Ch. 3521..3530
Chapter 3521 I Just Want To Piss Him Off
Xylas was stripped of everything he had at that time.
Although he still had the elemental spiritual bone, that was still nothing compared to what Gloria had.
There’s no way she’s saving me for free.
There’s no free lunch in the world.
Xylas was worth no more than the pests in the wilderness at that moment, so he could not understand why someone who risk everything just to rescue him.
He was genuinely curious what Gloria saw in him that was valuable to her.
His question elicited laughter from Gloria and Bone Grandmaster.
Indeed, Xylas meant nothing to Gloria.
To her, he was nothing but a weak and useless person.
In fact, he was just a piece of trash to her.
“Well, I saved you simply because I didn’t want Levi to have things his way. I just wanted to piss him off. I knew he really wanted to take revenge, so depriving him of it was exactly what I did. That’s all. It’s all just kid’s play.”
Then, it all made sense to Xylas. He was nothing but a tool—a toy—to Gloria.
Saving him or not was not of her interest. It just so happened that bailing him out could help her fulfill her own selfish desires.
She just wanted to get in Levi’s way.
When the truth finally registered in Xylas’ mind, he realized he was still in hot waters.
Although Gloria did not want to let Levi kill him, it did not mean that Gloria herself would let him go.
After all, he was of no value to her.
Xylas fell to the ground instantly and begged for his dear life. “Please! Don’t kill me. I’ll do everything you ask me to. You can even keep me as your pet. Just don’t kill me.”
After the debilitating experience, Xylas never wanted to go through the same thing again.
He would do anything just to stay alive—even if it meant he had to live like an animal.
He would even eat trash if that was what Gloria wanted him to do.
There was nothing he was unwilling to do as long as Gloria would spare him.
To his surprise, Gloria turned and smiled at him. “Why would I want to kill you? I won’t. In fact, I want to keep you by my side. I’ll train you.”
“Huh?”
Xylas was not expecting things to take a turn for good so quickly.
So she’s not killing me? Did she say she wants to train me instead?
Wait. What is happening?
“You being alive is enough to drive Levi berserk. He will have peace of mind if you’re dead. Things wouldn’t be fun anymore if that was the case.”
Xylas finally understood Gloria’s scheme.
She wanted to keep him as bait so Levi would constantly strive for revenge, but at the same time, she would make sure he never got what he badly wanted.
That kind of mental torture would strain Levi and the others.
It would make them feel as if they were perpetually chasing after a dream that could never be materialized.
If Gloria were able to drag that out for long enough, Levi and his men would fall into a rabbit hole.
Well, if I were Levi, I would be so frustrated.
Although Xylas was in a no better situation himself, he could still imagine what that meant for Levi.
What Gloria was doing was equivalent to enticing Levi with bait, but never letting him have a taste of it.
In that regard, Gloria was much more cruel than Levi.
She wanted him to experience the feeling of never ever getting to execute his vengeance.
That was her sole purpose.
That would vex Levi to the brink and deny him of the thing he wanted most.
It was the same for Azure Dragon and the other four.
Xylas was positive that would mean distress for them too.
At that point, it finally dawned upon Xylas that Gloria was utterly savage.
This woman is crazy.
She’s skilled and full of schemes, but this was just too dreadful.
Chapter 3522 Lonely At The Top
Despite how heartless Gloria was, Xylas was still impressed by her cleverness.
He was utterly useless before he met her, but after she rescued him, she was able to turn a priceless bait into a tool for her plan.
That would mean Xylas existence itself was powerful enough to control Levi’s actions.
No matter how invincible Levi was, Xylas would forever be his weakness.
Although there was no physical harm done, it was enough to crush Levi’s morale.
Gloria, Gloria…
You’re unbelievably smart!
Xylas almost chuckled out loud at the thought.
Not only will she spare my life, but she will also protect me.
This means I’m safe with her.
No one will be able to kill me now.
“Bone Grandmaster, make sure you heal his knees,” Gloria instructed.
“Sure. I’ll see to it right away.”
After that, Gloria turned toward Xylas, looking at him in determination. “I have decided to keep you as my disciple. I will do everything I can to train you up from now on. Not only will I protect you from them, but I will also nurture you to the extent where you have nothing to fear even when they come looking for you. It would even be better if you could get back at them. That way, they will realize they have completely no hope of ever getting revenge again.”
What Gloria planned was despicable.
On top of saving Xylas, she also planned on thwarting Azure Dragon’s plan.
She even wanted Xylas to pay them back.
In fact, she wanted Xylas to be exactly like her. Then, he would be equally untouchable at that point.
Gloria could not help but feel so proud of herself.
She had everyone in her hands like puppets.
They would be good as dead because of the mental torture.
Levi and the others would not be able to bear such torment for long.
When Xylas and Bone Grandmaster found out about Gloria’s game plan, they were chilled to the bones.
They could not believe she could be that cold-blooded.
Her plan was way more vicious than what they imagined she wanted to do, but in hindsight, they felt glad that they were her followers.
Given Gloria’s ability, sharpness and resolution, everyone who followed her would dominate the world one day.
Although Xylas still felt unnerved after that realization, he figured there was nothing to lose for him after all.
He was a man who experienced a brush with death. Since he could have a second chance—a good one—he would gladly take up the opportunity.
“Master!” he exclaimed immediately, bowing to Gloria.
Xylas felt like he had seen a ray of hope shine on him in total darkness.
Gloria nodded in approval at him before turning toward Bone Grandmaster again.
“My plan might be ambitious, but I will still need your support. I know I’m completely capable of instigating this whole plot, but I could still use your help. Things would not have been this perfect if it were not for you just now.”
“You’re right. You can’t really do everything on your own, but I will be more than happy to help out.”
That was actually a change in attitude on Gloria’s side. She used to think that she should only rely on herself, but after what happened that day, she realized it was not a bad idea to have a few people carrying out her orders, else there would be no one to marvel at her achievements and worship her.
Lonely at the top? Nah… never.
Gloria planned on having a group of followers so she could share all the achievements she was about to accomplish.
Just having Sonja and the Top Ten is not enough.
I need more people under me.
“Although I have been expelled from the Medical Guild, I still have a few connections there. I also have a few old friends who are equally capable. What about I ask them if they are interested in joining us?”
“Sounds good. The more the merrier, but make sure they’re not people with too many ideas. I’ll kill anyone who goes against my orders,” Gloria warned coldly.
“Understood.”
“Also, gather all the rogue cultivators of the Ecclesiastic Order. Ask if they want to join me. I have a list of names for you to look into. Also, check out the assassin organization. I want them at my service.”
Chapter 3523 Eternal Glory
To rein in the assassin organization was no mean feat.
Not only did it require impeccable fighting skills, but it would also take a lot of effort to locate their members because people did not even know their identities.
It meant nothing to just have skills, but still, that was no challenge to Gloria.
She had some intel on the organization.
In fact, she had all the details of their members, so that would be an easy assignment for her.
“My next target is the Ecclesiastic Order. I shall vanquish them.”
Gloria’s face lit up in a vicious smile. Her suggestion suddenly intrigued Bone Grandmaster.
He had always wanted to do that.
He worked with Gloria to make her the devourer spiritual bone because he wanted to annihilate the Ecclesiastic Order.
“When I take over, the same rule will apply to the Ecclesiastic Order—anyone who disobeys dies. Of course, it goes without saying that everyone in the West Pavilion faction will have to die.”
Gloria was completely consumed by hatred. When Bone Grandmaster heard her plan, he was all excited.
That was exactly what he wanted all the while.
“When the Ecclesiastic Order is gone, I will have all the power to my own.”
Since Gloria’s skills had already peaked, she no longer aspire to be any stronger.
However, power and authority were not something she possessed. That was why she was working toward that goal.
The war between the Ecclesiastic Order and the Cetus inspired her to earn herself a position of power in the world.
It planted the seed of the greed for power in her heart. She wanted to rule the world.
She dreamed of the day when a multitude of people would worship her humbly at her feet.
That would be perfect!
All my attainment would be nothing if no one knew about them and praised me.
Not only do I want to be stronger, but I want to be even more powerful. I want to crush everyone beneath my feet.
Who knows if one day, someone like Levi would even fall on their knees before me?
Ha! What a beautiful sight!
A gleeful smile flashed on Gloria’s face as she imagined the scenario.
Oh, the satisfaction I will get from it!
The old Gloria would never dream of something like that.
Power was never what she wanted in life.
In the past, she would only think about how to become prettier, how to hone her skills, and how to seduce and control more men, but those were not her pursuits anymore.
Once her ability had reached a certain level, she started wanting more.
The things that she aimed for began to change.
Thus, moving forward, she only had one goal in mind—she wanted to be the most powerful version of herself.
She wanted to be the most feared person in the world.
She wanted to be better than Levi.
The world would see the dawn of a new power.
That was her long term goal.
She envisioned that the stronger she became, the more followers she would garner.
One day, even people from all over the world would come bow before her and submit to her.
There would be no demarcations between countries then.
Everything under the sun would belong to her—be it territory or people.
Her ambition was a boundless and ruthless one.
Even Gloria herself was caught by surprise when that thought crept into her mind.
I need to stop.
It’s true that I have what it takes to dare to dream, but I will still need to have a group of followers first.
“Both of you shall be the first generation leaders when I build my own troop. We will become the most influential group in no time.”
Gloria told Bone Grandmaster and Xylas about her game plan to dominate the world.
When the two heard it, they felt galvanized into action.
Bone Grandmaster never expected he would have a chance to come back stronger.
Not only would he be able to conquer all his enemies, but he would also reach greater heights in terms of his ability.
As for Xylas, he had just taken a short trip through hell.
To him, living was already a luxury, let alone the chance of participating in such a grand scheme.
“Good, so this is the beginning of our force,” Gloria commented. “What should we call ourselves? What about the Glorian Order?”
Gloria’s eyes sparkled as she said the name.
“Sounds good! Eternal glory will be ours. We shall conquer the world. I like the name the Glorian Order,” Bone Grandmaster agreed readily, trying to please her.
Chapter 3524 Levi Was Intrigued
“Bravo! Everyone in the Glorian Order will have to greet me using ‘Mr. Xylas’ from now on. This is way better than the time when I was at the Ecclesiastic Order.”
Xylas laughed out loud as he spoke.
Bone Grandmaster nodded and started treating his knees.
His kneecaps were already shattered, but that was no big deal to Bone Grandmaster.
After Xylas recovered, Gloria started training him since she had made up her mind to do so.
She taught him the technique of the devourer.
Gloria had actually been modifying Forlevia’s technique for some time to make it a better suit for herself.
With that modification, it would fit a devourer better.
However, Gloria did not pass down everything to Xylas just in case he rebelled one day.
What she taught him was enough to elevate his skills to an extremely high level within a short period of time, but it would not be enough for Xylas to be on par with Gloria.
Gloria was apprehensive because of Xylas’ background. Although she was able to control him, he was still the only bloodline of two big deviant clans. Besides, he trained under Solocus.
In terms of ability and intellect, Xylas really had what it took for him to rise up against Gloria.
Gloria did not want to take the risk.
“I’ll give you a month. You need to be able to face Levi after a month.”
This was the goal Gloria set for Xylas.
After that, Gloria went on to assemble all the underground forces including the rogue cultivators and members of the assassin organization.
Many of them pledged allegiance to the Glorian Order.
It was also then that she started planning on taking down the Ecclesiastic Order and Yartran.
Her plans were way bigger than that.
She vouched to first take down these two forces.
What interested her more was the spiritual ley line these two forces depended on.
If she were able to devour these two spiritual ley lines, killing Levi would not be a problem at all.
“Levi Garrison, enjoy your life while you can. Things are about to get upended,” Gloria boasted with a haughty laugh.
Over at the Holy Guild, Levi was deeply engaged in thoughts as he cast his gaze afar.
Everyone else around him was still feeling frustrated about the lost opportunity that came so close.
They could not believe that chance slipped from between their fingers.
They had already caught Xylas, but still, he escaped.
Fury and devastation boiled in their blood, but there was nothing they could do.
Zoey and the rest were equally exasperated.
That was the last thing they expected to happen.
They wanted revenge, but that was exactly what they did not manage to do.
“We should’ve just killed him. We shouldn’t have kept him alive and tortured him. What’s the use of it now that he’s escaped?”
“I know right! We were so close!”
“Gosh! How does this even happen? This is driving me crazy!”
Everyone was lamenting the situation.
Before that, they were motivated because they had not found Xylas.
When they found him, they thought they could finally have their way with him, but no one foresaw that they would lose him.
They felt a ball of dissatisfaction blocking their chest, making them angrier as time passed.
“The sword almost touched him!”
“Yeah! And he was screaming for his life.”
As for Azure Dragon and the other four, they were the most dejected ones among everyone.
What just happened was a fatal strike for them.
The five of them stood there without moving a muscle because they were dumbfounded.
There were so ready to unleash all the negativity they had pent up, but now they had to swallow all their feelings back in.
This jeopardy was way worse than a physical injury.
It dealt a huge dent to their morale.
The fear in them grew stronger after the incident.
In fact, that added more fear in their heart.
That had heavily affected their spirit, and they felt emotionally scarred.
They stared blankly into the air, still unable to recover from the shock.
They had been trying to improve on their condition, but that misfortune crushed all their hard work.
They felt like killing themselves for missing the opportunity, and the same went for the Ecclesiastic Order.
They had vanquished the Cetus, but their heir was still roaming out there.
That was not something they would condone.
They almost wiped off the last of that clan, and victory was so close, and yet they did not attain it.
Just like that, with her plot, Gloria broke everyone’s morale and crippled them emotionally.
Chapter 3525 Urgent News
“Ha! Interesting!”
Levi’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
Unlike the others, who were still buried in self-pity, Levi was the first to see through Gloria’s plot.
So this is what you wanted?
You wanted to intercept our revenge and take Xylas away.
You even used God Crusher to target Floyd so you can humiliate me.
Well, good for you. You have reached your goal.
Indeed, Azure Dragon is wracked, but you have no power over me.
Having seen through everything, Levi was not affected at all.
Since he knew what the enemy wanted, he chose not to fall into the trap of self-doubt, but that did not mean that he had given up on revenge.
He still wanted to do it, but that could wait.
It’s okay. I’ve got time.
Not only did Levi not get angry, but he also found the whole plot interesting.
That was a novel way of targeting him, but there was a caveat to it.
The enemy he was facing was a strong one.
Earlier, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Phoenix, Black Tortoise, Kirin, and Floyd were almost killed, forcing Levi to act.
They managed to snatch Xylas away and stopped me from running after them, but it’s fine.
I like a worthy opponent.
I’m just worried about how fast they are becoming stronger.
Levi could still remember that the last time he faced up with that enemy outside the Ecclesiastic Tower, that person was fearful of him, yet the confrontation showed that his opponent had improved by leaps and bounds.
It’s only been a while. How does this person even improve so fast?
Not only did they dare to attack, but they even came for me.
All that pointed to Levi that the enemy was an intimidating one.
What was more alarming was the fact that they deliberately exposed themselves, but because Levi was too preoccupied with something else, he did not seek them out.
So they did it on purpose.
They showed themselves just because they wanted to boast.
This means they are confident, so much so that they did not even think of me as a threat, but still, how was it done?
How did they even enhance their skills in such a short time?
This is just humanly impossible.
That reminded Levi of the energy core in the Ecclesiastic Tower. Levi felt that that person must have imbibed enough power to improve so much.
This is insane.
Hold on. There is no source that is abundant enough for the person to take in to grow so much.
This means that there is another source that I have overlooked.
Levi figured that the next thing he should do was to prevent the inconceivable growth of that enemy since he did not know what that person would be capable of doing after absorbing more power.
Little did Levi know, it was already too late for him to take action.
Gloria was already strong enough to challenge him face to face.
She was no longer afraid of Levi.
What happened that day was enough to show that she was optimistic about her success.
Her next step would definitely be to further consolidate her power.
It’s still not too late.
I have a rough idea of where they stand at the moment.
If they continue to work on their skills, it means they need something far greater than themselves.
Could it be the super-spiritual ley line underneath the Ecclesiastic Order?
Wait. It could also be the energy core of Yartran.
Since Levi had an idea of his enemy’s plan, what was left for him to decide was whether or not he should stop them preemptively.
Should I or should I not?
Should I let them consume all the energy they need and fight them?
Levi thought so because he was invincible himself.
No one was ever capable of challenging him before that.
There had never been anyone across the Ecclesiastic Order and Yartran who was able to contend with Levi.
Somehow, he wished there was someone who could make life more interesting for him.
That was why Levi’s interest was piqued when he met a powerful opponent.
Should I let them be and see how strong they can be?
It’d be a good fight then.
Levi was seriously considering the possibility of letting things be.
“Mr. Garrison!”
Just as Levi was contemplating, someone shouted for him urgently.
Chapter 3526 Why Are You Not Dead
It was Black Hawk from Shield.
“What’s the matter?” Levi asked.
“The South Pole! We found out that the spiritual energy from the super-spiritual ley line was sucked dry!” Black Hawk reported in haste.
When they found out about it, everyone in Zarain and Yartran was staggered.
Although that super-spiritual ley line was not in its prime condition, the spiritual energy that it held was terrifying.
No one would imagine that it would just vanish out of thin air like that.
Who did it?
No one could think of a good answer. Even the super machines in Yartran did not have the capacity to do that.
Besides, from their monitors, it showed that it only took half an hour for the spiritual energy in the super-spiritual ley line to be sucked clean.
No one could come up with any explanation for what they just heard.
When Black Hawk found out about this, the first thing he did was to run to Levi.
“I see…”
To everyone’s surprise, Levi was not startled at all.
As a matter of fact, he looked as if he expected the piece of news.
So that’s their energy source.
That’s exactly what I thought.
They took all the spiritual energy from the South Pole. That’s how they had the audacity to challenge me in my face.
Now it all makes sense.
Albeit having expected that, Levi was still puzzled.
Did they really absorb all of the energy?
Just what are they?
I wonder how they did that?
From what I know, Evie’s technique is the most effective when it comes to consuming other energies.
It’s apparent that they are much more powerful than Evie.
Now this is really fun.
Levi could not help but think of the potential his enemy had.
He was beginning to look forward to having a direct fight with them.
I hope you’re not a rookie. You’d better be good enough for me, but anyway, back to the question.
Should I stop them right now or should I wait for them to cultivate their strength?
Maybe I should locate them right away and quash them.
No.
Levi might be able to handle it on his own, but not the people around him.
If he were to let his adversary roam free, they might harm the people he loved.
What if I can’t protect all of them?
What if what happened to Azure Dragon and the other four repeats itself?
Levi could not afford to go through the same guilt again.
The last thing he wanted was for any calamity to befall the people around him.
It’s decided then. I will stop you.
I will not allow you to harm any of my friends.
Since he had made up his mind, Levi started drawing out a plan.
“Everybody! Let’s call it a day, shall we? We can leave our revenge for another day. We will make sure we get the person behind this once and for all.”
With that said, Levi took the lead and left the place, with the rest following after him, but before he walked far, Levi turned toward the Ecclesiastic Order.
“I’m afraid you guys will be their next target. Be sure to be on the watch out. Let me know if you need anything. You can keep in touch with the North Pavilion as well.”
Everyone nodded solemnly.
The Ecclesiastic Order knew what was awaiting them.
Despite having eradicated the Cetus, there was still a potential threat they had yet to address.
If the Ecclesiastic Order were to quit the battle, they would have to fully rely on Levi. He was their only hope of survival.
After Levi arrived at the base and rested, he went to check on Azure Dragon and the rest.
As for Floyd, he had gone home.
Having experienced a close encounter with death, Floyd felt he should appreciate the people he loved more.
What he wanted to do at that time was to find someone to talk to about how he felt, and that person was none other than Gloria.
He would never dare to contact Gloria, but after his near-death experience, there was nothing he was afraid of anymore, so he called Gloria and told her everything, but to his astonishment, Gloria sounded surprised.
“Oh, really? So you didn’t die?” she asked.
Chapter 3527 Floyd Is Sad
Suddenly, Floyd felt as though the roar of an ancient god of lightning struck him.
He thought he had heard Gloria wrong. Are my ears malfunctioning? It has to be, right? Why else would she be saying a thing like that?
“What did you just say, Gloria? I didn’t hear it correctly!” he asked again.
“I said, ‘why aren’t you dead yet?”‘ Gloria enunciated word by word.
It was like thunder exploding in his mind.
Floyd heard every single one of her words clearly, and each of them felt like cannonballs firing at him.
Boom!
He almost vomited blood when he heard that. What? She’s wondering why I’m not dead yet? If she’s repeating the same thing, that means I’m not hearing her wrong! Does she really want me to die? I can’t believe it.
His eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. This is unbelievable! Utterly impossible! I thought when I told her about my horrible experience, she would show sympathy and ask me how I felt. Doesn’t it make more sense for her to ask me if I’m hurt before comforting me?
The reason Floyd told Gloria his terrible experience was because he wanted to draw sympathy and attention from her, much like how a child would tell their parents they were hurt.
It was totally unexpected that she said such a thing.
His heart was broken. No! Gloria isn’t this kind of person! She must be joking! Yeah, she’s probably just joking around to lift my spirits and calm my nerves. Even though it seems like she wants me to die, in reality, she’s just jesting to help me relax! It did work because I feel so much better now.
Floyd was busy lying to himself and convincing himself about what he thought was happening. That must be it! I feel like I’m beginning to understand Gloria better, just like how she understands me!
And so he waited for Gloria to explain what she truly meant.
However, there was nothing for her to explain, and she just roared, “Do you now finally realize how useless you are? How dare you tell me you almost got yourself killed with the intention of making me console you! I can’t believe you’re this shameless and useless!”
Floyd felt as though his body was exploding because not only did he not get an explanation, but he was also scolded horribly.
At that moment, his mind was on the brink of collapse.
He was already experiencing stress due to her previous sentence, which was on the verge of causing him an emotional meltdown.
After Gloria’s latest sentence, however, he was pushed over the edge.
Floyd felt like he was going to vomit blood.
He wanted to say something, but Gloria didn’t give him any chance to do so as she continued reprimanding him. “And you call yourself a man? What you should be thinking of right now is how to seek revenge against the person who almost killed you! The last thing you should be doing is telling me about your little incident like a child complaining to their parents that they were bullied! What’s the point of telling me that? Do you seriously want me to take revenge for you? Can you stop being so childish and asking me to console you? Instead of thinking about how to retaliate, you came to me expecting me to baby you. How pathetic! Are you showing your weakness to me? It’s baffling that you’re such a useless man! If you’re coming to me expecting me to help you feel better after you went through a life and death situation, you’re better off dead! You should just die!”
Each of her sentences stabbed into his body like iron needles.
In that short amount of time, he felt as though his body had been shot full of holes.
His heart was bleeding, and his body was going numb.
Usually, he could just laugh off or rebut those insults.
However, because Gloria was the one saying them, it was impossible for him to not care about them.
In fact, he cared about what she said a lot.
Even though she only said a few sentences, it was enough to gnaw on him for a long time as he desperately tried to figure out what she meant.
Floyd really wanted to figure out if she meant anything else by that, but she clearly meant what she said.
Her sharp words could kill.
Being told that he was useless by the person he loved the most wounded him.
He felt as though his body was being torn into pieces.
Chapter 3528 Gloria Is Serious
The worst part was that Gloria wasn’t planning to stop. “I’m starting to realize that you never seem to understand the gravity of any situation! You never look at the bigger picture! Your perspective is too narrow, and your thinking is too childish!
Even though it’s an important matter, you’re treating it like an excuse to be lovey-dovey. It was the same in the past, too. If you had been stronger, your master wouldn’t have needed to save you, and you wouldn’t have been targeted! My point is that everything bad that happened to you is because you’re too useless! Even though you’re incompetent, you still poke your head out whenever something happens!
Do you think you’re capable? Are you that blind to your inabilities? Why do you feel the need to act cool in any situation? I really hate you when you act like this! I wish you would’ve died instead! That’s it! I want you to stay away from me as far away as possible! I get annoyed every time I see your stupid face!”
After her rant was over, the call was disconnected.
Floyd was stunned.
He felt as though he was struck by lightning. I can’t believe Gloria insulted me so thoroughly! This isn’t the Gloria I know. What happened? Does she not feel the same way about me anymore?
That has to be it, right? In the past, no matter what I did, she wouldn’t criticize me like this! It does feel like she has changed. My heart… hurts! This is the most painful day of my life! Not only did I fail to get any consolation from her, but I was also hurt by her!
He gritted his teeth. No, something isn’t right here! Gloria isn’t like this! She’s my girlfriend, and I’ve never done anything that would make her upset! Why would she want me to die? There must be another reason for this! She was probably just angry that I was useless and was thoroughly disappointed in me.
Am I really that bad? That childish? I don’t feel like my abilities have changed much. Still, her words stung. It makes me feel like I’m a piece of garbage. I’m not that bad, but when compared to an expert, I guess I’m inferior.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lost to them so badly that I almost died! Even now, I still haven’t helped Master out a little bit. I couldn’t avenge Azure Dragon at all! Everything I did today was just putting up a front. It’s only thanks to Master that I can do whatever I want, that I’m not just another nameless mook.
Floyd sighed. Apparently, not only am I useless, but I’m also very childish. In that case, I bet I looked idiotic when I acted arrogantly in front of other people, huh? Yeah, everything Gloria said was right! I was incompetent. Instead of training, I spend my entire day thinking about love.
Even after such a major incident had occurred, my first thought wasn’t about how to grow stronger or how to take revenge. All I wanted was for Gloria to console me by showing her how fragile I am… Now that I think about it, it’s genuinely embarrassing! She’s not scolding me, she’s just disappointed in me!
As my girlfriend, of course she wants to see me grow stronger, either physically, mentally, or emotionally. Yet, I did nothing of that sort. I feel so embarrassed now… How can I be so foolish? Every time something big happens, I act the same way! In fact, I almost got her killed last time!
His fingers pressed on his furrowed eyebrows. I can’t believe I forgot what happened the last time and did such a childish thing. I am not a man at all! A real man would’ve been so embarrassed about this that they won’t speak a word about it. Instead, they would’ve silently trained to become as powerful as possible to prevent the same thing from happening again!
If I display such weakness in front of Gloria, how can I make her feel safe? She would want an invincible man who can stand at the top of the world. How can I think I deserve her while still acting like this? The more I think about it, the more ashamed I am of myself. If this is how I’m feeling, then what about Gloria? I bet I had thoroughly disappointed her based on how she was shouting at me earlier.
When his train of thought arrived there, he couldn’t help but wipe away his cold sweat. It seems like Gloria just wanted me to be better and was disappointed that I didn’t try at all.
In reality, Gloria was serious about what she had said.
Chapter 3529 Waiting All Along
Gloria hated Floyd the more she looked at him.
He’s the worst! He’s like a stinking worm crawling around in the mud. I can’t believe he has the gall to seek comfort from me! What’s in that brain of his? Water?
She exploded, “My God! I should’ve killed him from the beginning! He’s utterly shameless! What makes him think he can be my partner? Because he’s a man showing his weakness and seeking comfort from me? What a joke! How could Levi have a disciple like that? It’s tarnishing his reputation!”
Gloria cursed Floyd out again and again to vent her anger.
Bone Grandmaster laughed and said, “This is merely a testament to how far that fellow has fallen for our Lord Gloria! He would probably give you his soul if he could!”
At last, his praise improved Gloria’s mood.
Chuckling, she replied, “So what? He is of no use to me! How marvelous would it be if I had Levi wrapped around my finger instead?”
Disbelief was palpable in Bone Grandmaster’s expression as he sputtered, “That’s a grand challenge, one that even I find rather unimaginable. If you can control Levi, you can control everyone on the face of this Earth!”
Gloria merely shook her head and lamented, “Too bad Levi is nothing like his useless disciple, Floyd! Plus, I would’ve lost interest a long time ago if Levi was so easy to control.”
“That’s true!” Then, as though he had thought of something, Bone Grandmaster asked, “Lord Gloria, if you despise Floyd so much, why don’t you just kill him?”
Xylas piped up, “He’s right. Anyone you dislike should be sent to their grave, Master! Their families, too!”
To their surprise, Gloria smiled knowingly and waved off their suggestion. “There’s no need for that. I need to keep him around to drive a wedge between him and Levi. In fact, if he’s a little bolder and assassinates Levi instead, that would be a pleasant surprise for us all.”
This was Floyd’s only value to Gloria.
Once his relationship with Levi soured beyond repair, they would turn Floyd into enemy number one.
Everyone would loathe him, including his former friends and his master. It would also ruin his family.
In the end, Floyd would have no one and nowhere to turn to, and he would spend the rest of his life living in guilt, a fate far worse than a common pest.
He would probably take his own life when he caved under everyone’s enmity.
Gloria believed the psychological torment would be far worse than any physical pain.
Floyd’s eternal suffering was Gloria’s final goal, and the poor man probably never imagined that the woman he worshiped had mapped out his tragic end from the very start.
Alas, Gloria would exhaust every bit of value from him before throwing him into hell.
Just then, Gloria declared, “I need to think of ways to become stronger! I haven’t stopped devouring spiritual ley lines, but normal spiritual energy and energy sources aren’t as effective to me. The things that could propel me to newer heights would be the two super-spiritual ley lines from the Ecclesiastic Order and Yartran! I can’t even imagine how powerful I would become after devouring those two ley lines! I’m sure I’d be able to kill Levi in a split second then!”
Even Gloria’s imagination failed her.
Bone Grandmaster urged, “Why don’t you devour the super-spiritual ley lines quickly, then? What are you waiting for, Lord Gloria?”
“He’s right, Master! Time is of the essence!”
Shaking her head, Gloria explained, “That won’t work! Levi must have been waiting for me to devour the super-spiritual ley lines.”
Her followers were stunned.
“Really? No! How could Levi know about it? We just found out about it ourselves!”
Bone Grandmaster and the others clearly did not believe her.
Gloria smiled and said, “You don’t understand Levi’s character! Meanwhile, I’ve been studying him since the Ecclesiastic Order made contact with the outside world! I understand him better than anyone else! Since the incident at the Ecclesiastic Tower, he has already known that I’m a growth-type cultivator and that I’m rapidly strengthening my abilities!”
Chapter 3530 Understands Levi
“Besides, he knew I was in West Pavilion all along. However, none of the people in West Pavilion were fighters because they were all growth-type! After that, sooner or later, everyone’s going to know about how I devoured the super-spiritual ley line in the South Pole. Who knows? He might’ve already found out about that! Lastly, when he notices how much stronger I’ve grown in such a short period, he’ll immediately know I’m eyeing those two super-spiritual ley lines!”
After Gloria comprehensively analyzed all the factors, she was sure Levi already knew she was going after those two super-spiritual ley lines next. Levi must be waiting for me.
Indeed. Gloria had seen it coming, and Levi was actually keeping an eye on those two super-spiritual ley lines.
Gloria then smiled and continued, “Too bad, though. I have no intention of going near those two super-spiritual ley lines in the meantime.”
After devouring continuously, Gloria realized she would need to increase her ability before being able to devour anything stronger. Now, I can only devour the damaged spiritual ley line below the South Pole glacier. That’s a big difference compared to the spiritual ley lines in the Ecclesiastic Order and Yartran.
I don’t think I’m strong enough to devour any of those super-spiritual ley lines in one go yet. The most I can do is devour half of it, and that’s not what I want. It’s just too risky. I’m not afraid of Levi. It’s just that if he were to act on me when I’m devouring, I don’t think I’ll be able to defend myself. I must make sure that I can devour one of the super-spiritual ley lines before going over.
In the meantime, I’ll still need to devour other energy sources to strengthen myself. I’ll only go after those two super-spiritual ley lines after I’ve reached a certain level.
“I’ve already sent men to search for small and medium spiritual ley lines! I’ll slowly devour those and gather my strength.” Gloria smirked and added, “Levi didn’t think of that, did he? I don’t necessarily need those super-spiritual ley lines. I have other spiritual ley lines!”
Although others would have trouble locating other spiritual ley lines, Gloria wouldn’t. After all, she had all the spiritual ley line information recorded by the Ecclesiastic Order. Moreover, she had already trained people who specialized in locating spiritual ley lines. All of these would help her achieve new heights in her ability.
Also, she had discovered a secret. Super-spiritual ley lines aren’t the big deal because there are other spiritual ley lines superior to super-spiritual ley lines. The Ecclesiastic Order’s Minister had discovered a spiritual ley line even scarier than super-spiritual ley lines. However, I don’t think they’re called spiritual ley lines. Instead, they’re either called dragon ley line or earth ley line.
Gloria had gone through all the ancient manuals in the Ecclesiastic Order, but she couldn’t find the records on the spiritual ley line that the Minister had discovered.
As resourceful as she was, she couldn’t find that particular spiritual ley line.
Although the Minister was strong and powerful, he had gone missing for numerous years after he found out about the said spiritual ley line. Apparently, he had gone to look for a legendary and mightier world.
In Gloria’s mind, she was certain that she could be undefeatable after she had located and devoured that particular spiritual ley line. I reckon I can even defeat Levi with ease! However, that’s not what I need at the moment. Heck, I haven’t even devoured those two super-spiritual ley lines yet. I have enough resources now.
Evidently, Gloria had planned ahead. If I become extremely strong after I’ve devoured those two super-spiritual ley lines, I’m going to kill Levi and conquer the Ecclesiastic Order and Yartran! By then, everyone will be ruled by the Glorian Order, and everyone will be beneath me. Once I’ve achieved a certain level of strength, power and influence will automatically come to me.
After that, I’m going to enjoy it for a while before I eventually get bored. That’s not the end for me, though. I’m going to follow the Minister’s and the Cetus’ Master’s footsteps and look for the legendary world. That’s going to be exciting! Indeed, I must plan everything thoroughly. Otherwise, boredom might end up killing me. After all, I ought to seek different achievements after I’ve done all that.