Aurelius gave a light shake of his head and let out a quiet chuckle, contempt and control both sitting in his tone. “Kill them? Why should I kill them?”
He rose slowly to his feet. His wide sacred robe dragged across the floor as he walked down the golden steps, hands clasped behind his back, looking down over the entire great hall with crushing authority.
“The Celestial Palace may have lost, but they still have quite a few things our Celestial Basilica badly needs. Resources from the secret realm, the secrets of Sacred Mountain… If we kill them now, all of that could disappear for good.
Besides, Godric may have fallen low, but he was still once a ruler in his own right. And the disciples under him were all dead men forged through war. Later, when it’s time to deal with the demon and the Demon Dragon Lineage, they can serve as our cannon fodder and take the hits for us…”
He paused, a cold glint passing through his eyes. “As for later… Once every bit of value has been squeezed out of them, their fate will be nothing more than a word from me. Keeping them alive right now is nothing more than making use of trash.”
The Guardian Elder finally understood. Admiration filled his eyes, and he bowed again and again. “Hall Master is wise. Your planning is thorough, every step laid in advance.”
Aurelius only smiled faintly. He turned and slowly walked toward the rear court, leaving behind one last, indifferent order:
“Send people to watch them. Keep them under constant surveillance. If there’s the slightest sign of trouble, no need to report it. Kill them on the spot.”
At that same moment, in the hidden chamber of the city lord mansion in Cloudhaven City, Jared sat cross-legged inside the Pentacarna Tower. Golden draconic energy moved around him in slow, steady streams.
Only three days had passed outside. Inside the tower, months had already gone by. Those months of secluded cultivation had healed every wound on his body. The spiritual power inside him had grown denser and heavier than it had been before he was injured. His cultivation at the peak of High Immortal Realm Level Four had started to loosen at last. He was only one step away from Level Five.
Jared slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath of stale air. In his mind, that figure in flowing purple refused to fade. Josephine… Where are you now?
He put away the Pentacarna Tower, rose to his feet, and pushed open the door. Outside, Vivian was leaning by the wall. The second she saw him step out, her voice was quick and tight. “Jared, you’re alright? Already?”
“Yeah… The Pentacarna Tower helped a lot…” Jared looked at her worn face, and the hard edge in him eased. “You’ve worked hard these past few days.”
By now, Jared wasn’t hiding anything from Vivian anymore. He and Vivian still hadn’t truly cultivated together, but what she carried for him, Jared had long since understood.
If Josephine hadn’t suddenly appeared and thrown him off guard, he might have already had Vivian beneath him. Vivian shook her head and had just opened her mouth when Lydia and Luther walked in.
“Jared, you’re awake…” Lydia came to a stop in front of him. Something complicated flickered through her eyes before she spoke. “How well have you recovered?”
“I’m fine now.” Jared nodded. “Thank you for saving my life, Princess Lydia…”
Lydia lifted a hand and waved it off. Seeing that, Luther stepped forward. “Jared, the princess and I need your help with something.”
Luther explained that something had gone wrong in the Ghost Clan Reincarnation Division in the Fifteenth Firmament. The only way in was through the Door of Reincarnation, which was currently in Mr. Sanders’s hands.
“Help me get in touch with him and borrow the Door? The entire Ghost Clan will repay you well.”
Jared slowly shook his head. “It’s not that I won’t help… It’s that… I can’t reach Mr. Sanders either. He’s always the one who finds me. I can’t find him… Every time, he only shows up when I’m at my most desperate. Other than that, I can’t contact him at all.”
Lydia lowered her head, the disappointment in her eyes plain to see. Jared watched the slump in her face for a moment before he said, “I can’t reach him now, but Princess Lydia, don’t give up yet. Once I finish dealing with things in the Fourteenth Firmament, I’ll go with you to the Fifteenth Firmament.”
Lydia lifted her head. “You’re willing to go to the Fifteenth Firmament?”
“Of course. You saved me twice.” He paused, looking off into the distance as a hard chill flickered through his eyes. “But before that, there’s one more thing I need to do.”
“While I was in seclusion, the Celestial Palace took the chance to send an army against Cloudhaven City. They killed clansmen of my Sky Dragon Clan… That debt is due.”
Lydia’s brow lifted. “You’re going to attack the Celestial Palace?”
“The Celestial Palace is badly weakened right now. This is the best time to move.” Jared stood with his hands behind his back, his presence steady as a mountain. “If the Celestial Palace isn’t wiped out, it’ll become trouble sooner or later.”
