Ben Coates was both furious and anxious, stammering, "Quinn, don’t joke around—I’m not a Keane, I’m from the steppe…"
Quinn Shepherd snapped, "Ben Coates, you’re denying your own Keane ancestors now? Didn’t you say you came from Carefree Haven…"
You little thief, shut up!
Ben Coates, blazing with fury, lunged at Quinn. Quinn instantly blocked—one transformed into a bird-headed, human-bodied fiend with the Witchlord Loulan Canon; the other erupted with the Nine-Dragon Emperor Art, regal as an emperor. Dragon roars and bird cries filled the air as dragon-shaped powers clashed again and again with winged sword strikes.
Though they looked like mere teens, both fought ruthlessly, every move lethal. In terms of technique, few Six Directions cultivators could match them.
The earlier fight had drained them, leaving their qi less robust than before, but their techniques remained formidable.
Despite the ferocity of their fight—each seeming to want the other dead—their feet kept inching toward the hatch.
The two moved in sync, brawling as they edged closer to the hatch, almost ready to make a break for it—when the divine ark suddenly shook violently. The owner of those two eyes outside the bridge grew angry, rattling the whole ship.
Suddenly, an invisible force wrapped them tight and dragged them to the porthole. Both instantly stopped fighting, not daring to resist. The power of this mysterious being was unfathomable—even Ben Coates felt a chill, knowing he wouldn’t stand a chance even at his peak.
Outside the bridge, those enormous vertical eyes glared with anger. A voice echoed up from below, cold and sinister: "Which of you is a Keane?"
Quinn and Ben pointed at each other in perfect sync. "Him!"
The voice came again: "So you’re both Keanes?"
Ben Coates shivered, quickly shouting, "I’m not a Keane! I’m the Grand Venerable of Loulan Golden Palace—ask anyone if you don’t believe me…"
The voice was bizarre, scraping across their souls, so sharp it made their spirits tingle. "Not a Keane? Then there’s no need for you to survive."
"Looks like there’s no hiding it now."
Ben straightened and declared, "That’s right—I’m Ben Keane! And this guy next to me is the real Grand Venerable of Loulan Golden Palace, reborn and body-jacked, goes by Quinn Loulan. Senior, please, do us all a favor and get rid of this useless fellow!"
Quinn sneered, "Just a minute ago you were calling me Cult Master Quinn. Was that just hot air?"
The two glared at each other, teeth clenched, each wishing they could rip out the other’s black heart and take a bite.
The voice paused for a moment, then asked, "Which of you is sixteen?"
Ben and Quinn exchanged a look. Quinn quickly said, "I’m sixteen!"