“Can’t kill you?” Skylar gave a soft laugh, and his voice came out cold. “In front of me, forget a tiny Celestial Palace Grand Elder like you. Even if your Hall Master came here in person, he still wouldn’t dare act this wildly in front of me.”
He lifted a hand slightly. A dot of black fire flicked from his fingertip and landed right between the Grand Elder’s brows.
“Argh!” The Grand Elder let out one last shrill scream. Black fire swallowed his body in an instant, burned him into ash, and scattered him into the air without leaving behind the slightest trace.
From the moment Skylar made his move to the moment it ended, only a little more than ten breaths had passed. Four True Immortal Realm powerhouses from the Celestial Palace—one crippled, three dead. Not one of them remained. The hall was a wreck. Broken stone covered the floor, celestial power and demonic aura were fading together in the air, and all that remained was a suffocating silence.
Darian stood frozen in place, completely dumbstruck. His eyes were wide as he stared at Skylar, like he was looking at some ancient god no one could defeat. A True Immortal Realm powerhouse in front of this Senior had turned out to be this fragile… He’d been worrying about offending the Celestial Palace just moments ago, but now he finally understood. In front of this mysterious Senior, the so-called Celestial Palace and the so-called True Immortal Realm were nothing more than bugs that could be crushed with a casual hand.
The thought that he’d shown even a trace of disrespect toward this Senior earlier sent cold sweat pouring down Darian’s back. If Skylar had decided to kill him when he’d spoken out of turn back then, he would have died long ago without even a place left to bury him.
Josephine stood beside Skylar, and there wasn’t the slightest ripple in her eyes, as if the killing in front of her was no more unusual than an everyday meal. She had long since gotten used to how overbearing Skylar was. Still, no matter how overbearing he got, he stayed perfectly polite in front of her, his senior sister. Because Josephine was stronger than Skylar. If Skylar stepped out of line, she would slap him twice without hesitation.
Skylar slowly drew back the Nether Blackfire, then patted off dust that wasn’t there from his hands. His face stayed calm, as if what he’d just done had been nothing worth mentioning at all. Skylar turned to Darian, who was still standing there like he’d forgotten how to move, and said in a flat voice, “What? I killed a few people from the Celestial Palace and now you’re scared?”
Darian jerked back to himself. He swallowed hard, bent over at once, and even his voice shook. “S-Senior, t-this junior isn’t scared. It’s just… I just didn’t expect Senior’s strength to reach this kind of heaven-shaking level!”
“It’s just that the Celestial Palace is too powerful. Their Hall Master is an almighty expert at the peak of True Immortal Realm Level Two. He runs wild across the Fourteenth Firmament without anyone stopping him. Now that four True Immortal Realm elders died in my Demon Dragon Hall, he definitely won’t let this go. He’ll surely lead the Celestial Palace army here for revenge, and when that happens…”
Skylar cut him off without a change in expression. His tone carried naked disdain and command. “Then he can come find me.” He lifted his eyes past the nine heavens, his gaze cold and distant. “A mere Celestial Palace. A bunch of celestial bugs living off their ancestors and acting like they own the world. That alone has you this worked up? Killed is killed. I just crushed a few filthy insects. What’s there to worry about?”
Darian had nothing to say. True Immortal Realm experts, and in this Senior’s mouth they were nothing but ants and bugs—those were the top fighters in the entire Fourteenth Firmament. But looking at Skylar’s calm, unhurried face, Darian didn’t dare argue in the slightest. He could only nod again and again. “Yes, yes, yes! Senior is right! They’re just a bunch of ants. Nothing to fear!”
Skylar didn’t look at him again. His eyes turned toward Cloudhaven City, and a cold glint flashed through their depth. “You said before that Jared is in Cloudhaven City, only hiding his tracks for now?”
Darian hurriedly pulled himself together and answered with full respect. “Yes, Senior! Our scouts reported that Jared really hasn’t left Cloudhaven City. We just don’t know what secret method he used to hide his aura, so no one can track him. But one thing is certain: he’s still in the city!”
Skylar slowly nodded. A strange smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Good… keep digging. The moment you get his exact location, report to me immediately. This time, I’m going to Cloudhaven City myself. I want to meet this Jared who’s shaken the whole Fourteenth Firmament.”
Darian was full of questions. He couldn’t understand why this Senior was so set on Jared, but he didn’t dare ask a single one. He only answered with a bow, “This junior obeys! I’ll find his whereabouts as fast as possible!”
Skylar said nothing more. He turned and walked toward the rear court with Josephine. After a few steps, he suddenly stopped. Then he looked back at Darian and gave the order in the same plain tone. “Right… clean up this mess in the hall, and those scraps from the Celestial Palace outside too. Don’t let them dirty the place I’m staying in. It’s an eyesore.”
“Yes! Senior, don’t worry! This junior will arrange it right away. I’ll make sure everything is cleaned up completely!” Darian answered at once with another bow.
Only after Skylar and Josephine disappeared through the entrance to the rear court did he dare straighten up. He looked over the wreckage and ash scattered through the great hall, then turned to the direction Skylar had left. A long, heavy breath came out of him.
Who exactly is this unfathomable Senior? His strength touched the heavens. He killed people as easily as chickens, yet he cared so much about one Jared… Darian shook his head and didn’t dare think any further.
He immediately waved over his men and had them clean the great hall and deal with the Celestial Palace elites outside. He knew it clearly: with the deaths of four True Immortal Realm elders from the Celestial Palace, a storm was about to sweep across the whole Fourteenth Firmament. And at the center of that storm were the mysterious young man in black before him and Jared, far away in Cloudhaven City.
The rear court, inside a quiet courtyard.
Josephine walked beside Skylar. She looked at the spirit flowers blooming in the courtyard and stayed silent for a long while before finally speaking in a soft voice. “Skylar, this Jared you’re insisting on finding this time… is he really the same one we knew?”
Skylar stopped walking and looked up at the sky. The corner of his mouth tilted slightly, carrying a deep, unreadable smile. He didn’t answer her directly. He only spoke softly, his voice holding both anticipation and a chill edge. “Josephine, don’t rush… once we get to Cloudhaven City, it won’t be long before you know everything.”
Josephine looked at Skylar’s profile, and something complicated flickered through her eyes.
