Valance hissed inwardly at the noise.
’How damn loud and noisy.’
Yet her distant gaze stayed calm, revealing none of her inner thoughts, first resting on Nathaniel’s leaping figure beside her before gliding toward the chaos unfolding behind.
"How did the bridge break?"
She murmured softly, her brows furrowing in concern. Her eyes swept over the guards they had brought with them, all struggling against the fierce winds far behind them.
Even then, she didn’t spare a glance for Clan Leader Ares and his clan members, who had also been caught in the turmoil.
"If only we could go back and help those floundering in the wind... but we can’t. We have come too far, and returning could be perilous. This place is too treacherous."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, a shadow of guilt on her face for those trapped in the raging wind, their fate hanging by a thread.
Nathaniel let out a sigh.
"It’s not your fault. They are all powerful Celestials. Don’t worry—they’re capable of surviving. We’ll help them later. Just focus on moving forward and finding an exit."
Valance’s eyebrow twitched.
When did she say it was her fault??
This insolent man!
How dare he subtly shift the blame onto her! Yet she concealed her thoughts and nodded at him with a grim expression.
"Right. Let’s move forward."
Lui chimed in from behind.
"Guys, stop talking and jump quickly! The petals fade too fast. I don’t want to be left behind and suffer in the abyss just because you are thinking about saving others! You two are just too good for your own good!"
Her words made several Rulers’ brows twitch, leaving them looking puzzled.
They glanced around, thinking quietly to themselves: who among them was good?
But seeing the pleased expressions on Nathaniel’s and Valance’s faces, they all shuddered inwardly. And who could blame them? After so many years together, some had realized that no one among them—not even the two ethereal and exalted figures leading them—was genuinely virtuous.
Yet all of the Rulers froze when they saw the shimmering cyan-golden clock symbol between Nathaniel’s collarbones. No, they were not shocked by its appearance—they had seen him wield it a few times before, even though he preferred using the power of the cyan-purple flower Celestial symbol.
What startled them all was the menacing look on Nathaniel’s face as he looked back.
His hand rested over the beautiful symbol, which seemed to glow in an even brighter shade of gold with each passing second, and from his dark expression, it was clear that it was happening beyond his control.
He seemed just as shocked as they were. All the Rulers around him could only watch and halt their jumps as the petals that had been guiding them forward—vanishing and reappearing—suddenly stopped in place.
Nathaniel’s sharp eyes darted frantically, searching for the reason why the power of time—which had never once misbehaved under his control—was suddenly growing agitated. Something similar had happened once before, and he later found out it was because Azazeal was alive and near him.
The Celestial bones he had dug out of his body had shaken violently upon sensing his presence nearby. And now, the same thing was happening again!? But how the hell??
He had personally slain the owner of the clock symbol, then utterly obliterated both his soul and consciousness! He had even absorbed the two pairs of Celestial wings granted to that man by nature at birth!
So, how?!
While Nathaniel hurriedly scanned every face through the raging wind, trying to find the one the clock symbol was resonating with, far away—surviving the gale and the crimson cracks—Cassian was in a panic.
He clutched desperately at his clothes, trying to hide the golden glow, tainted with darkness, that seeped through the fabric.
’Shit! Shit! Shit!’
No one around him noticed his panic.
They were all too busy surviving after the bridge had collapsed—except for a pair of calm green eyes, whose owner avoided the crimson cracks scattered through the air, as his body always seemed to veer away from danger, unlike everyone around him.
He didn’t even bother to put any effort into avoiding the crimson cracks or stabilizing his body mid-air in the abyss—he simply let the raging wind toss him left and right. His actions made Ares want to cough blood.
They were fighting for their lives, and he looked like he was enjoying! Suddenly, a flickering sound echoed through the air.
It was followed by countless golden array symbols that spread outward, enveloping everything in brilliant light at a speed only those at the 5th stage or higher could perceive.
This astonished everyone, including the Rulers—how could anyone create such a complex array so quickly? Even Celestials needed time to form them in their minds!
Naturally, an array required energy to stay active. And in an abyss where one couldn’t even heal their own wounds or stay stable, how could anyone channel enough power to sustain such a colossal formation?
Yet everyone was left completely stunned as the space above the abyss shimmered suddenly with countless treasures—herbs and all kinds of rare plants—all dissipating to fuel the array’s overwhelming power.
The sheer sight left all the Celestials dumbfounded. How could one possibly possess so many Celestial treasures?
And the freaking crazy scoundrel just wasted them all so easily on an array!?
Their hearts ached.
Finding treasures in the Celestial Realm was difficult, especially those of Celestial rank, and now they had to watch so many disappear right before their eyes. Even the Celestials struggling to survive felt an urge to beat the person responsible! But it was clear their frustration had no effect on him.
He hummed and grabbed several nearby symbols as if they were solid objects.
The symbols immediately crawled around his arm, stabilizing him under his control and shielding his body from the winds.
Immediately, all eyes turned to the tall, handsome man floating in the center.
Sighing, Kyle slowly touched the space between his collarbones over his clothes.
The golden glow from the surrounding symbols made the icy shimmer seeping from his garments appear golden as he murmured softly under his breath.
"Strange... it’s agitated again."
His voice was low, yet everyone who had fallen silent after seeing his wanton abuse of Celestial treasures heard him clearly.
Nathaniel’s eyes zeroed in on him.
Who was this man? Because he certainly wasn’t the owner of the clock symbol!
At the same time, Cassian blinked. The hand clutching his clothes loosened. His eyes were bloodshot—yet he burst into a laugh, the sound pleasant and genuine.
His thoughts shook with amusement.
’Fool! Who even asked for your help!’