The cold beauty beside Nathaniel noticed the sudden shift in his mood. Her icy face curved into a wicked smirk, shattering her noble, impassive facade as she whispered.
"Why get angry? Just dispose of the annoyance with a swipe of your hand."
As she whispered, her robe fluttered.
Nathaniel was momentarily stunned. He looked at the woman beside him, but she had already returned to her calm, cold, and noble demeanor. He, too, smiled softly, like a noble saint, and with a wave of his hand, sent his power toward the golden bridge.
Indeed, this woman was shrewd—just like him. Valance was one of the rare fortunate Rulers, aside from him, to bear a complete Celestial symbol between her collarbones—albeit without a defined essence—crafted from fragments stolen from weaker Rulers who vanished before they could be known as Crown holders in the Celestial Realm.
And he knew she was the reason they disappeared and were never seen again.
Although Valance and Nathaniel rarely interacted, each could feel the similarities between them—their cunning disposition, their patience, and their ability to skillfully cloak cruelty beneath a saintly exterior.
And perhaps that was why they kept their distance. After all, when two devils share the same territory, one wrong move could turn an alliance into a bloody, deadly feud.
They were both the most powerful in their territories and the most revered. Yet below their virtuous exteriors lay ruthlessness.
This time, they had come together solely because of the Layer of Three Ancients.
The golden gate to this ancient place had not opened upon its appearance, and the Rulers who found it could not decipher the strange language inscribed on it. So, they were forced to call others and unite, as no amount of strength could break it open.
It took an entire year before the gathered Rulers found that only the blood of those who had a complete Celestial symbol on their bodies could unlock the golden gate.
When it finally opened, Nathaniel’s and Valance’s teams were the first to enter.
No one protested, and the others willingly agreed to stand guard over the gate until their return, since Nathaniel and Valance were the ones who provided the blood that opened the gate. Only after they returned would the rest enter to seek the treasures.
Anyway, it was better to let Nathaniel and Valance go in first to check for danger and create a map of the ancient place so they could avoid any unforeseen threats within.
Who would have thought they could fail to guard the gate despite their vast numbers?
Yet, they dare to call themselves Rulers!
Because of them, even many weaklings managed to enter the Layer of Ancients!
Naturally, Nathaniel and his companions didn’t know the full details. They were only angry that those outside couldn’t manage even a simple task. Seeing Ares, the leader of one of the oldest clans in the Celestial Realm, suddenly appear in the abyss with his clan members had left them frowning.
From the side, Valance observed the faint cyan-golden light quickly flashing between Nathaniel’s collarbones after he unleashed a wave of power toward the golden bridge.
It was the power of his Celestial symbol—a round, golden clock with a large chain that surged outward to form a protective zigzag pattern around his entire body. The emblem appeared between his collarbones just as the cyan-purple flower symbol there faded.
Valance licked her lips at the sight of the symbol. Shhh... no matter how many times she watched Nathaniel wield the power of multiple whole Celestial symbols, a deep pang of jealousy always stirred within her.
If only she could steal them—even one would suffice. But Nathaniel was like her—unyielding. He would never be seduced, let alone taken advantage of by anyone. She was also sure that, despite their outwardly equal strength, he was far more powerful.
Still, she always wondered where he had obtained such powerful Celestial symbols, for she knew they were not his. After all, in the past, while spying on him, she had seen his symbol—it was incomplete, like hers.
However, she could sense that it was stronger than all the other incomplete symbols. It carried an ominous charm.
But he had never unleashed its power, so she had no idea how strong it truly was. It was a tailless symbol of a seven-headed snake, and he always hid it to conceal his true nature from those who observed him.
Only after seeing the symbol did she stop spying on him and instantly abandon the idea of stealing from him. He had looked back with a dark gleam and a wide smile, directly at the spot where she was hiding.
It had been more than a thousand years since that incident, yet she still felt a chill whenever she recalled that wicked smile.
Valance had captured many weak Rulers and absorbed their essence, yet she had never been fortunate enough to encounter one bearing a complete Celestial symbol.
Truly, it was such a disappointment.
But she knew—she knew she was not the unlucky one. It was simply that no Celestial after the first three, chosen by nature itself, was born with a complete Celestial symbol.
One could only obtain one after reaching the final stage of the Celestial rank. Even then, those symbols were all incomplete, and she lacked the power to examine the bodies of the Celestials stronger than her—especially the hidden ancient ones.
Nathaniel having two complete ones showed just how fortunate he was.
Even if he had stolen them, he had still managed to claim them. She was certain that, given another one or two thousand years, he would become the strongest in the entire Celestial Realm—stronger even than the ancient Rulers living in seclusion.
Valance was jolted from her thoughts by the piercing cries of panic behind her. She suppressed a smirk when she noticed that the golden bridge—the only support in the vast dark abyss—had broken at the point where Nathaniel had struck and collapsed.
The panicked cries of those clinging to it echoed as they plummeted into the abyss, only to be swept away by the cruel winds.