Jasper and Mike finished adjusting their breath right on time, and they immediately used their strength to disperse the violent airwaves. With it gone, Ricky and Ronan finally came into view.
Their silhouettes painted a tableau of sorts that brought much relief to Jasper and Mike.
That was because, at that moment, Ricky was standing over Ronan's prone body with pure shura power surrounding his body. Meanwhile, he was holding the Shura Justice Saber, which was shining brightly with a scarlet-white light.
Ronan had nothing in his heart but fear and uncertainty, trembling like a leaf beneath the other man's feet.
Even though he had burst out his strongest trump card, which was Adrian's power, he was still no match for his opponent. He lost, fair and square.
"Somehow, you keep on proving that Scales was so much better than you. At least, when Scales fought with me, he never cowered before me like a frightened rabbit,"
Ricky told Ronan, staring down at him condescendingly.
"Besides, Master Adrian's power belongs to the continent alone. No matter what you do, you won't be able to understand it, let alone use it to its optimum strength.
From the very beginning, you were doomed to die in my hands."
The next instant, Ricky cut off Ronan's head and burned his soul with the sacred fire.
Whoosh! Seeing this, Jasper and Mike let out a relieved sigh.
"We're lucky we brought you here. I don't even want to imagine what would have happened if you weren't here to fight that devil!"
Jasper confessed to Ricky. Although the fight had ended, his eyes still held a trace of fear.
After all, he didn't think those creatures from the devil race could actually enter this land.
"Well, let's bury Master Adrian's flesh and blood before anything else happens so that he could rest in peace," said Ricky, prompting the pair to action.
"Okay!"
the two answered with a nod.
But just as the three of them moved towards Adrian's flesh and blood, which was still on Ronan's body, it suddenly disappeared on its own!
When they saw this, Mike suspected what had happened and remarked, "Countless eras have passed, so Master Adrian's flesh and blood should have faded already. But, instead, the devil race kept it, making it coexist with the evil spirit, and it even absorbed the flesh and blood essence of many creatures of the devil race.
So, I think it's normal that it disappeared on its own, since Ronan is dead, and Master Adrian's flesh and blood can't absorb his essence anymore."
"Even though a spiritual potentate is a creature of great stature, he could still die, and his body will naturally disintegrate. I guess it doesn't matter how long you have cultivated unless you've become a holy being, and all your efforts will be in vain,"
Ricky sighed dejectedly.
His words reflected a depressing reality, but the three of them didn't dwell on it much. After all, it was a fact of life. They looked at Adrian's statue with thoughtful expressions.
But in the next moment, Ricky felt another confrontation between two forces. These came from Jasper and Mike without a doubt.
"Jasper, Mike, can you stop for a second, please? I'd like to say something,"
interrupted Ricky.
"Of course, Ricky. Go ahead."
Mike nodded.
"Since I saved your lives, I hope the two of you would listen to my advice while you are staying in this Passage World,"
started Ricky. "I understand the competitive nature of your relationship; I really do. But I hope you won't have a life and death battle here inside this Passage World, as it can also put the rest of us in needless danger.
Please prioritize everyone's safety. And when the selection is over, the two of you are free to have any kind of battle you want. That's no skin off your nose, right?
After all, the devils alone would benefit if we lost one of you here. I believe you got a sample of that earlier."
Ricky could only suggest this because he saved Jasper and Mike from certain death previously. If he didn't, he would feel out of line because this was a matter between the Eight Diagrams' inheritors, and he had no right to intervene.
Hearing Ricky's words, Jasper and Mike fell into a thoughtful silence.
"Jasper, I hope you will listen to me this time," Ricky added telepathically. "This isn't the right time to have a duel to the death. What use will the inheritance be, if you die here anyway?"
"I get it, man. There's no way I can kill Mike after what happened with Ronan, at least, for now. We'll have a truce,"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The legendary warrior