William rode on Uri's back as he flew through the hole he had created with his flame breath. When they landed, William removed his Arrays and restored the area to its previous state.
It didn't really matter if he left the pit as it was, but he didn't want to chance any Cultivators studying the functions of his Arrays, lest they learn how to counter them in the future.
I guess we don't need to see Glen anymore.
"Uri, can you point the way to the next trial tower?" William asked.
"I can take you directly there, Master William." Uri said as he unfurled his wings a second time.
"Are you sure? I am perfectly fine with walking." William didn't want to damage the Flame Dragon's pride. Who knew if Uri would resent him for it later?
"I insist, get on my back."
William nodded and didn't bother asking further.
Just as he jumped on Uri's back, William activated his Life Sense, surprised to find that someone was approaching from a few kilometers away.
Uri also noticed the movements of an unknown Cultivator. "Master, should we kill them?" Check latest chapters at N0velFire.ɴet
"No need, let's just go." William replied. Uri took flight while William used his Vision Talent to look at the Cultivator from afar, recognizing it to be Glen.
Oh well, I don't need to see you anymore. William waved in Glen's direction as the two flew in a certain direction parallel to the Labyrinth of Tears and the desert.
Glen looked up to see a man riding a dragon, but they were so far away he couldn't possibly make out the man's face.
He checked an item in his Space Ring, confirming William's presence was still in the direction he was looking. As the dragon flew into the distance, William's presence also traveled further away. Glen gnashed his teeth, knowing he had just missed his target.
Worse yet, he was notified a few hours ago that William's Enslavement Array had been disabled. For mid-level members of his organization like him, scenarios like these were the worst possible outcome.
It would now fall on him to restore William's Enslavement Array, or he would be severely punished!
Since William had escaped from the Array on his own, that meant Glen's Qi Orb would no longer be valuable enough to trade for William's treasures.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Glen stopped his movements and took out a specialized communicator to contact his organization. It was incredibly expensive, but this just showed how powerful his group was compared to various Sects.
Unless they were one-in-a-thousand-years geniuses, Sects wouldn't bother giving out such a valuable communicator.
The line rang, picked up in just a few moments by a fragile male voice, "Hello?"
"It's Glen, can you connect me with the boss?"
"Sure thing." a click could be heard before the communication was transferred.
"It's Glen, Sir. I couldn't catch up to the escapee. It appears he has befriended a dragon that is at least in the Nascent Soul Realm and is currently flying towards the northern edge of the Gravitas Ruins."
"William escaped? And he's flying on a dragon?" the man on the other end responded in surprise.
Did he get the dragon from the trial tower? I need to let Master Black know immediately!
"Yes. What would you like me to do?"
"This is out of your hands. Forget about William and focus on the others." he hung up the call after giving out an order.
Glen's boss dialed a different number on his own communicator, connecting with Master Black. He relayed the information Glen gave in minute detail, then waited a few minutes for a response from the Master.
"This William person seems to be favored by the trial creator. This matter is to be kept secret between you and me. Do not alert the other Region Leaders of William's situation." he pressed his fingers to his head while deep in thought.
If the other Region Leaders found out that William was the trial creators' favorite, they would immediately target him the moment he left the Gravitas Ruins. Master Black was not going to allow someone else to enslave William and gain access to whatever treasures he earned!
He gathered up a few items on his desk and packed them into his Space Ring. He had a Space Mage assistant open up a portal to an unknown location close to the Gravitas Ruins, ready to step in at a moment's notice if William left the Ruins early.
Someone else stepped through the portal just as it was closing. It was the red-clothed Region Leader.
"You rarely go out on your own anymore, what's the occasion?" the red-cloaked man said while stroking a long white beard that had seemingly grown in overnight.
"Nothing, just getting a breath of fresh air."
"Near the Gravitas Ruins, and underground at that? What an interesting taste in air you have..."
"Tch. You don't have to analyze everything I do, old Garon." Master Black cursed under his breath at the old man's foresight. He knew the old man couldn't help it, given his Dream Affinity, but it was still annoying to say the least.
"As if you're one to talk, you calculative fool. Also, I thought we weren't using our real names out in the open, Tenebris." Garon replied with a slight frown. He wanted Tenebris to feel as if he owed him something for sharing his name while outside the organization's headquarters.
"There's no one here, and we aren't in the open. There's no need for such petty revenge here." Tenebris was specifically referring to Garon's fake sense of hurt and his choice to also use first names when speaking.
"Isn't that what the organization is all about?"
"Ha. We are called Retribution, not Revenge or Avengers. It's much more than that, it's a declaration that we will right the wrongs and punish those who further destabilize the natural functions of the world!
Those damn Sects that have opposed each other for hundreds of years, yet never commit to destroying one another no matter the consequence; it's shameful to say the least!
That's why I formed this organization almost a hundred years ago when I was but a young man, and that's why I have shared my abilities with you who are not even a part of my family. I have worked hard to maintain a good relationship with the Yu Royal Family, biding my time.
We are descended from the Heavens, we are the chosen ones! We are meant to restore the world to the way it's supposed to be, where Yin and Yang meet and balance is restored! No more indecisiveness, no more pause. If the Sects want to fight, then fight!"
The red-cloaked old man had heard this speech before, his eyes drooping as he became tired from Tenebris' boring voice. "Yeah yeah, I get it. But you could have at least chosen a more suitable name. Retribution makes us sound like those fools from the Pillars of Justice."
"Ha, don't lump us in with those idiots." Tenebris frowned deeply as he remembered the pricks that always ordered him around whenever he was reporting to Supreme Left.
While both Retribution and the Pillars of Justice had a relationship with the Yu Royal Family, only the Pillars of Justice openly did so. Retribution's purpose was only to maintain order in the Azures Continent, but the group had become more and more powerful in recent years.
It was only natural that the group would have their eyes on the throne next.
Seeing that Tenebris was about to launch into another long lecture about the history of the organization and their qualms with the Yu Royal Family, Goran decided now was the best chance to take his leave.
"I'll be off then, Master Black." he dialed a number on his communicator and requested for a return portal to be opened.
Tenebris only nodded, not moving until both Goran's presence and attention had left the room.
"Finally. I had to enter fanatic mode just to get rid of that old bastard." Tenebris muttered to himself as he removed a few treasures from his Space Ring.
Dozens of Artifacts containing powerful detection, concealment, and barrier Arrays were activated. Tenebris set down a few hundred Mana Stones to power them in case something happened, then sat down cross legged to Cultivate in silence.
At his level, Tenebris would take dozens of years just to improve by one level, but progress was progress. It was better to Cultivate and further extend his lifespan than to waste his time on worldly matters.
With Tenebris' intense focus on Cultivation, it was a wonder how he managed to get married and have a child, much less run an organization like Retribution.
His eyes glowed with a blue light as thousands of strands of Spirit Qi were formed instantaneously, seemingly from thin air. The process was so fast that an outsider wouldn't even be able to see the Mana being converted into Spirit Qi.
Tenebris smiled in satisfaction at the refreshing feeling of Spirit Qi entering his body.
I wonder how my son is doing...