A deafening rumble shook the air. Chris and the others turned their heads sharply toward the noise.
On the far side of the small island, a young boy was fleeing as fast as his legs could carry him. Behind him, a sinister figure in a crimson robe pursued him relentlessly.
The boy had once been a resident of the island, but today, the entire population had been massacred. He was the sole survivor.
The crimson-robed elder’s eyes gleamed with a bloodthirsty light as he chased the boy. This man was none other than Blood Demon, the one responsible for the slaughter of every inhabitant.
With a whoosh, the crimson-robed elder appeared in front of the boy, blocking his path. A cruel smile twisted his face.
“Where do you think you can run?” he sneered.
The boy’s face turned pale with despair.
As Blood Demon reached out to seize him, a shadow suddenly descended from the sky.
The elder looked up sharply to see a young man standing before him.
“Who are you?” the elder snarled, his voice laced with venom. “How dare you interfere in my affairs?”
Chris smirked coldly. “So, you’re the one who slaughtered the people of this island? Today, you’ll pay for your crimes.”
Without another word, Chris drew his Dragon Slayer sword and charged at Blood Demon.
The clash was instant and thunderous.
The two engaged in a fierce battle, their blows shaking the very ground.
Finally, with a loud crash, Chris’s blade struck Blood Demon, sending him flying.
Blood Demon staggered to his feet, his face filled with shock. He had not expected Chris to be this powerful.
“You’re strong, boy,” he spat bitterly. “But next time, I won’t let you off so easily.”
With that, Blood Demon turned and leaped into the ocean, disappearing into the waves.
Chris frowned as he watched the elder vanish.
He hadn’t managed to kill Blood Demon, and who knew how many more people would suffer because of him?
Chris turned to the boy. “What’s your name? How old are you?”
The boy’s voice trembled as he replied, “My name is Tanner Field. I’m sixteen.”
Through Tanner’s tearful recounting, Chris learned that the boy’s entire family had been slaughtered by Blood Demon.
Chris sighed heavily.
Lindsay Windson and Oriana, standing nearby, exchanged sympathetic glances.
“Mr. Shelby,” Lindsay said softly, “Tanner has nowhere to go. Why don’t we take him with us?”
Oriana nodded in agreement. “If we leave him here alone, he won’t survive long.”
Suddenly, Tanner dropped to his knees before Chris, pleading desperately.
“Please, make me your disciple! I want to grow strong enough to kill Blood Demon myself and avenge my family!”
Tanner wasn’t naive. He had seen Chris defeat Blood Demon and knew that Chris was a powerful cultivator.
Chris shook his head. “I can’t take you as a disciple. I’m not an Aetherbinding cultivator, so I can’t teach you anything about it. But I can teach you other things. Will that do?”
Tanner’s face lit up with gratitude. “Thank you, sir!”
Though Chris couldn’t teach him Aetherbinding, Tanner was content with any guidance he could get.
After accepting Tanner as a disciple, Chris and his companions left the island.
A few hours later, they arrived at a much larger island.
The island was called Skyward Isle, and it was home to the Skyward Sect, one of the four great factions of Aethelgard.
As it happened, the Skyward Sect was in the middle of its once-in-a-century disciple recruitment. The island was bustling with activity, as people from all over came to participate in the selection process.
Since there was still some time before the recruitment began, Chris and his group decided to stay at an inn.
That evening, Chris sat cross-legged in his room.
Earlier, he had informed Oriana and Lindsay that he would be entering seclusion for a while and should not be disturbed.
Now, with all the materials prepared, Chris was ready to undergo his third body tempering.
He began by taking out the items he needed: Millennium Frost Crystal, Obsidian Stone, Skyclaw Tiger’s blood, and more.
First, he popped the Obsidian Stone into his mouth. Immediately, an intense heat surged through his body, making him feel as though he were melting.
The Obsidian Stone, formed from volcanic rock and imbued with the essence of the sun, was notoriously hot.
Gritting his teeth, Chris then swallowed the Millennium Frost Crystal.
The moment the crystal entered his body, he was overwhelmed by an icy chill that made him feel frozen to the core.
The temperature around him plummeted.
Caught between searing heat and numbing cold, Chris felt as though his body were about to explode.
The two opposing forces clashed violently inside him, wreaking havoc on his meridians and leaving him in excruciating pain.
Blood spilled from his lips as the forces tore through his body.
Chris knew he had to find a way to control them, or he would die.
Summoning all his willpower, he pulled out the Skyclaw Tiger’s blood and drank it in one gulp.
As the blood entered his system, the icy and fiery energies began to stabilize.
Chris closed his eyes and focused, his breathing steady.
One day passed.
Two days passed.
Three days passed.
Meanwhile, a massive pirate ship docked at the island.
A young man in luxurious robes disembarked from the ship.
This man was Hartless Iron, Hall Master of Iron Fist.
Hartless had tracked Chris and his companions to Skyward Isle.
His goal was simple: kill Chris and take Oriana for himself.
It wasn’t long before Hartless Iron and his men surrounded the inn.
Oriana’s face turned pale as she saw them.
She had feared this day would come.
Hartless Iron had brought an overwhelming force with him, including over a hundred Pinnacle-level cultivators and five Solstice-level cultivators, one of whom was in the late Solstice stage.
The oppressive aura of the late Solstice cultivator was suffocating.
Oriana and Lindsay exchanged worried glances.
Hartless Iron laughed as he looked at Oriana.
“You can’t escape me,” he said smugly. “No woman I set my eyes on has ever slipped through my grasp. No matter where you run, you’ll always be mine.”