"I already told you," Arrie said coldly, her blue eyes sharp, "that Ethan is protected by the Blood Tavern and Myriad Treasures Pavilion. He also possesses a divine weapon."

"It was best not to provoke him rashly."

Her voice suddenly rose.

"So tell me—why did no one listen?!"

The core elder lowered his head and replied cautiously, "I… don't know the full reason. I only know that Guardian Malrik took the Sky-Suppressing Turtle Shell with him."

"That artifact has very strong defensive artifact. Even if he failed to capture Ethan, it should have ensured his survival."

"I believe… you should ask the Pavilion Master or the Senior for instructions."

"Perhaps there are other reasons behind the shattered soul jades."

"Sky-Suppressing Turtle Shell?"

Arrie's eyes changed instantly.

"Who allowed Malrik to take the Sky-Suppressing Turtle Shell out of the imperial capital?" she demanded.

"I don't know," the elder replied hurriedly.

"Chief Elder, this matter… you must ask Elder Theon."

"…!"

Arrie pinched the bridge of her nose, her chest rising and falling violently.

Her anger was barely contained.

"Go. Call Elder Theon here."

"Yes."

The three elders bowed and retreated.

With a flick of her fingers, three shattered soul jades floated before Arrie's eyes.

The ten guardians' soul jades were all under her control.

Life or death could be judged at a glance.

Now, these three jades were completely shattered.

This meant one thing.

There was not even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of survival.

Malrik and the others were dead.

Dead without leaving even a trace of soul.

Not long after, a knock sounded at the door.

"Chief Elder, I am Theon. You summoned me?"

"Come in."

The door creaked open.

A middle-aged man in a brown robe entered and cupped his hands respectfully.

"I greet the Chief Elder."

"Theon," Arrie said coldly, "you oversee the Pavilion's treasury and the storage. Why did you allow Guardian Malrik to take the Sky-Suppressing Turtle Shell without my approval?"

"This…" Theon hesitated, his expression stiffening.

"Speak!"

Arrie slammed the table.

"Who authorized this reckless action?!"

"…It was me."

Before Theon could answer, a deep, calm voice echoed from outside the room.

Arrie's brows knitted tightly.

Her expression turned solemn.

Moments later, a tall figure stepped inside.

His long hair hung loosely over his shoulders.

His features were sharp and handsome, yet his eyes carried a faint feminine softness.

An invisible pressure spread the instant he entered, making it difficult to breathe.

Arrie and Theon bowed simultaneously.

"We greet the Pavilion Master."

The man nodded lightly.

"If there is nothing else, you may leave," he said calmly.

Theon did not hesitate.

"Yes."

He retreated at once, leaving only the two of them behind.

This man—

Lucas.

Pavilion Master of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets.

Also known as the Star Master.

An Ultimate Supreme.

A terrifying existence.

According to rumors, Lucas had once confronted a Perfect Supreme head-on—and retreated unscathed.

That alone was enough to prove how monstrous his combat power was.

Arrie looked at him in silence.

Confusion filled her heart.

Normally, all affairs of the Pavilion were handled by her.

Lucas either cultivated in seclusion or wandered the world.

He rarely interfered.

Yet this time, he had acted personally—and even issued secret orders to the guardians without her knowledge.

"Are you confused?" Lucas asked, his voice calm.

He walked to the window and looked out into the distance.

The imperial capital was dazzling with lights, prosperity stretching endlessly.

The Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets was famous, but in the Verdant Lantern Empire, it could only barely stand among the top forces.

The Verdant royal family ruled a vast empire.

They carried the inheritance of several great emperors.

Geniuses were as common as clouds.

The Crown Prince and the Eldest Princess alone already possessed combat power comparable to the Ultimate Supreme.

And above them—

The current Emperor.

A terrifying existence who had opened the imperial path.

Across the entire continent, those who could rival them could be counted on one hand.

Compared to such forces, the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets was still… lacking.

"I am indeed confused," Arrie said slowly.

"Why did the Pavilion Master order an attack on Ethan of Skyreach Territory?"

"Ethan," Lucas said, turning around, "has already become an enemy of our Pavilion."

"He is a rare genius."

"Crossing realms to fight is as easy for him as breathing."

"At the seventh turn of Nirvana, he could crush and kill Supreme experts."

"With the power of an artifact, he could even suppress an Intermediate Supreme."

Lucas's eyes narrowed.

"How could I sleep peacefully knowing such a person exists as our enemy?"

"And more importantly—"

"He possesses something that should not exist."

Arrie's heart skipped a beat.

"You mean…?"

"A Chaos artifact."

"What?!"

Arrie's expression changed drastically.

She knew Ethan possessed an artifact.

But Chaos…?

"Yes."

Lucas's voice was steady.

"After receiving reports from Skyreach Territory, I reviewed countless ancient records."

"Finally, I found a match."

"Before ancient times, during the Twilight of the Gods—when gods fought for supremacy—ten Chaos artifacts existed in the world."

"One of them was called the Chaos Clock."

"The artifact in Ethan's possession is highly similar."

"At the Nirvana realm, it could suppress an Intermediate Supreme."

"That is not something any ordinary artifact—or ordinary genius—could achieve."

Lucas turned back to look at Arrie.

"So I am almost certain."

"The artifact in Ethan's hand is the Chaos Clock."

Arrie fell silent.

After a long moment, she spoke slowly.

"A Chaos artifact… once news spreads, it will trigger a bloodbath across the entire continent."

"Even transcendent forces like the Verdant royal family would descend personally to seize it."

"Correct."

Lucas's eyes burned faintly.

"That is why I ordered the Pavilion to suppress all news related to Ethan."

"To slow the spread."

"To buy us time."

"Time enough to kill Ethan—and take the artifact."

"If a Chaos artifact were to fall into the hands of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets…"

"With its power, I could challenge a Perfect Supreme."

"And once I advance further…"

"I could even challenge an emperor-realm expert."

His voice lowered.

"Unfortunately—"

"Our calculations were wrong this time."

A/N:

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 1 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 2 Extra Chapters

Dragon - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.