One small opportunity was all they needed to break through and step into the Heavenly Immortal Realm. They already treated Jared as a serious threat, but his performance still shocked them again and again.
“Stay back! I’ll handle this brat myself,” the leading silhouette said. The moment his voice faded, he vanished. In the next instant, tens of thousands of sword beams suddenly appeared in the space around Jared, shooting toward him from every direction.
Jared narrowed his eyes. Sword intent surged from inside him, spreading out and forming thousands of golden blades that blasted outward like a rainstorm.
In an instant, the entire void filled with nonstop explosions. Space that had just recovered began shaking and twisting again.
Golden sword beams and black sword beams crashed into each other in midair, just like cruise missiles smashing into interceptors.
The attacking blades locked onto their target, while Jared’s intercepting blades shot upward to block them.
In just a few breaths, Jared’s sword intent thickened into hundreds of thousands of blades, forming a tight barrier around him like a dense formation. Even with such heavy coverage, a few black blades still slipped through and struck his body.
He took the hits head-on, relying on his tough physique. A thin line of blood slid from the corner of his mouth.
But the fighting spirit in his eyes only burned brighter.
I don’t know if he has used his full strength yet. But I know I haven’t…
He had not used the Dragonslayer Sword, had not used the Divine Bow, and had not even touched the Draconian bloodline inside him.
Just with pure sword intent, he was able to fight a Top Level Human Immortal Realm Level Nine expert to this extent. That alone made him more than satisfied.
He was slightly at a disadvantage for now, but it did not matter. As long as he used a few more of his abilities, he was confident he could defeat his opponent.
“Come again!” Excitement lit up his whole face as he charged toward the silhouette. This time, he was taking the initiative.
The silhouette froze for a moment, clearly surprised. He had not expected Jared to charge at all four of them on his own.
“You really are full of surprises, kid,” the leader snorted before launching himself forward as well.
The two of them clashed instantly. In the middle of the void, countless sword rays streaked and crossed in every direction.
***
At the Nethergate Sect, Rowena led the remaining disciples back toward the sect.
The trip should have taken only one day, yet she deliberately stretched it into several. She did it so the sect leader would think they had done everything they could.
Inside the Nethergate Sect’s main hall, Neville, the sect leader, sat at the top.
As he saw Rowena and the others return, Neville frowned slightly. “Where is he?”
Rowena stepped forward and said, “Mr. Contreras, Jared was being hunted by Malevolent Path Hall. We couldn’t hold them off. We lost a few disciples, so we had no choice but to come back first.”
Neville froze for a moment, then looked at Rowena with an icy expression. “So you’re saying you left Jared behind?”
“We really had no way to save him. The people from Malevolent Path Hall were too strong. There were four at Top Level Human Immortal Realm Level Nine. We were no match for them,” Rowena explained quickly. “If we had forced our way back to Nethergate Sect with Jared, none of us would have survived.”
“Let me ask you something. Do you understand what the Golden Pass represents in Nethergate Sect?” Neville‘s voice trembled with anger. Rowena stiffened. She could feel the fury coming off him. “I understand, but we…”
“Silence! You can die if you have to, but leaving him behind is not an option!” Neville’s eyes blazed with deadly fury.
Rowena spoke again, her voice edged with desperation. “Mr. Contreras, that Golden Pass originally belonged to the Vermilion Demon Lord, not Jared. Maybe he just happened to come across it. If that’s the case…”
