The King Of Warriors novel (Jared Chance) novel Chapter 6479

"Master Wellspring did not stay there any longer.

He turned and walked toward the gate of Everspire."

"He meant to leave Everspire first.

Only after finding a safe place would he slowly discuss the next step."

"Everspire lay inside Pole Star Hall's sphere of power.

Staying here would only make things more dangerous, and there was no telling when he might run into people from Pole Star Hall."

"If that happened, he might not even be able to protect himself.

Worse, the Aureate Heir's soul would be placed in danger too."

"Sunlight fell across him and stretched his shadow out long, longer still across the street.

That lone shape looked painfully isolated, yet there was something in it that refused to bend."

"His steps were slow.

But they did not waver. Each footfall landed steady and firm, as if the ground itself was being made to bear witness to his resolve."

"He had not even taken ten steps when a warm hand suddenly reached out from behind him.

It patted his shoulder lightly."

"The touch was gentle, but it carried a force that could not be ignored.

Master Wellspring's whole body locked in place, and every hair on him stood up at once."

"Years of cultivation and bloody struggle had carved extreme vigilance into his bones.

Especially now, with his mind worn thin and his situation dangerous, even the smallest unusual movement was enough to send him straight into defense."

"By instinct, his hand clamped around the verdant longsword at his waist.

The hilt was cold against his palm, and that coldness gave him the slightest measure of safety."

"At the same time, his spirit sense burst outward.

Like an invisible net, it instantly covered everything within ten yards, sweeping carefully through his surroundings as he searched for the master of that hand."

"His spirit sense was keen.

He could clearly pick out the aura of every cultivator nearby, every faint ripple of spiritual power. Yet strangely, he did not detect even the slightest trace of hostile intent."

"The master of that hand stood quietly behind him.

He did not move. His aura was steady, as if he were nothing more than an ordinary passerby."

Even so, Master Wellspring did not dare lower his guard by even a fraction.

"Everspire was crowded with every kind of person.

On top of that, he had just lost Genesis Dew, and his mind had not settled. This was exactly the kind of moment when an ambush would be easiest."

"He turned around slowly.

Every movement was careful, and the longsword in his hand stayed ready to leave its sheath at any instant. His eyes fixed hard on the person behind him, giving nothing away."

"An old man stood there.

He wore a black robe made of expensive fabric, stitched with fine dark patterns that caught faint glints of sunlight."

"The old man's face was thin.

His hair was streaked with white and combed neatly into place. Wrinkles covered his face, but they did nothing to dull the sharp, vigorous air about him."

"His eyes looked cloudy at first glance.

But buried inside that murk was a thin edge, the kind that seemed able to look straight through a person's heart."

"A faint smile rested at the corner of his mouth.

It made him appear mild and kindly, yet something almost impossible to catch hid beneath it, a calculating thread that made the sight of him sit wrong in the chest."

"Master Wellspring's brows drew together at once.

A question flashed through his eyes."

"He knew this man.

More precisely, he had heard the man's name and seen his portrait before: Osric, chapter master of the Abyssal Exchange's Everspire chapter."

"The Abyssal Exchange was famous throughout the entire celestial realm.

Its power was vast, its reach spread across every domain, and it monopolized most treasure transactions."

"He knew Osric was the chapter master of the Everspire chapter of the Abyssal Exchange. Of course Osric knew the Genesis Dew had been taken by Venerable Starwick.

Bringing it up now was no different from digging a finger into the wound."

"Master Blackwell is asking what he already knows."

Master Wellspring's voice turned to ice, each syllable clipped short. "The Genesis Dew has already been taken by Venerable Starwick, and your Abyssal Exchange has already withdrawn it from the auction. What meaning is there in my remaining in Everspire? Please step aside, Master Blackwell. Do not waste my time."

After saying that, he moved to go around Osric and continue on his way.

"But Osric shifted lightly to the side and blocked the path in front of him.

The smile on his face did not change at all."

"Sect Master of Wellspring Order, be calm."

Osric shook his head and spoke slowly. "The Genesis Dew was indeed taken by Venerable Starwick. That much, I cannot change. After all, Venerable Starwick's strength and influence are what they are. I would not dare offend him lightly."

He paused, then deliberately lowered his voice and leaned closer to Master Wellspring. When he spoke again, only the two of them could hear it. "However... although the Genesis Dew is gone, there is something else that can replace it."

"A treasure that can rival the Genesis Dew—and may even surpass it."

"What is it?"

"Master Wellspring's eyes lit up all at once.

His body moved forward a step before he could stop it, and his voice came too quickly, carrying the edge of someone who could barely believe what he had heard."

"The question had left him almost by instinct.

All the guarded steel and clipped dismissal from moments earlier had been driven out in that instant, replaced by the thin possibility that had just opened before him."

The promised substitute?

A treasure that could stand in for the Genesis Dew?

"For him, that was nothing less than a single thread of dawn at the bottom of a dead end.

It was the Aureate Heir's only chance to rebuild his body."

"The moment Osric saw Master Wellspring lean in like that, a faint glint of triumph passed through his eyes.

It vanished almost immediately, hidden again behind that mild face."