Chapter 887: An Alternative Path
...
As Izroth descended the Thousand Blossoms Peak, Avia observed him closely—watching his every move.
"We're still too close to the Thousand Blossoms Peak. I'll have to wait until we reach the foot before making a move to escape." Avia thought to herself.
Avia did not know what Izroth hoped to accomplish by having her along; however, she understood her current circumstances.
She had to place as much distance between this place and herself as fast as possible and go into hiding.
She may have had a headstart now, but those who would be sent by the Great Clans to chase after her were not people she could fend off alone. That's why she needed to find the right moment to separate herself from Izroth and start erasing her tracks.
...
A few passed by as Izroth and Avia reached the bottom of the Thousand Blossoms Peak without incident.
Once they reached the bottom, Avia prepared to make her move.
"Since you technically saved my life, I will not harm you. But, you may have to experience some discomfort for a while." Avia thought to herself as she reached behind her back and removed a small glass vial of pink powder that was hidden under the cloth around her waist.
"One whiff of this powder from the Harterys Flower should put him to sleep long enough for me to create enough distance between us. He will suffer a mild headache when he awakens, but by that time, even if he returns to the Thousand Blossoms Peak, I will have already erased my tracks." Avia organized her actions in her mind.
Then, just as she prepared to take set her plans into motion, Izroth's voice sounded.
"You can try to run away, but that would be your biggest mistake," Izroth said indifferently without halting his steps or looking back.
"?!" Avia was taken aback by Izroth's sudden words.
She had been extremely careful to ensure that her actions went unnoticed. How did he manage to discover that she was up to something? No, more importantly, what did he mean that it would be her biggest mistake?
"Are you threatening me?" Avia inquired with a narrowed gaze.
Avia did not know how strong this young man before her was; however, she was still someone at the primary stage of the legendary realm. Without the Holy Maiden to suppress her, how did he plan on stopping her?
After Avia spoke, Izroth halted his steps.
"You misunderstand. If you want to run, I won't try to stop you. But, do you truly wish to spend the rest of your life hiding in fear?" Izroth asked.
Avia frowned and replied, "What? Are you saying you can guarantee my safety? If so, you are either fearless or ignorant. The Fifth Great Clan is not something you can afford to offend. I will admit, the protection of the Holy Maiden will buy some time at best, but they will eventually respond—harshly. Yet, you want to tell me you can ensure my safety to the point that I will not have to hide away? Your claim is too bold. Or, is it that you have some incredible background that will cause even the Fifth Great Clan to think twice before they act?"
Although Avia mentioned that Izroth's claim was too bold, she did not fully write him off and decided to take the chance to probe for some information.
If he truly did come from an incredible background, then perhaps there was some actual weight behind his words.
"I'm afraid my background is rather uninteresting compared to your mighty Fifth Great Clan. That being said..." Izroth said as have a carefree smile and turned to face Avia.
He then continued, "I am confident that I won't lose to them in terms of might."
Avia's brows rose from surprise due to Izroth's words. She really could not know whether he was aimlessly boasting or not. However, the confidence in his words and the expression on his face did not belong to someone who feared the Great Clans.
Avia remained silent for a few moments before she released a heavy sigh and returned the small vial to the cloth on her waist.
"Forget it. It is a bit riskier, but I can always run away anytime I want. For now, I want to see what gives him the confidence to make such a bold statement." Avia thought to herself.
If it was the past Avia, she would have never agreed to something so ridiculous and uncertain. However, she witnessed firsthand how the young man in front of her controlled the situation in a room full of legendary realm powerhouses. Even if he did have the Holy Maiden there to back him up, it was not an easy task performing under that kind of pressure.
"Besides the little princess, it is the first time I have met someone from the younger generation who can pull off a similar feat. If it is like this, then perhaps..." Avia contemplated as she fell into deep thought.
For the time being, she decided to follow Izroth. As for what the future holds, it remained unclear to her. But, whatever it was, it had to be better than spending the rest of her life hiding.
...
Several moments later...
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Out of nowhere, two figures appeared on the path in front of Izroth and Avia.
"?!" Avia immediately went on high alert and prepared to defend herself.
However, Izroth's reaction was the complete opposite.
"What's this? You haven't been gone that long and brought a woman back with you? Our youngest sure does move fast." A familiar voice sounded.
This voice, of course, belonged to Astratis.
"Don't speak nonsense. How can just any woman be worthy enough of our youngest?" Nomii scoffed as she sized up Avia.
"Alright, you two have the wrong idea. It's just someone I've made some arrangements with, that's all." Izroth stated as he inwardly shook his head.
He then looked over at Avia and said, "You can relax. These two are with me."
"With you? I see." A frown appeared on Avia's face as she analyzed the two who managed to sneak up on her.
"I can't sense a single trace of mana or energy in their bodies. Are they using some type of magic treasure to hide their presence?" Avia thought to herself.
"So? How'd everything go up there?" Astratis questioned with a grin.
"Thanks to your heads-up, everything ended smoothly. Though, if I'm not mistaken, we should have a visitor shortly." Izroth answered.
"Visitor? Did you plan on meeting up with someone ahead of time?" Astratis asked.
"I suppose you could say that," Izroth replied nonchalantly.
...BANG!
Out of nowhere, a crimson red streak fell from the sky a few meters away from Izroth's group, causing the ground to shake and forming a cloud of dust.
"It looks like they arrived sooner than I expected," Izroth said calmly.
"I thought I would have to wait for at least a few days before you came down from the Thousand Blossoms Peak, brat. But, it seems my concerns were unwarranted. It is indeed difficult to go against fate, wouldn't you say?" A voice that carried with it a tone of arrogance sounded as the surrounding dust settled.
"You're right. It's amusing how fate works at times." Izroth commented in a carefree manner.
As the dust settled, the system information of the new arrival revealed itself to Izroth. But, even without the system's aid, he already knew the identity of this person.
NPC Name: Destructive Sight of the Eight Heavens, Devil's Hand Louven(???)
NPC Level: ???
Louven swept his gaze over the group, and by the time he finished, a grin formed on his face.
Izroth may have won the second team's selection, but Louven heard that he used some type of powerful magic treasure and an underhanded method to defeat Roudin. Therefore, Louven was not concerned as he was well on guard.
As for those two strangers, Louven could not even detect a single drop of mana or energy from them!
Louven was not given the title Destructive Sight just for show. With his eyes, he could peer past things like magic barriers or the protective aura of magic items to see through his opponents. Doing so allowed him to swiftly discover their weakness and use it to destroy them.
The only person present who could give him some mild trouble at best was Avia due to her knowledge of herbs from the Fifth Great Clan, but even she was far from being his match. Not to mention, she was likely with him against her will. If that were the case, wouldn't she be grateful to him instead of meddling?
"Well, it doesn't matter. Besides, it's better to eliminate any witnesses. They can only blame themselves for being in the wrong place at the wrong time with the wrong person." Louven thought to himself.
When Louven appeared, Avia immediately became anxious.
Not only was Louven someone at the late stage of the legendary realm, but he came from the Eight Heavens. And, for some reason, it seems he had some kind of grudge against Izroth.
To make matters worse, Avia could see that dangerous look in his eyes. Without a doubt, he did not plan on letting anyone go!
At that moment, Avia could not help but silently curse her inquisitive nature. She should have run away when she had the chance back then—this was the thought that crossed her mind.
But, instead of everyone shivering in fear or being in a state of panic as she expected, Avia witnessed an unbelievable sight.
Despite being faced with a late-stage legendary realm expert, there was not the slightest bit of shock or fear among those present. In fact, it was calm. A bit too calm!
"Youngest, is this the visitor you spoke of? Aren't they a little rude?" Astratis commented with a frown.