Russell's signature harmless smile vanished from his face for the first time.
He stared at the young man in white in the distance, who had just withdrawn his fist. There was not a trace of fear in his eyes. Instead, they burned with an almost pathological fervor.
"Good."
He uttered the word in a hoarse whisper, barely able to contain his excitement.
"Really... this is wonderful!"
His fighting spirit erupted like a volcano, soaring into the sky. The plain wooden sword in his arms gave a faint hum, as if sensing its master's will and longing for a fierce, exhilarating battle.
He didn't care whether Arian lived or died, nor did he care about the shattered Star Vessel.
All he knew was that the man before him, Chen Yan, could give him that ultimate thrill of standing on the brink of death.
He'd been looking for an opponent like this for far too long!
Just as Russell hunched forward, his body taut like a fully drawn bow, ready to shoot away—
A cool gaze fell upon him.
Not far away, Yu Qingmeng, who had remained silent until now, finally moved.
She merely furrowed her brow, then slowly raised her eyelids.
In an instant, her eyes, originally black as ink, were replaced by brilliant gold.
That gold was deep and ancient, devoid of emotion. It seemed like the first ray of light from the birth of the universe, gazing down upon the rise and fall of all things.
An intangible yet omnipresent ripple spread silently from her, sweeping across the entire third level of the sea.
"Hmm?"
Jiang Wanjun's heart lurched. She instinctively tried to summon the power within her, preparing for whatever might happen, only to discover in shock that the energy surging through her meridians had become mired in