A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6801

Elder Nether raised a hand and gently patted Ghost Seven's shoulder. His withered palm rested lightly on the black robe, yet the gesture carried a reassurance neither of them had known before.

He turned to Jared, his voice hoarse but solemn. "My young friend Jared, you've ended in a single day a calamity that has tormented the Ghost Clan for ten thousand years. Every member of our clan will remember this kindness for as long as we exist."

Jared shook his head. "You're giving me too much credit, Senior. The demonic soul in that rift was a source of disaster for the entire world. It threatened more than the Nether Abyss. The whole Void Sea, even the Twenty-First Firmament, suffered because of it. Getting rid of it was in my own interest, too."

Elder Nether watched him, complicated emotions moving through his ghostly blue eyes like silent tides.

Elder Nether said nothing else. He bent low before Jared, and Ghost Seven followed suit. Seeing the two of them bow, the Ghost Clan cultivators in the distance fell silent. One after another, they bowed as well.

The wordless movement spread along the cliffs like a silent wave, expressing the gratitude their people had been unable to feel for ten thousand years.

Jared looked at the bowed figures but said nothing more.

He turned toward the exit of the Nether Abyss, his gray robe fluttering gently in the newly cleared breeze.

Gwendolyn and Master Veridian were already waiting at the entrance.

When Jared rose from the depths, Gwendolyn hurried to meet him. Her ice-blue eyes swept over his face and figure before lingering on his brow. A slight smile curved her lips. "You've made another breakthrough?"

Jared nodded. "Golden Immortal Level Seven."

Master Veridian was squatting on a rock nearby with a dry stalk of grass between his teeth. He stared at Jared with clouded eyes, as if he were looking at a phenomenon that defied every law of heaven and earth.

"Golden Immortal Level Seven? It's only been a few days! What precious thing did you get your hands on this time, boy? Can't you spare a little for this old man?"

Jared did not answer. Instead, he looked into the distance, past the clouds hanging over the Nether Abyss and toward the depths of the sky.

"Old Veridian, stay in the Nether Abyss with the young acolyte for a while. Gwendolyn and I need to make a trip to Dubhe Continent."

Master Veridian's brows drew sharply together, and the grass stalk bobbed at the corner of his mouth. "Dubhe Continent? That's celestial territory! It's the home of all three major celestial families in the Twenty-First Firmament. You go there alone, and they'll eat you alive."

"That remains to be seen. They may be the ones who end up getting chewed up," Jared said, killing intent stirring in his eyes.

Now that he had reached Golden Immortal Level Seven, he could beat even Alaric Suncrest if the man came after him.

Master Veridian was quiet for a moment. At last he nodded, stood, and brushed the dust off his backside.

"Fine. These old bones won't get in your way. The young acolyte will be safe here with me. Just... be careful out there."

"Mr. Chance, Dubhe Continent is controlled by the celestials," Elder Nether said. "It's far too dangerous. If you have business to settle there, I can have the Ghost Clan help you."

"Apart from settling accounts with the celestials, I'm looking for someone," Jared replied.

He wanted to find out whether Josephine was somewhere in the Twenty-First Firmament.

If she was, Dubhe Continent seemed a likely place to search. Skylar had little love for the celestials either and would probably be making trouble for them as well.

"Mr. Chance, Dubhe Continent is celestial territory. There are no cultivators from other clans living there," Elder Nether explained. "If you're searching for someone from another clan, Dubhe Continent isn't where you should start. The moment you set foot there, the celestials will know."

"You'd be better off visiting the Seven-Star Lands. Many clans live together there, and it's the most prosperous region in the Twenty-First Firmament."

"Of course, you'll find cultivators of different clans on the thousands of islands scattered across the Void Sea too. But those islands have limited space and resources, so their populations are much smaller."