Upon hearing this, Jared immediately understood how the Tenth Hall had known about Tavon’s death so quickly and why they had sent Octavion after him.
“Severing a strand of your soul without harming your body or cultivation… that’s no easy feat,” Jared muttered, his brows furrowing slightly.
Octavion let out a chuckle. “Of course it’s difficult. If it were simple, I wouldn’t be asking for your help. But don’t worry-I’m not expecting you to do it for free. I have a special piece of armor-exceptionally durable and capable of enhancing your strength. It was a gift from my father, so precious that I couldn’t bring myself to wear it.”
With that, he opened his palm, and a black box materialized seemingly out of thin air. He placed it in front of Jared.
“How generous.” Jared eyed the box skeptically, finding it hard to believe that Octavion would part with something so valuable.
Octavion chuckled. “Of course. I’m quite generous when it comes to friends,” he said with a confident smile.
Jared shook his head. “I don’t want-”
“What? You don’t want to help me?” Octavion interrupted, his expression turning surprised.
“I’ll help you,” Jared clarified, “but I don’t want the armor.”
Octavion frowned. “Are you afraid of owing me a favor?” He couldn’t understand why Jared would refuse such a prized gift.
“It’s not that,” Jared replied casually. “I just think your armor is… average.”
“Average? This is-” Octavion’s mouth opened to argue, but before he could say anything, his eyes widened in shock. A shimmering golden glow suddenly radiated from Jared’s body, and in the next instant, brilliant golden scales materialized, covering him completely. Within moments, Jared stood before him, transformed into a figure resembling a golden-armored god of war.
Octavion was speechless, utterly dumbfounded by the sight.
“What the…” Octavion gasped, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.
Jared smirked. “Well? Do you still think your armor is better than my Golem Body?”
Without waiting for a response, he suddenly plunged the dagger straight into his own chest.
Clang!
A sharp, metallic ring echoed through the air as the dagger rebounded off his body, sent flying several feet away. Not even the faintest scratch remained on Jared’s gleaming golden scales.
“Hey! Stop that! Don’t ruin my dagger!” Octavion yelped, scrambling to retrieve it. He was still reeling from the shock-his sword had already been broken by Jared, and if this dagger was damaged too, he’d be left weaponless.
Picking up the dagger, Octavion muttered with a hint of embarrassment, “Fine, fine… your armor is indeed superior. I didn’t expect you to possess so many magical artifacts.”
Then, with a dramatic sigh, he added, “If only I were strong enough to defeat you… I would’ve ended you right here and now, and all those treasures would be mine!”
After Octavion finished speaking, he once again extended the dagger toward Jared.
Jared took it with a faint smile, his gaze sharpening. “You’ve got guts, saying something like that. Aren’t you afraid I might actually kill you right here and now?”
“You won’t,” Octavion replied with unwavering confidence.
Almost immediately, a faint mist began to rise from the top of his head-his soul slowly separating from his body.
Jared wasted no time. With a swift motion, he brandished the dagger, its runes flaring to life with a radiant glow. The blade sliced cleanly through the mist, severing Octavion’s spirit. The remnants of his soul gradually dissipated, fading into nothingness.
Octavion staggered slightly, his face turning noticeably pale, his aura weakened. Yet, a satisfied smile lingered on his lips.
“Thank you,” he murmured, his voice carrying both relief and gratitude.
“Octavion! Octavion!” Lorelei suddenly burst into the room, her expression tense as she hurried toward him.
She had sensed the sudden weakening of Octavion’s soul. The moment her eyes landed on his pale face and feeble state, she turned sharply to Jared, hostility flashing in her gaze.
Jared, unfazed, stood up to leave. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”
Lorelei instinctively moved to stop him, intending to demand an explanation, but Octavion reached out and held her back.
“I was the one who asked Jared to sever a strand of my soul,” he said with a faint smile.
“Now that my bodily spirit lamp is extinguished, we don’t have to return to the Tenth Hall. And more importantly, the Celestial Palace won’t send their enforcers after us.”
Lorelei crossed her arms, her brows knitting together. “You’re unbelievably reckless,” she scolded. “Entrusting your life to a stranger like that? What if he had harbored ill intentions? You could’ve been killed!”
“Don’t worry,” Octavion reassured her with a soft smile. “If he had any intention of killing me, I wouldn’t be standing here right now. Now, we can finally be together. No one will ever tear us apart again.” With that, he pulled Lorelei into his embrace, and lowered her onto the bed.
