“You dare kill my disciple? I will kill you!”
The voice roared like thunder, reverberating across the land.
At the sound of it, everyone dropped to their knees in fear.
Whoosh!
Moments later, an emaciated old man emerged from the grand hall.
Swish!
Those gathered around knelt even lower, hardly daring to breathe. This frail old man was none other than the Bloodspire Sect Patriarch, known as the Shadowmire Wraith!
Shadowmire Wraith was not only the leader of the Bloodspire Sect but also Ethan Stone’s master-a powerful Elysium-level cultivator. Years ago, Ethan Stone had led the Dragon Order into Aethelgard, where by chance, he became the disciple of Shadowmire Wraith.
Now, Ethan Stone had disappeared, and Shadowmire Wraith was seething with fury.
As one of the most feared Elysium-level cultivators in Great Lyria, Shadowmire Wraith was a figure that no one dared to provoke. In his lifetime, he had taken on very few disciples. Though Ethan Stone was his last, he was also the one Shadowmire Wraith valued most.
Hearing of Ethan Stone’s disappearance, Shadowmire Wraith abandoned his seclusion immediately.
Meanwhile, Chris remained unaware that Ethan Stone’s disappearance had triggered a massive upheaval. Not only had Great Lyria’s High Sovereign, Morrison Steelhart, dispatched an army of one hundred thousand to hunt him down, but even Ethan Stone’s master, the formidable Shadowmire Wraith, was now after his life.
Given Chris’s current strength, encountering Shadowmire Wraith would mean certain death. A single finger from the Patriarch would be enough to end him.
The snow had gradually ceased, leaving Great Lyria blanketed in white.
Though the snowfall had stopped, the air remained bitterly cold.
Inside a secluded mountain cave, Lindsay Windson stepped out, her face filled with worry.
“I wonder how Mr. Shelby is doing. Even Stripes hasn’t returned with any news!” she murmured.
It turned out that after Stripes had escorted Lindsay Windson out of Silver Crown, he had hidden her in this cave before returning to search for Chris. In the ensuing battle with Ethan Stone, Stripes and Ethan had both fallen off a cliff.
Lindsay Windson was deeply concerned. Being in Great Lyria, their situation was perilous if discovered.
“No, I must find Mr. Shelby!” she decided resolutely.
Just as Lindsay was about to leave, a man covered in blood stumbled into view from the distance.
Lindsay looked up and froze, her body trembling.
“Mr. Shelby!” she cried out in relief, rushing toward him.
The bloodied figure was none other than Chris.
Reaching him, Lindsay asked anxiously, “Mr. Shelby, what happened to you?”
Chris took a deep breath, his voice steady but urgent. “Lindsay, we have to leave here!”
“Leave? But Mr. Shelby, Stripes went to find you. If we leave, are we not waiting for him?” she asked, stunned.
Chris shook his head, his expression heavy with sorrow. “Stripes… to save me, he fell off a cliff with Ethan Stone.”
“What?” Lindsay’s eyes widened in shock.
She hadn’t expected Stripes to sacrifice himself for Chris, tumbling off the cliff with Ethan Stone.
Lindsay knew Chris well-he was someone who valued emotions deeply. Though Stripes was merely his spirit beast, it was clear from Chris’s demeanor that he was heartbroken.
Seeing his grief, Lindsay felt a deep ache in her heart.
“Mr. Shelby, what happened exactly?” she asked softly.
Chris sighed and recounted how Ethan Stone had pursued him, leading to the tragic fall.
“Stripes saved me. If not for him, he wouldn’t have fallen.”
He spoke with visible guilt.
After hearing his story, Lindsay shook her head and sighed. “It’s hard to believe… Stripes is just a spirit beast, yet so loyal and selfless. Mr. Shelby, don’t be too disheartened. While it’s true Stripes fell with Ethan Stone, there’s still a chance he survived.”
Chris shook his head again, his sorrow unrelenting. “Lindsay, you don’t need to comfort me. That cliff is at least a thousand meters deep. How could anyone survive such a fall?”
But Lindsay smiled faintly. “Mr. Shelby, some things are unpredictable. Besides, I believe Stripes isn’t an ordinary beast. Maybe, just maybe, he’s still alive.”
Chris froze at her words. Lindsay was right-Stripes wasn’t an ordinary beast. At first, Chris had thought Stripes was just a Thunder Leopard. But over time, he realized that Stripes was far from ordinary.
No Thunder Leopard could evolve on its own.
Perhaps Lindsay was right. Perhaps Stripes had survived.
The thought sent a surge of hope through Chris.
“Lindsay, I need to go to the bottom of that cliff. Alive or dead, I must find Stripes. I won’t rest until I know the truth,” he declared.
Lindsay nodded firmly. “Yes, Mr. Shelby. I’ll support you!”
Together, Chris and Lindsay began their journey to the cliff’s base in search of Stripes.
Meanwhile, Chris’s name had spread throughout Great Lyria like wildfire. Not just in Great Lyria-news of him had even reached Amerosia.
The two nations had been at war for over a century. During the recent Shoreline Gate battle, Chris had single-handedly decimated an entire Great Lyria army, earning him fame across Amerosia.
Now, word of Chris infiltrating Great Lyria’s capital, Silver Crown, had caused a sensation. He had crippled Thorne Steelhart, killed several Solstice-level cultivators, and defeated hundreds of Aetherbinding practitioners. Even Ethan Stone, Great Lyria’s Grand Mentor, had gone missing.
When this news reached Amerosia, it created an uproar. Chris quickly became a hero, idolized by countless citizens.
At the same time, in Great Lyria, his name struck fear into hearts like a demon’s shadow. Stories of his exploits grew exaggerated: some claimed he had stormed the royal palace and nearly killed High Sovereign Morrison Steelhart himself.
As rumors spiraled, panic gripped Great Lyria.
But Chris paid no attention to the chaos outside. For him, none of it mattered.
He and Lindsay Windson were focused solely on finding Stripes.
On their way to the cliff, they encountered numerous Great Lyria patrols searching for them.
Hiding behind a hillside, Chris watched a patrol team pass by. He frowned.
“I didn’t expect Great Lyria to send so many soldiers after us. If this keeps up, it’s only a matter of time before we’re caught,” he said grimly.