Category: A Man Like None Other

Chapter 852 Leviathan Is Here

Blood spurted from the joint where Kristoff’s left arm used to be moments before it was chopped clean off by Jared’s sword. As a final act of vengeance, the dismembered limb was still holding Lizbeth in its demonic clutches. Nimbly making use of the distraction, Lizbeth rolled on the spot and rid herself of its grip.

This time, the scream of pain was even more agonizing. In his blinding rage, he kicked the white wolf’s chest with such force that it would have shattered a boulder.

The white wolf merely skidded several feet behind it before springing to its feet again, seemingly unscathed.

Kristoff’s strength was comparable to that of a Great Grandmaster’s at the peak. Under equivalent terms, this white wolf would be comparable to a Martial Arts Grandmaster. As a result, Kristoff’s kick did not hurt it at all.

Kristoff’s screams caught the attention of his subordinates. The men under the employ of the Shalvis family hurriedly detached themselves from the battle with the Thunderstorm Sect and ran to Kristoff’s aid.

Kristoff stared at his severed arm with bloodshot eyes before bellowing at his men, “Kill him! Kill them all!”

Just when his men were about to surround Jared, a gust of overwhelming dominance in the form of a gale appeared at the scene. Its presence was felt by every member of the crowd from the way they all shuddered as one.

Because this breath was so terrifying, not even Senior Grandmasters or Martial Arts Grandmasters at the scene dared move a muscle.

Jared frowned as he turned to look for the source of the disturbance.

“What’s with all the yelling, Kristoff? Whose blood are you thirsty for this time?”

The speaker was a middle-aged man who ambled toward them. He was clad in a simple white training robe. His sandals of cloth made no noise as he walked. There was no expression discernible on his powerfully set face.

He was not alone. Flanked by three other figures, the crowd gasped at the realization that those three alone were all Martial Arts Grandmasters. Judging by the way they are walking reverently in his wake, the leader must be a Fourth Level Martial Arts Grandmaster.

“Mr. Zare!” Kristoff’s face flooded with relief.

Kenneth too hurried over to greet the newcomer.

The middle-aged man glanced at everybody before turning to Kristoff. “Have you seen my son?”

“Oh, Colin? There he is.” Kristoff indicated with his finger.

It was only then that it became apparent to the crowd that the newcomer was Leviathan Zare, Colin’s father, the patriarch of Shadow Estate, and a veteran Martial Arts Grandmaster.

Leviathan gazed in the direction of Kristoff’s finger and spotted Colin leading a group of men in search of dry timber to start a fire.

At the sight of his son’s foolhardy endeavor, Leviathan’s anger flared up. It was so obvious that the crowd flinched and trembled as they watched with bated breath as Leviathan strode purposefully toward his son.

Jared’s expression was especially solemn. Leviathan’s strength seems to be on the same level as Rayleigh’s. I’m simply no match against such strength. Besides, the Martial Arts Grandmasters behind him will overwhelm me before I could get close.

Kristoff, Kenneth, and Sylvester were crestfallen at Leviathan’s sudden appearance as it essentially indicated the termination of their involvement in procuring the draconic essence.

The resounding smack of Leviathan’s palm across Colin’s cheek drew their attention to the Zares.

“How dare you return to Dragon Island against my permission?”

The slap seemed to finally impress upon Colin of his father’s arrival. Far from being unhappy, he tugged at his father’s sleeves urgently as he begged. “You came just in time, Dad. Please save Renee! She may not survive being frozen much longer.”

Leviathan cast a glance at the ice sculpture that bore an eerie resemblance to Renee. Despite wearing a slight frown, he quickly resumed the reprimanding glare at his son and said, “Enough girls! Come home with me this instant!”

Chapter 851 Sneak Attack

Jared stared in despair at Josephine and Lizbeth with gritted teeth, not quite knowing what to do.

“Save yourself, Jared,” Josephine shouted. “Run!”

“Jared, they won’t let us go even if you give yourself up,” cried Lizbeth. “Just kill me and escape this place. I would rather die than be violated by that brute.”

It would not end well for me to fall into the hands of someone like Kristoff. Besides, he has already made his intentions toward me amply clear.

Kristoff’s features hardened. With just the tiniest additional exertion of force in his grip, Josephine and Lizbeth suddenly began sweating profusely in pain.

“Stop!” Despite his fury, Jared did not dare take too big of a risk.

He was unsure that he would be able to kill the Top Level Senior Grandmaster with one blow. After all, Kristoff was second only to Martial Arts Grandmaster being at the peak of his strength.

If Kristoff could not be killed with one blow of absolute certainty, then Josephine and Lizbeth would be in even greater peril in Kristoff’s hands.

Kristoff sneered. “Have you figured it out yet?”

“I’ll come with you,” he said, ashen-faced, as he sheathed the Dragonslayer Sword in his hand and placed his hands on top of his head. “You can do whatever you want to me.”

Jared has no other choice but to obey Kristoff’s words. There was nothing he could do.

“Jared, no!” Josephine and Lizbeth shouted desperately.

Jared did not seem to hear them as he walked slowly toward Kristoff.

Kristoff felt even smugger at the sight of Jared’s meekness.

“Sylvester, we won’t be able to avenge Xander if this guy gets taken away by the Shalvis family.”

Sean grew anxious at the sight of Jared’s surrender toward Kristoff.

“Shut up!” Sylvester got irritated in his meditation to treat his injuries after being constantly interrupted by Sean’s chatter.

Sean fell silent at once.

Jared trudged toward his smug adversary with his hostility retracted. After taking two steps, he was startled to find that the white wolf was lying on the ground not far from Kristoff. It, too, was inching surreptitiously toward Kristoff like Jared was. The difference was that, unlike Jared, it held Kristoff in its sights as prey.

Jared was overjoyed at the sight of the white wolf as he thought that it had left. The rising temperature had melted the ice and snow and made it no longer suitable for the beast to live there.

“Let the two of them go before I surrender,” he said cautiously in order to draw Kristoff’s attention away from the white wolf. “I’ll be yours to command. You can even take my life if you wish.”

“Enough chatter!” Kristoff said impatiently. “Come here quietly. I promise I’ll let your women go.”

“Don’t come any closer, Jared!”

Josephine and Lizbeth were perspiring from pain and anxiousness as they screamed.

“Don’t worry, you two. I’ll be fine…”

Jared cast the girls a meaningful look.

Just when he was only ten feet away from Kristoff, the white wolf leaped.

With a roar upon its collision with its prey, the white wolf sank its teeth into Kristoff’s arm. With a painful scream, Kristoff involuntarily relinquished his grip that held Josephine captive.

Although she had managed to bolt quickly to safety, Lizbeth was still being held in Kristoff’s left hand. If he had decided to squeeze Lizbeth, she would be crushed on the spot!

As the white wolf’s appearance distracted Kristoff, Jared reached behind him and the Dragonslayer Sword in his hand appeared a second later. With a blinding flash, the sword slashed at Kristoff’s left arm.

Chapter 850 Tricked

Even as Jared forced Sylvester and Thunderstorm Sect to retreat, he was also guarding against a sneak attack from the Shalvis family.

Alas, even as he glanced around, there was no sign of the Shalvis family’s Martial Arts Grandmaster. Regardless, Jared remained on high alert.

I remember the three of them attacking me at the same time. Where did the third one go?

All of a sudden, Josephine’s scream rang out from behind Jared.

Stunned and fearing the worst, Jared instantly spun around and slashed with his Dragonslayer Sword.

Unfortunately, it was all too late. The Shalvis family’s Martial Arts Grandmaster had effortlessly caught Josephine in one hand and Lizbeth in his other. Before Jared could do anything, he had jumped and landed beside Kristoff.

No matter how much they struggled, neither woman could break free from the iron grip of a Martial Arts Grandmaster. Even if they wanted to take their own lives, they knew it’d be virtually impossible.

“Let them go!” Jared thundered as he glared at Kristoff.

Before long, the murderous aura he exuded had enveloped the entire Shalvis family.

Damn it! I never thought Kristoff would be this despicable. He put on a show of attacking me, only to capture Josephine and Lizbeth behind my back! He has gone too far!

“Let them go? Sure, but only if you give up without a fight. If you do, I guarantee they’ll be safe and sound…” Kristoff said with a smirk and a glint in his eye.

Meanwhile, the Shalvis family’s Martial Arts Grandmaster still had Josephine or Lizbeth at his mercy. If he so much as tightened his grip, there was no doubt both women would breathe their last.

“Kristoff Shalvis, what the f*ck is this? Are you trying to keep the draconic essence to yourself?” Kenneth yelled, furious that Kristoff had acted on his own accord.

Ridiculous! The three of us had agreed to work together, yet Kristoff still did this behind our backs. He’s making a fool of us!

Sylvester, too, had a grim expression as he stared at Kristoff. He had lived through enough experiences to know what Kristoff planned on doing, except he never expected him to trick them like that.

That said, what else could Sylvester do? He was injured, and the Coopers didn’t have an advantage in numbers or strength. As much as he hated Kristoff for playing dirty, he had no choice but to grin and bear it.

“In case you can’t tell, Kenneth, I’m perfectly capable of obtaining the draconic essence on my own. Why should I share it with you?” Kristoff announced smugly.

Upon hearing that, Kenneth trembled with rage. “Kristoff, you insufferable idiot! I’m going to kill you!”

The two of them had never been able to see eye to eye, and if it weren’t for the draconic essence, they never would’ve worked together. Therefore, it was only natural that Kenneth lost his temper when he realized Kristoff had fooled them. If he didn’t, how would he be able to live up to the name of Flashfire?

Kenneth steeled himself immediately after and marched toward Kristoff with his subordinates in tow. Kristoff, however, was unperturbed as he turned to his Martial Arts Grandmaster. “Leave these two women with me and stop the Thunderstorm Sect.”

The Martial Arts Grandmaster gave a quick nod and handed Josephine and Lizbeth over to Kristoff. Then, he led the other subordinates from the Shalvis family and rushed toward Kenneth. As soon as the two families clashed, a massive fight broke out.

Sylvester had a scowl on his face as he stood and watched in silence. My goodness, look at their power! There’s no way our family will ever measure up to them.

“What should we do now, Sylvester?” Sean asked, looking somewhat worried and helpless.

Sean had initially pinned all his hopes on Sylvester, but now that the latter was injured, he found himself at his wits’ end.

“We’ll wait and see,” Sylvester instructed. “No one is to move without my orders…”

In the meantime, Kristoff was still mercilessly taunting Jared with a constant smirk plastered on his face.

“Jared, be good and ditch that weapon of yours. If you don’t surrender, you won’t get to see your girlfriends again…” he remarked gleefully.

Chapter 849 Once And For All

Lizbeth bit her lips and stared at Jared with tears in her eyes. “I’m not leaving either, Jared. What’s the point of living if you die? I can’t live without you anymore…”

At last, Lizbeth had blurted out her innermost thoughts.

She had long fallen in love with Jared but only held back from confessing her feelings because of Josephine.

Now that the truth was out, Lizbeth’s face flushed with embarrassment.

Although Jared was stunned by the confession, Josephine remained unfazed. She held Lizbeth’s hand and gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s okay, Lizbeth. I’ve known this for a while now. I’m just glad we can both be with Jared, even in death.”

Lizbeth nodded excitedly in response, nary a trace of fear or panic on her face.

Death, to Josephine and Lizbeth, was nothing to fear. As long as they were with Jared, nothing else mattered.

Seeing the determination in their eyes, Jared knew no amount of persuasion would convince them to leave. At the same time, their words had also given him a morale boost.

“Very well then, I’ll do my best to keep us all alive!” he exclaimed.

After all, Jared couldn’t let Lizbeth and Josephine sacrifice themselves for him. Surrendering wasn’t an option; he had to fight till his last breath.

Ever the observant person, Josephine instantly knew what worried Jared the most. “Give it all you’ve got, Jared,” she urged. “Worse come to worst, Lizbeth and I will take our own lives so those sc*mbags can’t lay their hands on us.”

With that, Jared gave a firm nod and materialized the Dragonslayer Sword. He took a step forward as a terrifying aura burst forth from him.

“Looks like you’re quite the ladies’ man, aren’t you?” Sylvester scoffed. “You even have two women who are willing to die for you. In that case, I shall grant you your death wish!”

The next second, he gathered his power for the attack, only to find blood trickling from his mouth once again.

There was no doubt Sylvester was still severely injured after getting hit by the two Martial Arts Grandmasters from Thunderstorm Sect and the Shalvis family, and even the littlest move left him in pain.

Nevertheless, he shot Kenneth and Kristoff a knowing look.

Kenneth immediately turned to his subordinate and ordered, “Go with him!”

Kristoff, too, quickly gave his Martial Arts Grandmaster the go-ahead.

Pleased that he had the support of the other two families, Sylvester charged at Jared with a raised fist.

There was even a distinct ripple of air on Sylvester’s fist, where he had concentrated all his martial energy on. Given his injuries, he couldn’t afford to drag the fight on any longer. It was time to end Jared’s life once and for all.

As soon as he saw Sylvester coming in with the attack, Jared unleashed a burst of golden aura that surrounded him like a set of armor.

Huh? What the hell is that?

Despite Sylvester’s confusion, he continued charging at full speed and smashed his fist onto Jared.

Boom!

The punch had landed squarely on Jared, but he barely flinched from the impact. Sylvester, however, felt his hands go numb from the recoil as he staggered backward.

Instead of countering Sylvester’s attack, Jared slashed the Dragonslayer Sword at the oncoming Thunderstorm Sect Martial Arts Grandmaster. The blast of energy released was so strong that it felt like it could split the skies apart.

After Jared’s tremendous display of power, the Martial Arts Grandmaster panicked and beat a hasty retreat.

He had found it scary enough that Sylvester’s punch didn’t hurt Jared in the slightest, but the Dragonslayer Sword was, without a doubt, the final straw for him.

Chapter 848 Tag Team

“Get him!” Kristoff ordered when he saw what was happening.

If he didn’t get his Martial Arts Grandmaster to take action now, they’d have the tables turned on them once Sylvester obtained the draconic essence.

Kenneth, too, had the same idea and quickly instructed his Martial Arts Grandmaster to join in the attack.

Just as Sylvester was about to lay a hand on Jared, two strong blasts of martial energy shot out and slammed into him.

The force instantly sent him flying backward as a mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth.

As much as he hated to admit it, Sylvester’s current strength was hardly a match for two highly-ranked martial artists.

Having taken Sylvester down, the two Martial Arts Grandmasters from the Shalvis family and Thunderstorm Sect immediately charged toward Jared. However, before they could even get near him, a fight had broken out between them.

Jared was now the hottest commodity, and unsurprisingly, everyone was gunning for him.

Unfortunately, it was hard to tell who’d win, given how evenly matched the Martial Arts Grandmasters were. Regardless of the outcome, both parties would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses.

“Mr. Carrall, Mr. Shalvis, can we please talk this over? You guys want the draconic essence, but I’m only interested in killing Jared. If that’s the case, why don’t we work together? Once Jared has been eliminated, I promise not to fight with you over the draconic essence,” Sylvester suggested.

It had become clear to him that no good would come out of them fighting one another. If they continued to do so, the only person to benefit from the chaos would be Jared.

Upon hearing that, Kenneth and Kristoff got their subordinates to retreat as they considered Sylvester’s suggestion.

“He’s right, Kenneth. It’s pointless to fight among ourselves,” Kristoff chimed in. “Why don’t we work together instead? If Jared absorbs all the draconic essence, we’ll just split him in half to share. Who knows? Drinking his blood and eating his flesh might also help our cultivation…”

After giving it some thought, Kenneth finally nodded. “Very well, let’s do as you say then!”

With their alliance formed, the three families turned their attention to Jared.

Jared couldn’t help but feel a chill down his spine when he saw their covetous eyes.

There was nothing to fear if he were only up against one Fourth Level Martial Arts Grandmaster. Three Martial Arts Grandmasters, however, would be a different story. Even with the draconic essence and Dragonslayer Sword in his possession, Jared knew he couldn’t take on all of them simultaneously.

“Why don’t you spare yourself the pain and end your own life, Jared?” Sylvester said coldly. “You killed my brother, so today’s the day I avenge him!”

“Ha! You guys are all Martial Arts Grandmasters, yet you have the cheek to gang up on me? Have you no shame?” Jared scoffed. “Sometimes, I wonder how you even achieved such cultivation in the first place…”

As it turned out, Jared was intentionally provoking them. The best outcome he could hope for was if the families took him on one by one. Even if it became a tag team battle, Jared knew he’d be able to hold out, especially since the draconic essence was constantly replenishing his energy.

“Oh, are you trying to provoke us? Too bad it doesn’t work on me. I’m more than happy to do whatever it takes to kill you!” Sylvester replied firmly.

Jared’s face was grim as he turned to Lizbeth. “Lizbeth, take Josephine with you and find a chance to escape. I’ll be fine…”

Despite saying that, Jared knew the chances of him surviving the attack were low, and he couldn’t let Lizbeth or Josephine suffer with him.

After all, neither Kristoff nor Kenneth were good people, and Jared dreaded to think how they’d treat the women if something untoward happened to him.

Alas, Josephine shook her head adamantly. “No, I’m not leaving! If you die, I’ll die with you too! Lizbeth, escape when you can. No matter what happens, I’m staying with Jared.”

Chapter 847 Eat It

“Give it to me!” Kenneth kept staring at the draconic essence.

He fought his way through the crowd and charged in Jared’s direction with a dagger.

Josephine’s face darkened as she saw Kenneth approaching.

Furrowing his brows, Jared stretched forth his palm and sent an energy wave toward the dagger. A loud clank sounded, and the dagger was broken into pieces. The energy wave had also sent Kenneth flying.

Kenneth was no match for Jared because he was merely a Senior Grandmaster. Moreover, Jared’s body was as hard as steel after he had taken the body-quenching pill. Kenneth would never be able to take him down.

Kenneth collapsed to the ground, and he could feel that his arm was about to shatter into pieces. He looked at Jared in horror.

What was that? A Senior Grandmaster wouldn’t have been able to do that! Unless this young man has been hiding his true strength all this while…

Kenneth could only stare at Jared from a distance. Though he was eager to get his hands on the draconic essence, he no longer had the courage to snatch it from Jared.

“Take care of Josephine for me,” Jared said to Lizbeth.

Lizbeth was significantly more powerful than Josephine. Josephine might be able to handle hooligans, but she would not be able to fight against these Senior Grandmasters.

Lizbeth nodded and stood in front of Josephine to protect her from the crowd.

Meanwhile, Jared swallowed the draconic essence without hesitation.

Spiritual energy started filling every cell of his body the moment he put the draconic essence into his mouth. He then used the Focus Technique to absorb all the spiritual energy into the elixir field.

Jared had never experienced such intense spiritual energy in his life. With this draconic essence, he could absorb spiritual energy anywhere and anytime. This would be extremely beneficial for his journey of cultivation. That was why Draco was willing to go all out to help Jared retrieve the draconic essence.

Upon sensing the spiritual energy Jared emitted, the people around him instantly stopped fighting.

Not only was there a fiery flame in his eyes, but he was also as refined as an immortal.

The aura he exuded from the muscles of his body caused the snow from hundreds of metres around him to melt. Grass started to grow miraculously on the ground.

The snow that melted turned into a river that flowed to the ocean. The barren land had instantly come alive!

From now on, the snow-covered Dragon Island had become a thing of the past.

“F*ck, he has eaten the draconic essence…” Once again, Kenneth panicked and cursed after watching Jared swallow the draconic essence.

Sylvester looked at Jared in disbelief and bellowed with rage, “This draconic essence is a priceless treasure. You could’ve used it in exchange for the ownership of a whole city. Yet, you consumed it…”

A hard glint flashed across Kristoff’s eyes. He raised swords and was ready to charge in Jared’s direction. “Let’s tear him apart to retrieve the draconic essence before it gets digested.”

But before that, Sylvester had already made his move. By hook or by crook, I must bring the draconic essence back home. The Coopers would have great respect for me and might even acknowledge me as an elder of the family!

Upon noticing that, Jared put his guard up. He gathered all the energy from his body and was about to emit a powerful wave.

The spiritual energy in him was so intense that people around him could feel his power! Right then, Jared felt as if he possessed endless spiritual energy.

“Blood Claws!” Sylvester roared, and his hands turned into a pair of sharp claws. After gathering the martial energy in his body, he charged at Jared. The martial energy was so strong that it could rip the thickest and hardest steel apart.

Clearly, Sylvester was determined to tear Jared into pieces so that he could retrieve the draconic essence!

Chapter 846 Fate

Like Jared, Colin was on the verge of losing his mind. He ran over and hugged the sculpture-liked Renee, who still had a smile on her face.

Colin tried to melt the frost with the heat from his body. Clearly, he had fallen for Renee.

“Quick, start a fire! Start a fire right now!” Colin raised his voice and ordered his subordinates.

But how are we going to start a fire under such freezing conditions?

“This is an order! Do it!”

Colin started kicking and bashing his subordinates. However, there was nothing his men could do to fulfil his wish.

At that moment, Sylvester, who had been observing them from a distance, laid his eyes on the draconic essence in Jared’s hand. Upon noticing how distracted Jared was, Sylvester exchanged glances with Sean and immediately charged at Jared.

Jared remained still as if he was not aware of Sylvester’s attack.

Kristoff, however, could not stand there and watch Sylvester snatch the draconic essence away.

“Charge!” Kristoff exclaimed.

He and his men then ran toward Jared. The Martial Arts Grandmaster confronted Sylvester head-on to stop him from approaching Jared.

“F*ck!” Kenneth cursed. He then yelled at his men, “What are you waiting for? Snatch the draconic essence at all costs!”

Kenneth and his men, too, ran in Jared’s direction. All three parties started engaging in a three-cornered battle as they all had their eyes on the draconic essence.

More than ten men began to surround Jared, but no one could get near him.

At that point, Jared was still holding the draconic essence and mumbled, “Why did this happen? Why?”

Josephine and Lizbeth stayed by his side, but as soon as they noticed the turn of events, their expression turned grim. The two women knew they were incapable of protecting Jared.

“Pull yourself together, Jared. We’re willing to do this for you because we know this is our fate. Eat the draconic essence and get out of here as soon as possible. We’ll still have to find Flame Dragon and retrieve its draconic essence. Come on! Time is running out!” Josephine roared at Jared.

“No. That’s enough. I don’t want the draconic essence anymore, and I won’t sacrifice you in exchange for the draconic essence. I won’t!” Jared looked at Josephine and suddenly pulled her into his embrace.

Tears started rolling down Josephine’s cheeks the minute she felt the heat from his body.

Despite having spent a long time together, they had never been this close.

She said, “Jared, when I first got to know you, I thought I could protect you and provide for you, since I’m the daughter of the Sullivan family. But in the end, I realized you had been the one who always protected me. I was ashamed, for I couldn’t help you in any way. To this day, I still feel powerless in the presence of all your powerful friends and enemies. I’m just not good enough for you.”

She continued, “When Old Mr. Deragon told me about your identity and wanted me to assist you, I knew I could finally lend you a hand, and I’m willing to do this for you. Let’s go and find Flame Dragon now. We shouldn’t waste any more time…”

Josephine leaned against Jared’s chest and whispered to him.

“No. I won’t allow any one of you to die for my sake. No way,” Jared said determinedly as he released Josephine.

Chapter 845 Melt

With all her might, Lizbeth smashed the head of Ice Dragon but to no avail.

“I have an idea!” An idea popped up in Renee’s mind after she saw how Jared was trapped in the dragon’s body.

“What is it? Quick!” Josephine asked impatiently.

Renee nodded. She turned around to glance at Colin before walking up to Ice Dragon.

Upon noticing Renee’s expression, Josephine somewhat understood what she planned to do.

She quickly caught up with Renee and grabbed her wrist. “Renee… You…”

Josephine did not know what else to say.

“I owed my life to Jared, and I’m willing to do anything for him. I have to do this.” Renee turned around and gave Josephine a faint smile.

Josephine gradually released Renee from her grip. Maybe someday, I’ll make the same sacrifice too.

Renee took another glance at Colin. Perhaps she had taken a liking to this playboy.

Colin responded with an awkward smile, as he had no idea why she looked at him.

Renee then slowly placed her hands on Ice Dragon and started absorbing the frosty energy from the creature.

Renee possessed the frosty constituent. Hence, she could draw the frosty energy into her body in no time.

Soon, frost began to form on Renee’s hair, and Ice Dragon started melting.

Jared, who was watching her from the body of the dragon, instantly knew what she was doing. He tried to roar to get her attention, but no one could hear him.

“Renee?” Colin finally noticed something was amiss. He ran toward Renee and tried to pull her away.

However, the moment he touched Renee’s body, his arm froze right away. Upon noticing that, his subordinates quickly pulled him away.

Renee was now completely covered in frost. Josephine could do nothing but cry on Lizbeth’s shoulder.

A dozen minutes later, Ice Dragon melted into a pool of water.

Jared slowly stood up while holding the draconic essence. He was stunned when he saw that Renee had turned into an ice sculpture. “Why did you do that? Why?”

Jared rubbed his palms to generate flames. He tried to warm Renee’s body, but she did not react to anything he did.

Jared howled in misery.

The fact that Renee had given up her life to save him pained him terribly.

“Calm down, Jared. Renee did it of her own will. We still have to complete the mission. You can’t just let Renee die in vain!” Lizbeth yelled at Jared.

After regaining his composure, Jared looked at Josephine and Lizbeth. Suddenly, he recalled something Draco had said the previous night.

“Both of you knew something like this would happen, didn’t you? You knew you would have to sacrifice your lives to help me retrieve the draconic essence, right?” Jared questioned the two women in a raised voice.

Josephine and Lizbeth kept mum, but their silent response explained everything.

Renee possessed the frosty constituent. Therefore, she could melt Ice Dragon to help Jared retrieve the draconic essence. Since Josephine possesses the fiery constituent, does that mean she’ll have to sacrifice her life to obtain Flame Dragon’s draconic essence for me?

Jared was stunned and did not know what else to think anymore. I’d rather abandon the quest than see them sacrifice their lives to gather the draconic essences!

“Why, Draco? Why?” Jared bellowed. He wanted to hate Draco but could not bring himself to do so.

Chapter 844 Frozen

“What is the draconic essence doing here? Isn’t it supposed to be in the skull of the dragon?”

Jared frowned, as he did not understand how the draconic essence ended up at this place.

The draconic essence was surrounded by rocks of all sizes, and there was also a spring that streamed down the crevices of the rocks.

After studying the environment for a while, Jared did not find Ice Dragon around the area. But after taking a closer look at the spring, he seemed to have worked out the logic.

Since Ice Dragon was made up of translucent ice cubes, the spring that flowed around the draconic essence might have something to do with them.

Jared cautiously drew out Dragonslayer Sword and walked closer to the piles of rocks, hoping to retrieve the draconic essence with the sword.

But the moment the tip of the sword approached the draconic essence, the spring water started bubbling and surging upward. In the blink of an eye, it enveloped and froze the draconic essence!

Jared was certain that Ice Dragon was about to make an appearance.

Once Ice Dragon appeared, Jared would have a hard time retrieving the draconic essence. To prevent the spring from freezing, Jared released several flaming energy waves but to no avail.

In the end, Jared steeled himself, sprinted at the spring, and got hold of the draconic essence!

But the freezing spring, too, engulfed Jared at lightning speed.

Ice Dragon finally emerged, and Jared was trapped within its translucent body.

Even though he could not move his body at all, he still refused to let go of the draconic essence.

Jared was chilled to the bone as if he had plunged into an icy abyss. He had even reached a point where he began to lose his consciousness.

His attempt to use the Focus Technique to dispel the cold air from his body was vain.

After letting out a roar, Ice Dragon charged at the exit of the cave.

Ice Dragon then flew through the water and up to the sky.

Josephine and the rest, who were all crying anxiously, immediately turned their attention to Ice Dragon the moment it came out of the water.

They were all struck dumb when they saw Jared was trapped in the beast’s body.

Even Kenneth, Kristoff, and Sylvester could not believe their eyes.

“Did… Did Ice Dragon swallow Jared alive?” Colin stuttered at the bizarre sight.

“Jared…” Josephine started calling his name and charged in Ice Dragon’s direction.

However, Lizbeth was quick enough to pull her back. She knew Josephine was not powerful enough to take Ice Dragon down.

Meanwhile, though Jared was losing his consciousness, he tried to stop himself from passing out. He got even more worried when Josephine ran over to rescue him.

Ice Dragon made several turns in the mid-air and landed on the edge of the lake. Its tail swept across the water surface, causing the lands and mountains around it to tremble.

Seconds later, Ice Dragon slowed down its movement and eventually lay still on the ground.

Kenneth and Kristoff exchanged glances before charging at Ice Dragon with weapons in their hands. Their subordinates joined in as well.

About ten of them launched an attack on Ice Dragon.

All of them were at least Fifth Level Senior Grandmasters, but their attack did not seem to cause any damage to Ice Dragon at all. They might have left some marks on its head, but there was no way they could retrieve the draconic essence.

The men panted heavily after multiple attempts, yet they still could not crack Ice Dragon’s skull. At that time, Josephine hopped onto its body to check on Jared.

At that point, Jared could no longer move or speak, but his eyes could still blink. Josephine was thrilled to know that he was still alive.

“Girls, we have to do something. Jared is still alive!” Josephine turned to Renee and Lizbeth and said.

Chapter 843 No Deal

Draco had given up his life just so that Jared could get his hands on the draconic essence. There was no way Jared would let the others take it away.

“Kenneth-” Colin was about to convince Kenneth to calm down again. However, he was rudely interrupted by Kenneth.

“Colin, didn’t you hear me the first time? I said get lost!” Kenneth glowered at Colin furiously.

Colin cast a glance at Renee and gritted his teeth. “Kenneth, Kristoff, although we’re friends, I have to warn you about something. If either of you wants to lay a finger on Renee, you’d have to go through me first.”

With that, Colin’s subordinates immediately rushed over to protect Colin.

Suddenly, both parties, led by Kenneth and Kristoff, were locked in a face-off with Jared and everyone else.

Sylvester, who was watching from somewhere close by, almost burst into laughter. This was exactly what he was hoping for. If they were to fight, he would then benefit from the colossal losses of both parties. Even if we can’t retrieve the draconic essence, we can still get Jared.

Jared and Josephine immediately shot Colin a grateful look. They didn’t expect him to act so honorably toward Renee, considering his usual frivolous demeanor.

Renee shot Colin a gentle and passionate glance as well because she was touched by his gesture.

“If we end up battling each other, there’s no guarantee you’d win. My offer stands. Let me have the draconic essence, and I’ll give you guys pills in return.” After analyzing the situation, Jared knew Kenneth and Kristoff might not necessarily win if they were to fight him, Colin, and the white wolf.

“Cut the crap! I’m not giving you the draconic essence!” Kenneth was enraged, and he refused to consider Jared’s offer. The atmosphere at the scene was so tense it looked like they were about to fight it out.

The draconic essence was too big of a temptation for both Kenneth and Kristoff. It was an incredibly rare opportunity to locate Ice Dragon. Hence, neither of them was willing to let Jared have his way.

Right then, Jared was caught in a tight spot. While he was still figuring out what to do next, Ice Dragon suddenly roared and was making its way back into the pit.

The moment Ice Dragon dove back into the pit, the water in the pond was rapidly gushing in as well.

Upon seeing that, Jared dove in without hesitation.

After Jared had gotten inside, the pit was quickly filled up. The pond instantly became calm again.

Everyone present was stunned. No one had expected Jared to act so rashly.

“Jared!”

“Jared!”

Josephine and the girls kept shouting for him. Sadly, not a single sign of life was seen in the pond to their disappointment.

Instantly, Josephine and the girls broke into tears.

Meanwhile, Jared, who was underwater at that point, was faced with a choice between life and death.

Based on his capabilities, the chance of him retrieving the draconic essence on his own was slim. However, he was determined to carry on when he remembered the suffering his mother was going through.

After diving into the pit, Jared was falling rapidly. Surprisingly, the water in the pond didn’t flow into the pit as expected. Instead, the water only sealed the pit. It was as if something was preventing the water from flowing into the bottomless pit.

Very quickly, Jared had landed on a soft and bouncy surface. In fact, it was as if he had landed on an inflated balloon. The surface was so bouncy that Jared had bounced off a distance upon landing.

Jared couldn’t see a thing in the pit because it was too dark. He carefully scrutinized the vicinity with his spiritual sense. Jared was puzzled when he realized he couldn’t sense Ice Dragon’s presence.

Jared then garnered a fireball in his palm and lit up the pit. After walking for a distance on the soft surface, he saw the draconic essence sitting steadily on a rock nearby.