When Chris made his escape, Ethan Stone roared in fury, “Kill him! Don’t let him get away!”
Ethan Stone never imagined that Chris could break through the siege of hundreds of Aetherbinding cultivators. Not only did he escape, but he also killed nearly a hundred Pinnacle-level Aetherbinding practitioners. Even a Solstice-stage powerhouse fell to his blade.
Seeing Chris’s overwhelming strength, Ethan Stone could no longer remain calm. He knew that if Chris were allowed to escape, he would become a dire threat in the future. Without hesitation, Ethan Stone led his men in pursuit.
Chris, on the other hand, dared not let his guard down, fleeing with all his might. He knew that if his speed faltered, Ethan Stone and his men would catch up, and his fate would be sealed.
Suddenly, Chris felt a wave of danger envelop him. Turning back, his face changed drastically. Ethan Stone was right behind him, rapidly closing the distance.
Ethan Stone, now a Solstice-stage powerhouse in the late phase, was faster than most of his peers. Despite Chris’s full effort, Ethan Stone was closing in swiftly. Without delay, Ethan Stone launched a powerful punch.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, Chris was sent flying. Left with no choice, he summoned his puppet to block Ethan Stone’s relentless attacks.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Ethan Stone struck repeatedly, but the puppet managed to absorb the blows. However, Chris could feel the Essence Stone within the puppet depleting rapidly. Once the Essence Stone was fully consumed, the puppet would cease to function, leaving Chris to face Ethan Stone’s attacks directly. At that point, survival would be impossible.
Solstice powerhouses, like other cultivation stages, were divided into four phases: Initial, Mid, Late, and Peak. Each phase represented an immense gap in power.
Chris’s current strength barely qualified as Mid-Solstice, while Ethan Stone was already in the Late-Solstice phase. The gap between them was insurmountable. Against Ethan Stone’s assaults, Chris stood no chance.
For now, Chris relied on his puppet to fend off Ethan Stone’s attacks. However, the ferocity of the strikes was draining the puppet’s Essence Stone too quickly. Gritting his teeth, Chris continued to flee.
As he ran, he kept replenishing the puppet’s Essence Stone. Yet, seeing his supply dwindle, he made a desperate decision. He took the Heartstone he had obtained from the Fort Dragon Titan Beast and placed it into the puppet.
Suddenly, the puppet erupted with a brilliant light.
Stunned, Chris muttered to himself in disbelief, “What’s happening?”
In that moment, he realized the truth. When he had slain the Titan Beast and acquired this Monster Stone, he had sensed its immense energy. Its energy far surpassed that of any Essence Stone.
The moment the Monster Stone was installed, the puppet’s power surged back to its peak. Its speed increased dramatically, and Chris leapt onto its back.
With the enhanced speed, Chris quickly distanced himself from most of the Solstice powerhouses chasing him. However, Ethan Stone, with his superior strength and speed, continued his pursuit.
Though Chris’s speed was astonishing, he could not completely shake off Ethan Stone. For Ethan Stone, killing Chris was imperative. Chris’s rapid growth was terrifying; if left alive, he would become an uncontrollable threat.
Great Lyria, located in the northern reaches of Aethelgard, was in the grip of winter. Suddenly, large snowflakes began to fall from the sky. In moments, the ground was blanketed in white.
As Chris fled Silver Crown, the desolation of the surrounding wilderness became evident. Great Lyria was vast and sparsely populated. Beyond Silver Crown, there was no trace of human habitation. The endless expanse of snow stretched out before him, and the temperature plummeted rapidly.
Chris glanced back to see Ethan Stone still close behind. Time slipped away, and as night fell, the land was plunged into darkness. Only the pale moonlight illuminated the landscape.
Eventually, Chris came to a halt. He had no choice-after nearly a full day of relentless pursuit, his stamina was nearly exhausted.
Ethan Stone caught up, his face twisted into a menacing grin. “Chris, why did you stop running? Weren’t you so good at escaping?”
Chris snorted coldly. “Ethan Stone, I’ve grown tired of running.”
Before Chris lay a massive cliff, plunging at least a thousand meters into the abyss. A single misstep would mean certain death.
Chris surveyed the situation and couldn’t help but smile bitterly. He had reached the end of his rope.
If escape was no longer an option, the only choice left was to fight Ethan Stone head-on.
“Ethan Stone,” Chris said, his tone calm yet defiant, “we’re both Earthlings. There’s no need for this endless bloodshed. Let me go, and I’ll give you this puppet. How about it?”
Ethan Stone burst into laughter. “Chris, you really think highly of yourself. Why would I let you go? Once I kill you, the puppet is mine anyway. Why should I bargain with you?
“Besides, you crippled my arm and killed two of my disciples. Did you really think I’d let you walk away? Don’t be naive. Today is the day you die!”
Seeing that Ethan Stone had no intention of sparing him, Chris clenched his jaw. He had no other options.
Through gritted teeth, Chris declared, “Ethan Stone, I’d rather die than let you take me down!”
With that, he suddenly leapt off the cliff.
Ethan Stone sneered coldly. “Trying to kill yourself? Dream on. I’ll catch you and make you suffer. Death will be a mercy!”
He lunged toward the edge, ready to grab Chris.
But just as Ethan Stone reached the cliff, Chris’s figure vanished.
Realization dawned on Ethan Stone, and his expression darkened.
“Damn it! I’ve been tricked!”
Chris hadn’t jumped to his death. It was a ploy to lure Ethan Stone closer.
Before Ethan Stone could react, Chris struck from behind with a devastating slash.
Caught off guard, Ethan Stone could not turn in time and had to take the blow head-on.
Boom!
The impact sent both men flying.
Ethan Stone, a seasoned Late-Solstice powerhouse, shrugged off the attack with little damage.
He sneered, “Chris, I underestimated you. But do you really think you can beat me? Against absolute power, your tricks are nothing more than a pitiful spectacle.”