Death... and me

Obviously, Haera and the other princes and princesses noticed when Gille approached them. Not only them, but quite a few other countries as well. After all, the Blood Path Sect of the Klacks Country was a famous evil path power.

Fabio returned shortly after and was taken aback when he saw Gille waiting beside Roan. "This..." He quickly bowed to the man as he also knew who he was. "Can I help you, sir?"

Gille pointed at Roan and said, "I want this boy. We've already discussed it, and he will join my Blood Path Sect once the recruitment is over."

Fabio was even more shocked after hearing that, and so were the rest of the people hearing it. "But sir...what about the Sacred Land? Roan already got accepted. It's just that it isn't decided which type of disciple he is."

"Don't worry." Gille didn't seem worried about that. "Roan isn't a disciple of the Sacred Land just yet. He only has the requirements to join fulfilled. If he refuses to enter, the Sacred Land has no reasons to force him."

Fabio didn't know whether it was true or not. However, he doubted Gille would tell such a lie inside the Sacred Land's territory. Roan then got up and told Fabio, "Fabio, he's right. However, our contract is still valid. Also, I believe the Blood Path Sect's name isn't much worse than the Sacred Land. Besides, my brother and your other proteges will still be part of the Sacred Land after the recruitment is over. Just one less person won't make a difference to your status."

Fabio pondered in silence for a bit and had to admit Roan was right. In fact, Roan being part of a top country would make it easier for him to move in case Fabio needed assistance far in the future. Not to mention that it didn't go against his contract with Roan. "Very well. It seems like you've already made your choice, right, Roan?"

Roan nodded in response. "He has something I need, and I already discussed the terms of the Soul Binding Contract with him. As a cultivator with natural Dark Element Affinity, the Blood Path Sect suits me better."

However, it was at that moment that a giant man approached the group and bellowed, "That won't do, Blood Path Sect Master. That won't do at all. I want both the twins, not only one of them."

His loud voice immediately caught everyone's attention. However, no one seemed to recall who this man was. They could only tell that he was part of the Sacred Land due to his clothes, and that was all.

Rean and Roan also didn't seem to remember him as it was a completely new face. However, the giant body and well-built muscles reminded them of a certain person. After some time, Rean and Roan couldn't help but ask the man, "Are you perhaps...Rivaldo?"

"What?!" Everyone was taken aback. Sure enough, although the face was different, his body was just as big as that illusion in the Dream City. How could the people there forget who the person stopping them from joining the City Guards was? The ultimate barrier! Rivaldo himself!

The giant man then laughed out loud as he replied, "Hahaha! So you guessed it, huh? Yes, that was me there. However, my name isn't Rivaldo. Instead, you should call me Etherian Mondac. I'm one of the Core Elders of the Sacred Land."

"Etherian?!" As soon as that name was mentioned, shock appeared on everyone's faces.

"Wasn't he dead already?"

"Last time I heard about him was over 2000 years ago."

"It was during the continental war that he disappeared...so he was still alive!"

"One of the Ten Greats!"

Even Gille's expression wasn't good when he heard that. 'Why would such a monster appear out of nowhere? Only the ancestor back in my Blood Path Sect could hope to contend against him. However, he would prefer not to do so for sure.'

After a while, Gille finally calmed himself down a bit before asking, "It's nice to meet you, Senior Etherian. The ancestor of our Blood Path Sect told me a lot about you."

Etherian seemed surprised to hear that. "Oh! So, Glalman is still alive? That's good to know. Perhaps I'll pay a visit to the grumpy guy some other day."

Gille bitterly smiled when he heard that. It was obvious that they knew each other from what he heard. "Sir, is there a problem with what I said earlier? I was just trying to recruit a new disciple for my sect. As you probably know, a natural Dark Element Affinity cultivator is of unprecedented value to us. It shouldn't be against the rules of the Sacred Land either."

Etherian nodded as he replied, "Indeed, it's not against the rules. If Roan decides that he wants to go with you, I won't stop him. However..." Etherian looked at Roan and told him, "You should really think twice about it. I would prefer to have you join the Sacred Land instead. Whatever Gille offered you, I can do the same and better on top of that. The same goes for your white-haired brother."

Rean and Roan looked at each other after that. Since when was their value that high? However, if Etherian could offer more, Roan naturally didn't have a reason to refuse. "Could you elaborate more about it? Sect Master Gille really gave me an amazing offer that's kind of hard to refuse." Roan didn't care why Etherian wanted him to join the Sacred Land instead, but he didn't care. The one who paid more would get it.

Etherian then looked at Roan's cultivation and nodded, replying, "Considering your talent, I can only think about one thing that could attract your attention so much. You need a Dark Element catalyst for the time you try a breakthrough into the Elemental Transformation Realm. Am I right?"

Gille couldn't help but sweat a little after that. That's what he offered Roan.

Roan, obviously, confirmed that. "That's correct. But there's also the Dark Element skills they have there."

Etherian waved his hand as he told him, "Our repository is definitely not smaller than theirs, even if it's Dark Element skills. After all, how many evil path sects exist or have existed in the past in our continent? Not to mention that many of their disciples joined our Sacred Land during the millenniums we have been here and brought more techniques in. They even created new ones as well. If you can think of a technique, we probably have it."

Rean then contacted Roan through their Soul Connection, telling him, 'Well, I guess the choice is obvious here.'

Roan agreed with Rean. 'Pretty much. I can tell he isn't lying either.'

With that, Roan accepted Etherian's offer. "Very well, the Sacred Land it is."

Gille felt terrible! He wanted nothing more than to grab Roan and leave this place straight away. Unfortunately, Gille wouldn't even reach the hall's door before being killed. He wasn't a match for someone like Etherian at all! Let alone the other elders and the Sacred Land's protection formations themselves.

Following that, Roan asked the question that was in everyone's minds. "But before that, why would the Sacred Land show such an interest in me and my brother? Depending on the answer, I might have to reject the offer."