A Man Like None Other (Jared Chance)

"This..."

Billy and Ezio stood dumbfounded, staring at the arcane array that had already disappeared without a trace. Billy, in particular, was utterly shaken, his mind reeling as if it had been struck by a thunderclap. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. He'd been convinced that his arcane array was impenetrable, yet Jared had broken through it with ease! This was the same arcane array that had cost Riehl a tremendous amount of energy to create.

Billy had even tried to challenge it himself and, despite using every ounce of his strength, had failed to make even a dent in it.

But now, Jared had dismantled it effortlessly. It was beyond comprehension.

"I told you before, this arcane array couldn't hold me," Jared said, his voice steady as he advanced toward Billy, step by step.

Terror overtook Billy's expression as he stumbled backward. His body trembled uncontrollably, and Ezio was no better-frozen in place, unable to take a single step.

They both knew they were out of options. If even the arcane array couldn't trap Jared, how could they possibly stop him?

"Stop him... seize him!" Billy shouted desperately, signaling the cultivators of the Buckley family to take action.

Their only hope now was to buy time. If they could stall Jared long enough, Teegan and Riehl would arrive, and the situation could be turned in their favor.

In response to Billy's order, a dozen cultivators leapt into action, charging toward Jared. Meanwhile, Billy and Ezio didn't waste a second and fled the mine, heading for the mountaintop.

The cultivators, however, were no match for Jared. Most of them were only third or fourth-level Tribulators.

Jared didn't take them seriously, but to avoid damaging the celestial crystal vein mine, he quickly left the mine's entrance.

Seeing Jared retreat, the cultivators believed they had scared him off and eagerly pursued him.

When they emerged from the mine, they were stunned to find Jared calmly hovering in mid-air, waiting for them. The cultivators exchanged uneasy glances before launching their attack. "Hmph, ignorant fools," Jared muttered coldly. His palm ignited with internal flames that roared like a living inferno. Without hesitation, he swung it forward.

Boom!

The flames erupted, enveloping the cultivators in a blazing sea of fire.

"Ah!"

Agonized screams echoed as one by one, the cultivators were consumed by the flames and plummeted off the cliff.

From a distance, Billy and Ezio turned in shock at the horrifying sound. When they saw Jared eliminate more than a dozen Ultimate Realm cultivators with a single strike, they were nearly paralyzed with fear.

Reaching the mountaintop, Ezio rushed to where Gordon, Elena, and Mia were being held captive. He freed all three, knowing his survival now depended on them. He planned to use their lives as leverage to bargain with Jared. Billy shared the same idea and shoved Gordon, Elena, and Mia forward.

After dealing with the cultivators, Jared descended onto the mountaintop.

"Jared, you need to leave! It's a trap-a trap meant for you!" Mia cried out as soon as she saw him. She hadn't realized that Jared had already dismantled their entire plan.

"Jared, spare me for the sake of my sister. She's still worried about you!" Ezio pleaded, his voice trembling.

"Stop right there, Jared, or I'll kill all three of them!" Billy threatened.

Jared, unfazed, shrugged. "Kill them? What does that have to do with me? We're not related. If anything, their deaths mean fewer people to share the celestial crystal vein mine with."

He continued walking forward, his calm demeanor driving Billy into a panic. If even the lives of these three couldn't deter Jared, he had no idea what else he could do.

"Finally, you've arrived. I have been waiting for you, brat," came a deep voice.

It was Teegan.