Category: A Man Like None Other

Chapter 1322 Pointless Deaths

Zion observed their responses in silence before shifting his gaze toward Ryker. “What do you make of this, Mr. Deragon? If I recall, your family has its fair share of problems with Jared as well. You must’ve looked him up before, right?” he asked all of a sudden.

“Jared has undergone a sudden and rapid increase in power, President Zeigler. Have you ever considered the possibility that Jared might not be the same person he used to be? This file you gave us contains information on Jared’s past, but it’s highly possible that he is now a completely different person,” Ryker said mysteriously.

Everyone froze in shock and confusion after hearing what he said. Zion’s brows furrowed imperceptibly. Ryker felt relieved when he saw their responses.

Of course, he knew exactly what had happened to Jared. However, he couldn’t let anyone else know about it as it was his family’s secret.

He was planning on using that secret to dominate Jadeborough’s martial arts world.

“Mr. Deragon, are you implying that Jared has been possessed by an evil spirit of some sort? Is the Jared we see now just a vessel for said spirit?” someone asked in confusion.

“That’s impossible. If Jared really has been possessed by an evil spirit, Mr. Sanders would’ve noticed something after coming into contact with him so many times,” Zion objected immediately.

“But Jared seems to be capable of Demonic Cultivation as well. He can absorb the energy of others, so it is possible that he has been possessed by an evil spirit,” someone protested.

“All right, enough of this topic. I will find a way to confirm if Jared is possessed or not. I summoned you guys today to discuss how we can kill him as soon as possible. It’s only a matter of time before Jared poses a huge threat to our martial arts world,” Zion reminded them.

“Didn’t you send assassins after Jared, President Zeigler? What happened? Have they failed to kill him?” Ryker asked.

Zion’s face filled with rage when he heard that. He hadn’t expected the zombie puppets to be utter garbage.

“Let’s not talk about that. Anyway, there will be a generous reward for the person who manages to kill Jared. I will give out half of the resources for next year’s Trial!”

Zion knew it would burn a hole in his pocket, but he had no other choice as he was running out of time.

Offering a huge reward like this was the only way to motivate these people.

Sure enough, everyone started brainstorming immediately after hearing about the reward.

Ryker was the only one who kept quiet and remained calm the entire time.

Zion then gave them a couple more instructions before ending the meeting. He whispered into the ear of a Warriors Alliance member after they had all left.

That member headed out to perform his duties and soon returned with a man and a woman. Both of them looked pale and had icy-cold expressions on their faces.

The man was dressed sharply in a thin suit, whereas the woman had on a tight leather outfit with her hair covering half her face.

Zion motioned at his subordinate to leave the room before standing up to greet the two, “Please, have a seat—”

“You may skip the pleasantries, President Zeigler. Just tell us what you need us to do. We will obey your instructions as long as you have that token with you,” the man cut him off.

“Very well, then. In that case, I order you two to locate Jared and find out if he is possessed by an evil spirit. In the event that he is, I’d also like you two to eradicate that evil spirit if possible,” Zion said.

“Given our capabilities, we are unable to take Jared on in combat. Therefore, we will not be able to eradicate any evil spirits that may be possessing him. We will obey your orders as long as you have that token with you, but that doesn’t mean you get to send us to a pointless death like that,” said the woman.

Chapter 1321 Detailed Information

“Josephine…” Jared’s eyes were filled with agony and reluctance as he stared at her. “Go now! Hurry!” Josephine pleaded with him desperately.

“Rest assured that I’ll come back for you, Josephine! I promise!” Jared muttered through clenched teeth when he felt the hostile auras getting closer. He then tossed the Necro Ring into the air and jumped into the black hole that formed in its place.

Josephine breathed a huge sigh of relief when she saw Jared enter the black hole, which vanished seconds later. Zion and his men arrived right after Jared disappeared. The look on his face turned extremely gloomy when he sensed the residual aura in the air.

“Hmph! That kid managed to slip away! I’ll kill him for sure if I see him again!”

Zion then turned toward Josephine as he continued, “You be a good girl and stay right here. It’s impossible for you to escape this place, so don’t even think about it!”

Josephine simply glared coldly at him without saying a word. She knew full well that Jared would get her out of there and destroy the Warriors Alliance one day.

Jared wasn’t the kind of guy who would hurt others for no reason. If threatened, however, he would go as far as killing their entire family.

Little did they know, he was still standing in the alley next to the Warriors Alliance building at that moment.

It wasn’t until he heard a noise nearby that he took off in a hurry.

Zion came rushing over shortly after Jared left.

“President Zeigler, Jared has just left the area. He most likely entered the dungeon using a teleportation device…” said one of his men after searching the place.

“Have someone strengthen the security around the dungeon. Make it so that he won’t be able to enter using teleportation devices again!” Zion ordered with a grim expression.

“Understood!” the man replied and ran off to carry out his task.

The look on Zion’s face was as cold as ice when he returned to the main lobby of the Warriors Alliance building.

Tanner has spoken up, which means I don’t have much time left…

On his desk was a document hundreds of pages thick, each page containing detailed information on Jared.

Zion never bothered to look Jared up before as he couldn’t care less about him.

However, things had changed, and he needed to fully understand Jared to know exactly what he was dealing with.

Zion was going through Jared’s file when representatives from various sects entered his office, one after another.

He had specifically sent people to gather these men here, and Ryker was one of them.

Zion had asked them here for one purpose only—to work together and get rid of Jared as quickly as possible.

He waited for them to all be seated before saying, “Everyone, I have summoned you all today to discuss how we will work together to get rid of Jared. That b*stard is ridiculously sneaky and always manages to slip through my fingers. This document contains detailed information on him. Go ahead and have a look…”

Zion then waved at his subordinate, prompting him to hand out copies of that document to everyone.

Everyone else was carefully reading through its contents, but Ryker merely skimmed through it once as he had already researched Jared many times.

About ten minutes later, one of them asked with a confused frown, “President Zeigler, don’t you find Jared’s life to be really strange? He was an average Joe all along but turned into a completely different person after he was released from prison.”

“Yeah, I noticed that as well. He also managed to become a Martial Arts Marquis in just a few months! That’s a little ridiculous, don’t you think?” someone else chimed in.

“This guy’s progress is way too fast! Even the most talented of individuals can’t level up that quickly! Jared must have some kind of secret method.”

“I know, right? Even the most gifted martial artist wouldn’t be able to pull off such a crazy feat! Maybe Jared received guidance from someone powerful?”

Soon, everyone began sharing their thoughts on the matter.

Chapter 1320 Leave Now

“I will get you out of here!” Jared roared as he slashed away at the metal bars like crazy. Clang! Clang! Clang! The shockwave from the impacts felt like it would tear the entire dungeon apart, but the metal bars remained undamaged.

Meanwhile, in a dark cell located in the deepest corner of the dungeon, a person sitting cross-legged on the floor opened their eyes all of a sudden.

The person broke into a smile as a green light shone out of their eyes before they closed them a moment later. Jared shuddered as he sensed an incredibly terrifying aura, but it only lasted for a second.

He didn’t give it much thought as his main priority was to get Josephine out of there. Jared had broken out in a cold sweat after striking at the metal bars dozens of times, but his attacks didn’t even leave a scratch on them.

“The Warriors Alliance’s dungeon is bound to be ridiculously tough, so I don’t think you’ll be able to break through the bars. Someone is going to come soon, so you should leave right now! I’ll be fine as long as I know you’re safe out there. Don’t worry about me, Jared!” Josephine uttered, but Jared was so blinded by desperation that he ignored her completely.

With a vicious glint in his eyes, Jared bit the tip of his tongue and spat his blood onto the Dragonslayer Sword.

The sound of a dragon’s roar rang out before the sword started vibrating like crazy in response.

“Have you lost your mind, Jared?” Josephine exclaimed in shock when she saw what he had done.

Jared was so desperate that he was willing to burn away his blood essence, which could do serious damage to his body. In the worst-case scenario, it could leave him crippled for life.

However, Jared didn’t seem to hear her and continued hacking away at the bars like a raging beast.

His palms were starting to bleed from the vibrations after dozens of slashes, but the bars held strong.

“How is this possible?” Jared mumbled helplessly as he slumped to the floor in despair.

I’ve tried everything, but I still can’t break Josephine out of that cell… Looks like the Warriors Alliance is a lot tougher than I thought.

Jared stared at Josephine. The two of them were only inches away from each other, and yet, it felt like they were worlds apart.

It pained Josephine deeply to see his palms all covered in blood. She quickly removed her scarf and started bandaging his hands.

“Don’t worry, Josephine. I’ll kill every single member of the Warriors Alliance! I’ll make them pay for this with their own blood!” Jared said with tears in his eyes.

His body was exuding an intense murderous aura fueled by his extreme hatred toward the Warriors Alliance.

“They won’t do anything to hurt me, so you don’t have to worry about me for now. I need you to stay safe, okay? Leave now before it’s too late!” Josephine urged him after she was done bandaging his palms.

Jared grabbed hold of her hands and refused to let go.

He didn’t want to leave as he didn’t know when he would be able to see Josephine again.

I thought I would be able to rescue Josephine after becoming a Martial Arts Marquis, but it seems I was simply too naive.

Rumble…

A rumbling noise echoed throughout the dungeon, and several powerful auras came surging in their direction.

Jared knew that men from the Warriors Alliance were coming.

Josephine shoved him away and shouted, “Leave now, Jared! Hurry! You need to ensure your own safety if you plan on rescuing me!”

However, Jared stubbornly refused to go as he didn’t want to leave Josephine behind.

Fearing that Jared would be captured or killed if he stayed behind, Josephine threatened him by saying, “Jared, I’ll kill myself if you don’t leave right this instant! There will be no reason for you to stay if I’m dead!”

Chapter 1319 Infiltrating The Dungeon

Jared had once again arrived at the alley next to the Warriors Alliance building in Jadeborough. He had seen Josephine when Skylar brought him here the last time.

This time, Jared had come over by himself with Necro Ring to rescue Josephine. With a magical item like the Necro Ring, saving Josephine should be a breeze!

After taking a moment to observe his surroundings, Jared saw that no one was paying attention and whipped out the Necro Ring, which emitted a faint light upon activation.

Jared then tossed the Necro Ring into the air, and a black hole instantly appeared. He quickly jumped into the black hole and appeared inside the Warriors Alliance’s dungeon a second later.

The cells in the dungeon all had metal doors with locks on them. Upon hearing the commotion, the people inside the cells looked out their doors.

Jared had no time to observe them, though. He recalled the cell that Josephine was in and ran toward it as quickly as his legs could carry him.

Josephine was lying on the bed when Jared arrived at her cell, which turned out to be rather decent.

Even so, it was still in a dungeon, devoiding her of freedom and sunlight.

“Josephine…” Jared called out to her softly.

Josephine tensed when she heard that and bolted upright as she glanced about. She froze when she saw Jared, and her tears fell instantly.

Running over to the door, she grabbed Jared’s hand tightly through the bars.

“What are you doing here, Jared?” Josephine asked excitedly.

“I came to rescue you. I don’t want you being locked up in here—” Jared froze mid-sentence when his gaze fell upon the myriad of holes all over her arm.

A few seconds later, he started trembling all over as a wave of extreme anger surged through his body.

He knew exactly what those holes left by needles meant.

Those b*stards from the Warriors Alliance are farming Josephine for her blood! D*mn it! I hate myself for being so useless! I wish I could’ve rescued her sooner!

Jared’s tears started flowing as he clenched his teeth in regret.

Josephine quickly reached out to wipe his tears dry as she comforted him, “Hey, you’re a grown man, so don’t be crying like a girl now. I’m doing just fine here. As you can see, they treat me pretty well. Don’t worry; they wouldn’t dare hurt me in any way.”

Hearing those words only made Jared feel even worse about himself.

“Step aside, Josephine. I’m busting you out right now,” he said as he concentrated the Power of Dragons in both his arms, causing them to emit a golden glow.

Moments later, Jared grabbed the bars and tried to break them with a forceful pull.

Despite having a grip strength that exceeded tens of thousands of pounds, he was unable to do any damage to the metal bars, let alone bend them in the slightest.

Realizing that the metal bars had been reinforced with magecraft, Jared pulled out his Dragonslayer Sword.

The sword buzzed like an angry bee as he charged it up for a powerful attack.

Jared then slashed at the metal bars with all of his might a few seconds later.

Clang!

The deafening noise nearly popped their eardrums as it echoed throughout the entire dungeon.

Jared’s wrists almost went numb from the vibration of the impact, but the metal bars still looked perfectly fine.

At this point, Jared’s eyes were bloodshot, and the veins in his neck were bulging as he shouted angrily, “This is impossible… It’s impossible!”

He then engaged the Power of Dragons and the spiritual energy in his elixir field.

Chapter 1318 Freedom

“Calm down, Edgar. You are not a lost cause yet. It’s just…” Derrell hesitated. “Do you have a way, Master? Tell me!” A glimmer of hope flashed across Edgar’s eyes.

“At this point, if you want to recover,” Derrell said as he gritted his teeth, “you need to let evil enter your body. Only in that way can you be healed completely.”

Edgar became lost in thought upon hearing that. He did not understand what it meant to let evil into his body or, for that matter, what Derrell was even talking about.

“What do you mean, Master? I’ll do whatever it takes for me to recover!” With his mind set on recovery and revenge, Edgar gave no thought to the cost.

“Think carefully, Edgar,” Derrell warned. “Allowing evil spirits into your body will turn you neither human nor demon. The act might even devour your soul.”

“Whatever it takes, Master!” Edgar hollered for all he was worth. “It would be better than being bedridden all my life, anyway. I will do it!”

Derrell lapsed into thoughtful silence for a while before grinding his teeth resignedly. “I’ll oblige you, then.”

After that, he exited the room but returned quickly with a wooden bell under his arm. A layer of dust covered the exquisite object. Derrell brushed the dust off and gazed stoically at the wooden bell in his hand. “I hope I’ve made the right decision…”

He began muttering, and a streak of golden light burst forth from the wooden bell. Edgar’s eyes widened at the sight. In an instant, a black smog emerged from the wooden bell and plunged the room into biting cold a moment later.

A dark shadow flickering in midair then became visible. It cackled maniacally. “Hah! I’m finally free!”

Edgar was stunned at the sight. “I released you in the hope that you would be able to heal my disciple,” Derrell said calmly.

He did not look surprised at all and must have known that there was a dark shadow within the wooden bell from the start.

The dark shadow gazed at Derrell and then at Edgar on the bed.

“He’s a talented young fellow! This body happens to please me.”

Without warning, the dark shadow burrowed itself into Edgar’s body.

Edgar’s eyes widened with terror written all over his face. After a spell of dizziness, another voice sounded in his head.

“Stop resisting, or I’ll cripple your spiritual sense,” the dark shadow said menacingly in Edgar’s head. “Your body will be useless then.”

Noticing what was happening, Derrell cried, “As this is your choice, Edgar, you must accept it! Don’t be afraid, and don’t resist.”

Edgar eventually calmed down. Then, another bout of dark smog enveloped his body.

A moment later, the smog dissipated to reveal Edgar’s body shining like never before. His muscles had also become extremely taut.

Edgar gazed at himself in shock before leaping out of bed. A chilling aura shone out of his eyes.

“Hahaha! I’m healed!” Edgar exulted. “I will have Jared wish he were dead!”

“You still need more practice with your current powers, Edgar,” Derrell cautioned. “You wouldn’t be a match for Jared otherwise.”

“Is that so?” Edgar suddenly turned sideways to Derrell with an ominous smile on his lips.

Derrell’s brows furrowed as a sense of foreboding rose within him.

Right before Derrell could take a step back, Edgar reached out suddenly and planted his hand on Derrell’s head. Then, he began absorbing his mentor’s power greedily.

Chapter 1317 Obeying Orders

“Watch yourself, Zion,” the high-ranking members warned Zion coldly. “We won’t hesitate to instate a new leader for the Warriors Alliance if you can’t handle this matter.”

After speaking, they departed the Warriors Alliance in a flash. Gazing at the empty hall, Zion gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.

“Looks like you must die, Jared.” A cold glint flashed across his eyes as he made the proclamation. Mr. Sanders had begun to live in the Department of Justice of late. This action of his informed Theodore that the martial arts world in Jadeborough was destined for troubled times ahead.

“Mr. Sanders, according to the reports by the various departments in Marsingfill, there has been a man in black absorbing the essence of martial artists throughout Marsingfill. Even the Martial Arts Grandmasters were not spared. Fear of this mysterious man currently governs the martial arts world in Marsingfill.”

As the captain of the Law Enforcement Department, Xavier wore a grim look as he reported the matter to Mr. Sanders.

Theodore, who was listening from the side, was tongue-tied by the news. The man in black must be formidable if even a warrior like Mr. Wembley had his essence absorbed.

“Have you managed to find out who is behind this?” Mr. Sanders asked Xavier.

The man shook his head. “No. This person’s techniques are completely different from that of the Demonic Cultivators of old. It has been many years since something like this happened in the martial arts world, and I can’t believe that there are still Demonic Cultivators who are this bold.”

Xavier was angry as the occurrence of such vile happenings reflected poorly on the Law Enforcement Department.

Mr. Sanders said nothing. Instead, he lapsed into silence and only spoke again after a long while. “Inform the Warriors Alliance at every location to be on higher alert. This incident will only increase in frequency in the coming days. What will come, will come.”

Theodore and Xavier gazed in bewilderment at Mr. Sanders because that was not his style.

If such vile incidents had occurred in the past, Mr. Sanders would fly into a rage and even personally handle the matter.

This time, however, he did not show any inclination to take it on himself.

Despite that, the two of them did not dare ask. Instead, they executed their orders upon receiving them.

Quayle Temple sat atop Mount Quaye, thousands of kilometers away from Jadeborough. Edgar’s mentor, Derrell, was its warden. Edgar, too, was a resident in the temple.

After having all his bones broken by Jared two months before, Edgar had not descended the mountain even once after Derrell brought him up.

Edgar was, at that moment, lying in bed and wrapped entirely with gauze. Despite the passage of two months, there had been no improvement in his condition.

Derrell, too, had thought of everything he could, but nothing seemed to work.

Having Edgar achieve the rank of Martial Arts Marquis was out of the question. Their most pressing issue right now was getting him back on his feet.

“When will I be able to stand again, Master?” Edgar screamed, unhinged at being bedridden for two months. “When can I stand again!”

“Have patience, Edgar. I’m thinking of a way.”

It was all Derrell could say to comfort Edgar.

“Stop lying to me, Master. I won’t ever be able to stand again, will I?” Edgar asked Derrell resentfully. “I won’t ever be able to get my revenge on Jared, will I?”

Derrell took a deep breath. He did not speak, but the expression on his face said everything.

Having tried and failed to cure Edgar with every means at his disposal, Derrell was, at that moment, deliberating how he would explain things to Ryker.

Upon seeing Derrell’s expression, Edgar began screaming, “Why? Why is it so unfair? I will kill Jared! No, I want him to know what it feels like to be bedridden!”

In his agitation, the gauze all over his body burst open. Derrell hurriedly pressed him down.

Chapter 1316 Do You Know Your Crimes

Dozens of kilometers away, Skylar had already fallen to the ground from exhaustion. At that moment, he was in agony from having all his bones shattered. It was only due to the Necro Ring that he had managed to escape.

However, he discovered that Jared had robbed him of the Necro Ring when it did not return with him. “I will kill you, Jared Chance, even if it’s the last thing I do!” Skylar roared.

“What good would it do you by screaming about it?” the wizened voice scoffed in his mind. “Why don’t you work on increasing your power?”

“But… I don’t know how to increase my power. I just don’t have any more resources…”

Despite his desire to become more powerful, a lack of resources prevented Skylar from doing so.

“You fool!” the old voice reprimanded Skylar in an affronted tone. “Haven’t I told you to absorb the power and essence of others?”

Skylar’s eyes flashed. “Fine,” he conceded while gritting his teeth, “I’ll heed your every word.”

As soon as Skylar spoke, a black fog enveloped his entire body and mended all his broken bones.

At that moment, a Martial Arts Grandmaster happened to pass by. Skylar pounced on him like a starving tiger and stood up a moment later with a satisfied look in his bloodshot eyes.

However, half of Skylar’s face had already rotted. The bloody mass on the side of his face was particularly grotesque.

The discovery of the change within him particularly unnerved Skylar.

“Don’t worry,” the feeble voice consoled, pleased. “This is a side effect; your flesh will grow back soon. Just focus on preying on the power of others from now on.”

Skylar said nothing. Instead, he donned a black shirt and wrapped his head in a black headscarf.

That moment indicated the emergence of another parasitic Demonic Cultivator in the martial arts world.

Meanwhile, at the Warriors Alliance in Jadeborough, Zion was wearing an ugly scowl. Instead of occupying his usual honored seat, he had been relegated to one of the lesser seats.

Although nobody occupied the main seat, a voice was coming from its direction.

The ones seated on either side of the hall were high-ranking officials of the Warriors Alliance. Though they were all fresh faces, every one of them was a Martial Arts Marquis.

It was plain that they did not respect Zion as the president of the association despite his courtesy toward them.

“Zion Zeigler, as the president of the Warriors Alliance, do you know your crimes for allowing our forbidden grounds to be invaded by a kid who also murdered countless others?”

The voice, which caused one’s spine to crawl, came as if from the skies and the back of the main seat simultaneously.

Zion shuddered as he began to sweat. With a thud, he fell on his knees to the ground.

“It was an oversight on my part. Please show me mercy, Tanner.”

Zion’s body shook, a clear indicator of how terrified he was.

He was the leader of the Warriors Alliance and a Martial Arts Marquis, yet he was shaking like a leaf. If anyone found out about this, he would be the laughingstock of the century.

“Are you confident of slaying Jared?” asked the one named Tanner. “The boy cannot be allowed to remain alive.”

“I am. I can definitely kill Jared. Rest assured, Tanner.”

After making that promise, Zion changed the topic quickly. “It’s just that, Mr. Sanders being over there may—”

“Hmph!” A cold grunt of disdain sounded, followed immediately by an immense force striking Zion, which sent him sailing through the air before falling in a heap.

Shocked, Zion did not dare have even the slightest hesitation after that. He crawled back into the hall at once.

Everybody else was similarly on edge. Though they had never seen Tanner’s face, to be able to render a Martial Arts Marquis powerless was proof of Tanner’s immense strength.

“Don’t worry, Tanner,” Zion asserted once more. “I will kill Jared.”

The atmosphere within the hall relaxed after Zion spoke. The occupants’ relieved sighs were proof that Tanner had departed.

Chapter 1315 Necro Ring Obtained

“It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re a Demonic Cultivator,” Jared said as he set his jaw grimly. “You have to die.” “Is that so? Come and try it, then.”

After Skylar spoke, the black and gold throughout his entire body began expanding. Then, like a meteor, a massive fist swung ferociously at Jared.

Not daring to underestimate his foe again, rays of dazzling gold surrounded Jared as he darted forward. The combatants collided with one another and sent a terrifying aura spreading swiftly outward, leaving nothing intact in a hundred-meter radius.

Jared had mobilized the Power of Dragons in its entirety for that punch. A gold dragon circled his arm as he raised it to strike. A chorus of dragon roars sounded after he sent that fist forth.

The dragons’ roars instantly captured Skylar’s attention. While he was hesitating, Jared’s fist collided forcefully against his.

Crack! Skylar’s arm bent downward in an instant as his bones shattered. This time, Skylar was the one to stumble backward several paces. His expression turned ugly.

Since the dark shadow was only a spiritual sense without a corporeal body, the one within Skylar could not handle an expenditure of this magnitude.

As Skylar’s aura withered, his spiritual sense regained control of his body.

While he stared at his broken arm, Skylar’s forehead became drenched in sweat from the pain.

In that instant, Jared sensed Skylar’s aura change once more.

Fear appeared in Skylar’s eyes as he gazed at Jared. It was almost as if the former had become another person.

“Hmph! No matter what tricks you play, you must die.”

As he spoke, Jared leaped up.

Skylar was thoroughly frightened by then. With a panicked roar, black mist began to surround him before forming a wall around him to bear the brunt of Jared’s assault.

Anxious to escape, Skylar had turned to run.

I will die by Jared’s hand if I remain another second longer.

However, the moment Jared’s fist struck the wall, it shattered like a thin sheet of glass. Without even losing momentum, the blow struck Skylar and sent him flying.

That single punch broke nearly all of Skylar’s bones.

Skylar roared. He threw the Necro Ring violently while still airborne, and a dark portal appeared in midair.

Jared was aware of Skylar’s intention to escape. Disappearing in a flash, he dashed toward his quarry.

Soon, Skylar’s body fell through the portal. Just when it was about to close, Jared snatched the Necro Ring.

He did not bother chasing after Skylar as the motive for Jared’s arrival today was to obtain the Necro Ring in Skylar’s possession.

Jared grabbed hold of the Necro Ring stubbornly, but it did not stop diminishing in size. Soon, his entire arm was in the black hole.

Though the extreme distortion of the space-time continuum caused Jared intense pain, he held on stubbornly without daring to slacken his grip.

“Argh!”

Jared’s face flushed red as he summoned all the spiritual energy at his disposal in a roar of rage and tore the space apart with brute force. He then yanked the Necro Ring out from the black hole.

Jared clutched the Necro Ring. His arm, which had already turned raw and bloody, could not stop shaking.

However, a complicated mix of emotions welled up within him as he gazed at the spoil of war in his hand.

“Hold on, Josephine,” Jared vowed to himself. “I will rescue you from there.”

Departing from the Rowling residence, Jared left Marsingfill and headed straight for Jadeborough.

He no longer concerned himself with where Skylar had escaped to as he was more anxious to rescue Josephine and his mother.

Though it was his most pressing priority at that moment, Jared knew from his previous invasion of the Warriors Alliance that his power was still greatly lacking.

Chapter 1314 Of Good And Evil

Staring daggers at Skylar, Jared made another sudden dash toward the former, whose fist of black and gold swung outward in response.

Boom! The warehouse exploded after a deafening blast, and the force even toppled the mansion in the distance. The ensuing dust and debris that rose hid the combatants from view.

Jared’s expression was frighteningly dark as his arm shook slightly. Skylar was only a Semi Martial Arts Marquis, so he could not possibly possess that sort of power, let alone be able to block Jared’s coup de grâce.

However, Skylar had not only held on, but Jared’s arm had endured tremendous recoil. This isn’t Skylar.

Despite Jared’s assertion to himself, he realized the ludicrousness of the suggestion. Who else could he be if not Skylar?

The combatants stood three meters apart and stared at each other motionlessly as the dust settled. The punch had destroyed everything around them.

“You’re only a Semi Martial Arts Marquis,” Jared said to Skylar, “yet you have suddenly become so powerful. Even your physical body has become tough. Who are you? Or what Demonic Cultivation have you employed?”

If it is truly Skylar standing before me, he must have used magecraft to increase his power in such a short time.

“It’s none of your concern. All you need to know is that your death is imminent.”

As Skylar glared coldly at Jared, his aura began to rise relentlessly.

The aura spilled forth, overwhelmingly oppressive, as though heralding Skylar’s royal descent.

“We’ll see who it is that will die.”

Jared’s eyes narrowed as his entire body turned into a streak of golden light. A gold fist the size of a boulder hurled toward Skylar, covering the distance of three meters between them in the blink of an eye.

A crack sounded through the air. The very fabric of space itself was about to be torn by Jared’s fist as the terrifying shockwave it conjured exploded in every direction.

At a glance, Jared’s hand looked like it was holding onto the blinding sun. The scorching waves rolled forth and enveloped his foe.

Skylar let out a roar. Immediately afterward, his body crackled with power before he threw out a fist to meet Jared’s.

Boom!

Once again, the earth trembled as the skies turned dark. The entire Rowling residence began shaking.

This time, however, Jared and Skylar did not move. Their evenly-matched skills made it challenging to predict the battle’s outcome.

Jared was shocked. He did not expect Skylar to possess such power that it exceeded even his father’s.

How could a Semi Martial Arts Marquis’ power grow this quickly within a few short days?

Jared could not comprehend it.

Meanwhile, Skylar was similarly astonished at Jared’s incredible abilities.

“What power!” Skylar said menacingly as his gaze hardened. “It would be a great boon if I can absorb your cultivation.”

Jared’s expression shifted upon hearing that. “Are you a Demonic Cultivator?”

He had never heard of Skylar learning Astral Attraction, a Demonic Cultivation technique.

“Hah! It doesn’t matter at this point whether or not I am one. There is no more distinction between good and evil within the martial arts world!” Skylar proclaimed with a roar of laughter. “So what if the Warriors Alliance is the main sect? Aren’t there Demonic Cultivators within their ranks too?”

Jared had no way of refuting those words.

After all, the Warriors Alliance did contain Demonic Cultivators, and so did many other sects. Plenty of martial artists engaged in Demonic Cultivation secretly as a means to accelerate their progress.

To many people, whether or not it was demonic did not matter anymore. Instead, their priority was the extent of their power and how to attain more.

Chapter 1313 Try Me

The astonished Skylar was about to go out to investigate when the door burst inwards from a kick from Jared. “Jared? How did you manage to find your way here?”

Skylar stared at Jared in shock. “I told you that I’d hunt you down, even to the ends of the earth!”

Jared regarded Skylar coldly in return. “Where’s Enzo? Didn’t anyone try to stop you when you came to the Rowling residence?”

He was baffled as to why Enzo made no effort to get in Jared’s way because the very reason he came to the Rowling residence was out of a desire to use Enzo to kill Jared.

Stumped by Jared’s appearance before him, Enzo’s absence only served to compound Skylar’s confoundment. “I’ve already sent him down to hell. It is there that you’ll reunite with him very soon…”

Jared’s gaze narrowed while his eyes permeated with a murderous streak. “What? Y-You’ve killed Enzo Rowling as well?”

Skylar was somewhat stunned. He had not expected Enzo to be taken out by Jared so swiftly, especially since this was Marsingfill, Enzo’s own stronghold.

Having heard of the eminence of Enzo’s magecraft, it astounded him that Jared was able to end him so effortlessly.

At that moment, Skylar’s eyes were filled with dread.

Thoughts about various options for escape were racing through his head, as he had not the slightest fight left in him when confronted with Jared.

Recognizing Skylar’s cowardice and urge to flee as well, Jared thus preemptively acted to subdue him.

He threw a ferocious punch in Skylar’s direction as he couldn’t allow the latter to escape with the Necro Ring.

Taken off guard, Skylar panicked at Jared’s unexpected assault on him because he was no match for Jared at present, being a mere Semi Martial Arts Marquis.

Amidst his hastiness to defend himself against Jared, Skylar threw out a fist with all his might but ultimately, it proved futile as it resulted only in his own arm becoming oddly contorted in an instant.

Close behind that, Skylar took a heavy blow in his chest which opened up a gaping and bloodied crevice right smack in the middle of it.

Skylar stared at his own chest, shell-shocked, but what he felt then was not pain, but incredulity.

“Useless fool. In a battle between the strong, the worst thing one could do is succumb to fear. Surrender your body over to me now, and let me deal with him…” Once more, that wizened voice surged into Skylar’s mind.

Bereft of time to react, Skylar only felt a bout of dizziness before his consciousness eluded him.

Standing before Jared, an outlandish smile suddenly manifested upon Skylar’s face.

“Hehehe…” From Skylar’s lips came a disconcerting laugh. “Not bad, but you’re not going to be able to kill me like that…”

Then, Skylar’s body underwent a rapid transformation. The wound that was the size of a fist suddenly closed up and healed before his very eyes.

Very quickly, Skylar’s body was rejuvenated. The muscles on his body emitted a blackish glow, and he appeared as though he had been reborn into a new body.

Jared’s brows knitted, and his eyes were consumed by bewilderment.

He could keenly sense that Skylar’s body was in a constant state of evolvement and was becoming more powerful while it did.

There was a complete change in Skylar’s entire aura and demeanor; A far departure from what was there before.

“Who are you?” Jared asked grimly, his eyes fixated upon Skylar.

“I am Skylar Norton, of course. Didn’t you want to kill me? Well, go ahead and try…”

The corner of Skylar’s lips lifted smugly, and there was a detached and horrifying look in his eyes.

Although Jared had not quite figured out exactly what was going on, he could already sense the looming threat that radiated off his counterpart.

A golden light began to glimmer as scales of shimmering saffron enveloped Jared’s body while his Golem Body activated.

“Hahaha… Golem Body. Your body will not compare to mine no matter what defensive technique you utilize because mine is indestructible…” rearing his head back, Skylar cackled maniacally.

That yielded no response from Jared. In actuality, he himself possessed an indestructible body as well. So long as the Nascent Soul was not destroyed, he too would be able to recover steadily.