If the blood of the Skyclaw Tiger were auctioned, it would undoubtedly fetch an astronomical price.
Without any hesitation, Chris pulled out a vial from his storage ring and began collecting the tiger’s blood. Once the vial was filled, he grabbed Lindsay Windson and quickly left the scene.
Meanwhile, the Skyclaw Tiger retreated deep into its lair. But as it entered, it immediately sensed something was amiss. Someone had been there.
The tiger prowled further in, only to freeze in disbelief. Its once-treasured hoard, amassed over countless years, was gone. The cave was bare.
“Roar!”
“ROAR!”
“ROAAAAR!”
The Skyclaw Tiger’s furious bellows echoed through the cave, shaking the very mountain.
Crashing sounds reverberated as rocks tumbled down.
The commotion quickly drew the attention of nearby cultivators from Great Lyria. Hearing the uproar, numerous Aetherbinding practitioners rushed toward the source.
The Great Lyria High Sovereign had recently placed a bounty of 100, 000 Essence Stones on Chris’s head-a sum so enormous it lured countless Aetherbinding cultivators. Each one aimed to claim the reward by capturing Chris.
However, when the cultivators arrived, they were met with the enraged Skyclaw Tiger.
“It’s the Skyclaw Tiger! Run for your lives!”
The sight of the beast sent the Great Lyria cultivators into a panic. Without a second thought, they turned and fled.
But the Skyclaw Tiger, seething with pent-up fury, showed no mercy.
Screams filled the air as one by one, the fleeing cultivators were slaughtered.
Meanwhile, Chris and Lindsay Windson had reached the base of a cliff. Chris scoured the area but found no trace of Stripes. His expression darkened.
Not only was there no sign of Stripes, but Ethan Stone and the puppet’s whereabouts were also a mystery.
“Mr. Shelby, look at this!” Lindsay suddenly cried out.
Chris turned toward her, spotting a massive crater where she pointed. Without hesitation, he leapt into it. Moments later, he climbed back out.
“Mr. Shelby, did you find anything?” Lindsay asked, her curiosity piqued.
Chris shook his head. “This crater seems to have formed when Stripes and Ethan Stone fell. But they’re gone. Could they have survived? If so, where could they have gone?”
Falling from such a height, even someone as powerful as Ethan Stone, a late-stage Solstice cultivator, should at least have been gravely injured.
Pondering this, Chris decided to search the area once more. Yet, even after a thorough sweep, there was no trace of Stripes-or Ethan Stone.
Lindsay tried to comfort him. “Mr. Shelby, I believe Stripes will be alright. Don’t worry.”
Just then, an eerie laughter rang out.
“Kehehehe…”
A shadowy figure emerged-a gaunt, skeletal old man who stood before Chris.
Chris immediately sensed the danger emanating from him.
The old man fixed his gaze on Chris. “You’re Chris, aren’t you?”
Chris frowned. “Yes. Do I know you?”
The old man laughed maniacally, his face twisting into a menacing sneer. “Boy, you’re exactly who I’m looking for. I am Shadowmire Wraith, Ethan Stone’s master. Today, I’ll kill you and avenge my disciple!”
“What? You’re Ethan Stone’s master?!”
Chris was stunned. He hadn’t expected the frail figure before him to be Ethan Stone’s teacher.
If that was true, then Shadowmire Wraith was likely a formidable Elysium-level cultivator. Chris knew he stood no chance against someone of that caliber.
“Lindsay, we need to go!”
Without hesitation, Chris grabbed Lindsay and fled.
Shadowmire Wraith sneered. “Think you can escape? If I don’t kill you today, I’m no man!”
Despite Chris’s frantic escape, Shadowmire Wraith didn’t immediately pursue. To him, Chris was no more than an insect, one he could crush at will. For now, he relished toying with him.
In an instant, Shadowmire Wraith vanished, leaving only a blur in his wake.
As they ran, Lindsay voiced her confusion. “Mr. Shelby, it doesn’t seem like Shadowmire Wraith is chasing us.”
Chris frowned. For an Elysium-level cultivator like Shadowmire Wraith, catching them should have been effortless.
Before he could make sense of it, a dark figure materialized in their path.
It was Shadowmire Wraith.
Chris sighed bitterly. The Elysium-level master had caught up in no time.
Without another option, Chris dragged Lindsay in yet another direction, desperately trying to escape.
Shadowmire Wraith watched them flee, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips.
Before long, he caught up again. No matter how many times Chris changed course, Shadowmire Wraith was always close behind.
Exhausted and out of options, Chris finally realized the truth-Shadowmire Wraith was merely toying with him.
Initially, the old master had intended to prolong Chris’s torment. But he hadn’t anticipated Chris’s extraordinary endurance.
Dozens, even hundreds of attempts to escape would have broken any ordinary Aetherbinding cultivator by now. But Chris persisted.
Growing impatient, Shadowmire Wraith’s demeanor shifted. With a cold glare, his body radiated an overwhelming, murderous aura.
Feeling the suffocating pressure, Chris’s face turned grim.
This was his first encounter with an Elysium-level cultivator. Against Shadowmire Wraith, there was no hope of escape.
In Aethelgard, Elysium-level cultivators were among the elite, their power unmatched. Entire Aetherbinding sects relied on a single Elysium master for protection.
Elysium cultivators were rare, and their appearances even rarer. Most spent their days in seclusion, striving to break through to higher realms and extend their lifespans.
But now, Chris stood face-to-face with one-and he had nowhere to run.