Chapter 17: The Man Higher Up

Deep in the cave, the Clayton Family members were locked in combat with other Beasts! In such a vast Thundering Fury Mansion, only one Cold Scale Bear couldn't guard it. Iwao's expression grew colder. Through his perception, he could see that the Clayton Family Elders were constantly being seriously injured. Even Helio, the leader, was bathed in blood, his breath extremely unstable. The Ghostfire Silver Serpent in front of him was already covered in wounds. "Keep fighting until the end!" Helio shouted, "As long as we can obtain the treasures here, all sacrifices are worth it!" "Splurt!" Another Elder was killed by a Beast due to being unable to dodge. At this point, two Elders had perished, and three were injured! Helio clenched his teeth tightly, his pupils filled with rage. There was no retreat! Having come this far, if they retreated now, all their efforts would be in vain! The loss of many strong members of the family meant that the only way to minimize losses was to take away all the treasures of Thundering Fury Mansion. And so, they continued to fight for the time it takes an incense stick to burn! When the last Beast fell, Helio was left with only one arm, leaning against the mountain wall, gasping for air. In front of him, there was still one Elder standing. That Elder was in equally bad shape, covered in blood, reaching his limit. "Finally, we've killed all these beasts." Helio's body swayed as he pushed open the last bronze door in front of him. "Boom!" As the bronze door was pushed open, the secret room erupted with a brilliant aura of Spirit Jade! The ground was piled with Spirit Jade. There were Double Marked and Triple Marked ones, everything imaginable! In addition to the Spirit Jade, there were also several copies of Maneuvers. The stone walls of the secret room were also engraved with characters. "Now, our Clayton Family is truly going to rise!" Helio's voice was hoarse, trembling with excitement. Then, he instructed the Elder, "You, go in first!" The Clayton Family Elder reluctantly entered. Inside, it was silent, with no sound or Beast attacks. "Good, very good!" Only then did Helio relax, laughing as he walked into the secret room. The Elder was about to follow, but suddenly, with a soft sound, a sharp vine pierced his heart from behind! His eyes widened, blood foaming from his mouth. The Elder's life essence was drained by the vine, and he didn't even make a sound. Iwao carefully set down Tammy, and then he and the tree walked into the secret room. "Come, pack up all these Spirit Jade for me!" Helio was still immersed in his ecstasy, completely unaware that someone was approaching from behind. "Swish!" Iwao's palm shot out, aiming straight for Helio's ear. Helio sensed the forceful wind, his pupils contracting sharply. Instinctively, he dodged it. "Iwao, it's you!" Helio took several steps back, his expression becoming extremely ugly. Could it be that he had been quietly following behind all this time? If he had indeed followed, then along the way... Helio's pupils turned red in an instant, his eyes filled with fury. "My Keoki... he's dead." "Iwao stepped forward, his expression icy and filled with killing intent. "Next, it's your turn, Clayton Family patriarch." "I'll slaughter you, you little beast!" Helio lost his rationality in an instant, roaring as he charged toward Iwao. The Ghostfire Silver Serpent's body shot out like a lightning bolt, aiming for Iwao. From its mouth, incredibly sharp fangs gleamed. "Little snake, take this!" Travis jumped down from the mountain wall, wielding a large wooden stick, and knocked the Ghostfire Silver Serpent to the ground! He had been lying in ambush for a long time! The Ghostfire Silver Serpent was dizzy from the blow. It had been seriously injured in its fight with the Beasts earlier, so its strength and speed were both weakened. "Hiss hiss hiss!" The Ghostfire Silver Serpent raised its head in extreme anger, its two green eyes fixed firmly on Travis. A First Rank Illusionary Beast! Such a level of existence was nothing but trash! If he weren't seriously injured, how could this guy dare to be so arrogant? Iwao clenched his fists tightly, colliding with Helio's lone arm. "Boom!" With a loud noise, Iwao took a few steps back, feeling a bit numb in his arm. Deep down, he couldn't help but be amazed at Helio's strength. Even after being so injured, he still had such explosive power. If both sides were in their prime, he would not be Helio's opponent! On the other hand, Helio was even more miserable. He already had only one arm left, and after being hit hard, the wounds on his body tore open again. His face twisted in pain, almost fainting. Iwao's figure was agile, like a leopard, delivering continuous blows. After activating the Imperial Art, his arm emitted a faint green light, his punches thundering like thunder! At first, Helio could still defend himself, but after a few rounds of fighting, he inevitably became clumsy. Iwao showed no mercy, landing several heavy blows, causing Helio to tremble in pain and unable to help but roar. "Crack!" Iwao's palm moved like lightning, striking up and down. In one attack, he directly severed Helio's arm, breaking it! Helio was in excruciating pain, sweating profusely, and shouted for Ghostfire Silver Serpent, "Come and help me!" However, his Illusionary Beast, Ghostfire Silver Serpent, had already been caught by Travis and coiled up into a ball. Travis pointed to the bite marks on his body, grinning widely. "Dare to bite me? Aren't you afraid of breaking your teeth?" The venom of the Ghostfire Silver Serpent did not affect Travis at all. Risking being bitten earlier, Travis quickly seized the Ghostfire Silver Serpent and lifted it! Upon witnessing this scene, Helio's pupils contracted once again. He took a few steps back, unable to hold back a roar. "Iwao, even if I become a ghost, I won't let you off!" Iwao sneered, delivering a punch to Helio's face. Faced with such a formidable opponent, he dared not be the slightest bit negligent! "Splat!" Helio's head slammed back into the mountain wall, shattering like a watermelon! The patriarch of the Clayton Family, a strongman of the Six Level of Earth Spirit Realm, died on the spot! "Huff... huff..." After killing Helio, Iwao took a few deep breaths. Looking at the numerous treasures in the secret room, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes. Excellent! "Iwao, where... where are we?" Outside the secret room, Tammy woke up from her unconsciousness and upon seeing this scene, her face turned pale. "It's okay, sis, I've taken care of them all," Iwao grinned. Then, he explained the situation to her. "Iwao, you're so reckless!" Tammy covered her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes. She knew deep down that everything Iwao did was for her sake. If it weren't for her influenza, which urgently needed treatment, he could have found a quiet place and slowly improved his realm. With his talent, he could reach the peak sooner or later! Why did he need to risk so much? "Sis, I've said it before. From now on, I won't let you suffer even the slightest grievance!" Iwao smiled and gently wiped away Tammy's tears, "Once I kill Ensio, we'll leave Cloud-Flipping City and head to Imperial City!"