CHAPTER 1703: CHAPTER 1703: JUST INJURED?

"Could it be that they haven’t realized the Junior House Master’s soul bead is also shattered?"

Peace Adams thought to himself facing the condolences of the high echelon of Sky-scraping Mansion.

Although he thought it unlikely.

But at this moment, it was the only explanation he could think of, otherwise he couldn’t understand why the group before him was solely focused on comforting him.

The high echelon of Sky-scraping Mansion before him, including the House Master, clearly didn’t know about the death of the Junior House Master ’Shane Adams’.

"House Master, Shane was no match for others, sacrificed for the Sky-scraping Mansion, died heroically, I’ve come to terms with that. But the Junior House Master, he..."

Peace Adams looked at the House Master of the Sky-scraping Mansion, initially enduring his grief when mentioning his grandson, but later, he couldn’t help but smile wryly, turning his head.

"What about Janey?"

And Shane’s words made the House Master ’Hardy Adams’’s face change. He immediately looked in the direction Peace Adams was staring at.

With just one glance, he saw the corpse being carried by the hunched young man.

Whoosh!

As if a gust of wind passed, the hunched young man took a step back, and the corpse on his shoulders fell into Hardy Adams’s arms.

"Junior House Master!"

Looking at the corpse with a bloody hole in its forehead, its blood already dried, the high echelon who came with Hardy Adams turned pale.

With such an injury, survival is impossible.

"Impossible!"

Just then, Hardy Adams looked at his son in disbelief, while freeing one hand to take out a soul bead.

The soul bead belonged to his son, ’Janey’.

The soul bead was intact, indicating his son wasn’t dead.

At this time, seeing Hardy Adams take out a soul bead and show disbelief, even Peace Adams, the Grand Elder of Sky-scraping Mansion, felt a chill, "House Master, the soul bead in your hand is..."

"This is Shane’s soul bead! He’s not dead!"

Hardy Adams spoke decisively; the soul bead does not lie.

"What?!"

"Not dead?"

"His forehead was pierced, soul shattered... With such severe injuries, the Junior House Master is not dead? Impossible?!"

...

At this moment, not only was Peace Adams dumbfounded, but also the high echelon of Sky-scraping Mansion and the group of disciples behind Peace Adams.

Especially the disciples who returned with Peace Adams, they witnessed Shane being killed, his forehead pierced, soul dispersed, even if a Daai Law Golden Immortal descended, it would be hopeless.

Yet now, the House Master says the Junior House Master isn’t dead?

"The House Master must have lost his mind from seeing the Junior House Master dead, right?"

For a moment, many disciples of Sky-scraping Mansion thought to themselves.

Of course, such thoughts only stayed in their minds, they did not dare to say them aloud.

Naturally, most of the eyes were on the soul bead in Hardy Adams’s hand, filled with confusion, "This is really the Junior House Master’s soul bead? The Junior House Master is obviously dead, how can the soul bead be intact... The House Master didn’t take the wrong soul bead, did he?"

At this moment, they only thought the House Master took someone else’s soul bead for the Junior House Master’s.

The House Master of Sky-scraping Mansion, ’Hardy Adams’, a tall, ordinary-looking yet dignified middle-aged man.

At this moment, his divine sense extended, entering his son’s body, soon detecting a faint aura deep in his son’s head.

That was a soul’s aura, very faint, yet incredibly dear and familiar to him.

Just because, this soul aura was identical to the one inside the soul bead he held.

"Janey!"

Though he didn’t know why his son survived such severe injuries, at this moment, Hardy Adams was more concerned if his son could recover.

A soul aura this weak could disperse any moment with a single mistake.

"Fa...ther... I need... a quiet room... at most three years... I... will recover..."

As Hardy Adams’s divine sense enveloped the soul aura, a voice transmitted back through his divine sense.

As the voice came, the already weak soul seemed to weaken further.

"Alright! Alright!!"

Hearing his son’s voice, knowing his son survived and could potentially recover, Hardy Adams temporarily put aside everything else, immediately carried Shane’s body back to his residence, placing him in the underground quiet room.

Watching the House Master suddenly leave with the Junior House Master’s body, everyone, including Peace Adams, was left bewildered.

However, they soon saw Hardy Adams return.

They noticed that the House Master’s face was exceptionally somber at that moment.

This, they were not surprised by.

After all, losing his only son, anyone’s mood would be bad.

"Grand Elder, what exactly happened during the Overleaping Rankings battle... Why is my son so badly wounded? And also, your grandson ’Shane Adams,’ along with two others, why are they dead?"

After returning, Hardy Adams immediately looked at Serene Adams and asked in a deep voice.

"Wounded?"

Upon hearing Hardy Adams’ words, it wasn’t just Serene Adams; all the other people present were stunned.

Is the House Master saying the Junior House Master is injured?

Wasn’t the Junior House Master already dead?

"House Master, the Junior House Master is..."

At this moment, a Vice House Master of Sky-scraping Mansion couldn’t hold it anymore, looked at Hardy Adams, and asked, "Just injured?"

"Very severely injured! It will take at least three years to recover."

Hardy Adams said coldly, his tone clearly reflecting his displeasure.

It’s understandable; with his only son so badly hurt, how could a father feel good?

However, Hardy Adams’ gaze never left Serene Adams, as he couldn’t understand what exactly happened during the Overleaping Rankings battle that caused the most outstanding four young members of Sky-scraping Mansion—three to die and one to be injured.

"Just injured?"

Upon hearing Hardy Adams’ words, both Serene Adams and others looked as if they had seen a ghost, with expressions of astonishment and incredulity.

They had seen Peace Adams’ corpse.

From the center of his forehead, his whole head had been pierced through; logically, his soul should have dissipated along with it, making survival impossible.

But now, the House Master actually claims he is just injured and will recover in three years?

"House Master, are you... telling the truth?"

Serene Adams asked somewhat incredulously.

Meanwhile, others also looked towards Hardy Adams, the House Master of Sky-scraping Mansion. They were deeply curious about this statement, as it seemed nearly impossible, but given that the House Master said so, there must be some reason behind it.

"I also don’t know what has happened to Peace Adams. He is indeed injured, and his soul severely damaged, but it hasn’t scattered or vanished... Moreover, with his faint soul, he contacted me, saying he could heal in no more than three years. So, I really want to know what changes occurred during the Overleaping Rankings battle, and what happened to Peace Adams."

Toward the end, Hardy Adams again glanced at Serene Adams.

"Really not dead!"

At this point, the minds of Serene Adams and others were not on the latter part of Hardy Adams’ words.

Just because they were completely shocked by the former part of Hardy Adams’ words.

So gravely injured, yet the soul hasn’t scattered?

What kind of monster is the Junior House Master!

"Could it be that the Junior House Master knows the ’Soul Gathering’ technique?"

And then, an elderly Vice House Master hesitantly spoke.

"Soul Gathering?"

Instantly, Hardy Adams, the House Master of Sky-scraping Mansion, along with everyone else, all set their eyes on this Vice House Master.

They were quite familiar with this Vice House Master.

Though not top-tier in strength within Sky-scraping Mansion, he was incredibly knowledgeable, having read almost all of the ancient texts passed down through the mansion.

In Sky-scraping Mansion, when it came to knowledge, if he claimed ’second,’ no one would dare claim ’first’!

"Yes, it’s ’Soul Gathering.’"

The elderly Vice House Master nodded, then spoke solemnly, "I saw records of it in an ancient manuscript passed down through our Sky-scraping Mansion... It is said that some top-tier Demon Cultivation techniques contain Soul Gathering methods, which can allow a soul temporarily scattered to be re-consolidated in a short time."

"However, the process of re-consolidating a soul is extremely difficult... Moreover, to completely restore the soul and reconnect it to the body for recovery, it generally requires at least three to five years or even longer."

Here, he paused for a moment before continuing, "Just like the Demon Cultivator who caused our Sky-scraping Mansion to fall from ’quasi third-rate power’ to ’fourth-rate power,’ according to that ancient manuscript, he practiced the sinister Demon Path technique Devouring Dark_Demon Art, which is a top-tier Devil Path technique that also includes the Soul Gathering method."

Demon Cultivator!

Devouring Dark_Demon Art!

Upon hearing the Vice House Master’s words, the scene fell into a dead silence.

Regarding that past of Sky-scraping Mansion, almost everyone from the mansion knew about it.

The Demon Cultivator who practiced Devouring Dark_Demon Art was an existence hated viciously by all peer at Sky-scraping Mansion because he was the reason for the mansion’s downfall.

"If the Junior House Master is a Demon Cultivator and has practiced top-tier Demon Cultivation techniques, knowing the Soul Gathering method wouldn’t be surprising... But the problem is, as far as I know, the Junior House Master is not a Demon Cultivator."

The elderly Vice House Master continued.

With the saying of the elderly Vice House Master, Hardy Adams and those who hadn’t been to the Overleaping Rankings battle nodded in agreement.

However, those who had just returned from Jewel Valley, including Serene Adams, were looking at each other in disbelief.

Because only they knew, the Junior House Master is now indeed a Demon Cultivator!

No one noticed.

Behind the group led by Serene Adams, the hunchbacked youth who had carried Peace Adams’ corpse back, and who was a lackey by Peace Adams’ side, brightened his eyes upon hearing the elderly Vice House Master’s words.