"BOOM!"


    Brent''s attack was swift and decisive. The moment Neil was free, he turned on the ckwoods, his demeanor shifting from obsequious to ruthless in a heartbeat. With a roar, he ignited his very soul, unleashing a devastating palm strike aimed directly at Joseph.


    The sheer power of a Competent Force Psychic''s death blow was terrifying.


    Joseph paled, caughtpletely off guard. Instinctively, his ancient god blood surged, a primal force rising to meet the threat.


    Before he could react, Katie leaped forward, throwing herself between her brother and the st.


    "You son of a..."


    But the ckwood elders were faster. The third generation formed a living wall in front of Joseph, Thomas''s Dragon Wings ring as he teleported in front of the attack, taking the brunt of Brent''s power.


    Marcus, reacting instantly, unleashed the Sky Pce, a wave of protective energy shielding them. The ckwoods'' ability weapons hummed, adding their power to the defense. George''s spectralpanions merged with himpletely, his strength skyrocketing.


    "KABOOM!"


    The world shook as Brent''s suicidal attack detonated. When the dust settled, Joseph stood trembling, drenched in a cold sweat, but alive.


    "Brother, are... are you alright?" Katie asked, her voice trembling with concern.


    "I... I''m fine."


    Joseph took a shaky breath, his gaze sweeping over the protective ring of his family, the Forebearer''s Psychic Position glowing faintly beside him. The reality of his near-death experience crashed over him.


    The ckwoods surrounded Brent, who had copsed to his knees, his lifeblood spilling from his lips. His soul, ravaged by the bacsh of his attack, was fading fast. He knew his fate was sealed, his Soul Control Token in Marcus''s possession. He had made his choice, embraced his demise.


    They stared down at him, their expressions a mixture of awe and confusion.


    Neil was gone. Vanished without a trace.


    Sensing their unease, Brent let out a deliriousugh, blood staining his teeth. "You ckwoods... did you really think the Parker family were all cowards and weaklings?! Neil escaped! She''s gone, and you''ll never find her!"


    "..."


    Silence descended upon the group. They watched as Brent, his body wracked with pain, continued tough, a chilling sound that echoed through the chamber. The wind, stirred by the remnants of his power, whipped his hair around his face. In that moment, the ckwoods felt a grudging respect for the dying man.


    "You''re not afraid of death?" Marcus asked, exhaling slowly. "Not long ago, Neil used you, tested my strength with your life, and then discarded you without a second thought."


    "Hahaha, how amusing!" Brent cackled, hisughterced with defiance. "Our internal squabbles are our own! From the very beginning, Marcus, you were yed!"


    He savored his victory, fleeting as it was.


    "Trapped within your Sky Pce, I knew I was doomed. But you see, we Parkers, for all our greed, have one unwavering principle: loyalty to our own. We never betray our family!"


    "I couldn''t guarantee Neil''s escape, but I offered you my soul, my life in your hands. I became your prisoner, my fate tied to yours. I was willing to die to give my family a fighting chance. But s..."


    He red at Joseph, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "I failed to eliminate the ckwood cripple. What a shame! Hahaha!"


    "..."


    Silence greeted his words once more. Brent''sughter intensified, fueled by their apparent shock. "Go on, kill me! Neil will avenge me! You''re all doomed! Hahaha..."


    Hisughter died abruptly, his expression freezing.


    A collective gasp escaped the ckwoods. Joseph, recovered from his initial terror, watched with a mix of horror and fascination. William, a strange look on his face, produced a bronze mirror. The surface shimmered, and an image flickered to life. It was a first-person perspective, a view from the sky.


    They were looking down at a tattered dress and a pair of women''s shoes. A voice, filled with venom, whispered from the mirror, "Brent, I''ll be back. And when I return, the ckwoods will pay."


    Brent''s eyes widened in disbelief. "Impossible... how is this possible?!"


    Joseph, nudged forward by Katie, faced the man who had nearly killed him. His voice, though stillced with fear, held a newfound respect. "We never intended to kill Neil. We ckwoods have a saying: sometimes, letting our enemies live serves us better than their deaths."


    A wave of knowingughter rippled through the ckwoods.


    "No, no!" Brent gasped, his body slumping, his fists clenching.


    Ignoring his breakdown, Joseph continued, "The Heavenly Path Psychic Sanctuary is closing. Our battle here hasn''t gone unnoticed. We need eyes, ears within the chaos."


    "And Neil, especially a vengeful Neil, is the perfect asset. She knows the Psychic world like the back of her hand. She may not be able to defeat us, but she''ll seek out stronger allies, manipte them to do her bidding. She''s a strategist, a master maniptor."


    "To anticipate your enemy''s moves is to be one step closer to victory."


    "We just didn''t expect..." Joseph trailed off, wiping the sweat from his brow. Brent''s attack had been far more terrifying than anything he had ever experienced. He had been that close to death.


    Brent stared at the image of Neil, his hopes crumbling. All his sacrifices... a cruel joke.


    William put away the mirror, his lips curling into a chilling smile. "You see, Brent, we''ve always had eyes on the Parker family. This Eternal Element Mirror, it only needs a drop of heart''s blood. We can see through the eyes of a bird, a rat, a fly, and our target remains none the wiser."


    "Now, tell me, why do you think Neil was restrained with so many artifacts, her gaze vacant? Did you truly believe we needed all that to subdue her? She''s a Pinnacle Apprentice candidate, a force to be reckoned with. We wouldn''t risk keeping her alive, not unless..."


    "Unless we needed her alive to extract her heart''s blood. To give her a fighting chance, a glimmer of hope, so she would desperately cling to life and attempt to escape!"


    William''s smile widened, a grotesque mockery of warmth.


    Brent stared back, his blood running cold. He had fallen into the clutches of monsters.


    He lunged at William, his sanity snapping, only to be thrown back by the Sky Pce''s power. "You''re not human! You''re monsters! Monsters!"


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