The clash between the Gang of Death and the Mystery Gate erupted fiercely. Although the Gang of Death had far greater numbers, the Mystery Gate fighters were undeniably stronger. One by one, members of the Gang of Death fell lifeless to the ground.
Meanwhile, the Mystery Gate Hall Master charged toward Chris once more.
Swish!
A shadow darted through the air. A gleaming blade, the Dragon Slayer, pierced straight toward the Hall Master. By the time the Hall Master realized the danger, it was already too late to block.
Boom!
The sound of impact echoed as the Dragon Slayer plunged into the Hall Master’s chest. His eyes froze in disbelief. Even in death, he could not comprehend how Chris, despite his condition, managed to wield the weapon and kill him.
With a dull thud, the Hall Master’s lifeless body collapsed to the ground, his face locked in eternal shock.
Chris looked at the corpse with a mocking grin. “Even without my hands, I can still kill you.”
The surrounding crowd watched in stunned silence. None of them could imagine how a man without hands had defeated and killed the Mystery Gate Hall Master.
“The Hall Master is dead!”
“The Hall Master is dead!”
“The Hall Master is dead!”
Panic spread like wildfire among the remaining Mystery Gate fighters, and they fled in disarray.
Tiger wanted to lead a pursuit, but Chris shook his head. “Tiger, let them go,” he said calmly.
Tiger and the others looked at Chris with awe. Even without his hands, he had effortlessly slain the Hall Master, a formidable late-stage Solstice cultivator. They couldn’t fathom how powerful Chris would have been if he still had his hands.
That evening, back at the Gang of Death stronghold, everyone feasted and celebrated.
After the meal, Chris addressed the group. “I plan to return to Earth. Will you follow me?”
Tiger and the others froze for a moment before replying in unison, “We will follow you to the death, Master!”
Chris nodded. “Good. This time, I’ll go back first. You stay here and finish what needs to be done. Now that the Mystery Gate Hall Master is dead, I want you to wipe out the Mystery Gate completely and establish dominance in this region in no time.”
“Understood!” Tiger and the others responded firmly.
The next day, Chris prepared to leave the Gang of Death, accompanied by Lindsay Windson and a few others. Although Tiger and the others wanted to escort him personally, Chris declined their offer.
By midday, Chris and his party arrived at Flameforge.
“You’ve heard the news, right? There’s a ‘Grim Reaper’ in Amerosia named Chris,” someone whispered in the crowd.
“Yes! I heard he single-handedly stormed the Great Lyria army of hundreds of thousands at Shoreline Gate.”
“Not only that-Chris even caused chaos in Silver Crown and crippled Prince Thorne of Great Lyria!”
As the chatter reached his ears, Chris couldn’t help but let out a faint smile. It seemed his exploits in Great Lyria had spread far and wide across Amerosia.
At the same time, Chris also learned about the tomb beneath the Essence Stone mine. After his departure, various factions had joined forces to excavate the tomb. Their efforts uncovered a trove of treasures, which the factions divided among themselves. The Flameforge Sect reaped significant benefits, and the Passos family, as the leading family of Flameforge, also gained greatly, solidifying their power.
Today, Harrison Passos, the eldest son of the Passos family, was strolling the streets with his entourage.
Suddenly, Harrison spotted someone in the crowd. His heart froze as his gaze locked onto a figure he would never forget-Chris.
Back at Celestial Peaks, Chris had humiliated Harrison. Furious, Harrison had sought revenge by summoning Master Zaman, the Passos family’s ace, to kill Chris. But not only had Chris survived, he had slain Master Zaman in the process.
The Passos family had issued a hefty bounty for Chris, but he vanished without a trace, as if swallowed by the earth. Harrison never expected to see him here again, after all this time.
“Chris!” Harrison shouted, striding toward him.
Chris turned to face him, narrowing his eyes before smirking. “Well, if it isn’t young Master Passos. What can I do for you?”
Harrison gritted his teeth. “Chris, you killed Master Zaman, and yet you dare show your face here today? You’re asking for death!”
Spotting Chris’s empty sleeves, Harrison sneered. “Chris, Chris… It’s been a year, and now you’re nothing but a cripple. Today, you won’t escape alive.”
Believing Chris’s loss of hands gave him the upper hand, Harrison felt emboldened.
“Die, Chris!” Harrison roared, drawing his longsword and lunging forward.
In the year since their last encounter, Harrison had advanced to the late stage of Pinnacle Aetherbinding. To achieve such growth in a year was remarkable-he was considered a prodigy.
But to Chris, a mere late-stage Pinnacle fighter wasn’t worth a second thought.
Boom!
With a single kick, Chris sent Harrison flying. Before Harrison could recover, Chris stepped on his chest, pinning him to the ground.
Harrison’s face twisted in terror. He couldn’t believe that even after his breakthrough, he was utterly powerless against Chris.
Feeling the weight of Chris’s strength, Harrison stammered, “Chris, you can’t kill me! I’m now a disciple of the Flameforge Sect. If you harm me, the Sect will come after you!”
Chris smirked, unimpressed. Killing Harrison would be effortless, but he had other priorities.
“Tell me,” Chris demanded, “do you know where the portal to Earth is located?”
When Chris and his companions first arrived in Aethelgard, they had used a teleportation portal. However, he had no idea where the portal back to Earth could be found.
Harrison hesitated before replying, “The portal… it’s in the Flameforge Sect!”
Chris’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected Harrison to actually know the portal’s location.
“Take me there,” Chris commanded, “or I’ll kill you right here.”
Terrified, Harrison had no choice but to comply. He led Chris and his group toward the portal.
Eventually, they arrived at a mountain range, deep within which lay a massive teleportation portal.
The portal, however, was ancient and clearly long abandoned. Several Flameforge Sect members were busy repairing it.
Chris observed the scene with mild surprise. Many of the portals scattered across Aethelgard were relics from ancient times. Most were damaged, and even the functional ones were often unstable. The Flameforge Sect’s efforts to restore this portal intrigued him.