"If you're planning to trade, I recommend the stalls on the western side," Corvin continued as he guided Dustin and the others through the market. "The eastern section belongs exclusively to the Quinton family and the Moseys. The items there are good, but the prices are high. Some of them even come from questionable sources."The old man selling pills in the north is reliable. His goods are genuine, though he has a strange temper. The stalls in the south belong to rogue cultivators. Their prices are lower, but the quality varies, so you must know how to judge them yourselves."Corfin continued talking at length while leading them through the market until they had made a full circuit. Only after finishing the tour did he finally leave, but before departing, he gave one last warning."Remember this. Don't offend anyone from the Quinton family. A few days ago, a rogue cultivator at the late-stage Adept argued with one of them. Not long after he left the market, they found his body ha

Grace looked slightly surprised before asking, "What do you mean?"Dustin lifted his gaze toward the unreachable summit. "I can't say for certain," he said. "It's just a feeling. This mountain is older than anyone can comprehend. Even its existence feels like a mystery. "And those reclusive families, like the Quintons, clearly know things we don't. Their determination to climb the mountain can't simply be about acquiring a few treasures."After a brief silence, Grace replied, "Whatever they're planning, we can only deal with it one step at a time. At the very least, we're still alive."He turned to her and smiled faintly. "You're right. Survival comes first. Everything else can wait."The two of them sat side by side, looking out over Mount Aethermoor under the cover of night. In the distance, the occasional roar of demonic beasts echoed through the mountains, sometimes followed by a distant scream from somewhere unseen. Each sound reminded them that beneath the night's calm

"Anders might not have set things in motion himself, but this definitely traces back to him. The Quiton family could be involved, too," Dustin said.Scarlet said urgently, "Even if we know it's a trap, we can't just abandon Adam and the others.""We're not abandoning them," he replied. "But we're doing this with a plan."He quickly added, "Grace, you take the main force and move in from the front to mount the rescue, but don't rush straight into the fight. Stay on the outer perimeter first, observe the situation, and delay as long as possible. Scarlet, you come with me. We'll take another route.""Another route?"Dustin pointed to a location on the map. "Here. This leads to the far side of the ruins. If we can go around it and sneak in from behind instead of the front, we might catch them off guard."Grace looked at him with a complicated emotion flickering across her face. She finally understood why she still relied on him even after his cultivation had been sealed because his

Albus recalled his sword and stood still, his gaze cold as it settled on Karos."Last time at the Glacial Abyss, you got away," he said calmly. "That won't happen again this time."Karos' face was drained of color. All his earlier arrogance vanished as he staggered back, panic taking over."Retreat! Fall back now!" he shouted.The Jornell family forces broke instantly, scattering in disarray as they fled into the night.Albus didn't pursue them. He just stood there and watched until they disappeared out of sight."Why didn't you kill them?" Scarlet asked in confusion.He glanced at Dustin. Seeing him nod, he spoke calmly."Let them go back and report. The Jornell family's true experts haven't appeared yet. Killing a few lackeys now would only put them on guard."Blanche walked toward Dustin and gave a respectful nod. "Mr. Rhys, we arrived late."He shook his head with a faint smile. "No. You came at the right time. Thank you for stepping in."A faint blush appeared on her fa

"It's our turn," Grace said, taking a deep breath as she looked at the group. "Remember what Dustin said. Stay sharp. Whatever you see, don't lose yourself."She stepped onto the Heartfall Stair first, followed by Scarlet, Adam, Blanche, Albus, and the others. Dustin stepped on last. Though his cultivation was sealed, his resolve was as strong as anyone else's. The moment his foot touched the stairs, the world around him shifted.He saw Natasha standing not far away, tears in her eyes. Her lips moved as if she were speaking, but no sound reached him."Natasha…" he muttered, his chest tightening.She reached out to him with a pleading look in her eyes. He almost stepped forward, but he quickly stopped himself. Then, he remembered that she was still at the foot of the mountain and couldn't be here.He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the illusion had vanished, leaving only the stone steps of the Heartfall Stair before him."I've passed the first