Matthew was barely hanging on. He was still breathing, but his spiritual energy was coming undone.
Marietta had seen this before, more times than she cared to remember.
His cultivation was unraveling right before their eyes. His very foundation had been wounded.
Marietta was on the verge of tears. Matthew had already reached the peak of the Gilded Phase. If he hadn’t come with her to search for the Sovereign Pips, he’d be holed up on Azure Spire right now, pushing for a breakthrough to the Astral Sovereign Form.
He wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for her wanting to go out. But now…
‘Now what?‘ Marietta thought, panic rising in her chest. Her sobs broke apart, raw and desperate.
She glanced at Toney. He was battered all over, and the earth energy he usually commanded with ease was now flickering and unstable. Even the earthen wall he’d raised to block the poisonous mist was falling apart.
As the toxic fog crept closer, Marietta, tears streaming down her face, desperately hauled both Matthew and Toney up. She summoned her flying item and dragged them onto it.
She didn’t dare take to the skies, so they skimmed low over the ground.
But even then, the flying relic, usually smooth as silk, was now jolting and shuddering. It was a sure sign the world’s elements were in chaos.
Still, Marietta couldn’t afford to stop.
The whole forest had been tainted by that barrier of poisonous trees.
Any tree that got close would be corrupted, becoming just as toxic and spreading the blight even further. Not even their spiritual energy could hold it back.
They’d never come across a poison this deadly before. Not once.
The bastard who started all this, Craig, was already long gone.
Marietta wiped away her tears, glancing back at Matthew and Toney sprawled on the flying treasure, her heart seized with terror. “What do we do? What are we supposed to do?”
Toney saw the fear in her eyes.
His voice was hoarse as he said, “Marietta, crush the message jade token. Call for help.”
Marietta sobbed, “Master will be furious.”
Toney shook his head, his voice barely above a whisper. “He won’t just leave us to die. If we want to make it out alive, we have to call for help.”
“But when we left, Master was in closed–door cultivation. What if he doesn’t get the message?” Marietta’s tears streamed
down even harder.
“The other elders will come,” Toney–said, his voice barely above a whisper. He sounded completely spent, but his words burned with anger. “I’m not letting those people off. I’ll make sure they pay…”
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Chapter 64
As Toney seemed to slip into unconsciousness, Marietta fell silent for a long moment.
55 vouchere.
She really didn’t want to drag so many people into this mess. She couldn’t even put her selfish reason into words. But deep down, she just didn’t want Coleman to see that girl who was the spitting image of Linda.
But looking at Toney and Matthew, Marietta hesitated for a long time before finally crushing the message token.
If she didn’t call for help, there was no way they’d make it out of here alive.
And that woman… This is all her fault! Every single bit!‘ Marietta couldn’t help but grit her teeth.
*****
After a while, Linda slowed down, still carrying Laura on her back. Rafael and the others did the same, and by now, they were well beyond the reach of Cloud Cave.
When they finally stopped and glanced back, all they could see was a pitch–black stretch of land.
It was like tossing something into the deepest part of the ocean. They wouldn’t hear a sound.
And yet, it felt like something inside that darkness was watching their every move.
That darkness felt like an endless abyss, so deep and creepy it gave everyone the chills.
Rafael quietly slipped behind Craig, acting all chicken.
Craig couldn’t help but smirk. “See? I told you to practice more, but you never did. Now look at you, scared out of your wits.”
But as he spoke, Craig, without missing a beat, edged closer to Linda, making sure to stay behind Laura for cover. He coughed lightly, “Linda, where to next?”
Linda had already pulled out her map. “Let’s head for the exit.”
“Are we just leaving now?” Craig asked, sounding a little surprised.
‘Feels a little early for that,‘ he thought.
“No, we’re not going straight there,” Linda said, spreading the map out and sketching a route with her finger. “The Abyssal Coven probably knows something’s up in the Veil.”
She continued, “They’ll want to open the exit and check things out, but I doubt they’ll do it right away. So instead, we’ll take the long way around. If we spot anything worth grabbing along the way, we’ll snag it.”
Everyone could see that Linda had already mapped out a route on her map.
There were two main objectives marked on it.
Everyone understood immediately. Survival came first. But scoring some loot was just as important.
Since they’d finally made it out here, there was no way they were going home empty–handed.
No one had any objections to Linda’s plan. Since they were already here, might as well make it worthwhile.
While everyone else was busy running for their lives, they could take the chance to hunt for loot. It was a perfect time.
The more Craig thought about it, the more he realized just how crazy smart Linda was. ‘Man, she’s insanely clever!‘ he
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Chapter 04
thought
Before heading out, the first thing Linda did was dump out all the food from her stash.
“Laura, food first!” she called out.
Craig and Rafael didn’t hesitate. They jumped right in and did the same.
Laura scratched her head. ‘I already ate everything I had. What about you guys?”
Craig and Rafael chimed in together, “All of this was for you!”
Laura went silent.
Craig shot Rafael a glare, clearly annoyed. “Hey, what are you doing, trying to take my job? Laura’s snacks are my responsibility!”
As he said it, he bumped Rafael aside, making sure Laura was all his.
‘Damn show–off! Craig grumbled to himself.
Rafael just looked helpless. “I was worried you wouldn’t bring enough, so I packed extra! Besides, all you ever bring are biscuits and buns. Look at mine. It’s all meat! Meat, man!”
“Your meat’s all tough and dry, not even fresh!” Craig snapped.
“Oh, sure! Why don’t you try stashing fresh meat and cooking it yourself, huh?” Rafael shot back.
Claudio just watched them bicker in silence, then turned and walked away.
After Craig and Rafael had been bickering forever, it finally hit them that someone was missing. “Wait, where’s the kid?”
Linda just pointed into the woods.
Claudio came out, dragging a big wild rabbit he’d just killed. He pulled out his dagger, the blade flashing cold, and asked in his usual deadpan way, “Laura, which cut do you want?”
Craig and Rafael were stunned.
They kept their guard up against everyone, but they totally forgot about Claudio.
That little episode totally cleared away all the awkwardness from before.
After filling up on food, the five wasted no time and hit the road. Half the Veil might’ve crumbled, but the other half was still standing. And the two locations Linda had mapped out were right in the safe zone.
They raced ahead at top speed, harvesting everything they could get their hands on.
While everyone else was scrambling for their lives, they looped around and swept up all the remaining iridescent stones and herbs from before.
*****
Ten days later, at the Glimmering Stone Gate.
All the young adepts had flocked to the spot, waiting for the exit to open.
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Chapter 64
THE VOCAATS
When Linda and her crew finally rolled in, the place was already packed. But as soon as they showed up, the whole atmosphere went dead quiet.
Homer and Neil spotted Linda’s group. Their lips moved like they wanted to say something, but in the end, they just glanced awkwardly at another corner, not daring to speak up.
Linda followed their gaze and saw Marietta, guarded in the middle by five or six elite cultivators.
Toney was sitting cross–legged, meditating to recover his strength.
And Matthew looked deathly pale, like all the blood had drained from his face.
As soon as the three spotted Linda and her crew, their gazes clashed. Sparks flying, and the tension was thick.
Everyone at the stone gate gasped, chills running down their spines.
“Man, not another fight, please.”
“If this place caves in again, we’re toast.”
“Man, the Abyssal Coven is freaking useless. Word’s already gotten out, so why haven’t they opened the exit yet?”
“Actually, they’re ahead of schedule. Normally, it takes a whole month, but the Glimmering Stone Gate’s been acting weird for days now. Looks like they’re trying to get it open early.”
“It’s been three days already. Don’t tell me they’re still not gonna open it today?”
As soon as those words dropped, everyone’s minds went straight to the same thought.
If they didn’t open it soon, the rest of the Veil would cave in too.
“Look, they’re standing up!” someone practically shrieked.
Homer, Neil, and the rest all stiffened up instantly. The one getting to her feet was Marietta.
Everyone was wondering what she was going to do.
No one in their right mind would dare to mess with the First Unity Coven.
AD
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
