Chapter 426 - 306: Mission
Marcus Monroe’s calculations were sound.
With this man’s power, taking down Leo Joyce wouldn’t be much of a problem if he wanted to.
This way, he could kill several birds with one stone!
But unfortunately, after tilting his head and realizing who Marcus was talking about, the man’s face twisted in disgust. "I’m not a garbage collector! That man’s aura is murky and foul! Using someone like him for a Replenishing Skill would do more harm than good!"
Just then, Rhonda Rhodes, who had been silent all this time, slowly spoke up. "If I stay, you’ll remove the Voidspawn Worm for her. Does that offer still stand?"
The man paused, then let out a flippant laugh. "Of course. What, have you made up your mind? Decided to sacrifice yourself to save another?"
Rhonda Rhodes stared him down. "If you really can remove the Voidspawn Worm, then I have no problem agreeing."
"No!" Paige Summers sharply protested.
This man clearly had ill intentions toward Rhonda Rhodes. She couldn’t trade his dignity and life just to save herself!
The man’s face darkened.
’This isn’t okay, and that isn’t okay... who do they think I am? Someone they can just order around?!’
Rhonda Rhodes took a few steps forward and pulled Paige Summers aside. "I need to have a private word with her."
The man huffed, crossing his arms and leaning against a nearby peach tree.
Rhonda Rhodes led Paige Summers a short distance away and set up a sound insulation array. Only then did he say, "He’s not from the Carmine Sect. I misjudged him earlier. What he said was just a deliberate act."
Paige Summers gave him a look that said, ’Don’t try to fool me.’
Rhonda Rhodes gave a wry smile and rubbed his nose. "It’s true. Because of these Enchanting Peach Blossoms, I jumped to conclusions and thought he practiced a Hehuan Technique. But after we fought, I realized he doesn’t. He’s just a Demon Cultivator."
"A Demon Cultivator?"
"Mhm. If I’m not mistaken, his true form is likely one of the Enchanting Peach Blossoms. It’s a natural part of him, not something he’s doing on purpose."
Paige Summers was confused. "If he doesn’t practice a Replenishing Skill, then why is he so insistent on keeping someone here? First Marcus Monroe, and now you?"
Rhonda Rhodes pondered for a moment. "I’m not entirely sure about that either. Perhaps he just wants a servant. He seems skilled in Alchemy and Medicine Making, which is an extremely tedious process. It wouldn’t be strange for him to need a helper."
"Is that all...?" Paige Summers asked doubtfully, feeling there was something strange about the man, that it wasn’t that simple.
"To be honest, there’s another reason I need to stay." Rhonda Rhodes shared his initial worries, concluding, "While he’s lucid, he should know his limits and not use any outrageous Spells. But Demon Cultivators are often mentally unstable and unpredictable... After thinking it over, I’d feel more at ease staying by his side to keep him in check."
Hearing this, Paige Summers’s mind reeled.
She was definitely shocked, but it also felt unreal.
It wasn’t that she didn’t believe Rhonda Rhodes; it was just hard to imagine that a Cultivator could truly wield such godlike power, capable of destroying an entire world at a whim.
Besides, if the man was really that powerful, could Rhonda Rhodes even handle him?
’I can tell his strength is no match for the man’s, and that’s when he’s lucid. If he goes berserk or something, his power will only be more explosive... What if he can’t restrain him and ends up losing his own life?!’
A worried look appeared on her face. A hint of warmth spread through Rhonda Rhodes’s heart, and he gave a faint smile. "If I dare to do this, it’s because I’m confident I can handle it. Don’t worry. I didn’t survive all this just to die so easily."
Paige Summers stared at him for a long time. Seeing the determination in his expression and not a trace of reluctance, she finally let her shoulders slump. "Fine, fine. Besides, if you can’t stop him and the world is destroyed, it’s not like any of us can escape anyway!"
Rhonda Rhodes just smiled and said nothing more.
He wasn’t actually certain about what he’d said.
He wasn’t sure if the man could truly destroy this world, nor was he sure he could keep him in check. The former was based on knowledge he’d acquired in the Cultivation Realm, but he had never reached that level of Cultivation himself, nor had he ever seen anyone capable of such a feat. As for the latter, while he had a few tricks up his sleeve, he knew nothing about the man’s true abilities. How could he possibly guarantee success?
But that was precisely why he needed to get closer to understand the man’s true power.
He wasn’t doing this for some selfless reason like sacrificing himself for others.
It was simply the duty he had to bear as one of the Righteous People.
One thing was certain: the man was not part of the Carmine Sect.
Otherwise, he would rather die than let the man have his way.
The two of them finished their conversation and returned to the man and Marcus Monroe.
Rhonda Rhodes said calmly, "When can you begin the worm extraction?"
The man raised an eyebrow. "All settled?"
"Yes."
The man put on a bored expression, but a faint trace of joy flickered in his eyes. He lifted his chin. "Alright then. First, call over that reeking corpse. I’ll take you up."
The man didn’t need a talisman; he simply used a Spell to transport them back.
Not to the surface, but back to the tunnel from before.
There wasn’t a single person there now. It was completely empty and silent.
Paige Summers and the others stepped onto the ground. Just moments ago, it had been a trap that could swallow a person whole, but now it was as solid as any normal floor.
Paige Summers let out a surprised "Huh?" and looked at the man.
The man thought for a moment, then said, "My surname is Wade. I’ve long since forgotten my given name. You may call me Senior Wade."
Paige Summers nodded. She knew you couldn’t judge a Cultivator’s age by their appearance. But his willingness to give his name at least suggested he had no intention of tormenting Rhonda Rhodes. On the contrary, he seemed to hold him in some regard.
"Senior Wade, do you know what was causing the ground to act so strangely before?"
The man glanced at her and said dismissively, "You don’t think I was the one behind it, do you?"
Paige Summers nodded earnestly. "The thought did cross my mind."
The man suddenly laughed.
"You’re certainly honest. But I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. That was the work of a Blood-sucking Vine rooted deep underground. It’s been alive for quite some time now. Pulling off little tricks like that is simple for it."
Marcus Monroe suddenly interjected, "Were the cracks by the entrance its doing as well?"
"Yes... Oh, you’re asking about those missing fellows, aren’t you? Too late. They became nutrients for that little vine long ago. I doubt there are even bones left." When he said this, his expression was placid and his tone utterly flat, as if he were talking about a few dead insects, not people.
The atmosphere fell silent.
Rhonda Rhodes said softly, "Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat Omnia as straw dogs." After a pause, he asked the man, "Do you have any connection to that Blood Vine?"
As he spoke, both Paige Summers and Marcus Monroe looked up at the man.
The man curled his lip in disdain. "How could I possibly have anything to do with that sort of thing..." He stopped mid-sentence.
Paige Summers and the others also sensed something was wrong. They listened closely and heard what sounded like fighting in the distance!