“All right. Our immediate concern is to truly rid ourselves of these phantoms. I have no idea. where these creatures are coming from, but they have been able to track us relentlessly,” said Hugh.
As they were speaking, a burst of shouting erupted, followed by another chaotic battle. Some of the phantoms had caught up to them, and Wrey and the others had no choice but to flee once again.
Meanwhile, Jared and the rest were taking a rest on a hill. The consecutive battles had left everyone feeling exhausted. Since entering the abyss, they hadn’t had at proper rest, let alone the time to replenish their energy.
Now, everyone’s energy was nearly depleted. Although this place had abundant resources, they didn’t have the luxury of time to rest. Moreover, those phantoms seemed to stick to them like glue, swiftly catching up to Jared and the others.
Jared saw how weary the group was, so he casually set up an arcane array, enclosing the area within a radius of a hundred meters. “Master Diviner, Mr. Campbell, rest and replenish your energy here for now. I will deal with those phantoms. Otherwise, they’ll keep sticking to us,” Jared said, “Mr. Chance, those phantoms are quite formidable. It would be dangerous for you to face them alone,” Great Diviner warned.
“Yes, especially those in battle armor. They’re simply abnormal. It took a lot of effort for me to kill just one. Mr. Chance, you should rest with us. We can set out together once we’ve regained our strength,” Matthew added, hoping that Jared wouldn’t go alone.
“It’s all right. Even if I encounter danger, I will be able to escape,” Jared replied calmly. In truth, Jared had his own plan. He had discovered that with each phantom he killed, Ultimate Force within his body grew stronger. If he were to slay even more phantoms, the force would increase even more rapidly.
Through the recent constant battles, Ultimate Force within Jared had increased significantly. It was possible that by killing one or two more phantoms, he would be able to reach two marks of Ultimate Force.
“Mr. Chance, why don’t you take Archer and Skyler with you? If there’s a real danger, they can hold off for a while,” Matthew suggested.
Jared knew Matthew had only made the suggestion because the latter worried about him. Hence, it didn’t sit right with Jared to turn the idea down. He nodded and said, “All right. I’ll bring some herbs back to cultivate some pills. That way, you guys will be able to recover faster.”
Matthew nodded in agreement. Then, he turned to Archer and Skyler and said, “You two should stick close to Mr. Chance and ensure his safety. When necessary, you know what to do, right?”
Both of them nodded. “Don’t worry, Master. We won’t let Mr. Chance get harmed. When necessary, we will self-destruct to buy time for Mr. Chance.”
“Rest assured, there won’t be any danger,” Jared said confidently. He then left with Archer and Skyler. Meanwhile, Matthew and Great Diviner remained within the arcane array, quickly cultivating and restoring their energy.
“Mr. Chance, since those phantoms don’t have inner cores or any valuable items, killing them would be useless. Why do you insist on seeking them out and slaying them?” Skyler asked. Jared, perplexed.
Jared smiled. “Those phantoms are of no use to you, but for me, they’re immensely valuable. Each phantom I slay enhances my cultivation by a small fraction.”
Archer and Skyler were visibly surprised upon hearing Jared. This was the first time they heard that slaying phantoms could enhance cultivation. However, since Jared said so, it must be true. There was no reason Jared would lie to them, after all.
