers to murder the prime minister. With his influence. truth will drown beneath his lies.”
Yuliana froze, realization darkening expression. “Then what do we do? We can’t simply let tar us as traitors.”
“First we survive,” Jared murmured. “We lose the hunters, then we fight the story.”
A thunder of boots echoed through the valley, followed by Ieuan’s wrathful roar. “Jared Chance! You cannot escape! Leave the Dragonslayer Sword and the Golden Dragon Divine Soul, and I may let you live!”
Terror and resolve flashed across their faces. They plunged deeper into the passage, palms skimming damp rock, praying for a second exit that did not exist.
The cave ended in blind stone. Behind them. Ieuan arrived with a squad of black-clad cultivators, sealing the only mouth of the tunnel.
Ieuan’s laugh slithered inside. “Run farther, why don’t you, Mr. Chance!”
He stepped into view, eyes glittering like wet obsidian.
When noticed Yuliana, surprise flickered, then curdled to scorn. “Lady Fiala as well? Have you chosen treason over loyalty?”
Yuliana moved before Jared, spine straight as a spear. “You lie through bloodied teeth, Ieuan! Mr. Chance is King Aurelius’ honored guest. You set traps to murder and new brand a rebel. Do you place your ambition above crown and law?”
“The law?” Ieuan let out a short, scorn-filled laugh. The torchlight caught the hard plane of his face as declared that, here in Celestia’s capital, his word was law.
Jared carried a priceless artifact and the blood of a golden dragon, two sparks that could grow into a wildfire. Snuffing out, Ieuan proclaimed, was a service to the realm. Then, his gaze flicked to Yuliana. “Step aside if you know what’s good for you, girl, or I’ll sweep you into the gutter with him.”
“Touch Mr. Chance, and you‘ll answer to me!” Yuliana’s voice cracked like lightning across stone, slicing through the dank air. She flung an azure longsword into the open.
Pure spiritual energy coursed along the blade, wreathing slim figure in the fierce aura of an Earthly Immortal Realm Level Eight cultivator.
Terror tried to squeeze heart, knew was no match for Ieuan-but retreat was a luxury would not allow herself.
“Foolish child…” Ieuan hissed, eyes narrowing to slits. Murder flashed across his pupils.
“Kill first, then seize Jared!” barked to the black-clad cultivators at his back.
Two Earthly Immortal Realm Level Eight cultivators lunged. One hurled Iron chains that whistled through the cavern, while the other swung a curved blade wide enough to sever bone and hope in a single stroke.
Yuliana met them head-on, azure sword sketching arcs of cold light. Steel rang on steel, sparks bouncing off rock as the three clashed in a blur of green light and black silhouettes.
Skill alone could not erase numbers. Hemmed in on both flanks, began to falter, sword strokes growing shorter, breath rough In throat.
Behind that melee, Ieuan’s gaze locked on Jared. In a blink, vanished, then reappeared in front of him, predatory as a hawk stooping on a clove. The aura of a Human Immortal Realm Level One cultivator slammed outward. The cavern shook, dust drifting from the ceiling as Jared’s lungs seized beneath the invisible weight.
“Die, Jared!” Ieuan shouted. His palm, black with spiritual energy, shot forward, cold, damp, and reeking of graves, as aimed straight for Jared’s heart.
Jared gritted his teeth, summoning the last threads of power still moving in his poisoned meridians. Dragonslayer Sword flashed up to meet the blow.
Metal struck flesh with a deafening clang. Numbing force raced up Jared’s arm. The sword flew back with him, spine first, into the cavern wall. Blood speckled the stone before even felt the pain.
The Spiritual Corrosive Poison seized its moment. Agony knifed along Jared’s veins, turning every trickle of energy into sludge.
Ieuan laughed-low, triumphant. He surged in again, each palm strike crafted to kill, carving fresh, crimson lines across Jared’s chest and shoulders until his robe clung wet and heavy.
Across the cave, Yuliana’s footing slipped under the twin assault. Her sword arm slowed. Desperation bled into eyes.
A chain snapped tight around wrist. She jerked free, but the second attacker’s blade hacked downward, its edge a breath away from shoulder.
