“Mr. Shelby, please leave! Don’t worry about me!” Lindsay Windson cried out, her voice trembling with urgency.
“Leave? No one is leaving today!” roared Thorne Steelhart. He turned to a Solstice-level warrior beside him and commanded, “Kill him for me!”
At his order, the Solstice warrior charged toward Chris. Unfazed, Chris gripped his blade, Dragon Slayer, and swung it with devastating force. A terrifying aura radiated from him, enveloping his opponent.
The Solstice warrior’s face twisted in fear as he felt Chris’s overwhelming power. He tried to evade, but it was too late.
Boom!
The blade struck with a thunderous impact, sending the warrior flying. Blood sprayed from his mouth mid-air as he crashed to the ground, his life force fading fast. Chris wasted no time-he drove Dragon Slayer straight into the man’s chest. The warrior’s eyes widened in disbelief before he collapsed, lifeless.
The gathered crowd was stunned. A Solstice-level warrior had been killed-something no one thought possible. Fear spread among Thorne Steelhart’s guards, and they began to retreat instinctively.
“Don’t back down! Kill him! Kill him now!” Thorne Steelhart screamed, his voice filled with panic and rage.
Suddenly, a shadow streaked through the air.
“Ahhh!”
A bloodcurdling scream erupted from Thorne as his arm was torn from his body. The attacker was none other than Stripes-Chris’s loyal companion.
“My arm! My arm!” Thorne wailed, blood pouring from the gaping wound. His anguish filled the air, and his guards froze in terror. After all, Thorne was a Great Lyria prince. The realization that Chris’s spirit beast had crippled him sent shockwaves through the crowd. If Chris wasn’t stopped, the High Sovereign’s wrath would descend upon them all.
Chris, calm amidst the chaos, turned to Lindsay and spoke with resolve. “Lindsay, I’m here.”
Tears streamed down Lindsay Windson’s cheeks. She had never expected to see him again. Memories of their past flooded her mind-how she had joined the Jefferson family, partly because of him. She had loved Chris but chose to leave out of respect for her best friend, Esther, who loved him too. Her heart had been heavy, but she thought she would never cross paths with him again.
And yet, fate had brought them together in Aethelgard. Today, she had been captured and brought to Silver Crown, ready to end her life to escape Thorne’s grasp. At her lowest moment, Chris appeared like a miracle to save her.
The sound of rushing footsteps interrupted her thoughts. The air filled with the whistling of incoming reinforcements as Great Lyria cultivators closed in. Silver Crown, the capital, was crawling with powerful warriors. Chris had killed a Solstice-level warrior and maimed a prince. The kingdom wouldn’t let him escape easily.
“Stripes, take Lindsay and leave!” Chris ordered.
“No, Mr. Shelby! I won’t leave you!” Lindsay protested. She knew the odds were against him. The capital was teeming with enemies, and Chris’s chances of survival were slim. If death was inevitable, she wanted to face it by his side.
Chris’s expression hardened. “Lindsay, listen to me. Go with Stripes. I’ll make it out alive, and when I do, I’ll come find you. Trust me.”
Before she could respond, Chris gripped Dragon Slayer and charged back into the fray. Watching his retreating figure, Lindsay bit her lip, her voice trembling as she whispered, “Mr. Shelby, you must survive. If you die, I won’t live in this world without you.”
Reluctantly, she climbed onto Stripes’s back. With a blur of motion, Stripes darted away, carrying Lindsay to safety. His speed was unmatched, leaving pursuers far behind.
Meanwhile, Chris plunged into the crowd of enemies, cutting them down one by one. His blade moved relentlessly, each swing lethal.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Aetherbinding cultivators fell like leaves in a storm, their screams echoing in the chaos. Most were only at the Pinnacle level and couldn’t withstand Chris’s power. But Chris knew stronger enemies were coming-Solstice or even Elysium-level cultivators. He had to escape before they arrived.
Before leaving, Chris turned one last time to glare at Thorne Steelhart, his voice cold and unyielding. “Thorne Steelhart, I told you I’d kill you. I never break my word.”
With Dragon Slayer in hand, Chris charged toward Thorne, prepared to deliver the final blow.
“Stop! How dare you attack Prince Thorne! You’re courting death!” a thunderous voice boomed.
A figure descended from the sky, landing between Chris and Thorne. Chris’s expression darkened as he recognized the man-Ethan Stone, a Solstice-level powerhouse at the peak of his strength. Behind Ethan stood four or five other Solstice cultivators, their combined aura suffocating.
Chris’s heart sank. He could handle a single Solstice warrior, but Ethan Stone was far beyond his ability. And with so many others backing him, the odds were insurmountable.
But Chris’s determination didn’t falter. Thorne had dared to capture Lindsay and tried to defile her, crossing an unforgivable line. Gritting his teeth, Chris swung Dragon Slayer in a desperate attempt to strike Thorne down.
Ethan Stone roared in fury and struck out with his fist, sending Chris flying through the air.
Boom!
Chris hit the ground hard, blood spilling from his mouth. Ethan’s power was overwhelming, and Chris stood no chance against him.
“Reckless fool! You dared to harm Prince Thorne? Today, you will die!” Ethan declared coldly, stepping forward to finish him.
Chris struggled to rise, but Ethan moved too quickly. Another devastating strike sent Chris crashing back down.
Boom!
Once more, the ground trembled as Chris’s body was thrown aside like a ragdoll. Blood pooled beneath him as Ethan Stone loomed closer, his killing intent suffocating.