Saleto stared stupidly at the ruins of his primordial artifact. It felt as though lightning had slammed straight through him, his legs nearly buckled beneath the shock.

He met Jared’s eyes, eyes that looked as if they could see through everything, and for the first time, despair flooded his heart.

W-What… What kind of monster is this man?

“Mr. Saleto,” Jared drawled, voice lazy as though watching a dull play, “Any other tricks? Don’t keep them tucked away, show me everything. I’m curious how much power the Seventh Hall can muster at its peak.”

“You! You’ve gone too far!” Driven to desperation, Saleto‘s gaze turned vicious. “Since you’re so eager to die, blame no one when I invoke a forbidden secret art!”

He bit through the tip of his tongue. A mouthful of blood essence spattered across his chest, and his hands blurred through an intricate, unfathomable seal.

In an instant, his aura surged. His already Top Level cultivation strained toward an outright breakthrough. Golden flames coiled around him, and eerie markings crawled across his face.