Ch 863 - The Calm After the Storm

Alex had defeated all eight of the great Earth immortals, and only one lived to tell the tale.

Alex now stood alone.

Those who had come to watch the battle, whether ordinary folk that sat at the foot of the mountain or the elites that were flying around from the divine realm, looked at him in astonishment.

He appeared as a golden figure with his hands clasped behind his back. Flames licked his body, but through them, his body shone with light.

Annalise's face was filled with shock as she stammered, "They're all dead?"

She was generally known as the epitome of calm in the Snow Palace sect, but she was struggling to maintain her poise. People she had thought were invincible had been ruthlessly overthrown, and it was beyond her comprehension.

Agatha was similarly stunned, and regret and guilt filled her heart. She had often thought that she had overestimated Alex, but now she realized that she had always underestimated him. He was peerless—a one-in-a-thousand-year genius. Even Kaden hadn't had anywhere near his skills when he had been young.

Agatha smiled wryly and thought, No wonder he said that I'm only at the beginning of my journey and limited in my vision. He was right.

Fern and Verity stared at Alex in disbelief. He certainly wasn't the same Alex who had backed away from Enzo's provocation and had seemed ordinary in every way.

Verity's eyes lit up, and they were almost shining as she said, "I think I've chosen an impressive teacher."

At that moment, a shrill scream rang out. Valentina had finally regained her senses, and with her scream of terror, she had taken off at super speed.

Alex stretched out his hand and said, "Come back."

He used his energy to keep her imprisoned and created an iron cage with a ten-thousand-foot radius. He also crafted chains that trapped her in midair and forced her to fly backward.

Valentina's eyes were filled with fear, and her face was pale as she implored, "Don't kill me. Please."

She was an elder of the Snow Palace sect and over three hundred years old, but she was still beautiful and looked centuries younger. Fear had her shaking like a leaf.

Instead of destroying her as he had done the others, he imprisoned her in his magic storage space. Then, when he turned around, everyone bowed their heads to offer their respect. Even proud Agatha and cold, elegant Annalise showed their reverence.

Alex descended from the sky step by step.

Many who had had trouble with Alex in the past were trembling as they kneeled before him, expecting to follow in Enzo's unfortunate footsteps.

But Alex paid no attention to them and waved at Verity instead.

She moved slowly forward and greeted him meekly.

"That's not like you," Alex said, teasing her. "The Verity I know is fearless."

She blushed, but quickly recovered and raised her head to look him in the eye. Her own eyes were filled with adoration as she said, "You were amazing! None of them were a match for you. You were telling the truth, after all."

Alex's expression was one of contempt as he thought about the so-called immortals. He replied, "When you reach the top and witness the true experts, you'll discover that most people from the divine realm aren't worth mentioning."

"Oh," she said as she continued to gaze at him.

Agatha didn't say a word. She was a little embarrassed to face Alex, but he looked straight past her. She stood tall and proud, but she was inwardly seething at being passed over.

Fern mustered up her courage and headed over to chat with Alex while Agatha looked on with jealousy.

Annalise also came forward, followed by the women from the Snow Palace sect. She bowed gracefully and said, "On behalf of the Snow Palace sect, I would like you to know that we are willing to do your bidding, but we would ask that you please spare Valentina's life in return."

Her attitude was humble, and her appearance ethereal in her white robe. Fern and Agatha looked at her with hostility, knowing that Alex would find it difficult to refuse her request.

But Alex's response was swift. "I'll let her go after I get some information."

He then turned away and ignored them, leaving Annalise reeling.

"Alex," Verity said. "Do you realize that by defeating so many major players that you've essentially put a target on your back?"

He had killed seven powerful warriors, as well as Hendrix, and he had also offended just about every sect in the process. It was an incredibly arrogant way to behave.

Everyone listened with interest for his answer.

"No need to worry," he said, shrugging. "I have my own plans."

He wasn't concerned at all, and his expression was calm and relaxed.

As he spoke, he looked at the distant horizon, where he had spotted a sudden wave in the Dark River. The waves built until they became a wall of water rising from the river's surface, and then it rushed toward them.

Fern cried out, "It's the water dragon!" She gulped as she realized it was coming their way, but there were envious looks from some of the others who understood what was happening.

A water dragon had lived in the Dark River for a thousand years, and its power seemed infinite. Every few decades, it would go from its nest to a mountain peak to absorb energy from the moon. The core energy of a water dragon could nourish an individual's power and help them reach another realm. In the past, that had been why the ascension assembly had been held.

There were many who had tried to trap, stop, or scare off the water dragon to protect their people, but not many had succeeded.

"Verity, would you like a pet?" Alex asked. "Let me catch the dragon for you."

He laughed as he walked to the river's edge, and then he waved his arm.

The Dark River was incredibly wide, but it divided under his direction, and the mighty wall of water suddenly stopped moving.

The crowd looked on in awe.