Ch. 3451..3460
Chapter 3451 Successful Transplant
It was the moment all of them were looking forward to.
Bone Grandmaster did not dare blink lest he missed something.
Sonja and the others watched nervously as well, though they were expecting, even hoping that Gloria would fall short at that critical moment.
To their dismay, Gloria was destined to succeed.
Not only did Levi fail to locate her in time, but the transplant proved successful.
In the end, her body had perfectly incorporated the devourer spiritual bone and began to work its power through her veins.
That was one of the strengths of the devourer spiritual bone.
Other spiritual bone transplants, like the one belonging to the Azure Dragon, required a lot of time for the host body to get used to. Even up to that point, they still had not shown up.
As it remained foreign to the human body, extra time was needed for the practitioner to accustom their system after the procedure.
However, devourer spiritual bones were different.
There was no adaptation process. Instead, the act of giving in to the devourer spiritual bone’s instinct for consumption was the adaptation itself.
Therefore, the last step was relatively simple.
“Hah! I made it!” Gloria cackled upon her recovery not long after.
Bone Grandmaster stared at her nervously. “Do you feel any discomfort?”
Gloria prodded the incision gingerly before exclaiming in surprise. “None at all! I feel that my body and the devourer spiritual bone have been perfectly fused together! There is no need for me to adapt!”
“What?”
Bone Grandmaster and the others were stunned.
How is such a brief recovery for such a damaging procedure even possible?
Even if the devourer spiritual bone did not require a period to adapt to its host, the perfect integration upon the first try was nothing short of a miracle.
“That’s right!” Bone Grandmaster concluded excitedly. “Your cultivation technique must have been the reason why the devourer spiritual bone and you have fused so effortlessly!”
Gloria nodded. “It should be so! I have been practicing this technique for long enough that the act of devouring has become second nature. The devourer spiritual bone senses and submits to a powerful master, it seems.”
“Hurry up and show us!”
Bone Grandmaster was already impatient.
The others were also watching intently.
“Very well!”
A cold glint appeared in Gloria’s eyes before she gestured forcefully with one arm.
Demonsbane, one of the cornerstone divine tools, flew handle-first into her outstretched hand.
She started to devour the cornerstone divine tool.
Hum!
A second later, Demonsbane began to vibrate as every shred of its essence disappeared down Gloria’s body.
The others noticed in disbelief that the rate of her consumption had become hundreds of times faster than what she was capable of.
It was worthy to note that Demonsbane contained traces of its wielders of dynasties past and as a result, had been augmented by the powers of its prior masters.
Terrifying to the extreme.
As far as the powers sealed within Demonsbane were concerned, it certainly far exceeded the combined strength of the Three Sages in the North Pavilion.
After all, they also relied upon the cornerstone divine tools as their power source.
Within seconds, Demonsbane had become nothing more than a crumpled hunk of scrap metal after Gloria was done with it.
With that addition, Gloria’s power was raised to another level.
The sky directly above the Corpse Pit was already a gathering of storms. As thunder burst overhead, the sky turned from black to bloody.
The faint whispers of unjust protests, numbering in the millions, grew louder as if struggling to have their grievances heard.
She has become too powerful!
The unnatural augmentation of Gloria’s strength aroused the anger of heaven and earth.
However, that was only the beginning as Gloria embarked upon her path of gluttony.
Nine Celestials Bow! Ethereal Spear! Tear of Grace!
One after another, the cornerstone divine tools had their essence extracted at a rate that stunned the crowd.
Terrifying!
After devouring the four artifacts, Gloria’s strength had reached a level that was previously unimaginable.
Bone Grandmaster himself was stunned.
If his memory served, there have been no more than five instances of power of such magnitude within the Ecclesiastic Order since its inception.
With four of them already deceased, only one remained.
It was the Minister of the Ecclesiastic Order, the most important member of the organization.
However, that was just the beginning for Gloria.
Having digested the cornerstone divine tools merely minutes prior, she was already on the prowl for more.
At this rate, I will surpass the five most powerful members in the history of the Ecclesiastic Order and reign supreme! I will kill my way through Levi’s forces until he decides to show himself! Soon, all life shall bow to only me as their one true God!
The bestowment of the power to subvert everything turned Gloria into a different person.
Chapter 3452 The Power To Anger The Heavens
Originally more shrewd than many male elders, the sudden gain of near-limitless power had not distorted her sense of reality.
Instead of feeling uncomfortable, Gloria felt that power had been her birthright.
That confidence had been instilled in her long before the transplant.
“Are you seeing this?” Gloria shouted at the Top Ten. “I am a true Paladin! You all are nothing beneath me!”
Anger glinted in all of their eyes as everything they were proud of now belonged completely to her.
“However,” continued Gloria as she gazed at Sonja and the others once more, “do not despair. I will fight for your deepest desires as you have for me! Together, the world shall be ours, and we shall live like kings and queens! Join me and witness the moment of my ascent. You will not die to our foes under my protection.”
At her words, Bone Grandmaster savored in the imagination of his far-fetched plan to avenge himself on the Ecclesiastic Order.
“Power!” Bone Grandmaster laughed maniacally. “Unlimited power! Consume everything in sight!”
Gloria did not stop. She intended to swallow everything within the Corpse Pit.
That should take me further than any mortal has gone before!
Boom!
As soon as Gloria began channeling her technique, the dark energy that had gathered in the Corpse Pit for millennia rose as a dark wisp and entered her at an alarming rate.
Power! More power!
The malevolent aura surrounding Gloria continued to rise as if a demon was born.
Everybody had their mouths wide open in horror.
How could this kind of power surge through such a frail body?
Soon, the dark energy of the Corpse Pit rose like a tidal wave as it flowed unceasingly into Gloria’s body.
How frightening!
Crack! Hum!
With lightning flashing around her, even the surrounding magnetic field had been disrupted by the invisible waves pulsing out of Gloria.
Even the laws of nature are upended!
Within several short minutes after that, the dark energy in the Corpse Pit had been completely drained.
Initially at the top of the Deadly Seven, the Corpse Pit had been returned to its pristine state by the time Gloria was done.
Even the skeletal remains that had littered the area and the accumulated resentment of the damned souls had vanished as if they were never there.
Crack!
Gloria still sparked with the occasional burst of light.
Her eyes were as deep and bright as stars, the entirety of the universe reflecting within them.
Heaven and Earth have been angered at the blatant disregard of natural law!
The gathering dark clouds, whipping lightning and thunder as it preceded the storm, seemed to signify the world’s end.
The lightning bolts converged on Gloria and exploded like thunderous whips beside her feet like the outpour of righteous rage from the heavens, though she did not even flinch.
Her power incurred the wrath of heaven and earth by reaching the point where it distorted the continuum of space and time itself.
“My God!” Bone Grandmaster shrieked with joy.
He surmised that Gloria was powerful enough to break the shackles of cultivation.
The last person to have done that was the Minister of the Ecclesiastic Order.
Like the last time, Bone Grandmaster had witnessed it with his own eyes.
“Who else would be worthy to stand as your opponent at the rate you’re going?” he shouted.
Gloria cackled triumphantly in response.
Savoring the energy coursing through her tiny frame, she felt like a black hole capable of swallowing planets whole.
Gradually, the violent storm around her calmed down as the dark clouds cleared.
Even the terrifying glow that had enveloped Gloria seemed to have faded away.
Bone Grandmaster was stunned.
What is going on? Gloria has obviously reached an unprecedented level of mastery, yet she looks completely ordinary.
“This is a useful side effect of my technique,” Gloria explained at the sight of his confused frown. “By harnessing the elements of heaven and earth, I am able to balance the power in me with the weight of heaven and earth itself which enables me to disguise myself when I need to.”
Chapter 3453 Levi Suspects Floyd
Holy sh*t! If this goes on, who else in the world will be powerful enough to stop Gloria?
The Top Ten closed their eyes with utter desolation by that point, while Sonja and her two companions were similarly dismayed.
It doesn’t matter if Levi and the Holy Guild manage to find Gloria now. Even if she isn’t strong enough, she can merely escape to buy herself time to accumulate power. It’s frightening how there seems to be no end to her limit in sight. She can probably even completely regenerate herself within a single night. It’s all over. Nobody can stop her now.
The day Gloria emerged from the mountain would be the day chaos descends on the world.
“Do you know what I want to do right now?” Gloria cried, her face sparkling with anticipation. “I want to fight Levi to assess how far I am behind him!”
“Is Levi that powerful to even intimidate you even with your newfound power?” Bone Grandmaster asked in surprise.
“You’d be a fool not to be afraid of him! I would assume that he is still stronger than I am.”
As she spoke, Gloria’s mind was cast back to the memory of that battle.
Despite mobilizing the cornerstone divine tools past their limits, the Top Ten was still soundly beaten by Levi who showed no sign of fear of the cornerstone divine tools.
By that fact alone, Gloria knew that Levi’s skill still surpassed hers.
Bone Grandmaster took a deep breath. “If that’s the case, his strength must be unfathomable!”
Gloria picked up God Crusher again. “This is his weapon,” she said with a smile. “It’s stronger than the four divine tools! With enough power behind the arm that wields this sword, it has the potential to destroy the world!”
“Despite that,” she continued, “this weapon is merely a tool for him. Let that sink in for a moment.”
Bone Grandmaster could not repress a shudder.
Gloria nodded. “Now you see why I need to increase my strength before I can face him. However, I no longer doubt my ability to surpass him with the devourer spiritual bone in me. The rate of his cultivation will never catch up to mine!”
Bone Grandmaster laughed triumphantly.
“Indeed. Nobody in history has ever come close to progressing at the rate you are now! I don’t ask for much, just a humble request to cause as much trouble as you can for the Ecclesiastic Order! Leave the Medical Guild and Eusof to me!”
Bone Grandmaster had been looking forward to Gloria’s destabilization of the Ecclesiastic Order.
“Very well. It’s time for me to get back out in the world and assess the situation.”
As per her arrangement, Gloria’s scouts gathered around her to report their observations over the past few days.
Gloria chuckled upon learning that the Holy Guild suspected the Esoteric Guild.
The diversion seems to have worked! They are all looking at the wrong places and bought me enough time to complete my transplant. If I don’t run into Levi or the Minister of the Ecclesiastic Order, nobody will be able to stand in my way.
“By the way,” Gloria ordered, “push the blame of the destruction of the cornerstone divine tools to the Esoteric Guild!”
“Understood!”
If the battered remains of the divine tools were discovered, they would be left without a doubt that the Esoteric Guild was responsible for extracting its essence.
“One more thing,” Gloria added. “Sow discord amongst the Esoteric Guild and the Holy Guild. It’s better to weaken their forces by inciting a war between them.”
Upon relaying her final instruction, Gloria headed to the West Pavilion.
As she had disappeared for several days, she was keen to find out how Callahan and the rest were doing.
Her priority, however, was to find out through Floyd what Levi was up to.
Is he also investigating the Esoteric Guild?
In the meantime, Levi had amassed a large amount of information regarding his prey after watching Callahan for several days.
Upon ascertaining that Callahan was a member of the mysterious force, another significant discovery by Levi changed everything.
Floyd knows Callahan!
Chapter 3454 Where Will You Run To
At that moment, Floyd had just dealt with Callahan at the Heavenly Base.
Needless to say, it was for Gloria’s sake.
Though Callahan announced himself a representative of the West Pavilion during his public appearance, it was Floyd’s careless brag about leaking a fake trail of his whereabouts that roused Levi’s suspicion.
Sure enough, the news soon spread within the Ecclesiastic Order of the incriminating and inseparable relationship between him and Callahan.
Although the Ecclesiastic Order had attempted to identify the source, their frantic search had been in vain.
Having identified a clear target to pursue, Levi’s search had been narrowed down with many things falling into place.
It makes more sense now!
Levi also sent a message to Floyd to ask him about Callahan, which frightened the boy quite a bit.
He did not expect his master to head straight for the West Pavilion, or even having his sights on Callahan, as Floyd was well aware of Callahan’s identity as one of Gloria’s inner circle members.
Initially, Floyd saw Callahan as a romantic rival.
Disillusioned by the fact that Callahan’s strength and status matched Gloria’s, unlike his own, Floyd later took comfort in the fact that Gloria did not reciprocate Callahan’s feelings.
As his master was suddenly on Callahan’s trail, Floyd’s concern about the possibility of Gloria’s implication soon turned into panic.
However, he still told Levi everything he knew and silently prayed that Callahan’s connection with Gloria would not be discovered.
Although the matter had nothing to do with Gloria, Callahan’s confession may expose her and make her appear the common enemy to all the parties involved.
Meanwhile, Gloria was informed that Levi was unaware of the Holy Guild’s investigation of the Esoteric Guild upon emerging from the Corpse Pit.
She found out that he merely had the people from the North Pavilion investigate the matter in a seemingly lost and indecisive move.
Though she found it strange, the fact that the news had happened to chance upon Levi’s ears as opposed to the amount of effort the Holy Guild went through to obtain it further disconcerted Gloria.
Levi would be suspicious enough to deduce that it was a smokescreen designed to divert his attention. By placing herself in the shoes of her nemesis, Gloria was certain of Levi’s shrewdness to see through the scheme at once.
Now that Levi knew I was the one to have deliberately leaked the news to the North Pavilion, he will never take the bait! It’s going to derail my plans if he finds out.
Though she was less afraid of Levi now, Gloria still had no way to deal with him for the time being.
It’s better to avoid a confrontation and lay low for the time being. It would be disastrous to have my development greatly limited to have Levi on the lookout for me.
“I’ll check in with Floyd before deciding further.”
Making up her mind, Gloria then contacted Callahan through their secret channel and informed him that he was not to contact Floyd or any of the rest for the time being. Instead, he was to meet her at a secret location.
As she had already completed her cultivation, she did not intend to allow the continuation of their correspondence.
However, Gloria did not know that Callahan had already attracted Levi’s attention.
Despite the secret means employed to contact Callahan, Levi detected the attempt of somebody from the outside making contact at once.
Sure enough, Callahan dropped everything at hand after hearing from Gloria.
He even left his residence and headed for the secret base, exposing himself without his knowledge in the process.
Callahan’s making a move. He must be meeting the person behind all this.
“Time for us to meet at last, big fish,” Levi muttered with a smile, satisfied by the major discovery he had made.
Soon, Callahan departed the West Pavilion. Despite the haste in which he traveled, he remained cautious throughout the journey by taking the precaution of shaking off any tail he might have.
Levi was too quick and quiet for him. Even Gloria would not find out if Levi had been on her trail.
Still, Callahan arrived at the secret location with surprising speed after leaving the West Pavilion.
Levi smiled grimly as he mirrored his quarry’s pause. “Nowhere to run this time!”
Chapter 3455 Fishing For Information
Meanwhile, Gloria rushed to find Floyd.
Floyd was unhappy to see her. “Didn’t we agree not to meet for some time? Why do you insist on taking such a risk? It would be troublesome if someone discovered you! Luckily, Master is not here. If he is, he would have caught us when I sneak out like this.”
Floyd was anxious because Levi had recently asked him about Callahan.
If Floyd was not careful, Levi could find out about Gloria.
Thus, it was dangerous for Gloria to come here to see him.
Gloria looked dejected. “I know it is dangerous, but I miss you! I can’t sleep if I don’t see you for even one day…”
Her words shattered Floyd’s stern stance. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blamed you. It’s the same with me. I wish to see you and I miss you all the time!”
Floyd pulled Gloria into his embrace.
Gloria trembled slightly. She did not expect Floyd to suddenly hug her.
She felt a strong aversion.
How dare a lowly man like Floyd hugs me? Da*n it!
Gloria felt intense resentment and disgust.
She wanted so badly to beat Floyd to pulp.
However, she had no choice but to resist the urge.
Just wait! Once I don’t need you anymore, I will chop off your dirty hands!
A chilling glare flashed across Gloria’s eyes.
Floyd saw them and felt fearful.
Gloria noticed something off about Floyd and asked, “Huh? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing!” Floyd answered.
Then, Gloria said, “By the way, I heard the Ecclesiastic Order found out who was behind the incident. It was the Esoteric Guild! They have a lot of evidence that the guild killed the Three Sages!”
Floyd nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard about it too. But…”
“But what?” Gloria looked at him curiously.
“My master does not believe it! He feels it is a smokescreen created by the real perpetrator to distract us! Someone has revealed information to him! However, he only trusted the evidence he found on Holy Guild,” Floyd explained.
Gloria pursed her lips.
I knew it! My trick doesn’t work on Levi. Phew, that was close. Luckily, I managed to transplant the spiritual bones successfully. It would be troublesome if Levi found them. Still, I was too hasty and didn’t plan well enough. All I thought was to distract other people’s attention. However, I have underestimated Levi. It turns out I didn’t distract him at all.
“Since your master does not investigate the Esoteric Guild, who is he investigating?” Gloria could not help but ask.
Floyd considered and said, “Master seemed to have made a huge discovery. While everyone was searching for the Esoteric Guild, he kept observing West Pavilion.”
Gloria nearly jumped up from shock upon hearing him.
Oh, my goodness! What the heck!
It was so shocking that her nerves felt raw.
That… That is too scary! West Pavilion? He even narrowed down his search to this extent? I didn’t expect that!
Gloria was so shocked that she nearly had a heart attack.
She had expected Levi to continue observing the Ecclesiastic Order, so she never thought Levi would focus on West Pavilion instead.
Did I expose so much that he suspects West Pavilion? When did I slip up? Huh? That’s not right! Could it be that time?
Gloria suddenly recalled the time she exterminated those who were in contact with Yartran.
She killed them herself and escaped into West Pavilion.
Levi must have determined that the perpetrator was from West Pavilion then. Argh! I underestimated Levi and made so many mistakes! He is unbelievable!
After all, she chose places near West Pavilion because they were the easiest for her to hide.
If she left traces of clues in West Pavilion, perhaps Levi would not suspect anything.
Unfortunately, she did not leave any trace.
As it was too perfect, Levi immediately deduced that someone from West Pavilion had done it.
Chapter 3456 Unprecedented Fear
After all, only those from West Pavilion were familiar with its surroundings and could disappear without a trace.
It was because of how perfect the crime was that it exposed the origin of the perpetrator.
Thus, Levi was sure that it was someone from West Pavilion.
There was no one else who could do that.
Gloria smacked her forehead.
I didn’t expect hiding my act too well would end up exposing me? No wonder Levi suspects West Pavilion. If I were him, I would have suspected the same.
On the other hand, Floyd did not find it strange that Gloria was shocked by what he said.
After all, she was someone from West Pavilion.
It was understandable that she would be troubled to find West Pavilion in trouble.
“West Pavilion? That is unbelievable! I never thought someone from West Pavilion could be behind it! Why is there someone like that in West Pavilion?” Gloria pretended to be astounded by the information.
She had an expression of disbelief and looked as if she was heartbroken that someone from West Pavilion could do that
“If I found out who he is, I would never let him off!” Gloria growled furiously.
Floyd sighed and said, “I also didn’t expect someone from West Pavilion to be behind it! It’s bad news for you. I’m just afraid that you would be exposed…”
Gloria was fearful when she saw Floyd’s expression.
Did I leave behind something incriminating?
“Huh? What do you mean? How would I be exposed? What did your master find in West Pavilion?” Gloria immediately panicked.
Has Levi found out that it was me? That’s impossible. Floyd won’t behave like this if I am exposed. But what is the situation now? Why did Floyd say that?
Gloria was anxious.
On the other hand, Floyd looked at Gloria helplessly and replied, “Just now, Master contacted me and asked me about Callahan!”
His words struck her like lightning. She was on the verge of going mad from anxiousness.
“What? Callahan?” Gloria was so shocked to hear his name that her heart nearly stopped.
She was on the verge of bursting with anxiousness.
Callahan? Is Levi targeting Callahan? That is akin to targeting me! How did he figure it out so soon? That is no different from exposing me. Floyd is right. He will find out about me soon.
Gloria took a deep breath and continued thinking. However, the exposure Floyd talked about was the fear that Callahan would get me involved in the matter and cause Levi to know my existence. It would be complicated if Callahan exposed my identity. Oh no! Levi will find out about me soon. What should I do? Levi is really something else. It is terrible news that he is targeting West Pavilion. He has even found out about Callahan in just a few days. That is scary.
Gloria did not work with a team but manipulated everything by herself. She did not even have an accomplice.
If one were to insist on that guess, it would certainly be Callahan.
Callahan looked out for her on the matter and was a capable helper.
Unfortunately for Gloria, Levi was targeting Callahan.
That is too dangerous! The problem is Callahan knows a lot of my secrets. He has been contacting the people I controlled all this while. If Levi captures Callahan, he will find out about me. Furthermore, since Levi is the one investigating, he would never let me go.
Gloria began trembling and broke out in cold sweat.
Her face turned deathly pale.
She had never felt as fearful as she did at this moment.
It did not matter that her abilities had grown to an astounding level.
She still could not help but feel afraid because she had always been fearful of Levi.
Now that Levi was on the verge of finding out about her, she grew terrified.
Levi was her nightmare and she feared him the most in the world.
After finding out that Levi was targeting Callahan, Gloria was so fearful that she was close to tears.
Seeing Gloria trembling, Floyd thought she was afraid that Callahan would drag her into the matter, causing his master to mistake her as an enemy.
Chapter 3457 Why Is Gloria So Anxious
Floyd comforted Gloria, “Gloria, don’t be afraid! I’m here for you! Even if Callahan drags you into this, I will explain to my master! I will prove to them that you did nothing wrong! Furthermore, I promise to clear your name even if I die!”
That was what Floyd planned to do if there was no option left.
Gloria realized she had behaved out of character. Therefore, she nodded immediately. “Sure, you have to protect me when the time comes!”
Still, Gloria had already figured out a backup plan.
If Callahan exposed her, Floyd was her only chance to victory.
Therefore, she needed to control Floyd to pressure Levi.
However, Floyd did not know that Gloria had the intention to kill.
He continued to analyze the matter and said, “I think Callahan is likely the person behind the killing. He has been to Heavenly League and knows about us. Oh, I think I have figured it out. Previously, people found out about my master’s whereabouts. Could it be because he heard from you and exposed it?”
Floyd suddenly figured out something and quickly asked Gloria.
Gloria was still worried about other matters. However, she needed to maintain her act before Floyd.
Thus, Gloria put up a surprised expression. “You’re right. When I was forced to reveal that your master went to wipe out Yartran, Callahan was there too! It must be him!”
“So, it was him! I knew it! Otherwise, there is no way that people would find out my master’s whereabouts! His father is the master of West Pavilion. Thus, he has access to high-ranking matters and can hide his identity. That confirms it. Callahan must be behind a lot of the incidents. Someone must be backing him. It’s probably the master of West Pavilion!” Floyd analyzed everything himself.
However, Gloria did not listen to any of it.
She said urgently, “Floyd, since I could be dragged out and exposed to your master, I need to return to West Pavilion to check the situation. I don’t want your master to think that I am involved. If I get pulled into this matter, your master would think that I befriend you in order to use you!”
Gloria was really worried about Levi targeting Callahan.
Furthermore, she had ordered Callahan to wait for her at a secret location.
Since Levi was following Callahan, it would expose the secret location.
Wouldn’t that expose everything concerning me? That would put me in serious trouble. I hide a lot of my secrets there. If Levi goes to the secret location, he will surely find out about me, including ways to contact the outside world. With Levi’s abilities, he will be able to find them easily. Oh no! I must go now!
Floyd replied, “Sure! You must not let my master misunderstand that you are involved in the matter! If there is no choice, I will come clean to my master and introduce you to him!”
Gloria instructed before leaving, “Floyd, you must do as I say and don’t act on your own. We have to be on the same page! You can only come clean with your master after I say so!”
Floyd nodded. “Sure, I understand! You should rush back now!”
After Gloria left, Floyd frowned in confusion.
“What’s going on? Why did Gloria panic like that? It’s almost like she is involved in the matter!” Floyd mumbled to himself.
That is strange. Why is Gloria so anxious? She doesn’t have to be this nervous if she is worried about exposing her identity.
Floyd could not help but suspect that Gloria’s anxiousness was unusual.
No. Hold on! Gloria must be concerned about me and fears the matter would affect our relationship. That’s why she is nervous! No wonder she is anxious!
Floyd smiled as he thought.
He was happy that Gloria cared so much for him.
Meanwhile, Gloria rushed to salvage the situation after leaving Floyd.
“Levi must not find out about Callahan! Please don’t let him find out!” Gloria prayed hard.
Chapter 3458 Do You Think Floyd Is Worthy
I can’t let Levi find the secret location! He must never know!
Gloria was panicking.
She began contacting Callahan using a special method.
Meanwhile, Callahan arrived at the secret location.
He and Gloria frequently met up at the secret location to discuss their matters and hid many things there.
Suddenly, Gloria used a secret method to contact him, prompting Callahan’s expression to change drastically.
Previously, they agreed to only use this secret communication method during the most urgent emergencies.
Since Gloria is contacting me using this, does it mean something severe has happened?
Callahan broke out in cold sweat and began to shudder with fear.
Then, he felt a threatening aura.
“Callahan, listen closely! Levi is now targeting you! You have no chance of escape and have exposed the secret location to him! Furthermore, he is now approaching you!” Gloria’s voice sounded.
Callahan could not help but tremble.
He could not stop himself from shivering in fear.
It felt like a venomous snake was observing him and waiting to strike at any moment.
Levi is targeting me? Oh no! I am doomed!
“Callahan, you know what you should do now, right? I’m sorry, Callahan. There is no other way. I didn’t expect him to target you!” Gloria said.
“All right. I understand, but I would like to ask you a question…” Callahan replied.
Gloria asked, “What is it?”
“Did you get together with Floyd?” Callahan asked.
He took the job of contacting Floyd recently and found out that Gloria had become Floyd’s lover.
Furthermore, Floyd always seemed love-struck whenever Callahan contacted him.
It made Callahan very unhappy.
Therefore, he wanted to know whether Gloria and Floyd’s relationship was real.
Gloria laughed and answered, “Callahan, do you think Floyd is worthy of me? At the moment, I don’t think anyone is worthy of me. As for Floyd, I used illusions to deceive him! Does he want to have me? He can dream on!”
Callahan chuckled after hearing her answer.
He finally felt relieved.
“All right, I understand! Goodbye, Gloria. My only regret is not having a chance to see you succeed!” Callahan smiled.
“Goodbye, Callahan! See you in the next life!”
Gloria bid him farewell too.
After ending the communication, Callahan smiled and whispered, “It’s worth it!”
Meanwhile, Levi had arrived outside the secret location.
Initially, Levi thought that someone would meet Callahan here.
He believed Callahan was likely the mastermind behind the matter.
However, Levi waited for a long time but did not see anyone.
Something is wrong.
After waiting for another while, Levi realized something.
“No!” He rushed into the secret location and saw destruction everywhere.
A few bodies were lying around. All of them burnt beyond recognition.
Furthermore, many items and documents were burnt too.
Someone had destroyed all the clues in the secret location.
Oh no! I have been discovered!
Levi’s expression darkened.
Soon, he came to the end of the secret location and found Callahan lying in a pool of blood. He was long dead.
Furthermore, all evidence in the secret location was destroyed.
There was nothing left.
“What is this…” Levi could not understand how this could happen.
Did I expose myself? That is impossible! We have been watching Callahan for a long time, and he never noticed anything. Furthermore, judging from Callahan’s abilities, he could not sense me unless I appeared before him. Yet, he found out I was coming for him and ended his life. He knew he had no chance of escape once I targeted him. Thus, he had no choice but to end his life. But that also means Callahan did not know I targeted him until just now. It means someone told him!
Chapter 3459 Coming Closer To The Truth
If Callahan knew that he had been targeted, he might have ended his own life.
He would not have come to the secret location, let alone exposing such an important spot.
Hmm, something is fishy.
Callahan must have only figured out that he had been targeted after arriving at the area.
Levi was irked that he had been too slow. Otherwise, he would have been able to stop Callahan.
Most importantly, it was because he thought someone would come to meet with Callahan here.
The truth was that Gloria was supposed to meet Callahan there.
Levi’s guess was right, and he had done the right thing to wait there.
Unfortunately, he had been discovered.
Levi’s expression drastically changed as realization struck him hard.
He realized that Callahan must not have figured it out himself; someone must have told him about it.
Someone else realized that Levi was targeting Callahan and knew that Levi was already at the secret location.
But how can that be? No one would be able to notice me tailing them. No one in the Ecclesiastic Order and Yartran would be able to do that. If someone like this really exists in the other party, why would they bother hiding their identity? They could have just shown themselves.
From the way they’ve destroyed the evidence, it’s obvious that they’re still scared of me. They don’t have the courage to take me head-on, so they’re pulling tricks in the shadow instead. But how did they find out about me? That’s impossible. No one should be able to notice that I’m tailing them.
When Levi focused on the movement of energy in his surroundings, he sensed no one around him.
That means no one realized I’m here. In other words, someone has found out where I am. But not even Zoey and the others know where I am. I never even got the chance to tell them. Right! Floyd! I was asking Floyd about Callahan’s matter a while back. Floyd’s the only one who knows that I’m keeping an eye on Callahan. Could it be that Floyd has gone to the West Pavilion to look into Callahan and the others after talking to me? That must be how my whereabouts are exposed. It’s because of my trust in someone else. Levi came to a realization.
His first thoughts were not of the worst case scenario.
Levi did not think that Floyd would have revealed his whereabouts willingly.
He was certain that there were other reasons as to why his whereabouts were made known to others.
Sadly, there was no use crying over spilled milk.
Callahan was dead.
The others at the secret location were all dead.
There was no evidence to be found.
Levi could only try his best to piece back whatever bits and pieces were left in hopes that he would be able to find a clue.
It was a disappointing moment.
Levi could find nothing even after a long search.
Callahan had destroyed everything.
He had left Levi with nothing.
I’m still one step behind Callahan.
“Hm?”
All of a sudden, a thought popped into Levi’s head, and a puzzled look crossed his face.
That’s not right. Callahan killed himself, right? What kind of power would make Callahan willingly kill himself? He was not lousy, and he was no unimportant pawn. How could he had possibly chosen to kill himself after merely finding out that he had been targeted? Why would he destroy all the evidence and end his life? That’s too extreme. Is the organization harboring a suicide squad?
The more Levi thought about it, the more terrifying it became.
It seems like this force is much scarier than I imagined.
Nevertheless, Levi became even more sure about how that force was the West Pavilion.
As long as he clung to the clue along Callahan, he would be able to find evidence to prove that.
Moreover, Levi had figured out many things from the people Callahan had contacted a while ago.
Perhaps he would be able to find more evidence from them.
However, after a brief analysis, Levi realized that looking into those people would lead to nowhere.
There was nothing in common about them.
Even though Callahan was dead, Levi still laughed.
He was getting closer and closer to the truth.
Soon, he would be able to find the force.
West Pavilion, you can’t run from me!
On the other side, Gloria was relieved to have escaped.
That was a close call! Levi nearly learned about my involvement.
As she lay on the ground, she gasped for fresh air.
That was so dangerous! I was so close to getting caught by Levi!
Frankly, Gloria was already one step too late when she told Callahan about Levi.
Chapter 3460 All Points To Floyd
Fortunately for her, she knew that Levi was one to wait for his prey—he would be waiting for her to come.
Hence, she used that time to get Callahan to destroy all the evidence.
Initially, she was worried that Callahan would refuse to end his own life. If that were to happen, things would become troublesome.
Therefore, the moment earlier was the toughest moment Gloria had to experience in her life.
She never thought she would still have to fear Levi despite how powerful she had become.
But there’s nothing I can do about that fear. Levi is simply far too mighty. For now, there’s nothing I can do about that.
As Gloria looked up at the sky, she let out a sigh of relief at how she had just escaped death.
It had been a close call for her to escape Levi from right under his nose.
But what about the next time? Will I still be able to flee from him? I’ll eventually be exposed. What I need to do right now is to strengthen myself as quickly as I can. I can only stop fearing him if I’m as powerful as him. Hm? That’s not right. Floyd! Oh no!
After Levi realized that Callahan had destroyed everything, he soon deciphered that Floyd was the one to reveal his tracks.
Therefore, he went after Floyd.
Levi was starting to feel suspicious about Floyd.
If Floyd could not come up with a good explanation, he would be revealing everything to Levi.
After all, Levi was just too smart.
Any nervousness Floyd showed would tell Levi everything the latter needed to know.
No, I can’t let him do that! I’ve nearly forgotten about him! I have to hurry!
Gloria was starting to formulate a plan to salvage the situation.
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Holy Guild was running an internal investigation on the Esoteric Guild, and they had ended up with a major discovery—they had found the four cornerstone divine tools at the Esoteric Guild!
The discovery shook the entire Holy Guild.
When they placed the cornerstone divine tools in front of Lonedra and the others, the crowd turned livid.
Frankly, the cornerstone divine tools used to be the Ecclesiastic Order’s treasures.
The Holy Guild was the one who kept them safe.
In a way, they were the symbols of the Ecclesiastic Order.
However, the cornerstone divine tools had all turned into scrap pieces of metals.
How could they possibly not be mad about that?
They were downright furious.
“What’s going on? What’s happening? Someone give me a logical explanation on this!” Lonedra roared.
Rage was boiling in his blood.
They had found the cornerstone divine tools, and yet, their finding made them feel nothing but disappointment and humiliation.
Immediately, a wave of fear swept past everyone as they fell silent in their spots.
“I’m guessing that the Esoteric Guild’s theurgists have absorbed all of the cornerstone divine tools’ energy to create their equipment. If the cornerstone divine tool’s energy is all loaded into one divine tool, that tool will be an all-powerful item.”
The elders of East Pavilion had looked into the Esoteric Guild.
“That’s right! The Esoteric Guild’s Heavenly Thunder needs a powerful tool to be able to activate it. The energy from the cornerstone divine tools perfectly fits the requirements!” the people analyzed.
They had worked out how the cornerstone divine tools had become pieces of trash.
“If this happened in the past, it could have been Master Solocus’ work. However, now that we’ve seen what happened to the cornerstone divine tools, we can say that the Esoteric Guild is definitely behind this!”
“That’s right. The Esoteric Guild must be the force we’re seeking!”
“How dare the Esoteric Guild lay a finger on the Ecclesiastic Order? They must have a death wish!”
Everyone was angry.
On the other hand, Lonedra was silent because they were right.
They could be sure that the Esoteric Guild was behind the matter, for they had found the evidence to prove it.
“Although we haven’t found the bodies of the Top Ten, I’m sure we can think of why the Esoteric Guild has come after the Top Ten! It must be so that they can ruin the Ecclesiastic Order’s bright future! Since we’re their target, they’d definitely do everything to crush us!”
“D*mn you, Esoteric Guild! We’ll tear you into pieces!”
Soon, the news of them finding the cornerstone divine tools spread, and many council members of the Ecclesiastic Order caught wind of it.
On the other side, after Levi failed to find any new clues about Callahan, he returned to the base.
Coincidentally, he encountered Floyd.
“Floyd, stop! There are a few questions I have to ask you,” Levi ordered, his burning gaze fixed on Floyd as if he was trying to look into the other man’s soul.