Ch. 3441..3450
Chapter 3441 Lie Again
If he said that Gloria was already his woman, he was afraid that Azure Dragon and the rest would suspect something. After all, the Ecclesiastic Order was the enemy now.
If Gloria was so close to Floyd, they might suspect that she was using him.
Azure Dragon and the others glanced over simultaneously, as if they had noticed Floyd’s odd reaction.
Something’s wrong! Is there a problem?
Naturally, Floyd understood this clearly. Even if they knew about this, he must not expose Gloria.
If they tell Master about it, we’d be doomed. Others might not be able to tell, but he’ll definitely find out at first glance.
“Is there a problem, Floyd? Are you hiding something?”
Black Tortoise immediately became wary.
“We are no longer in touch!” lamented Floyd.
“Huh? You lost contact? Weren’t you pursuing her frantically back at the Heavenly Base?”
“Yeah! You weren’t even cultivating. All you could think of was how to pursue her!” Phoenix and the others chimed in.
“When I was pursuing her, I realized that the gap between us was too huge! Regardless of whether it’s her status of background, she’s far beyond me. Her powers are much superior than mine too! I’ve already given up then. I don’t deserve her!” explained Floyd.
Azure Dragon and the rest exchanged a look. They understood what he was saying.
When they were at the Heavenly Base, everyone thought that the Ecclesiastic Order was extremely noble and haughty. They always thought that everyone else was beneath them.
Floyd continued, “After Master revealed his powers and defeated everyone, that gap naturally disappeared. Back then, the Ecclesiastic Order was about to kill him! Since they are our enemy, how can I possibly still pursue her?”
Azure Dragon nodded. “That’s right. I’m not saying that everyone in the Ecclesiastic Order is bad. However, at this point in time, we might be used if we keep in frequent contact with them. Think about how Master’s whereabouts have been exposed!”
Kirin patted Floyd’s shoulder. “Good job! Otherwise, you’d be used by them. Relationships are fine, as long as they don’t affect the larger picture. After the mess with the Ecclesiastic Order is over, you can see if you want to continue pursuing her. But for now, you should cast it aside.”
Floyd nodded. “I understand!”
Gazing at Azure Dragon and the rest as they left, he broke out into a cold sweat.
Phew, that was close! Azure Dragon and the rest are as wary as Master. However, they’re so focused on recovering that they won’t care excessively about other things. Otherwise, considering how wary they usually are, they would’ve discovered my relationship with Gloria.
That’s right! Even if Azure Dragon and the rest suspect something, they won’t care about it. Other than Master, I’m the only one responsible for everything else. Hence, they will still believe me. They’re just like Master—they trust every single person.
Floyd sighed.
It’s my second time lying.
“But for Gloria’s sake, it’s worth it! So what if I lied? Furthermore, what I’m doing is for the greater good for both sides! I’m preventing both parties from becoming enemies before even meeting.” Floyd consoled himself.
It was a special time now.
Floyd checked the surroundings of the base to prevent any external personnel from hiding there.
Soon, he arrived at where Forlevia was cultivating.
Not only was Forlevia there, but Zoey and the rest were also present.
Forlevia was teaching everyone the technique that she had created.
After all those crises, everyone realized that they must become even more powerful. They could not rely on Levi for everything. The fastest way to become powerful was to train Forlevia’s technique.
Forlevia was generous enough to teach everyone her technique.
When Floyd noticed it from afar, he was about to stop them. After all, when Gloria investigated this technique for him, she almost lost herself when practicing it.
He did not want others to be hurt because of it. However, he held himself back. If he were to stop them, he would reveal the fact that he had taken Forlevia’s technique away.
Chapter 3442 Had She Been Lying To Me From The Start
If I didn’t practice it, how would I know that one would lose oneself when practicing this technique? If this continued, I would expose Gloria.
Considering how observant Master is, he’d definitely suspect something immediately.
Hence, to protect Gloria, Floyd did not say anything—even if someone would get hurt after losing themselves in the technique.
After all, Gloria was the most important to him. Everyone else ranked behind her.
Still, he was a bit worried. Hence, he did not leave immediately and observed them from afar.
If anything happened, he could still intervene. In that case, he would not be completely ignoring them.
When he observed them, he was stunned.
It seemed like Forlevia had been teaching Zoey and the rest for quite some time. They could already use the technique skillfully.
At the very least, they were as familiar with the technique as Gloria.
Does this mean that they’re going to lose themselves? That happened to Gloria when she reached this stage. They’re going to be in danger!
Anxious, Floyd stared at them intently.
Zoey and the others started to cultivate the technique.
Time ticked by.
Five minutes passed…
Ten minutes passed…
Half an hour passed…
Yet, no one got hurt, let alone lost themselves.
Huh? Something’s wrong! Gloria went crazy when she first used this technique. Wait! Where’s the problem?
Gloria personally said that this technique was too overpowering. Only Forlevia could cultivate it—anyone else would go crazy.
Why is Mrs. Garrison and the rest still fine even though they’re cultivating the technique? They aren’t as powerful as Gloria. In fact, they’ve a relatively inferior spiritual bone. But why are they still all right despite practising Forlevia’s technique? Is she teaching them a different technique?
However, when he took a closer look, he realized that the technique was identical.
Did something wrong happen at any stage? Was it only Gloria who would lose herself when practising the technique? This doesn’t make sense.
Floyd continued observing.
Even when some amateurs were practising Forlevia’s technique, it went smoothly for them. Nothing bad happened.
This is weird! Why don’t I give it a try?
Ever since Gloria vomited blood after losing herself, Floyd gave up on the idea of practising Forlevia’s technique and had never tried it since.
Now, he had an urge to give it a try.
Soon, he went to the place where he usually cultivated and started practising Forlevia’s technique.
Buzz…
In an instant, he devoured all the spiritual energy and elements in the surrounding.
Floyd was very nervous and careful as he was afraid that he would lose himself.
Soon, he arrived at the stage where Gloria lost herself.
He became even more careful just in case something bad would happen.
To his surprise, he passed that stage smoothly and proceeded to even more advanced levels.
Soon, he felt like everything in the world was rushing toward him—he was the center of heaven and earth.
As he kept absorbing the spiritual energy in the environment, he discovered what was so wonderful about Forlevia’s technique.
While the Art of Consumption relied on external help, Forlevia’s technique relied on itself.
Actually, Gloria realized it too. The technique did not absorb—instead, it devoured.
After Floyd practised Forlevia’s technique for a while, his powers increased crazily.
He was the most intuitive and gifted amongst Levi’s disciple, but Forlevia’s technique elevated him even further.
Within half an hour, his abilities soared to a new height.
Floyd was filled with disbelief.
He did not expect that Forlevia’s technique was so magical. Furthermore, it was not so overpowering that it would cause one to lose oneself—like what Gloria claimed.
“Oh my God! This…”
To ensure that he would not lose himself, Floyd practised it a couple more times.
Nothing he feared happened.
“Was Gloria lying to me from the start?”
Chapter 3443 When Did Floyd Learn The Technique
A terrifying thought popped up in his mind, shocking even Floyd himself.
“What am I doing? How dare I suspect Gloria?” Floyd chided himself.
However, he could not stop wondering about it. Even though so many people practised the technique, none of them lost themselves.
Why is Gloria only the one who faced difficulties? She’s even stronger than them! How could she have lost herself?
Furthermore, her cultivation techniques aren’t too extreme. They’re the same as mine. But I didn’t lose myself, so how could she have?
Gloria even said that the technique was overpowering and that anyone who practised it would lose themselves. But I cultivated it earlier. How is it overpowering? Not at all! Though the speed at which I absorbed the spiritual energy was overpowering… Is it Gloria’s own problem or is she lying to me?
Even though Floyd tried his best not to suspect Gloria, that thought kept surfacing in his mind. He could not control himself at all.
Did Gloria want to practise this technique secretly but was afraid that I’ll be suspicious? Is that why she pretended to lose herself, so I will think that only Forlevia can practise such an overpowering technique? In that case, I won’t suspect that Gloria’s practising it too!
In fact, Gloria might be the one who made me suspect that Master’s keeping it to himself and that Forlevia’s technique is the Art of Consumption.
Her goal was to get her hands on Forlevia’s technique! If that’s true, she would’ve reached her goal. Right from the start, all she wanted was Forlevia’s technique. Losing herself was just an act! Even I was intimidated. I even believed that only Forlevia could practise it.
The more Floyd wanted to dispel these thoughts, the more he thought about it.
He felt like he was going crazy.
I must not suspect Gloria! She’s my woman! How can I suspect her? Are you even a decent person, Floyd?
Floyd kept chiding himself. However, those thoughts kept encircling his mind.
He was about to fall into despair. The more he thought about it, the more likely it was that Gloria had deceived him.
Hence, he started to find evidence to disprove his thoughts.
Oh, right! If Gloria really practised Forlevia’s technique, her powers would have reached a peak after such a long time. I’ve been meeting her every day. Even though she is becoming stronger, the level of her powers is still quite standard. Also, when Gloria lost herself that day, it seemed quite real. She won’t lie to me.
Could it be that people from the Ecclesiastic Order cannot practise it? After all, they’ve been cultivating different techniques right from the start. Since they have different dispositions too, they can’t practise the technique. On the other hand, Zoey and the rest could. This must be it!
Furthermore, his understanding of Gloria was that she was a very direct person. If she wanted to practise Forlevia’s technique, she would tell him honestly instead of playing all these tricks.
After undergoing the intense mental struggle, Floyd finally convinced himself.
“Gloria treats me so well! I have no right to suspect her! Instead, I should be the one defending her when everyone’s suspecting her!” Floyd criticized himself harshly.
After tossing those thoughts aside, Floyd started cultivating. After practising Forlevia’s technique, he had discovered a whole new world.
He could become stronger and catch up with Gloria. At the same time, he could help his master and take revenge for Azure Dragon and the rest.
It was a pity that he had not discovered this beforehand. If he had practised the technique earlier, his powers would have reached unknown heights by now.
Hence, Floyd frantically cultivated Forlevia’s technique.
When he was in the middle of cultivating, a voice sounded. “When did you learn Forlevia’s technique?”
That voice scared the wits out of Floyd.
“Master?”
Chapter 3444 The Esoteric Guild As A Scapegoat
Floyd turned around only to see Levi standing behind him for who knows how long.
He quickly greeted Levi to mask the guilt he was feeling.
“Oh? You know Evie’s technique too?” asked Levi.
“Uh… Evie taught it to me! She taught Mrs. Garrison and the others her technique too in hopes that everyone can grow more powerful. That way, we can help you!” Floyd instantly came up with an excuse.
“That’s great! Practice to perfect it!” Levi nodded in approval.
“Evie’s technique truly suits you guys, unlike my basic technique!”
With a final smile, Levi patted Floyd on the shoulder and departed.
Tailing Levi’s diminishing silhouette with his eye, Floyd let go of the breath he was holding and started panting for air.
I can’t keep doing this! It feels as though I’m treading on thin ice every day. How long am I supposed to live like this? Please let this torture end soon…
Floyd could not wait to introduce Gloria to everyone else.
He wanted her to be a part of the family as soon as possible.
Unbeknownst to him, the girl he was desperately pining over was plotting scheme after scheme.
On the other side, the social connections possessed by the Holy Guild were as remarkable as ever, for they managed to contact the shadow guards.
“Where have you brought the Three Sages of North Pavilion to the other day?” the representatives of the Holy Guild interrogated.
The shadow guards merely gave a tight-lipped smile in response. “Surely you are well versed with our principles. We won’t reveal who our employers are…” they stalled.
“But one thing we can tell you: the Three Sages of North Pavilion are dead!” declared the shadow guards.
Those from the Holy Guild were taken aback by the news. “Wait, what? They’re dead? Then why would someone hire you to save them? We intended to kill the Three Sages as well. That means we shared the same goal…”
The shadow guards shook their heads. “That’s a question we don’t know the answer to.”
“Who on earth hired you? Whatever price they offered, we’ll give you ten folds!” Someone from the Holy Guild began to bargain.
To their dismay, the shadow guards proceeded to shake their heads. “That’s against our principles! Not to mention, we don’t know who hired us either. We only know that the method they used to contact us was very clumsy, unlike those from the Ecclesiastic Order…”
Upon hearing that piece of information, the crowd was shocked. “What did you say? Unlike those from the Ecclesiastic Order?”
“Yeah! That’s our hunch! After all, many from the Ecclesiastic Order know our existence. If they want to find us, they’ll cross Gerton! But whoever hired us didn’t know about Gerton…”
The men from the Holy Guild immediately passed the news to Solocus.
“Not from the Ecclesiastic Order? Were my suspicions wrong?” Solocus hesitated.
“Could it be that it wasn’t someone among us after all, but rather an external force?”
Doubt crept into Solocus’ mind.
“It’s possible! Perhaps the other party is trying to confuse us by leading us to think it was someone among us!”
“That would explain why we couldn’t find anything when we kept investigating within the Ecclesiastic Order these few days!”
“I was just starting to wonder if we were mistaken. It’s impossible that we couldn’t find anyone at all. Furthermore, what had happened didn’t seem like something one or two people could pull off. I say there’s more to it!”
“Now that you mention it, it does seem more and more likely that an external force is behind everything! They must have counted on us turning against each other!”
More and more people started to analyze the situation so that they could contribute to the discussion.
Solocus was puzzled. “External forces? We’ve already familiarized ourselves with the few powerful factions apart from us. Everyone we know is already a part of this whole ordeal! Who else could be the mastermind behind all of this?” he questioned.
“Oh, wait! I just remembered one that we might have overlooked!” someone piped up.
“In the past, this guild was considered a legendary existence along with us: the Esoteric Guild!”
When the name of the guild was mentioned, an uproar broke out amongst the crowd.
“After the spiritual energy revival, the Esoteric Guild and we showed up together. Ever since then, there is no news regarding the Esoteric Guild anymore. Don’t you guys find it weird?”
“How did we forget the existence of such a powerful guild? We didn’t even mention it as an option! This serves as proof of how clever they are in hiding themselves!”
The crowd started to analyze the situation.
After a moment of pondering, a chill crept up their spines as a terrifying realization hit them.
How could such an enormous guild make themselves invisible?
How is it possible that no one dared to mention them?
“I bet it was the Esoteric Guild that was behind all this!”
“Agreed! If such a powerful force is behind everything, then everything else fits into the picture.”
Chapter 3445 Carrying A Baby For Floyd
Although Solocus still was a bit hesitant, he could not deny the fact that the Esoteric Guild had the power and ability to do so.
After all, who would believe that all that had happened was controlled by an anonymous person within the Ecclesiastic Order?
Who could have such an advanced ability?
There had to be a much stronger force behind everything.
If that was the case, everything could be explained.
That would also mean that there were spies from the Esoteric Guild within the Ecclesiastic Order.
The crowd seemed to follow the same train of thought. “Of course, they must have spies within the Ecclesiastic Order! If not, they couldn’t have carried out their schemes either!”
“Their target must have been to turn those within the Ecclesiastic Order against each other. They must have been surprised when we united with each other instead.”
“Now all they can do is trigger our animosity against Levi so that our two parties could fight each other till we used up the last bit of our energy. That way, they can reap the benefits without having to do anything at all!”
“That’s what happened to North Pavilion…”
At that moment, everyone was sure that the next step would be to uncover the spies from the Esoteric Guild within the Ecclesiastic Order.
The elder of East Pavilion spoke up, “According to my deductions, they were the ones who took the Top Ten and the cornerstone divine tools.”
“What about the Three Sages of North Pavilion? Why would the Esoteric Guild be after them?” Someone pointed out.
“It has to be so that they could uncover the various secrets of the cornerstone divine tools of North Pavilion! Remember, the Three Sages of North Pavilion knows all of the secrets of the Ecclesiastic Order!”
“If that’s the case, does that mean we would find the bodies of the Three Sages with the Esoteric Guild?”
Upon reaching that conclusion, Solocus immediately barked an order. “Send people to search the Esoteric Guild! See if we can find the bodies of the Three Sages of North Pavilion!”
He proceeded to announce, “Our target has now changed! I want half of us to start investigating the Esoteric Guild!”
No one could have expected the Holy Guild to change their targets so quickly.
Everything was going according to Gloria’s plan.
She was the one that hired the shadow guards.
Even though the shadow guards could not be controlled, they abide by a strict set of unwavering principles. As long as one gave them what they wanted, they would do whatever he or she wished for.
Gloria had purposefully requested them to reveal such a piece of information to the Holy Guild so that the Holy Guild would turn their focus onto the Esoteric Guild.
After that, she left a trail of clues.
She then proceeded to meet up personally with different individuals from different factions within the Ecclesiastic Order.
All those she had met up with were people she had complete control over.
Gloria had used the same technique she used on Floyd on the rest of them. She had managed to sweep them off their feet, making each and every one of them drunk on their feelings for her.
As long as Gloria said the word, all of them were willing to die for her.
“This is the time I need your help… Of course, you don’t have to help me. I can’t ask someone else for help.”
Gloria repeated almost the same thing to all of them.
She did not try to hide what she wanted them to do either. Instead, she let them know that she wanted them to be her scapegoats without beating around the bush.
Nevertheless, those men took Gloria’s honesty as sincerity and agreed to it without a second thought.
Whatever it was that Gloria asked them to do, they would do it.
Those men were all carefully selected by Gloria. All of them were head over heels for her and wrapped around her finger.
Not a single one of them was less than Floyd.
In fact, there would be no doubt that they would still stand by Gloria’s side after finding out what she was about to do.
Undeniably, Gloria was terrifying.
Even though she was not a figure of authority, she had so many people at her disposal.
Not only so, Gloria also knew that the intelligence department of North Pavilion was working for Levi.
“Perfect. Let me give Levi some information as well!” Gloria sneered.
Within a short period of two to three days, Gloria had arranged everything according to her plan.
“With everything I’ve planned, it should be enough to keep both Levi and the Holy Guild busy for the time being!” Gloria thought out loud.
“Enough time for my spiritual bone transplant!”
With a smirk, she concluded her plans. “Now all that I have to do is to deal with Floyd!”
Gloria took a risk and went to see Floyd.
By making it seem as though she was taking a huge risk just to see him, Gloria gave him the illusion that she cared for him. That way, Floyd’s dependence on Gloria increased.
Her actions managed to capture his heart even more than before.
“After all of this Floyd, I’ll carry a baby for you!”
Before Gloria left, she tossed Floyd one last sentence, locking his alliance to herself.
Not surprisingly, Floyd began to get excited about the future.
Yet at the same time, he felt more and more guilty.
Chapter 3446 Devourer Spiritual Bone Transplanted
Gloria has been so dedicated to me. I can’t believe that I was suspicious of her before.
Floyd vowed that no one else would be allowed to slander Gloria anymore.
Whoever slandered Gloria would have to go through him first.
Even if the person was Levi.
Gloria had officially taken up the biggest portion of his heart.
Whoever slanders her shall die!
After easily dealing with Floyd, Gloria made her way to Corpse Pit.
It was time.
The Bone Grandmaster had prepared everything.
All that was meant to be done was for Gloria to undergo the spiritual bone transplant.
Of course, Gloria had arranged everything to the most minute details with West Pavilion before she departed.
At the Corpse Pit, the Bone Grandmaster had managed to make a devourer spiritual bone similar to that of Forlevia’s.
It was a lot bigger than Gloria had expected.
The devourer spiritual bone was mainly based on Rylai’s spiritual bone. The legendary spiritual bones of the other nine were ground into fine powder to be utilized.
Even if the spiritual bone was not yet a match to Forlevia’s, it should not have too much of a power difference by then.
Moreover, Gloria had already found the correct way to use her technique.
That was enough for Gloria.
Gloria even wanted to perform the spiritual bone transplant in front of the Top Ten members to completely crushed their souls.
The Top Ten elites were not easily unnerved. Yet at that moment, all of them could no longer remain calm.
They were so on edge that they were on the brink of losing their minds.
Their confidence once again suffered tremendous loss.
“This is…”
Sonja and the three others were crestfallen.
They had hoped that Levi would be able to find them before Gloria’s spiritual bone transplant.
In the end, he was still too late.
From the smug look of confidence on Gloria’s face, Sonja was sure that the former had planned everything according to her desire.
It would take a while for Levi and his troops to find them there.
Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.
Once Gloria’s spiritual bone transplant was completed, would anyone be able to stop her?
After she had devoured all those power, would Levi still be her match?
Nothing could be certain anymore.
Either way, there was no doubt that Gloria would be a completely new person once the transplant was completed.
Her powers would also be stronger than ever before.
Once the preparations for the transplant had been completed, five Bonemasters prepared to perform the procedure.
Once again, it was hard to not be in awe of Gloria’s wit and abilities.
She had even trained her own Bonemasters.
Before long, the procedure began.
The Top Ten were losing their minds even more as each second passed by.
They could not accept the fact that their spiritual bone would be transplanted into someone else.
What made the matters worse was that all ten of their spiritual bones would be transplanted into one person: Gloria.
Sonja could only pray that Gloria’s plan would fail.
In the meantime, the intelligence department of North Pavilion had brought the news to Levi.
“What was that? The Holy Guild is investigating the Esoteric Guild? They’re suspecting that the Esoteric Guild is the mastermind behind everything?”
Levi was astounded by the news.
After thinking it through, he admitted that there was such a possibility.
The culprit would be expected to be of a powerful party to be able to play everyone in the palm of their hands.
If one was to think clearly, how could a nobody in the Ecclesiastic Order be able to pull it off?
However, Levi frowned in response.
According to his previous investigations, he was almost certain that it was someone from West Pavilion.
Yet all of a sudden, the Esoteric Guild was added into the picture.
Regarding the Esoteric Guild, no one knew much about them.
Nonetheless, it was possible that the Esoteric Guild was behind everything.
Yet at the same time, it seemed unlikely or even impossible.
After all, Levi could not find any motives for the Esoteric Guild.
Besides, it had been so long. Aside from intercepting them at the beginning, the Esoteric Guild did not do anything else.
Could this be a misdirection?
We had just managed to dig something up and were starting to have a little progress, but now the Esoteric Guild shows up?
Something doesn’t feel right!
Levi suspected that it was all a trick.
As for the Holy Guild, they were oblivious to the possibility that it could all be a misdirection.
That was because they had come up with the conclusion themselves, unlike Levi, who was told.
Therefore, it was natural for Levi to feel suspicious.
“You guys can go investigate the Esoteric Guild. I’ll still keep my eyes on West Pavilion!”
Ultimately, Levi chose to investigate both sides, not letting either one of the leads go.
“Could it be possible that whoever is behind all of this is planning to do something huge? Is that why they planned this misdirection?” Levi wondered.
“I’m going to West Pavilion to have a look…”
With that, Levi took off.
Chapter 3446 Devourer Spiritual Bone Transplanted
Gloria has been so dedicated to me. I can’t believe that I was suspicious of her before.
Floyd vowed that no one else would be allowed to slander Gloria anymore.
Whoever slandered Gloria would have to go through him first.
Even if the person was Levi.
Gloria had officially taken up the biggest portion of his heart.
Whoever slanders her shall die!
After easily dealing with Floyd, Gloria made her way to Corpse Pit.
It was time.
The Bone Grandmaster had prepared everything.
All that was meant to be done was for Gloria to undergo the spiritual bone transplant.
Of course, Gloria had arranged everything to the most minute details with West Pavilion before she departed.
At the Corpse Pit, the Bone Grandmaster had managed to make a devourer spiritual bone similar to that of Forlevia’s.
It was a lot bigger than Gloria had expected.
The devourer spiritual bone was mainly based on Rylai’s spiritual bone. The legendary spiritual bones of the other nine were ground into fine powder to be utilized.
Even if the spiritual bone was not yet a match to Forlevia’s, it should not have too much of a power difference by then.
Moreover, Gloria had already found the correct way to use her technique.
That was enough for Gloria.
Gloria even wanted to perform the spiritual bone transplant in front of the Top Ten members to completely crushed their souls.
The Top Ten elites were not easily unnerved. Yet at that moment, all of them could no longer remain calm.
They were so on edge that they were on the brink of losing their minds.
Their confidence once again suffered tremendous loss.
“This is…”
Sonja and the three others were crestfallen.
They had hoped that Levi would be able to find them before Gloria’s spiritual bone transplant.
In the end, he was still too late.
From the smug look of confidence on Gloria’s face, Sonja was sure that the former had planned everything according to her desire.
It would take a while for Levi and his troops to find them there.
Everyone sucked in a breath of cold air.
Once Gloria’s spiritual bone transplant was completed, would anyone be able to stop her?
After she had devoured all those power, would Levi still be her match?
Nothing could be certain anymore.
Either way, there was no doubt that Gloria would be a completely new person once the transplant was completed.
Her powers would also be stronger than ever before.
Once the preparations for the transplant had been completed, five Bonemasters prepared to perform the procedure.
Once again, it was hard to not be in awe of Gloria’s wit and abilities.
She had even trained her own Bonemasters.
Before long, the procedure began.
The Top Ten were losing their minds even more as each second passed by.
They could not accept the fact that their spiritual bone would be transplanted into someone else.
What made the matters worse was that all ten of their spiritual bones would be transplanted into one person: Gloria.
Sonja could only pray that Gloria’s plan would fail.
In the meantime, the intelligence department of North Pavilion had brought the news to Levi.
“What was that? The Holy Guild is investigating the Esoteric Guild? They’re suspecting that the Esoteric Guild is the mastermind behind everything?”
Levi was astounded by the news.
After thinking it through, he admitted that there was such a possibility.
The culprit would be expected to be of a powerful party to be able to play everyone in the palm of their hands.
If one was to think clearly, how could a nobody in the Ecclesiastic Order be able to pull it off?
However, Levi frowned in response.
According to his previous investigations, he was almost certain that it was someone from West Pavilion.
Yet all of a sudden, the Esoteric Guild was added into the picture.
Regarding the Esoteric Guild, no one knew much about them.
Nonetheless, it was possible that the Esoteric Guild was behind everything.
Yet at the same time, it seemed unlikely or even impossible.
After all, Levi could not find any motives for the Esoteric Guild.
Besides, it had been so long. Aside from intercepting them at the beginning, the Esoteric Guild did not do anything else.
Could this be a misdirection?
We had just managed to dig something up and were starting to have a little progress, but now the Esoteric Guild shows up?
Something doesn’t feel right!
Levi suspected that it was all a trick.
As for the Holy Guild, they were oblivious to the possibility that it could all be a misdirection.
That was because they had come up with the conclusion themselves, unlike Levi, who was told.
Therefore, it was natural for Levi to feel suspicious.
“You guys can go investigate the Esoteric Guild. I’ll still keep my eyes on West Pavilion!”
Ultimately, Levi chose to investigate both sides, not letting either one of the leads go.
“Could it be possible that whoever is behind all of this is planning to do something huge? Is that why they planned this misdirection?” Levi wondered.
“I’m going to West Pavilion to have a look…”
With that, Levi took off.
Chapter 3448 Seize All Of Them
The moles in the Esoteric Guild were seized in a short time.
“If our plan remains on the right track, we’ve seized important clues! Soon, we’ll be able to figure out the mastermind in the Esoteric Guild behind everything!” Solocus said.
However, someone reported some bad news to Solocus soon. “Master Solocus, bad news! The moles were all murdered when being transported! Some mysterious fighters had killed all of them in the shadows! They acted so quickly that we couldn’t withstand their attack!”
“What? Did you say all moles are dead?”
Solocus’ expression turned grim upon hearing it.
As soon as something occurred to him, Solocus shouted, “Hurry! The four persons are in imminent danger!”
With that, Solocus headed toward the detention center hastily.
When Solocus arrived at the entrance of the detention center, all he saw were four corpses.
Jake and the other three persons were already murdered.
“Who did it?” Solocus asked coldly.
“Master Solocus, they assassinated all four of them at lightning speed! I think they could be assassins from Hell’s Gate!”
“Yes, I think they are from the assassin organization that belongs to the Ecclesiastic Order!”
At that time, more people arrived at the detention center.
It turned out that the same thing happened— some assassins murdered all prisoners when they were transported.
“We suspect the fighters come from assassin organizations such as Hell’s Gate, Zar, and Bloodleaf. Also, they vanished once they successfully killed the prisoners! It appears that someone has it all planned out!”
Meanwhile, one of them asked doubtfully, “Master Solocus, could it be that the mastermind is not from the Esoteric Guild? After all, the assassins are from the Ecclesiastic Order!”
“He’s right. It has nothing to do with the Esoteric Guild, right?
As everyone began to have doubts, Solocus glared at them and argued, “If you guys are from the Esoteric Guild, will you murder someone openly? Instead, hiring assassins from the Ecclesiastic Order is the best choice!”
After Solocus pointed it out, everyone nodded in realization.
Initially, many of them had doubts about the Esoteric Guild’s role.
After the two recent incidents, they believed that the Esoteric Guild was most likely the mastermind.
“Curse the Esoteric Guild! How dare they lay a finger on us! They must have a death wish!” Solocus was exasperated.
“Master Solocus, what should we do now? Should we declare war against the Esoteric Guild now?” The crowd was curious.
How can the Ecclesiastic Order tolerate this?
Much to everyone’s surprise, Solocus rejected it. “No way! We need to discuss further and continue investigating the matter! After all, we’re not entirely sure about it for now. What if we’re wrong? Besides, what if Levi and other forces grab the chance to go up against us once we declare war against the Esoteric Guild?
“As far as I know, the Esoteric Guild might be on par with us in terms of strength. Both sides will suffer heavy losses if we were to fight them now!”
Solocus paused for a while and said, “Our goal now is to confirm whether the Esoteric Guild is the mastermind. Hence, we need complete evidence to prove it!”
As Solocus was always cautious, he refused to make any hasty conclusion despite multiple pieces of evidence, for he wanted to be entirely sure about it.
“Let’s see if we can find anything near the Esoteric Guild…”
From then, Solocus expanded the search for more evidence.
Just as Solocus had hoped for, more clues surfaced two days later.
The dead bodies of the Three Sages of North Pavilion were found near the Esoteric Guild.
The entire Ecclesiastic Order was in havoc once they realized that the Three Sages were seized and killed by the Esoteric Guild.
As expected, everyone in the Ecclesiastic Order was furious when the bodies of the Three Sages were brought back.
All the more so, there were apparent signs that the Three Sages were tortured before being killed.
The bodies were already dried up by the time they found the Three Sages.
With the fresh evidence, everyone believed that the Esoteric Guild was responsible for everything.
“Furthermore, they even absorbed the power of the Three Sages of North Pavilion. How could it be…” Solocus murmured with a grim expression.
Miles away, Levi also received the news that the bodies of the Three Sages of North Pavilion were discovered near the Esoteric Guild.
“Oh? It doesn’t seem right! If I were the mastermind, I would’ve burned the bodies of the Three Sages!”
Levi couldn’t help but have doubts about the incident.
Chapter 3449 Days Are Numbered
Why would the mastermind abandon the bodies? It doesn’t make any sense!
Well, there is another possible explanation— The Esoteric Guild is overly confident that no one can trace it.
Nonetheless, Levi thought the explanation was rather unlikely.
Judging from the mastermind’s style, he was cautious and mindful of every tiny detail.
Therefore, Levi couldn’t believe that the mastermind would casually abandon the corpses.
After considering every aspect, Levi began to think it could well be the masterminds’ plan to frame someone else for their crime.
Therefore, Levi opined that he had to keep a close eye on the West Pavilion, for the so-called evidence could be a false front to distract him and the Holy Guild.
If Levi’s inference was correct, the mastermind could be brewing a horrible plan now.
It is the only explanation!
At that time, Levi felt he was close to the truth but couldn’t be entirely sure.
All things considered, Levi’s best course of action was to keep a close watch on the West Pavilion.
Unlike Levi, the Holy Guild didn’t have the same doubts because it discovered the evidence.
Due to the discovery of the seemingly solid evidence and the moles, the Holy Guild didn’t think otherwise.
“Next, we must focus on finding the Top Ten and the four cornerstone divine tools. If the Esoteric Guild is the mastermind, I believe we’ll get the answer very soon. Anyway, remember that it must be done secretly. We mustn’t alert them that we’re investigating them.”
Solocus added, “All the while, we had been investigating it by searching the areas outside the Esoteric Guild. Now, we have to infiltrate the Esoteric Guild!”
To ensure that everything could go smoothly, Solocus picked the best men to go on the mission.
After making the arrangement, Solocus began to plan the step forward. “If it turns out that the Esoteric Guild is the culprit, we can team up with Levi to destroy the Esoteric Guild first!”
“Oh? Did you say teaming up with Levi? Will he agree to it?”
Everybody present was astounded at Solocus’ proposal.
Solocus put on a faint smile and explained, “I understand Levi better than all of you. Although we haven’t met in person, I know Levi has zero tolerance for schemers. Therefore, if the Esoteric Guild is the culprit, he will never let it off the hook!”
With that, everyone nodded in agreement. “Master Solocus is right. After all, Levi’s sword was also stolen. Once the truth surfaces, he won’t let the culprit off the hook.”
“In that case, we’re natural allies and can team up easily! Moreover, we can stand to benefit if Levi and the Esoteric Guild suffer heavy losses!”
“I guess you’re right…”
Everybody present thought that Solocus’ plan was workable.
It had to be said that Gloria’s move was brilliant, for she successfully diverted the attention of both sides.
Now, all she had to do was wait for the transplant of the spiritual bone.
Everything was progressing very smoothly.
As Gloria’s spiritual bone had been removed, the new devourer spiritual bone was about to be transplanted into her body.
Meanwhile, Sonja and the rest witnessed everything from the beginning till the critical juncture.
Deep down, they hoped that either Levi would come or Gloria’s spiritual bone transplantation would fail.
However, their wish didn’t come true, for God and good luck seemed to be on Gloria’s side.
Neither did Levi come, nor did any accident happen throughout the transplantation process.
On the contrary, everything progressed just like Gloria wished.
Although the Bone Grandmaster wasn’t involved in the transplantation, he watched the entire process as though he enjoyed looking at his piece of art.
“The Ecclesiastic Order’s days are numbered, for the new Demon King is about to be born! Hahaha…”
The Bone Grandmaster burst into laughter as he watched the transplantation.
Although Gloria had informed Floyd beforehand, he still wished to keep in touch with her all the time.
After all, Floyd had grown increasingly dependent on Gloria over time.
Eventually, he couldn’t hold back his desire to contact Gloria.
However, Floyd’s attempts were to no avail, for Gloria never answered his calls.
Something isn’t right. Could it be that Gloria is in trouble?
It was the first thing that popped into Floyd’s mind.
In addition, Floyd recalled something was amiss when Gloria contacted him recently.
It was as if something was about to happen soon.
Floyd didn’t realize it back then, but now he thought Gloria could be in danger.
Chapter 3450 A Major Discovery
No! I have to investigate!
Besides himself with worry, word arrived from Gloria’s end via their secret channel just as Floyd was about to set out in search of her.
In his haste to express how worried he had been, Floyd did not expect a man on the other end.
His name was Callahan Wolden, Gloria’s most capable assistant whose absolute loyalty earned him the honor of temporarily being in charge of all her affairs.
Callahan merely laughed at Floyd’s concerns.
“Look at you, dog! Do you imagine yourself worthy of Gloria? Stop dreaming! Even I do not dare think of her that way. She will be a powerhouse soon, placing herself even further beyond our reach!”
As per his orders, Callahan carried out his communication with Floyd in the manner with which Gloria herself employed.
It was her who had arranged in advance for Callahan to communicate with the men she controlled on her behalf to avoid any accidents that may jeopardize her plans.
Floyd was not the only one.
Over twelve hours, Callahan had contacted and communicated with more than a hundred people. All of them Gloria had charmed.
It was a task of great importance to her operations, to say the least.
As Floyd was a key target, Callahan was forced to invest more time in him than the names on the list.
At the same time, he was also tasked to collect information about Levi’s movements.
After taking comfort from Gloria’s reassurance, Floyd felt empowered to resume his cultivation.
Being a member of the West Pavilion and the son of Kevin Wolden, the lord of the West Pavilion, afforded Callahan the luxury of resuming his task of calling the other names on the list in the privacy of his secure residence.
Though the major factions have been conducting investigations in secret of late, nobody would find him where he hid.
Callahan followed Gloria willingly because he, too, fell prey to her spell.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Levi was at that moment in the West Pavilion conducting a secret investigation, which led him to Callahan’s residence.
It had come to his attention that the resident within those walls was attempting to make contact with somebody on the outside via a secret channel of the Ecclesiastic Order.
Somebody has a lot of calls to make. A dozen of them had been placed within such a short period!
Levi found it deeply suspicious.
They’re sending a message to specific individuals at specific locations around the world. Why? Something fishy is going on.
By that point, Levi had amassed a general understanding of the people of the West Pavilion.
“That must be Callahan, the son of the master of the West Pavilion!” he muttered to himself. “Somebody convenient to be, indeed.”
“Though he is not a council member of the West Pavilion,” Levi went on, thinking out loud, “the actual council would be only a phone call away. It’s more than likely that he would be aware of some big secrets.”
However, Levi was well aware that he had bigger fish to catch than Callahan.
He is too careless to be the mastermind of all of it by exposing himself like that. There must be someone controlling everything.
Levi could not think of many candidates whose rank and status were higher than even Callahan’s.
It remained a point of conflict with Levi’s initial guess.
There aren’t many more whose ranks are higher than his. The Lord of the West Pavilion should be the limit.
“I have my eye on you,” Levi whispered, a sneer curling his lips. “I’ll find out what you’re up to.”
As the next step in pursuing that hunch, he would interrogate Callahan and the people who were in contact with him.
No one, not even Gloria, expected her right-hand man to have exposed that easily.
As the week dragged on, more and more clues were uncovered by the Holy Guild.
All of which pointed to the Esoteric Guild.
Levi also conducted a comprehensive investigation of Callahan during that period.
However, the latter remained careful not to leave any evidence behind.
Levi was beginning to sense information regarding his quarry becoming sparser.
I need more time to gather the information I need.
At the exact moment at the Corpse Pit, the devourer spirit bone was finally transplanted into Gloria’s body through the efforts of the five Bonemasters.
For the time being, everything still had the semblance of normalcy.
“One final step to go! We shall know that it has been a success once the spiritual bone begins incorporating itself into your body!”