Gideon stood frozen for a moment, watching the four of them fight in front of him. The strange lights above the hall hadn't faded yet — it still looked as though the shadows of all four divine beasts had come down to earth at once.Luck? Coincidence? Or something closer to fate?The four children he'd taken in almost on a whim all carried the bloodlines of the Four Gods. No one else in that hall could quite believe it, and honestly, neither could Gideon.Just as the voice in the temple had said — carrying even one of the four bloodlines was rarer than reaching the heavens on foot. And somehow, without even trying, he'd ended up with all four.Some things in life don't have an explanation. They just feel like they were always meant to happen.Maybe this was one of them."That said, none of their bloodlines have actually awakened yet. If they had, they wouldn't still be this weak. All four of them are still stuck in the Mortal Ranks even at their age — they haven't even reached the leve

Isadora's voice rang out through every corner of Skyfall Palace.Every person in that hall froze. A Golden Core Elder of the Starlight Order, one of the great powers of Cloudreach, had crossed into the secular world in person to take on a disciple.This was an honor beyond measure. Even among the countless gifted disciples already inside the Starlight Order, how many of them would ever get the chance to train under a Golden Core master directly? And here it was being offered to a princess from a minor kingdom no one in Cloudreach even bothered to think about.Eleanor stood frozen, utterly at a loss for what to say.What exactly was happening right now?"Well? Are you willing?"When Eleanor still hadn't answered, Isadora asked again.Eleanor opened her mouth and closed it again, still too stunned to process any of it. The whole night felt like a dream she hadn't woken up from yet."Qing'er. Kneel and pay your respects to your master."King Cassian's voice was urgent. This was fortune f

Gideon's body shook. For the first time, the voice in his head didn't grate on him at all. It sounded almost kind."Is there a way to save Wren?"His voice was full of hope."I can't save her. I can't even leave this temple."Drake threw cold water on his hope, then went on. "But just because I can't act myself doesn't mean there's no way. A Vermilion Bird bloodline isn't something that dies easily."Drake's words slowly steadied him.Drake was the spirit of the Eternal Temple, and he thought of himself as a god. His eye for these things was sharp. If Wren truly carried the Vermilion Bird bloodline, she wouldn't go so easily."How do I save her? As long as there's a way, I'll do whatever it takes.""Deal with what's in front of you first."The old man always talked like he'd already seen how everything ended."Young Master, are you all right?"Damon had noticed the shifts in Gideon's face and asked with real concern."I'm fine."Gideon steadied himself, carefully handed Wren over to B

Gideon left Highmarket and headed straight for Dragonspine Ridge.It was a long road, and he should have ridden a fine horse. With the Cole Trading Company's resources, getting him a thoroughbred stallion would have been no trouble at all.Gideon chose to walk. He was a steed himself. With his energy running, his steps turned strange and swift, his speed pushed to its limit, fast as lightning.When a master of the Awakened Realm set off at full speed, how could a mere horse hope to keep up?And Gideon, even among Awakened masters, far outstripped anyone else at the same level. His wellspring held a vast store of energy, dozens of times what an ordinary martial artist could claim.The trip had two purposes. One was to find a spark for Wren. The other was a kind of training, his first real step into the martial world.It was nothing like a battlefield. Alone, free of every worry, racing through forests and wastelands, a pride rose in his chest, a feeling like soaring through the sky or

The Thunder Elephant lived up to its name, destructive enough to wipe out everything in its path. When it surged forward, it moved so fast that the Purple Flame Wolf had no time to escape before the sea of thunder swallowed it.Boom.A thunderous crash rolled out of the mountains and forests, shaking the land around them.A shrill yelp followed. The Purple Flame Wolf lurched through the sea of lightning, its whole body engulfed in purple fire. Its once-impenetrable plating was torn to pieces under the ravaging killing lightning, and its powerful body streamed blood, a truly pitiful sight.On the other side, Gideon dropped to the ground, panting hard."Damn it. What kind of divine technique is that?"He was speechless and thrilled at once. The power of the Nine-Kill Thunder God Technique went far beyond anything he'd imagined. He had no idea what grade of technique it was. The Thunder Elephant was only the first form, and it was already terrifying.The Cloud-Turning Hand he'd been so p