Jared listened, eyes wide with undisguised amazement. The moment he heard Sylvia’s invitation, Jared’s brows knitted. He turned and studied her as though she were a puzzle box he could not quite pry open.
This is Heaven Gate Sect’s ruins, hallowed ground to half the realm, so why in the world would she want me tagging along?
If her plan amounted to nothing more than a token apology, he would never buy it.
Only a fool would… Seeing that wary glint in his eyes, Sylvia rushed her words, each syllable tumbling out in earnest urgency. “We’ve located the entrance to the ruins, but the passage is sealed tight. We can’t force it, so I was hoping you could help us pry it open.”
“You actually think I can break through whatever protects that doorway?”
The question slipped out before he could stop it. Confusion shadowed his features because he genuinely had no clue why she believed he possessed that kind of leverage.
Yes, Jared could hold his own against cultivators at the peak of the Human Immortal Realm. But Sylvia was already standing in the lofty Heavenly Immortal Realm, and even she had failed.
By what logic would he succeed where she had not?
“Not you,” she answered, an easy smile blooming across her lips. “But the master who moves in your shadow? He certainly can.”
Jared froze. His gaze locked onto her like a drawn blade. “How do you know someone powerful is watching over me?”
“Come now,” she said, voice dropping to a measured, almost academic calm. “With your current cultivation, you could never stand alone against the Malevolent Path Hall. You’d never have slain their grand elder, their Law King, or that dreaded heavenly sovereign. The only plausible explanation is that a hidden powerhouse shields you. I see no second possibility.”
Neville listened to her deduction and felt genuine respect stir in his chest.
She might be young, but her mind was razor-sharp, slicing straight through murk and rumor. He protected Jared for the same unspoken reason, Sylvia’s sudden change of heart clearly sprang from that identical insight.
Jared tipped her a rueful grin. “I’m afraid I don’t even know where that mysterious helper is, let alone how to summon him.”
Sylvia’s brows lifted. “Then how did you shake off all those assassins the Malevolent Path Hall sent after you?”
“Whenever my life truly hangs by a thread, the people trying to kill me simply… Die… Just like that… How do they perish? No idea…” Jared’s tone was almost conversational, though the words left a chill in their wake.
He wasn’t exaggerating. Take Myles, the infamous Law King, Jared had merely needled the man into cursing Mr. Sanders, and moments later, the loudmouthed tyrant dropped dead. Whether Sanders struck the blow or some other unseen force intervened, Jared still had no clue.
Sylvia blinked, weighing that revelation. “In that case, our grand elder is fortunate he never tried to finish you off. If he had gone for the kill, he might already be a cold corpse himself…”
“Wouldn’t rule it out,” Jared answered with a light chuckle.
Both Neville and Sylvia exchanged peculiar glances, unsure whether to deem his tale unbelievable or terrifyingly true.
“Mr. Chance, even if you can’t unseal the ruins, my invitation stands. From this moment on, the Earth Fiend Sect counts you as a friend. If it eases your mind, you’re welcome to bring Mr. Contreras along.” Her voice softened at the edges, anxious to dispel any hint of hidden malice.
“What’s there to fear?” Jared shrugged, effortless confidence radiating from him. “Just say when, and I’ll be there.”
“Mr. Chance, your decisiveness is a breath of fresh air. I’ll hurry back and see to every last detail. Time is our enemy, so let’s not lose a single minute. At dawn tomorrow, we depart.”
With those words, Sylvia pivoted on a silken heel. A shimmer rippled through the air, and she was gone, like frost touched by sunlight, leaving only the faint scent of jasmine behind.
She carries herself like royalty, and that figure… Spending a little time with her wouldn’t be the worst way to pass a night.
A tiny, wicked smile flickered across Jared’s lips before he forced it away.
“Jared, are you truly planning to follow Sylvia to those ruins?” Neville waited until Sylvia vanished completely, then voiced the doubt that had been tugging at him.
Jared gave a single, unhurried nod.
“And you’re not worried she might double-cross you?” Neville’s brow furrowed; the thought clearly bothered him.
“Neville, I don’t believe she will.”
“Why put that much faith in her?”
“Her eyes,” Jared said softly. “I looked into them and saw nothing but honesty, pure, unwavering honesty.”
He pictured those dark, willow-shaped eyes again, eyes that curved into crescent moons whenever she smiled, eyes capable of stealing a man’s breath.
