“Ancestor, we already know our mistake. Please, Old Mr Chapman, calm your anger,” Lane Chapman bowed and spoke.
“The sect has been brought to this state by you, and you think just admitting your mistake will suffice?” The phantom elder glared at them in frustration.
He sighed deeply, “Truly, a misfortune for our family!”
“Old Mr Chapman…” Lane Chapman continued.
“What do you want?” The phantom elder interrupted, turning to Triston Horton.
“It’s simple. Just give us two million king-grade spirit stones, and we’ll leave immediately!” Triston Horton responded.
“Do you think that’s possible?” The phantom elder replied sternly.
“Then let’s fight!” Triston Horton sneered.
“I admit, if you were at your peak, I might not be your match! But now, you can’t even muster seventy percent of your full strength, can you? And if I’m not mistaken, your soul consciousness will soon dissipate?”
“Even with seventy percent of my strength, it’s enough to deal with you!” The phantom elder responded gravely.
“You overestimate yourself!” Triston Horton scoffed again.
“Let’s see then!” The phantom elder said firmly.
As he spoke, his figure vanished from sight and reappeared within two or three hundred meters of Triston Horton in the blink of an eye. His hands moved swiftly, conjuring a nearly tangible mark that whipped up a fierce wind.
“I told you, you’re no match for me now!” Triston Horton’s voice echoed as he raised his hand, summoning a powerful air vortex to counter the attack.
A deafening explosion reverberated through the void, causing a shockwave that pushed everyone back a thousand meters. Both the phantom elder and Triston Horton were thrown back several hundred meters. As they regained their footing, they clashed again, their spiritual power materializing and colliding explosively.
Triston Horton steadied himself and vanished again. The phantom elder sensed a tremor in the void before him and quickly formed a barrier.
A muffled sound was heard as the phantom elder was sent flying five or six hundred meters back, his form becoming even more ethereal. It was clear that Triston Horton had the upper hand in these exchanges.
“Do you believe now? With just a soul consciousness, you can’t protect your sect!” Triston Horton taunted as he disappeared and reappeared rapidly.
At that moment, another loud noise came from the void. The barrier surrounding the manor shook several times. Everyone turned to see a group of people attacking the barrier from mid-air. Leading them was Ethereal Sect Master Jorge Craft, with Billy and Opal among them.
Crack!
Soon, a crisp sound came from the barrier as cracks began to appear under their combined assault.
“Everyone, attack! Kill them first!” Triston Horton shouted, pointing at the Quicksand Sect members.
“Yes!” Forty to fifty people responded in unison and charged at Victor Chapman and his group with full strength.
In just a few moments, four elders of the Quicksand Sect were thrown out and fell to the ground, spitting blood and losing consciousness.
“Bastards!” The phantom elder roared and dashed forward quickly.
“Old man, take care of yourself first!” Triston Horton followed with a cold voice, sending out a gust of wind with his hand.
The phantom elder dodged instead of confronting him head-on but soon found the surrounding void distorting. He realized he was trapped by a strong force, unable to move.
A massive phantom hand reached out to grab him. “The sect is doomed,” he murmured as he saw no escape.
Just then, a powerful wave surged like a falling meteor. It was Jorge Craft who had broken through the barrier and arrived just in time. His attack collided with the phantom hand, causing both forces to explode violently. The impact made the phantom elder’s form even more ethereal but freed him from the binding force.
“Who are you? Dare to interfere with my affairs? Do you have a death wish?” Triston Horton glared at Jorge Craft.
“Grand Elder, attack!” Jorge Craft ignored him and turned to Oscar Craft. “All Ethereal Sect members, kill!”
“Understood!” Oscar Craft and several elders responded and charged at the messengers between life and death with full strength.
“White Feather, stay and assist Mr Craft!” Billy instructed White Feather.
White Feather screeched and flew out with flapping wings. “Mr Billy, be careful!” Jorge Craft said before following suit.
“Hmm?” Triston Horton was momentarily stunned by Jorge Craft’s address. He then turned and shouted to his men. “Elder Philip, Elder Connor, this must be that Billy boy from Forbidden Ruins Space with the treasure. Capture him!”
“Understood!” The two elders attacked Billy. “If you want the treasure, show your strength!” Billy met them head-on.
Meanwhile, White Feather closed in on Triston Horton. “Get lost!” Triston Horton formed a mark and hurled it at White Feather. White Feather responded with a blast of air without retreating. “Foolish!” Triston Horton sneered but soon realized he had underestimated his opponent.
A loud crash sent both White Feather and Triston Horton flying back. Though Triston Horton was stronger, his overconfidence led to this outcome. As he was thrown back, Jorge Craft attacked again with a barrage of spiritual power swords raining down like a storm.
Triston Horton frowned deeply and swept away the swords with a gust of wind. However, there were too many swords; as one wave was cleared, another followed. He could use spiritual power to block them but couldn’t afford to be distracted. If White Feather and the phantom elder attacked simultaneously while he focused on Jorge Craft, he would be in trouble.
Without hesitation, Triston Horton swept out another gust of wind and vanished again, reappearing a thousand meters away. His previous composure was gone, replaced by a grave expression on his face.