At ten o'clock in the morning, Jonathan finished worshipping the Divine Emperor.
The sun was shining on Olympus’ courtyard, making the lush branches and leaves of the old mulberry trees glisten.
Rays of sunshine shone on the ground as they seeped through the leaves and branches.
It was a beautiful sight.
Even so, Jonathan felt extremely troubled as hundreds of thoughts passed through his mind. | wouldn't have stayed the night in Divine Realm if | knew worshiping the Divine Emperor would be so troublesome. | won't need to worship the Divine Emperor once | leave Divine Realm. I'l just have to make sure to worship him twelve times per year, that's all.
Jonathan had just stepped out of Olympus when Yuna leaped out of a corner.
Looking extremely cheerful, she said, “Let's go, Jonathan.
Let's meet Master Gideon.” Jonathan still put up his guard. Is Yuna really innocent or...
Don't tell me she's being so affectionate to me because Master Gideon told her to do so? Besides, she appeared as soon as | walked out. She was definitely waiting for me.
Could Master Gideon know that | have the raw stone? Indeed, Jonathan kept the raw stone on him at all times.
Truth was, he had no idea where to hide it. He would be at a loss for what to do if it were stolen. Now that Jonathan was a Silver, no one would dare to outright snatch it from him.
Many thoughts passed through his mind, but he did not allow them to show on his face. He merely smiled and answered, “Sure.” Jonathan had no other choice for the time being because he was determined to get the three Ninth Immortality Pill from Gideon.
Immediately, Yuna walked in the front to lead the way while Jonathan followed her.
Just like that, the duo made their way to Astral Hall.
Astral Hall was located southeast of Olympus. From the outside, it looked like the palace of Ustrana's nobles because of its royal architectural style.
Upon arriving outside the palace, Yuna said to the guard coldly, “We're here on Master Gideon's orders. Here's the warrant.” With that, she revealed a document.
Seeing that, the guard immediately granted them entry.
Jonathan secretly gave Yuna a puzzled glance, for the latter was cold and calm now, which differed completely from her earlier innocent and bubbly behavior.
However, Jonathan did not question the matter. His heart was racing wildly, and he had a gut feeling that Gideon's request to see him was not as simple as just giving him the Ninth Immortality Pills.
After entering the palace, Yuna flashed Jonathan a smile and said, “What is it, Jonathan? Did | scare you? The guards are total snobs, so we need to act fierce around them, got it?” With a faint smile, Jonathan responded, “Got it!”
The shiny floor of the palace's main hall was covered with a golden carpet, and the interior was surrounded by luxurious-looking bronze and emerald artifacts.
At the frontmost of the hall was a seat that resembled the throne of a king.
All the facilities there seemed to exist to accentuate the person in the seat.
Jonathan could not help but lament in his heart, Does everyone in Divine Realm want to be a king badly or something? What's their obsession with all this grandeur? “Wait for me here, Jonathan. I'll report our arrival to Master Gideon,” Yuna said.
Jonathan nodded in response.
With that, Yuna quickly entered the inner palace.
It did not take long for Yuna and Frost to come out. Striding ahead of them was Gideon.
He had changed into a black suit, which made him look exceptionally domineering.
His gaze was calm as if there was nothing that could faze him.
However, the aura he exuded made others think twice before messing with him. The moment Gideon appeared, Jonathan lowered his head.
The individuals here were each more powerful than the next. Jonathan was merely an insect in their presence.
In fact, Frost could kill Jonathan with just one finger, let alone Gideon.
Regardless, Jonathan could not help but wonder if Frost was Gideon's son.
At the same time, Gideon had sat on the throne while Frost and Yuna each stood on either side of the former.
Jonathan, being a tactful person, quickly bowed politely.
“Greetings, Master Gideon.” Gideon smiled faintly and said, “Please rise.” Though he ‘was domineering, he looked amicable.
“Thank you, Master Gideon,” Jonathan responded.
He did not dare to meet Gideon's gaze.
The entire hall gave Jonathan a strong, oppressive feeling.
Right then, Gideon said, “Jonathan, you did a great job completing your task. You've also made our faction proud.
Here. This is the reward you deserve.” He then gestured to Frost to give Jonathan an embroidered box.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtJust like his name, Frost handed the box to Jonathan expressionlessly. Taking the box, Jonathan quickly thanked Gideon, “Thank you, Master Gideon.” Regardless, he felt incredibly worried.
He feared that the Ninth Immortality Pills would not be inside. If his worry came true, he would be courting death if he talked about it after walking out of the hall.
Even so, he did not dare to check the contents in the presence of Gideon.
Jonathan pondered over it. This is bestowed by the Divine Emperor, so Master Gideon probably won't dare to play any tricks.
That thought gave him some relief.
“It's what you deserve,” Gideon said with a smile.
Jonathan merely remained in a respectful posture silently.
Once | have the Ninth Immortality Pills, I'm going to leave Astral Hall and Divine Realm and return to Chanaea. D*mn it! This place makes me so uneasy and stressed.
“Lailah went looking for the Sinai Bible with you back then.
Why isn't she back when the task is completed?” Gideon queried.
Jonathan quickly replied, “Master Gideon, Lailah was mesmerized by Yeringham's beauty. Thus, she could not bear to leave.” “I see.” Gideon paused for a while before adding, “There aren't many young people as outstanding as you out there.
It's been more than ten years since | last accepted a disciple. However, I'm rather delighted to have met you.
Here's my suggestion. Bow before me three times, and I'll accept you as my disciple. You'll be my Divine Realm's second generation of inner disciples. You'll have an honorable identity in the future.” It was practically a great blessing.
Any ordinary person would be elated to hear that offer.
Jonathan, however, felt goosebumps all over his body.
If he had not heard what Lance said back then, Jonathan would be unaffected. However, he immediately recalled Lance's reminder the moment he heard Gideon's offer.
Clearly, Gideon wanted to steal Jonathan's raw stone.
Jonathan had been feeling something was wrong from the very beginning. Gideon was known to have an aloof personality, so the way he treated Jonathan so kindly earlier had given the latter goosebumps. Come to think of it, Gideon is putting in a lot of effort to get my raw stone.
How should | go about this? Do | reject him right away? “What is it? Do you not like the idea?” Gideon's voice
turned cold.
Jonathan lowered his head, answering, “Of course, I'd love to be your disciple. It's just that | don't have the honor of being one.” “What makes you say that?” Gideon asked coldly.
‘Yuna looked worried, while Frost seemed frosty.
Jonathan explained, “I was an orphan since young. It was my master who took me in. Deep down, | only have one master. | really cannot accept another. | hope you can understand my struggle, Master Gideon.” Gideon's expression relaxed, and he said, “That's not a problem. You becoming my disciple won't affect your relationship with your master. | won't make you change your faction.” Jonathan felt a chill run down his spine. From how he's in such a hurry to make me his disciple, his intention is so obvious.
Though his skills were great, he was still far behind
Gideon's disciples.
Being an arrogant person, Gideon would not have humbly insisted on making Jonathan his disciple if not for an ulterior motive.
Jonathan could picture a miserable future ahead of him if he actually became Gideon's disciple.
Hence, he quickly said, “Master Gideon, I'm really grateful for your favor, but my master has specifically instructed me to not take another master. I'll be punished terribly for breaking the oath.” Finally, Frost spoke up. “Nonsense. You're someone who practices Destino Art. You should know that such oaths are useless. Master Gideon has shown you so much favor, yet you aren't being grateful. Bow down before Master Gideon now!” Yuna, too, chimed in, “That's right, Jonathan! We'll share the same master once you accept Master Gideon. With Master Gideon here, you'll get to enjoy all kinds of unimaginable benefits. Why are you being so slow today?”
She was truly worried about Jonathan as she feared he might offend Gideon and bring trouble upon himself.
Taking a deep breath, Jonathan said firmly, “No matter what people view oaths as, I'll never go against the one | made to my master. I'll never waver, no matter the consequences!” ‘Yuna stomped in frustration while Frost scowled harder.
Of course, Gideon did not look any better. He said, “If that's the case, then | have no choice but to grant your wish.” Gideon, naturally, would not force Jonathan to accept him as his master. After all, his reputation would be ruined if word got out about it.
“You may leave,” Gideon announced, dismissing the younger man with a wave of a hand.
Relieved, Jonathan quickly said, “I'll take my leave now.” ‘With that, he scurried out of Astral Hall.
At that moment, the sun was shining brightly, and the breeze was warm.
Jonathan panted heavily. Standing in Astral Hall earlier made him feel as if he was in hell. It was as if he could bring death upon himself with a single misstep.
Thank goodness I'm out of the hall. | can't stay at Divine Realm any longer. I've got to leave this place quickly.
However, he still could not resist the urge to open the embroidered box. The moment he opened it, he spotted three black pills laying inside.
The dark luster of the pill was queer, and there were streams of light flowing over them.
‘When he carefully took a sniff, he caught a refreshing scent as if someone had gotten out of the shower.
These are definitely Heaven Pills! They're treasures! Relief washed over Jonathan. He had a feeling he should leave the place right away, or Gideon would come after him again.
I've got to leave and hide the raw stone.
‘With that, Jonathan rushed to Divine Realm's entrance.
Alas, a shocking turn of events was about to unfold.
By the time Jonathan arrived at Divine Realm's entrance, the guards had changed.
One was required to scan their eyes to gain entry into Divine Realm, but that was not needed to leave. Just as Jonathan was about to leave the place, the two security guards pressed a button and shut the entrance.
Jonathan's heart sank. Knowing the security guards were just like watchdogs, he questioned coldly, “What's the meaning of this?” The two guards swept an icy gaze over him without saying a word.
Their reactions made Jonathan mad. As if it was not bad enough that | had to endure the oppression from Gideon, but now this? Jonathan could not believe that even the security guards dared to ignore him.
If he was not at Divine Realm, he would have lost his cool by now, thanks to his horrible temper.
He took a deep breath and was about to speak when two men stepped out of the security office.
They were Gideon's other disciples and twins at that. Their names were Eirwen Trigiani and Dilean Trigiani.
They were twenty-eight years old, dressed in black shirts, and had cold expressions. Even their gazes were frosty.
Most importantly, the two of them had already entered the final stage of Celestial Soul.
Jonathan did not recognize the twins, but he could sense that they had bad intentions.
His heart skipped a beat. This is Divine Realm. There's no way they'll attack me, right? Despite how panicked he was, he managed a calm expression and stared coldly at them.
Eirwen, the elder twin, walked up to Jonathan and stood still. Suddenly, the former scoffed, “How dare you? Are you trying to leave after stealing from Master Gideon?” Atfirst, Jonathan was stunned, but he immediately came to
a realization.
They're Gideon's disciples and have been laying in wait here. It was all planned, obviously.
If he did not accept the offer of being Gideon's disciple, then they would proceed to the second plan, which was to frame him.
What a series of cunning schemes, all for the raw stone in my possession. Suddenly, Jonathan cursed in his mind, panic flooding his heart. Sh*t! The raw stone is still on me.
Once Gideon says the raw stone is his and that | stole it, | won't ever be able to clear my name.
Athousand thoughts ran through his mind, but he could not ‘come up with a solution.
Dilean asked, “So, what is it going to be, thief? Should we forcefully drag you back, or are you going to come back with us on your own?” Jonathan knew he would only be asking for trouble if he tried to fight them. Hence, he replied grimly, “I'l go back with you.”
‘With that, he turned around and took the lead.
Eirwen and Dilean each took a side, holding Jonathan hostage. The latter had zero chance of escaping.
Not long after, Jonathan arrived at Gideon's Astral Hall again under the watchful eyes of the twins.
Gideon was still seated on his throne, and his eldest disciple, Frost, was watching from the side with his ever- present icy expression.
‘Yuna, however, was stunned by the sight. She could not understand what was going on.
“Get to your knees!" Frost yelled emotionlessly.
Jonathan merely scoffed and glanced at the arrogant Gideon, saying, “Gideon Camell, and here | thought you were some bigshot! Well, it looks like you're nothing but a thief. You know better than anyone that | didn't steal from you. You're doing all this just for a raw stone, right? Fine.
Take it!” With that said, he took out the raw stone and tossed it at Gideon.
Unfortunately, he had no other choice.
He never expected Gideon to play such cheap tricks just for the raw stone.
Right then, Frost caught the raw stone and respectfully handed it to Gideon.
After accepting it, Gideon stroked the stone in his hand.
The look in his eyes changed. Utter delight flashed through his eyes, but he skillfully concealed it.
“Can | leave now?” Jonathan asked, glancing at Gideon.
Gideon eyed Jonathan coldly, but said to Frost, “How should we deal with this thief who stole my raw stone?” Frost immediately replied, “This thief is too bold. Death is what he deserves. However, the Divine Emperor has always been impartial. We should hand him to The Inquisition for a fair trial and conviction.” Gideon nodded. “All right. Bring him to The Inquisition, then.” “Yes, Master Gideon,” Frost responded emotionlessly.
Jonathan could not help but comment in his heart that Frost was indeed Gideon's most loyal dog.
“Master Gideon!” Just then, Yuna stepped up and said hurriedly, “Master Gideon, Jonathan's young and immature.
Since he's returned your item, can you let this matter pass?” Gideon threw her a cold stare. He then got to his feet and walked away, ignoring Yuna.
‘Yuna was beyond anxious, but there was nothing she could do.
Jonathan, however, was surprised. He had thought Yuna was pretending to be innocent and merely someone Gideon had sent to seduce him.
Looks like this girl isn't putting on an act, after all.
“Jonathan!” Yuna looked at him sorrowfully.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmThe corners of Jonathan's lips lifted to form a subtle smile, and he assured, “I'll be fine, Yuna. At worst, I'll face death.
I'll still be known as a good man out there.” Jonathan knew he had no way out of the situation.
Now that Gideon had taken Jonathan's raw stone, the only end for the latter was death.
If word about Gideon snatching something from an external disciple got out, the former's reputation would be destroyed.
Hence, Gideon had to kill Jonathan to preserve his dignity.
Though the other masters were well aware of what truly happened, they still had to pretend otherwise for the sake of everyone's dignity.
Therefore, Jonathan had to be sacrificed.
Immediately after that, Frost shoved Jonathan out of Astral Hall while Yuna stood there in a daze.
Sometimes, fate between people was a bizarre thing.
‘Yuna had just gotten to know Jonathan, but she felt as if she had known him for years.
Soon, Jonathan was brought to The Inquisition by Frost.
Oswald was in charge of The Inquisition.
His faction was the most powerful faction among the three factions. Even people like Edward and Jeremy were from that faction.
| heard Gabriel's from Oswald's faction, too. Sh*t! I'm done for. I'm not going to live once I'm handed to Oswald's faction. Wait a minute; something's not right. Why was Gideon so sure that | had the raw stone? That's right! D*mn it! It must be that stupid Gabriel! He must've snitched on me to Gideon! Jonathan suddenly had an epiphany.
The interior of The Inquisition was a massive hall, but it had a solemn atmosphere, and every inch of it gave one a suffocating feeling.
At the frontmost of the hall were the judges’ tables and chairs.
There was another set of tables and chairs on both sides of the hall, which was meant for the jury. At the end of the hall were seats for the audience.
The Inquisition was clearly a court.
The moment Jonathan was dragged into the hall by Frost, the former spotted a familiar face right away —Gabriel.
Gabriel's face wound had recovered, and he stepped forward with two subordinates.
The two men were members of The Inquisition's law enforcement team. All members of the law enforcement team had unbelievably high cultivation levels.
In fact, anyone who could join the team was a genius.
Jonathan swept his gaze over them, immediately identifying the law enforcers’ cultivation levels—the final stage of Celestial Soul.
His heart sank. Even the law enforcers from Oswald's faction are at the final stage of Celestial Soul. How terrifying! Jonathan finally understood what was on Gabriel's mind.
The latter feared he would get into trouble as well. Thus, he decided to get Jonathan killed.
That was why Gabriel had requested such powerful escorts.
“Hello, Frost,” Gabriel said with a smile.
Usually, Frost treated everyone with indifference. However, he actually smiled this time and said, “Here you go, Gabriel.
Take good care of him.” Gabriel put on a polite smile and nodded. “Of course. I'll definitely take good care of our fellow junior.” Frost let out a laugh. “Very well. | shall not talk too much.
Goodbye.” “Take care!” said Gabriel.
With that, Frost walked off, leaving Jonathan and Gabriel alone.
Jonathan felt a little chilly even with sunlight shining into the large yet empty hall through the windows.
Gabriel grinned as he gazed at Jonathan. “We meet again, Jonathan. | can't believe you were handed to me so soon.
This is such a joke, don't you think so?” Jonathan clamped his mouth shut, for there was nothing he
could say.
Gabriel continued, “You're one of the luckiest men I've met in my life. This means you're the king of the Chosen Ones.
Sadly, you didn't cherish your luck. An oath is a stupid thing. If you had killed me in Yeringham, you wouldn't be in such a mess now.” Jonathan felt a sense of despair wash over him.
He could not help but hate himself when he stared at Gabriel.
Why did | shackle myself with so-called justice? | should've ignored the oath and killed this fool back then. An act of kindness is just an act of bringing trouble onto oneself. | almost brought death upon myself when | showed Lucian mercy in the ring. And now, I'm facing the same thing.
Immense regret surged in his heart.
“Just Kill me if that's what you want. | have nothing to say,” said Jonathan.
Smiling, Gabriel replied, “Oh, there's no rush. This time, I'd like to see if you'll be saved by your luck again. | can't think
of any accident that can save you. This is Divine Realm, after all. Everyone from Oswald's and Gideon's factions wants you dead. Besides, no one can barge into a holy place for martial arts. Even Chanaea's military won't dare to attack this place. Oh, not forgetting this is Lostaria, too.” He paused briefly before adding, “There's one thing you said which was absolutely right. No matter should repeat three times. This is my third confrontation with you, and my third attempt to kill you. If | fail to Kill you this time, then it serves me right to die in your hands. I'd like to see if you'll survive this round.” Jonathan did not think he still had a chance of surviving.
He feared he had used up all his luck.
Immediately after that, Gabriel uttered to the two law enforcers in a cold manner, “Put him in prison. Three days later at noon, Master Gideon will be worshipping the Divine Emperor and gathering all the juries and masters. We'll hold a public trial for this thief then.”