Chapter 863: Arnold Gets Away
Without hesitation, Max sat down and opened the jade slip containing the One Step Mile technique. His eyes scanned every inscription, every intricate diagram, every explanation of the footwork’s profound mysteries.
The deeper he read, the more his expression shifted—first surprise at its depth, then doubt at its complexity, and finally, unrestrained excitement. The technique was far beyond ordinary martial footwork; it was as if the heavens themselves had crafted a method solely for those who sought to dominate all speed-based combat.
After finishing his initial reading, Max stood up, exhaled deeply, and turned his attention to Jake’s corpse. With a simple motion of his hand, black flames erupted, consuming the body entirely.
In moments, nothing but ashes remained, which Max promptly devoured using his unique ability. However, to his slight disappointment, no level-up notification came. He sighed softly, shaking his head. "Looks like killing a level 7 Legend Rank isn’t enough. I’ll need something—or someone—far stronger if I want to push myself into Champion Rank."
His eyes then narrowed, gleaming with cold determination. ’Arnold.’ The genius from Thunder Monarch Hall had to die. Arnold’s future was limitless; his potential made him the type of person who, if left alive, could one day stab Max in the back.
"No loose ends," Max muttered. "I’ll kill him now while I have the chance."
With that resolve, Max set off, swiftly returning to the area where Arnold had been seriously injured. However, when he arrived, he was greeted by nothing but chaos. Trees had been uprooted, the ground was cracked and torn apart, and faint traces of battle aura still lingered in the air—but Arnold was nowhere to be found.
Max’s brows furrowed deeply. ’Did he leave to heal?’ It seemed likely. Arnold’s injuries had been severe, and even with the healing medicine Jake had given him, he wouldn’t have recovered quickly. That should have kept him close by.
Determined not to give up, Max expanded his search radius. For one hour, then two, and finally three, he scoured every inch of terrain within a hundred miles.
Mountains, valleys, rivers, even deep caves—all were checked meticulously. Yet, despite his efforts and powerful soul perception, there was no trace of Arnold. It was as though the man had vanished entirely.
"Damn it!" Max growled, his fist tightening around the hilt of the Blue Dragon Sword. "Where the hell did he go?" He didn’t believe Arnold had gone far; someone as injured as him shouldn’t have been able to flee to such a distance. Still, there were no clues, and no lingering traces of his aura to follow.
Frustration gnawed at him, but eventually, Max had to accept reality. Today’s chance was lost. He had already spent hours searching, and this was the seventh day since entering the valley.
Time was running short, and there were still treasures waiting to be found in this massive secret domain.