Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet began to rise. Damien Gray held Morgan Shangguan close, remaining motionless. Since they couldn't figure out what was happening, it was best to wait and see.
With a loud "crack!", the stone ceiling above them slowly split open to both sides, while the ground beneath continued to rise until it was level with the floor above.
They had walked a long distance along the pillars, yet now they found themselves back in the palace hall. Some of the people who had previously been blocked outside had already entered, but all had become corpses, each with a treasure in hand. Arrows, wooden spikes, and other traps were scattered everywhere. Although it wasn't clear how these people had gotten inside, it was obvious that triggering the traps while taking the treasures had killed them.
Some people were still missing, but no one was outside the palace either. It was unclear where they had gone.
Before they could take a closer look, Quentin Hua suddenly appeared before them, his face grave. "Jin Locke has come in person!" he announced, then explained, "He's the son of Blood Wraith!" This was the first time Quentin had mentioned Jin Locke by name. Little Ma Yan was already dead; now, this person was just Blood Wraith's son, not his friend.
"Jin Locke?" Morgan Shangguan frowned slightly. Was it just a coincidence? Quentin Hua said that Blood Wraith's son was no longer the same person after awakening, so...
"Fiona... it really is you!" The handsome man who entered at the door gazed at her, his eyes filled with complex emotions—joy, guilt, and something else she couldn't quite decipher.
Jin Locke's appearance hadn't changed. Morgan Shangguan looked up at him, wondering why Jin Locke was in this world. She had been sent here by her grandfather; had Jin Locke come the same way? And there was someone who looked exactly like him—could it be a matter of past and present lives?
Seeing her staring intently at Jin Locke, Damien Gray's expression grew darker and colder. Quentin Hua, chilled by the icy aura emanating from him, deliberately moved further away.
Morgan Shangguan withdrew her gaze, patted the arm at her waist, and softly reassured, "He's just someone irrelevant." Although Jin Locke had spent a considerable amount of time by her side, she'd never truly cared about him—he was, indeed, just someone irrelevant.
The chill radiating from Damien Gray lessened a little, but he was still clearly displeased. He lifted her chin and kissed her, then snorted, "You never said that before."
It sounded like an accusation, but Morgan Shangguan detected a hint of grievance in his tone. She couldn't help but smile a little, replying helplessly, "We'll talk about it when we get back."
As she spoke, her gaze returned to Jin Locke, and she frowned. That damned Jade Seal had drained both her and Damien Gray of their powers. Facing Jin Locke now would be a struggle!
Jin Locke had never seen Morgan Shangguan like this before. That she was beautiful was beyond doubt—a faint smile from her often made people feel she wasn't mortal. But those subtle smiles were just masks, expressions that hid all her emotions, never revealing a trace of genuine feeling.
She never let anyone get too close; it was a distance kept from the heart. Yet now, with the man beside her, she showed such intimacy, a look of helpless indulgence he had never imagined would appear on her face—not even in his wildest dreams.
Now, seeing her act with such tenderness toward another man, only to say he was irrelevant, a sharp pain stabbed at Jin Locke's heart. This was her punishment for him!
Jin Locke opened his mouth, his voice hoarse and barely above a whisper. "How I wish I hadn't been so obsessed with avenging Susie, how I wish I hadn't betrayed you!" But he knew his repentance would mean nothing. The Fiona Yun he knew had never softened her heart for anyone.
A bitter smile tugged at his lips. Only at the moment of her death did he realize he'd fallen in love with her long ago.
She was as light and elusive as the wind—truly like a breeze, impossible to grasp. Yet she could so easily capture another's heart.
He loved her, but he didn't dare admit it—because Susie had been killed by her. She was his enemy. How could he fall in love with his enemy? How could he face Susie?
But the moment he saw her close her eyes, he finally understood: he'd rather live with guilt for a lifetime than lose her, because losing her was the greatest pain of all.
Damien Gray was thoroughly enraged, his icy gaze fixed on Jin Locke.
Maxwell Jing shook his head. To dare challenge the Sect Master for a woman—this newcomer was in for a world of trouble!
But just as he was ready to watch the two men fight, Damien Gray's expression suddenly softened. He gazed at Morgan Shangguan with tenderness and declared, "Mo'er, even if we were to do this all over again, you would still be entangled with me. No matter heaven or earth, you can only belong to me!" His gentle words were still domineering.
Morgan Shangguan's lips curled up, graciously holding back a laugh. She cupped his face and gave him a kiss full of emotion.
Others might not know, but Morgan Shangguan understood all too well. Damien Gray must be feeling extremely frustrated right now. Normally, the Ghostmaster would have already taught his reckless rival a lesson, but now, powerless, he was a tiger fallen from grace—how could he hope to win a fight?
Jin Locke's face darkened; Damien Gray's provocation had succeeded in angering him. With a flick of his hand, a surge of black energy shot toward the couple. His aim was to separate them—he knew Morgan Shangguan's skills would keep her safe, but as for Damien Gray, it would be better if he died!
Neither Quentin Hua, Maxwell Jing, nor Ethan Gu did anything but watch. Such an attack was still far from enough to injure Morgan Shangguan or Damien Gray. Besides, if even they couldn't dodge it, there would be no time for anyone else to intervene!
But unexpectedly, neither of them dodged!
The surge of energy carried sharp blades of wind, speeding toward them. Though their powers were gone, their skills remained. Dodging wasn't impossible, but the wind blades would still injure them—and Damien Gray could never allow Morgan Shangguan to be hurt before his eyes!
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Watching Damien Gray shield Morgan Shangguan and take the blow to his back, the spectators were stunned—Muriel Murong's eyes widened, unable to comprehend how the situation had changed so suddenly.