A/N: So I just realized while mass releasing, I missed one Chapter, and it’s the most important Chapter of this whole arc .-. so please reread Chapter 98 titled Tomb of the Three Eyed Angel [ 2 ]. The first 50% until the three dots is the added Chapter, after that it’s the same (will try to fix when my content editor comes online), but for now, do read it. If it doesn’t reflect the changes, refresh your cache.

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"Mmm... I thought you’d say that. Xuan, is it? My master has warned me about you," the angel said.

Xuan let out a chuckle.

"So you’re not even trying to deny it?"

He’s a little strange, but we already figured out he’s not legit. Still kind of looks like an angel, though.

"Are you the apostle of the Three Eyed Angel?"

"I am," the angel replied.

He rose from his throne and put a hand over his heart.

"My name’s Gabriel. I am the apostle of the Three Eyed Angel, and I am responsible for overseeing my master’s tombs in the Mortal Realm and the Lower Heavens."

He glanced back at his throne, then at Xuan.

"My master noticed that you’re an enemy of the heaven faction. You’re also an enemy of the demonic faction. In a way, you have no sponsors, and if you were to enter the Lower Heavens where the heaven faction and demonic faction lurk, you would be slaughtered like a pig. The same is true for your sister."

"..."

Xuan tilted his head.

"What’s the point in all of this? Recruitment?"

"Sponsorship," Gabriel corrected, narrowing his eyes.

"My master wishes to sponsor you. My master... he offers you an invite into the Three Eyed Angel trial chamber. Depending on how many trials you pass, you’ll receive gifts that will increase your strength significantly."

That sounded almost too good to be true.

But then again, Xuan didn’t know this person’s true intentions. For all he knew, the Three Eyed Angel really was someone on the chaotic neutral scale. Someone who opposed both the heaven faction and demon faction.

However, Xuan’s past run-ins with this guy’s followers were troublesome, to say the least.

And as if understanding Xuan’s worries without him needing to say anything, Gabriel added:

"My master is not affiliated with any faction, nor does he have his own. He’s a single individual who lends power to others."

Xuan narrowed his eyes.

"Then will the trials give me actual power? Or will he just swoop in, take my soul, and bump me up a realm?"

Gabriel smiled.

"The trials will make you stronger. The Three Eyed Angel himself will not be gifting you power, as he deemed you and your sister capable enough. So what do you say? Do you accept my master’s proposal?"

Hmm...

In a way, Xuan saw this as a great opportunity. Heck, he would take it in a heartbeat in any other circumstance.

But there were a few things that still weren’t adding up for him.

Why couldn’t the Three Eyed Angel come here personally and relay that information to him?

For one, Xuan knew that it was possible, since if this was considered a domain of sorts, the Three Eyed Angel wouldn’t suffer any consequences if he were to descend.

He knew that, since he had talked with Adam inside the Void Realm domain.

To top it all off...

"Can you tell me something before I give you my answer?" Xuan asked.

Gabriel tilted his head slightly.

"Yes?"

"Why did you rush to set up traps earlier? Don’t lie and say that you didn’t," Xuan said.

Then, he stood up, and after straightening his posture, he approached Gabriel.

"Some things don’t add up with others, and although I might be a little naive at times, I am not an idiot who can’t see how sketchy you are."

And with that, silence once again descended.

Except now, the tension was far more potent than last time.

...From Gabriel’s perspective, Xuan did seem a little bit like a pushover. After all, he carried himself like a goofball, and his sister was the only threat here, since she was far more powerful than Xuan was.

However, now that he was staring at Xuan eye to eye, he knew that the man he had considered a pushover was anything but.

So in the end, he was forced to give him an answer.

"I wanted to test you."

"You’re lying."

Gabriel’s brow twitched.

"On my master’s name, I am not lying—"

"What’s your master’s name?" Xuan cut him off.

"The Three Eyed Angel."

Xuan rolled his eyes.

"That’s a title. What’s his real name?"

Right as Gabriel was about to reply, a bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. It didn’t go unnoticed by Xuan, who stared at the falling bead of sweat until it finally landed on the ground.

"I see..."

Just then, footsteps resounded from the distance, and before long, Yuelan and Sierra approached. Yuelan had a new outfit, and from the red mark on Sierra’s face, Yuelan had clearly lashed out at her.

Though, as much as Xuan wanted to scold Yuelan, he couldn’t since he realized that a few strands of Yuelan’s hair were missing.

Clearly, these two women had a catfight earlier, and he sadly missed it.

"Who’s this fancy fella?" Yuelan asked, glancing over at Gabriel.

"He’s either a con artist or an idiot. I haven’t figured it out yet," Xuan deadpanned.

At Xuan’s rude response, Gabriel’s face slightly reddened in anger. But before he could lash out and call out Xuan’s insolence, he felt a sharp blade resting on his neck.

He blinked, and only then did he realize that Yuelan had vanished from her spot. Instead, she was now behind him.

As much as he wanted to counter her, she used one hand to threaten him with the sword, and with the other, she put it over his Dantian, ready to infuse her Qi into it and destroy it at a moment’s notice. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

The situation was dangerous.

Far too dangerous for Gabriel to be in, especially when his master was nowhere to be seen.

But despite that...

"Allow me to contact my master. I promise I’ll solve this issue right away," Gabriel said.

Xuan nodded at Yuelan, and then smiled at Gabriel.

"Then tell me, is the offer you made legit, or did you lie out of your ass?"

Gabriel paused for a moment, then sighed.

"I lied."

Mhm... I thought as much.

<Xiao Yuelan: Snip snip?>

Xuan’s brows twitched.

<Xiao Xuan: 2 sec.>

"Are you really the apostle of the Three Eyed Angel?"

"Ah? Yes. That’s one part I didn’t lie about," Gabriel replied truthfully. His voice contained a bit of pride, almost like he thought that was enough to make Xuan convinced.

But then again...

"In that case, Yuelan, let’s kill this guy and get the Three Eyed Angel’s attention."