The Blackwoods paid little mind to the squabbling Parker duo and set about dividing their spoils.
"Brother, we seven are tough as nails. We don't need any of this fancy stuff. Look at this 'Seventh Grade Gold Ingot.' It's perfect for your Sky Palace. Refine it, and your power will surely increase."
"This Golden Coin and Treasure Basin, they're a matched pair of top-grade ability weapons. Offense and defense in one package. It's how Neil reached the Pinnacle Apprentice rankings. Anyone? No? Too flashy and attention-grabbing?
Fine, Katie, you take them for now."
"Joseph, you get the Golden Silk Robe. You need sothing to keep you safe in this dangerous Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary."
"..."
Katie and Joseph stared at the powerful artifacts in their hands, a mixture of emotions swirling within them. Their elders were practically showering them with treasures, holding nothing back.
Once the loot from Neil was distributed, the Blackwoods turned their attention to the treasures they had acquired within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary.
They had slain nurous Rising Stars, amassing a small fortune in mystical artifacts. Since they couldn't leave yet, they might as well put their newfound wealth to good use, bolstering their strength for the challenges to co.
They gathered in a secluded spot, their eyes gleaming as they emptied their Storage Rings.
Andrew, his massive 16-foot fra casting a long shadow, resembled a walking mountain as he crouched down, effectively shielding the group from view.
The contents of George, William, and Justin's Storage Rings, however, were the most shocking.
"Sixth Grade?! Sixth Grade mystical herbs and ores... hundreds of them?! What have you three been up to?!" Thomas roared, snatching George by the collar.
"There are people watching, Father! Have so decorum!" George protested with a wry smile.
"Oh, right, right." Thomas hastily set George down, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "That's my boy! A chip off the old block when it cos to acquiring... treasures."
"Heh heh heh."
The Blackwood's third generation watched with amusent as "The Magical Three Villains" divvied up their loot. Jessica, having spent most of her ti protecting the younger generation, had little to show for her efforts.
Marcus, however, was ecstatic. "Four mystical artifacts?"
"Hahaha, excellent! Once Uncle refines these, the Sky Palace will be even more formidable. We'll be unstoppable within this Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary!" William declared triumphantly.
Before he could finish his sentence, however, he was hoisted into the air, much like he had been back in the Forebearer's ancestral hall. "What's the big idea?!" he sputtered, indignant.
Ignoring his protests, they shook him upside down, and sure enough, two more Storage Rings tumbled out of his robes.
Leave it to William to hide the best for last.
Sensing their accusing stares, William exploded. "What are you looking at like that for? I've spent my entire life risking my neck for these treasures! Can't a guy keep a few things for himself? Besides, these are useless to you! One ring is full of severed heads, nothing but trophies.
The other has so decent ability weapons, but they're all for surveillance."
George, sensing his brother's distress, intervened. "He's right. We wouldn't have been able to pinpoint Uncle's location without William's gadgets. Especially that mirror... what was it called again?"
"The Eternal Elent Mirrorr," William supplied, his mood brightening slightly now that his brother had co to his defense. "See? My Storage Rings are full of tools for the trade, not your average trinkets."
"Then what's this?" George asked, his face darkening as he pulled another Storage Ring from William's hair.
"That... heh heh..."
William's protests were cut short as he was engulfed in a wave of darkness, his cries echoing through the air.
Once William's punishnt was dispensed, the Blackwoods gathered to discuss their next move.
"The Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary's closure is unpredictable," Jessica began, her voice laced with concern. "The entire place is in chaos. There are no rules anymore. And our battle with Neil... it didn't go unnoticed. Other Competent Force experts are aware of our presence."
Her words cast a pall over the group. They had sensed other Out-of-Body stage experts observing their confrontation with Neil. So had even seed poised to take advantage of the situation, but Marcus's arrival had deterred them.
"Elders," Joseph spoke up, his voice tight with anxiety. "This place is no longer safe. We need to leave, before stronger opponents..."
His words were cut short as their expressions shifted, their senses screaming in unison. A powerful Competent Force aura had descended upon them.
"Damn it!" Marcus roared, the Sky Palace materializing in his hand.
They whirled around just in ti to see Brent unleash a surge of natural energy, shattering the formations that bound Neil. He grabbed her by the leg and flung her into the air with a speed that defied belief.
In the blink of an eye, Neil was gone.
...
"Brent."
Neil soared through the sky, her heart pounding against her ribs.
She didn't dare look back, but her eyes stung with unshed tears. Everything that had transpired had been a chaotic blur, a nightmare she couldn't wake from. She hadn't anticipated Marcus's overwhelming strength, the betrayal of her own family elders, or the sheer number of Blackwoods lurking within the Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary. But the most unexpected twist of fate...
Brent, the seemingly spineless traitor, had been playing a dangerous ga, biding his ti, waiting for the perfect mont to strike.
She could still see the look on his face as he crouched beside her, urging her to live, his smile more dazzling than any treasure she had ever seen.
Neil had grown up in a world of rchants, her life driven by profit and gain. For the first ti, she understood that there was more to the Parker family than just wealth and power. The Patriarch had always told her that a rchant's tears were worthless, but for the first ti...
Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring the starlight above.
"Brent, Brent!" she cried out, her voice raw with emotion. "I will survive! And when I do, I will paint the ground red with the blood of every last Blackwood, a tribute to your sacrifice!"
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