Category: A Man Like None Other

Chapter 1412 Do Not Regret It

“There’s still a place with ancient ruins on Dragon Island. The Deragon family has been very generous by choosing to hold the Trial at that spot. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Don’t you want to go there and have a look? I recall there’s something you missed on the island,” Mr. Sanders stated with a faint smile.

Jared was quiet. That was because the island carried too many memories for him.

On top of that, Renee was still frozen in ice on Dragon Island. When Jared had gone to the island with Skylar, he had tried looking for her after they retrieved the Flame Dragon and the draconic essence. However, he had failed to find her.

The surroundings on the island had changed, so he could not locate where she was. Nonetheless, he never forgot about her and was constantly thinking of finding a chance to rescue her.

After a few minutes of silence, Jared responded through clenched teeth, “Okay. I agree to participate in the Trial.”

I can also take this opportunity to go to the island and see whether I can find Renee or not.

“Since you’ve agreed, follow me back.”

With that said, Mr. Sanders stretched a hand toward Jared. “Give me the Nascent Soul. I’ll keep it safe for you.”

Jared clasped his hands tightly in front of his chest before shaking his head. The Nascent Soul was like a precious treasure to Jared, so there was no way he would hand it to someone else just like that.

Seeing that, Mr. Sanders chuckled. “It’s fine if you don’t want to give it to me. Just don’t regret it if someone snatches it.”

“I won’t regret it,” Jared replied firmly.

Mr. Sanders did not say anything else, and the group returned to Jadeborough.

Time flew by quickly, and in the blink of an eye, two days had passed.

Hordes of people gathered at a square in Jadeborough that day. There were way more people at the Deragons’ training session than the one organized by the martial arts association.

The reason for that was the other training session had only been open to those chosen by the martial arts families who were also members of the martial arts association. Back then, Skylar and Howard had managed to gain some experience there thanks to their connections with Zion. However, they failed to retrieve the Trial’s treasure.

Things were different now, though. All the martial arts families could select whoever they wanted to join the event on the condition that they were at least a Martial Arts Grandmaster. Hence, there were many young and promising Martial Arts Marquis among the participants.

It was then that Jared realized there were actually many talents among the younger generation. It’s just that many of them shy away from showing off in public. As for those elite fighters listed on the Sage Leaderboard, they all like to flaunt their skills.

Just as he was about to look around and see if there was anyone he knew, he heard someone call his name. “Jared!”

Turning around, he saw three people around his age approaching him.

The one in the lead was already a Martial Arts Marquis. He did not attempt to conceal his aura, parading it for everyone to see.

Jared studied the trio but discovered he did not know any of them. Hence, he turned to the group’s leader and asked, “You guys know me?”

“Of course! You’re so famous that few in the martial arts world wouldn’t know you,” the leader responded with a smile.

His response left Jared feeling incredibly embarrassed. He had not sought such fame, and he could not help that others kept causing trouble for him.

Not knowing what their intentions were, Jared was at a loss for what to say when he suddenly spotted a familiar face and rushed after that person immediately.

“Howard!” Jared called out while patting Howard on the shoulder.

When Howard spun around and saw Jared, he looked pleasantly surprised. “Jared! Are you here for the Trial, too?”

Jared nodded.

“I can’t believe the Deragon family would be so magnanimous. You beat Edgar within half an inch of his life, yet they’ve still allowed you to be here.”

Howard could not help feeling astounded. After all, it was a private event organized by the Deragons, and they could very well have prohibited Jared from participating.

Jared merely smiled without explaining anything. It was Mr. Sander’s request, so I believe that’s why they dared not refuse.

Chapter 1411 Are You That Afraid Of Me

Meanwhile, Jared was swiftly making his way toward the Village of Villains. Wanting to find a safe place where he could refine the Nascent Soul, he had finally decided to head to the Village of Villains. After all, a Nascent Soul isn’t something one can finish refining overnight. If I go to the village, I can also seek The Villainous Four’s protection.

However, someone suddenly blocked his path as soon as he left Jadeborough’s borders. Jared gazed at the person in front of him with an exasperated expression.

“Captain Jennings, what a coincidence to run into you here,” he remarked, walking toward Xavier. “This is no coincidence, Jared. I was waiting for you,” Xavier replied calmly.

Jared looked surprised. “Waiting for me? Whatever for?”

“Mr. Sanders would like to meet with you,” Xavier informed. “May I know why?” Jared asked cautiously.

Xavier spread his hands with his palms upward. “I don’t know. He just told me to wait here for you and ask you to come back with me when I saw you.”

Jared hesitated for a while before finally saying, “I have something to do, so I can’t go and meet Mr. Sanders. Go back and tell him that. Who knows if I’ll get locked up again if I go?”

With that, he leaped forward, covering more than ten meters at once. Then, he proceeded to run swiftly.

There’s no way I’m meeting with Mr. Sanders now because I have no time! I’ve got to refine the Nascent Soul as soon as possible and increase my powers.

The end of the year was fast approaching, yet he still had not rescued Josephine and his mother. That made him very anxious.

“Hey!”

Xavier quickly gave chase after seeing Jared suddenly run away.

However, Jared had only gone some distance before he felt a wave of aura surge toward him that immediately made him freeze in his tracks.

He was dumbfounded, not knowing whose aura it was. Whoever it is, that person must have unimaginable powers to be able to prevent me from moving with just their aura.

Just as he was looking as panicked as though he were about to face a terrifying enemy, he saw a middle-aged man wearing a suit and glasses approaching him.

It was Mr. Sanders.

With a smile, Mr. Sanders asked, “Are you that afraid to see me?”

“W-Why should I be afraid? It’s just that I have something important to do, that’s all,” Jared replied, avoiding the man’s gaze.

After Mr. Sanders exposed the extent of his capabilities, Jared did feel a little frightened whenever he saw the former. After all, the disparity between our powers is so vast that he can probably kill me with a mere wave of his hand.

“Something important, eh? You’re just in a hurry to go and refine your Nascent Soul, aren’t you? You can do that anytime, but the opportunity I’ve found for you isn’t something you should let slip through your fingers. Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever.”

Mr. Sanders’ response disrupted the little plan Jared had in mind.

“What opportunity are you talking about?” Jared queried after a moment of stunned silence.

Just then, Xavier rushed up, panting heavily. “You were right, Mr. Sanders. This jerk refused to meet with you and even tried to run…”

Mr. Sanders smiled. Then, he looked at Jared and explained, “The Deragon family is organizing a Trial in two days. I’ve already signed you up for it.”

“A Trial?” Jared frowned and quickly shook his head. “No way. I’m not participating in any Trial. How dull!”

He had absolutely no interest in wasting time joining a Trial. I’d much rather refine the Nascent Soul in the shortest amount of time possible. That’s what’s important.

“Don’t be so quick to turn me down. Don’t you want to hear where it’s being held?”

“Where?” Jared asked.

“Dragon Island.”

A look of surprise spread across Jared’s face as soon as Mr. Sanders uttered those two words.

“That doesn’t make sense. What else is there on Dragon Island that can be used for a Trial? It has already become an ordinary island for tourists.”

Jared was completely mystified.

Chapter 1410 Join Forces

Zion gazed at Skylar, somewhat surprised. He had not expected someone so young to be able to analyze the situation so clearly and logically.

“Let Ryker in!” Zion was curious to see whether Ryker was there to discuss strategies with him as Skylar predicted. Ryker soon walked in, furrowing his brows briefly when he spotted Skylar.

Skylar immediately noticed the shift in Ryker’s expression. Hence, he said to Zion, “President Zeigler, I still have some matters to attend to and will take my leave now.”

After saying that, he was about to leave when Zion stopped him. “You’re a part of the Warriors Alliance now, so you should take a seat and listen.”

Then, Zion turned to Ryker and asked, “What brings you here, Mr. Deragon?”

Ryker snickered inwardly when he saw how Zion was acting.

I saw him fleeing frantically just moments ago, but now he’s acting all calm and composed.

However, since Ryker was there to ask for Zion’s help, he could only reply respectfully, “President Zeigler, the reason I’ve come here is to discuss the situation regarding Jared.”

Feigning ignorance, Zion frowned. “Jared? What situation?”

“My family wants to organize a Trial, but Mr. Sanders has given orders that Jared should participate in it too. You’re also aware of the hatred between Edgar and Jared. They’ll surely get into a fight if Jared does participate in the event, and he’s currently too powerful that Edgar is definitely no match for him. That’s why I wanted to discuss joining forces during the Trial and killing Jared together. It’d benefit us both, and if we kill him during that time, not even Mr. Sanders will be able to blame anyone for it,” Ryker explained, cutting straight to the chase.

Zion stared at Skylar in astonishment. I can’t believe he guessed it correctly!

Then, he nodded and replied, “When the time comes, I’ll have the four top fighters from the Warriors Alliance participating in the event team up with Edgar and take Jared down.”

“That Jared is full of tricks, so I’m afraid sending a few junior members won’t be enough to defeat him.” Ryker gazed at Zion, pausing for a while before continuing, “Don’t you want to kill him with your own hands? After all, he’s the one who caused you to lose your arm.”

Zion’s fury flared instantly at those words. “How could I possibly not yearn to do so? I wish I could skin him alive with my bare hands! However, the Trial is only for the various sects’ junior members. I’m afraid my participation would only draw criticism. Moreover, Jared would probably be too scared to take part if I were there.”

Ryker broke into a grin. “My family is organizing the Trial, so we get to decide who can participate. Besides, I can secretly stow you away on board, and you can make your appearance once the ship is out at sea. Even if Jared finds out at that time, he’ll have nowhere to escape.”

Zion’s eyes lit up, and he suddenly became very excited. “Excellent. That’s a brilliant idea. We can kill him and dump his body straight into the waters. Even if he’s the reincarnation of an immortal, let’s see how he manages to come back to life in the middle of the sea.”

He knew Jared was an energy cultivator who possessed the ability to heal his physical body. But if we toss him into the sea, it doesn’t matter that he can do that because it’ll be completely useless. He’ll just end up rotting at the bottom of the sea!

Seeing that Zion was willing to go along with his plan, Ryker immediately took his leave. “Since you’re agreeable to it, I’ll go and make the preparations. We shall depart in two days.”

Zion was in a good mood after Ryker left. “Hahaha! This time, there’ll be no escape for Jared!”

As Skylar watched Zion cackle away, a hint of a smile played on his lips, and a sinister glint flashed across his eyes. However, no one had any clue what was running through his mind at that moment.

Chapter 1409 Powerful Enemy

Meanwhile, Ryker returned to the residence looking all gloomy and brooding. The outcome of Jared’s battle with Diego made him worry.

Edgar noticed the mood his father was in, so he asked, “What’s wrong, Dad?”

Raising his head, Ryker looked at his son. Edgar was healed for the most part, and his muscles were growing back. “Edgar, Mr. Sanders himself demands that Jared take part in the Trial this time,” he informed.

The news excited Edgar. “That’s great, then! I can use the Trial as a pretext to kill Jared and absorb his power.”

“Don’t underestimate his power, Edgar. His strength has improved a lot more than I thought. Even Zion lost an arm to him. Remember Diego? The one who has gone missing for decades? He fought Jared today, and I saw with my own eyes how Jared destroyed him. It was horrifying! If he does join the Trial, I’m afraid you would be no match for him,” Ryker stated honestly.

Upon hearing that, Edgar finally started getting solemn as well. He never thought Jared could grow this powerful in such a short time. However, a moment later, he spoke up. “Dad, we’re the hosts of this Trial, so we can control who the participants are. I say we do this…”

Edgar huddled closer and whispered his plan into Ryker’s ear. The old man’s face lit up, and he nodded. “Okay. I’ll make the arrangements. He’s strong, but there’s no way he can fight off everyone alone.”

With that, Ryker got up and left, while Edgar’s eyes lit up with bloodlust. “I’ll make your life a living hell this time, Jared.”

On the flip side, Zion scrambled back all the way to the Warriors Alliance in Jadeborough. He was huffing and puffing, but his heart was filled with rage.

Even Diego lost to him. Who else can kill Jared?

At the sight of the ruffled Zion, Skylar plastered a smile. “You’re back early, President Zeigler. How did the battle go?”

“Do you seriously need to ask? I would be holding that b*stard’s head by now if it went well,” Zion snapped. He wanted to vent his anger at Skylar.

Even so, Skylar did not get mad as he kept on smiling. “Worry not, President Zeigler. We’ve raised a quartet of powerful fighters, and now we can mobilize them. If we make a move today, Jared won’t stay alive for much longer.”

Oh, yeah. We have the quartet. At that thought, Zion’s eyes gleamed. “Right. How could I have forgotten about them?”

“This time, they’ll be joining the Trial held by the Deragons, and Jared will be there as well. Nobody can help them while they’re inside, so…” Skylar trailed off, a sneer on his face.

A hearty laugh escaped Zion’s at his words, and his frown was wiped away. Even Skylar looked less annoying to him now.

Just then, an alliance member came in and reported, “President Zeigler, Mr. Deragon wishes to see you!”

“Why is Ryker looking for me at this hour?” A frown knitted Zion’s brows.

Skylar had a guess. “If I’m guessing correctly, he’s here to talk about how to get rid of Jared with you. The Deragons have bad blood with Jared, especially in Edgar’s case. Jared ruined him once, and they definitely won’t let it slide. Not to mention Jared just killed Diego. Ryker must have noticed the impending crisis, so he came seeking an ally.”

Needless to say, Skylar was a meticulous and scheming man. Barely anyone could see through him, much less what he was thinking. He never wore his heart on his sleeve, and this man would become Jared’s nemesis in the future.

Chapter 1408 Liar

Diego struggled to get back up. Looking at his wound, he scoffed. “We’re both Nascent Souls, Jared. As long as the Soul exists, so do we. That’s not enough to kill me.”

“Why don’t we give it a try, then?” Jared stared at Diego before leaping at him once more.

Diego tried to cast his spell in an attempt to block the attack, but the moment he did, his brain was in immense pain.

That mental attack earlier injured Diego’s brain, stopping him from casting any spell.

Snapping out of it, Diego tried to focus his spiritual energy to block Jared, but it was too late.

Jared had arrived right in front of Diego, and he plunged his arm into the latter’s chest, rummaging for his Nascent Soul.

The pain made Diego’s face contort with rage and agony, while everyone else watched on in horror. They had no idea what Jared was trying to do.

When Zion saw what Jared was doing, he felt a chill run up his spine, and he made a run for it.

Jared did not care about Zion’s escape, as he finally caught Diego’s Nascent Soul. In other words, Diego’s life was at his mercy.

“N-No, please!” Diego roared. He had to go through hell just to get this far. If Jared were to destroy his Nascent Soul, even if it would not kill him, staying alive would be meaningless.

“It’s too late for mercy.” With that said, Jared yanked the Nascent Soul out of Diego. The soul was only a bit bigger than Jared’s thumb. He looked at it for a moment before tucking it away in his pocket.

The crowd had no idea what Jared had just tucked away in his pocket, but the sight still stupefied them.

“That guy’s a demon. He ripped Diego’s heart out and tucked it away in his pocket, didn’t he?”

“Creepy. Never thought he would go so far.”

“I think we’d better not cross him from now on.”

Everyone closed their eyes as they refused to see the grotesque scene.

With his Nascent Soul gone, Diego’s power plummeted, and he stared at Jared with a silent plea in his eyes.

“Please… g-give me back the Nascent Soul. You can be the king of Encanta Island,” Diego begged Jared to give him back the Nascent Soul.

However, all Jared did was smirk coldly. “I don’t care about status or any of that sort. All I know is I always get back at anyone who tries to attack me.”

All the color was drained from Diego’s face, as he knew his fate was sealed.

“Zion, you liar!” Diego let out one final roar, and then he spewed blood right before he fell to the ground with a thud. He died with his eyes wide open; it was evident that he died an unpeaceful death.

Even though he was frustrated, there was no other way out for him. He wanted what Jared had, yet it resulted in his own death in the end.

As everyone witnessed Diego’s death, conflict was plastered all across their faces. When Jared looked at them, none of them was brave enough to make eye contact with him. Instead, they would avert their gazes and run away in fright.

Meanwhile, Ryker was positively upset. Now that Jared killed Diego, the Deragons’ Trial would get unpredictable, especially with Jared’s participation.

At the same time, he felt some kind of murderous intent coming from a certain direction. Glancing up, he noticed Jared glaring at him as if he were prey, so he quickly averted his gaze and scurried into his car, driving away in a hurry.

The initially crowded place was now empty, with no one there except Diego’s body lying on the ground.

“I’ll get you, Zion. Just you wait.” Jared narrowed his eyes and whipped out the Nascent Soul he got from Diego earlier.

Staring at the crystal clear Nascent Soul, Jared decided to search for a place to absorb it.

Chapter 1407 Too Weak

In the meantime, Zion laughed smugly. “You can’t run, Jared! I’ll cut your head off and hang it on the Warriors Alliance’s gates! That’ll tell everyone not to go against us!”

Jared ignored Zion. Instead, his gaze was fixated on Diego, and a long while later, he grinned.

The scene was perplexing for Diego. “You’re smiling? Even on the verge of death?”

“Oh, but who said I was going to die? You can’t kill me with that skill of yours. I saw through it, and I can break it,” Jared said calmly.

“So what if you saw through it? You can’t actually break my spell.” Diego did not think Jared was that powerful.

“Is that so? Care to try?” A golden flash of light appeared in Jared’s eyes, and waves of spiritual sense charged straight at Diego.

If physical attacks will get reflected back to me, then what about spiritual sense attacks? I’ll cut his mental energy off and stop him from casting that spell.

“Hmph! You’re trying to aim at my mental energy, huh? You’re overestimating yourself. There’s no way your energy is greater than mine.”

Diego scoffed, thinking it was no big deal. He did not think anyone was more powerful than he was in magecraft. Any master in magecraft would have high mental energy. That was a given, so Diego was not afraid of Jared’s attack at all. In fact, he wanted to use this chance to turn Jared into a moron.

Jared’s spiritual sense covered Diego and charged into his brain. The moment his spiritual sense infiltrated Diego’s brain, a golden light lit up and cut off Jared’s spiritual sense.

With a sneer, Diego uttered, “Is that all? Too wea—” That sentence was never finished, and his smile froze.

Diego was assailed by an overwhelming amount of mental energy as if a tsunami was crashing down on him. The raging energy slumped his brain. He tried to fight back as hard as he could, but his mental energy was nothing compared to Jared’s.

Jared looked at the dazed Diego, and he smirked. If Diego had not underestimated his power, it would have been a hassle to infiltrate the former’s head.

He took this opening and leaped over to Diego, and then he hurled a punch. However, Diego did not seem to have noticed him, as he was in a daze. As the seconds passed by, Jared’s fist came increasingly closer to Diego.

Upon seeing such a scene, Zion snickered. He’s still going in for an attack? Look at Diego. He’s not even moving. “No matter what you do, you can’t hurt Diego, Jared,” he remarked.

Unbeknownst to Zion, Diego had fallen into a stupor.

Right before Jared’s fist could connect, Diego finally could refocus, and he snapped out of it. He could feel the force behind that punch, which made him sweat buckets.

Instinctively, he tried to dodge, but it was too late. Jared’s fist hit like a truck and pierced Diego’s chest, creating a huge hole.

His entire being flew backward, and he fell to the ground heavily, which made him scrunch up in pain.

At the scene, Zion stared at Diego in disbelief. He thought that punch would get reflected like usual, but the opposite happened instead. Diego was sent flying backward, and his chest was chipped away cleanly.

Chapter 1406 Kill You Faster

Diego’s punch connected, and so did Jared’s. The fighters started a brawl to the death, but the fight was one-sided. Jared’s punch did not cause any damage. Instead, the great recoil coming off Diego sent Jared flying.

Jared fell to the ground like a meteor, and a small crater formed around him. Upon seeing that, Zion shouted excitedly, “Way to go, Diego! Finish him!”

Everyone else shook their heads. They thought it was the end of the line for Jared. Narrowing his eyes, Ryker stated, “You’re too inexperience, Jared.”

Everyone thought Jared would die, as the difference in power was painfully visible. Diego sustained no injury, but Jared was sent flying back.

Diego approached the crater and looked down at Jared. “I acknowledge your talent, Jared, but geniuses usually don’t live long,” he said coldly.

Gritting his teeth, Jared got back up and glared at Diego. Once again, he flew right at the latter. His golden fist overwhelmed Diego right away, but this time, Diego did not even bother dodging it. In fact, he was smiling.

Another loud bang rattled the air. Jared’s hit connected, but the recoil sent him flying back again, and this time, he coughed up blood.

Diego showed no mercy to the injured Jared. Instead, he bellowed with a laugh, “Come on, Jared. Don’t stop now. You still have a bit of energy.”

There was mockery in that laughter. Meanwhile, Zion also had a malicious smirk on his face.

A part of the crowd was already leaving, as the battle had already settled.

“I thought he could have kept up with Diego. Never thought Diego was just going easy on him.”

“Diego was already powerful enough a few decades ago, let alone now? There’s no way Jared can beat him.”

“What a shame. Jared wouldn’t have ended up this way if he was a bit humbler.”

Some people were engaged in discussion, while some were already leaving.

A frown knitted Jared’s brows, and he unsheathed the Dragonslayer Sword.

Even though Jared had unsheathed his weapon, Diego still was not fazed as the mocking smile remained on his face.

Quietly, Jared leaped into the air and swung the sword down, its power overwhelming the battlefield, threatening to crush the very space itself.

Sword energy soared into the air, almost stirring the stars. Finally, Diego’s smile was wiped off his face, but he still did not try to dodge the attack.

Jared’s sword connected with Diego, and a crisp clang rang in the air. However, Diego was unhurt, while Jared, once again, was sent flying backward. A deep gash appeared on his chest as if he was hit by a sharp weapon. Jared’s bones were visible through the wound, and blood kept spurting out of it. It was a ghastly sight.

“Who would’ve thought you’d actually use a sword, kid? That’ll only kill you faster,” Diego stated, a sneer plastered on his face.

Jared looked at the wound on his chest, and he sheathed the sword.

I get it now. Every attack I make gets reflected to me. This wound is obviously caused by the sword. I’m hitting myself no matter what I do. The more powerful my attack is, the more I get injured. Well, this is a pickle. Never thought he would know a weird spell like this.

Chapter 1405 Entertain You

“What’s the matter? Are you running out of breath already?” Jared sneered. “Kid, you’re stronger than I thought. However, this is only the beginning.”

With that, Diego stomped his foot softly, and waves of spiritual energy could be seen rushing out of nowhere and toward him. As he was replenishing his spiritual energy, the people in the area felt that the temperature had dropped a few degrees.

Soon, Diego had fully recovered his spiritual energy. Jared was shocked when he saw that. He didn’t know what technique Diego used to recover his spiritual energy within such a short period of time.

Next, Diego started chanting, and his eyes widened. Soon, light gathered at the tip of the sword and shone as bright as the sun. It was so bright that everyone in the area had to squint their eyes.

Jared could barely see, but he suddenly felt a strong gust of wind blowing toward him.

In response, he turned away. As soon as he had done that, he felt a gust of cold wind blow across his face. That must be from the sword!

Seeing that he had missed, Diego quickly retreated, and the tip of his sword started shining brightly again. He was hoping that he could strike Jared again when the latter’s vision was blinded.

Jared knew Diego was about to use the same trick again, so he immediately swung his Dragonslayer Sword toward Diego. Diego had no choice but to back away. Consequently, that stopped him from utilizing his magecraft once again.

Jared’s expression was solemn as he stared at Diego. I know he’s as strong as me. However, what’s impressive is that he knows magecraft. Not every cultivator knows magecraft. In fact, magecraft is rarely seen these days. Ever since people started spiritual energy cultivation, fewer and fewer people cultivated in magecraft. By the time spiritual energy had become scarce, a lot of people then remembered magecraft, and they wanted to learn it. However, that was when they realized that magecraft had almost disappeared. Hence, it’s rare to see people skilled in magecraft these days. Indeed, Diego had used magecraft, and the light at the tip of his sword wasn’t generated by his spiritual energy. One needs to use mental energy to perform magecraft. It seems like he wants to fight me with magecraft.

“You want to fight me by using magecraft, don’t you? Fine! I’ll entertain you.” With that, Jared kept his Dragonslayer Sword and put his two fingers together. A golden light then flickered at his fingertips.

Jared then pointed his fingers toward Diego’s chest. If the light were to hit his chest, it could penetrate his heart.

However, Diego was an experienced fighter, so he reacted fast enough.

Right when Jared was about to attack, Diego turned his body and sent a strong gust of wind in Jared’s direction.

Seeing that, Jared moved in a flash, and his clones appeared instantly.

Diego was frowning because all the clones looked very realistic.

Just as Diego was distracted, Jared appeared behind him.

With his glowing knuckle, Jared threw a punch at Diego. Diego sensed danger from behind, and that caused goosebumps to form all over his body the next instant.

Thump!

Diego almost fell to the ground when he was thrown forward upon getting punched by Jared from behind.

His expression turned grim after he got punched.

“You must die today!” he fumed, and he was filled with murderous intent.

A faint light then appeared around Diego’s body when he was throwing a punch at Jared.

Jared was unfazed. He merely raised his fist to counter the attack.

Boom!

Chapter 1404 Core Essence

Mr. Sanders’ eyes lit up when he saw what was happening before his eyes. At the same time, he looked stunned.

“Jared had gotten the core essence of Nine Shadows. What miraculous event did he encounter again?” Mr. Sanders murmured to himself.

“Mr. Sanders, Jared learned Nine Shadows from Ichiro. It seems like that fellow from Jetroina is good,” Xavier explained, thinking Mr. Sanders didn’t know who Jared learned Nine Shadows from.

In response, Mr. Sanders smiled and said, “Ichiro’s Nine Shadows isn’t even the real deal. In fact, it doesn’t even have one-tenth of the power of the real Nine Shadows. One of the inheritors of Nine Shadows had probably introduced Nine Shadows to Jetroina. In reality, Fenix Osborne from Chanaea was the person who invented Nine Shadows. The technique didn’t originate from Jetroina!”

Upon hearing Mr. Sanders’ explanation, Xavier finally knew that Ichiro’s Nine Shadows had originated from Chanaea.

“All right. Let’s go.” Mr. Sanders slowly descended the mountain.

Xavier was confused. Why is Mr. Sanders leaving? What if Jared dies? What should we do then?

“Mr. Sanders, are you not going to keep watching Jared? What if—”

“There’s no what ifs. That kid is stronger than I thought!” Mr. Sanders flashed a faint smile and asked, “How are things with the Watanabe family?”

“The Watanabe family had secretly deployed a few batches of assassins, but they were all killed at the borders. Now, they don’t dare to act rashly anymore,” Xavier answered.

The Watanabe family stopped looking for Jared recently because Mr. Sanders had sent his men to stop them. It wasn’t because they had given up.

“Okay. Keep your guard up. Don’t let the Watanabe family come here and commit murder,” Mr. Sanders reminded Xavier.

Xavier nodded. “I’ll relay the order!”

After that, Mr. Sanders and Xavier left the scene. Meanwhile, Diego was glaring at Jared furiously. He didn’t expect Jared to have mastered such an impressive technique.

Diego then pointed toward the sky, and a ray of light instantly broke through. Soon after, a shining sword appeared in his hand.

“Divine Sword!” Diego thundered. His sword lit up, and the light extended tens of meters long.

Jared was calm and collected. The Dragonslayer Sword in his hand was buzzing, and a wave of murderous aura exuded from the sword.

He was infusing the sword with the Power of Dragons.

“The first technique of Nine Shadows!”

Jared slightly moved his Dragonslayer Sword upward, and a strong gust of wind started blowing in the area. At the same time, the terrifying waves of sword energy were unleashed.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of exploding noises rang in the air. Suddenly, the sky turned dark, and neither the sun nor the moon could be seen.

Upon enduring the sword energy Jared had unleashed, Diego’s long sword was shattered and slowly disappeared.

Diego’s hand trembled violently from the impact, and his shining sword was reduced to only a few inches left.

Diego was infuriated. The shining sword in his hand expanded once again, and he swung it toward Jared.

This time around, Diego unleashed all his spiritual energy and showed Jared no mercy.

With Dragonslayer Sword in his hand, Jared fought back. They were both burning their spiritual energy in their bodies. Such a battle would consume a huge amount of spiritual energy.

The crowd was staring at them in disbelief. No one had expected Jared’s ability to increase once again.

Within a short period of time, the two of them had already used more than a hundred moves on each other. The huge consumption of spiritual energy had Diego panting. At the same time, his expression was grim. He didn’t expect such a hard battle against Jared.

Chapter 1403 Delusional

Diego frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’ve cultivated for decades, and this is your first fight against a human, right? It’s such a shame you’re going to die in your first fight in decades,” Jared remarked.

Diego laughed. “Haha! What an ignorant fool! You’re one of those big talkers. I’ve seen a lot of people like you before. Normally, the more you talk big, the lousier you are. It seems like I’ve overestimated you.”

“Let’s fight, and you’ll see if I’m talking big!” With that, Jared reached out his right hand, and Dragonslayer Sword appeared in his grip.

The Dragonslayer Sword was emanating a dim light, which wasn’t at all conspicuous, but it was rather intimidating.

Diego’s eyes instantly lit up when he saw the Dragonslayer Sword Jared was holding.

“Is that a spiritual sword?” Instantly, Diego’s breathing turned rapid. “Who would’ve known that a kid like you would have a spiritual sword? No wonder you could reach such a high cultivation level in a place with limited spiritual energy. It seems like you have quite a few magical items with you. Your spiritual sword has a sword spirit. It’s so priceless, and it’s a pity that you’re the one wielding it.”

Diego shook his head and added, “If you’re willing to give me your spiritual sword and draconic essence, I’ll let you live. I don’t want your Nascent Soul anymore.”

“Are you for real?” Jared asked.

Seeing that Jared was tempted, Diego patted his chest and assured him, “Of course! I’m a top Nascent Soul cultivator. Why would I lie to a kid like you?”

“Diego! How could you do that?” Zion, who was standing nearby, was sweating bullets when he heard that. He had invited Diego there to kill Jared instead of making a deal with him.

“Shut your mouth! Who do you think you are? I’m not your servant! I’ve never promised you anything either!” Diego glared at Zion.

Zion was embarrassed, and he didn’t dare to utter a single word in response.

“Young one, if you make a deal with me, not only will I let you live, but I’ll also bring you to Encanta Island. You can be my disciple. By then, no one would dare to kill you. With your talent, you’ll surely become someone great in the future!” Diego continued to convince Jared.

However, Jared chuckled and mocked, “Even if you don’t want my Nascent Soul anymore, I still want yours! How dare you ask me to be your disciple? I only needed less than a year to be as strong as you! Do you think you’re worthy enough to be my mentor? You’re delusional, old man! If you were to kneel before me and beg me to tutor you, I might actually teach you a thing or two so that you could cultivate faster!”

“You’re asking for death!” Diego was enraged.

Immediately afterward, Diego’s body was bursting with energy. In fact, waves and waves of spiritual energy could be seen circling around his body.

Suddenly, numerous white daggers appeared around Diego’s body.

All the daggers were pointing at Jared, and they were packed with energy.

Next, Diego’s figure shuddered slightly before he waved his hand.

Those white daggers charged toward Jared and rained down on him.

While staring at the daggers above him, Jared swung the Dragonslayer Sword.

“Nine Shadows!” he shouted.

Within seconds, Jared’s body slowly became transparent. It was as if he had transformed into a blurry shadow.

The shadow then suddenly turned clear. Somehow, another Jared with the Dragonslayer Sword appeared somewhere not far away.

Although the daggers were piercing his body, Jared didn’t react to it. Instead, the other Jared quickly swung the Dragonslayer Sword toward Diego.

Diego felt the enormous wave of sword energy. He then frowned and backed away at lightning speed. Just like that, he barely avoided Jared’s attack.