The Cunning Treasure Hunter - Chapter 130

Chapter 130: The Price of Power
What they had failed to realize…

Was that even if it was not the Young Leader’s head—

The fragmented flesh of his body still carried the power of the Demonic Cult’s unholy god.

Vera found herself staring at the Black dragon within her mental world.

It had grown massive—far larger than she had ever seen before.

An overwhelming presence.

“How… is this possible…?”

[It is time for me to leave.]

“What…? What do you mean…?”

The Black Serpent began to slowly sink into the waters.

It was not disappearing.

It was merely retreating beyond the veil.

[Do not forget. You have summoned me three times.]

“I remember… but why does that…?”

[As long as you remember, that is enough.]

Leaving behind those cryptic words, the Black Serpent vanished.

Only Vera and the Black dragon remained upon the water’s surface.

A being the size of a grand palace.

Its towering form forced Vera to crane her neck just to take it all in.

“You are…”

As she hesitantly reached out a hand, the creature lowered its massive head.

It nudged its enormous snout gently against her tiny palm.

The unfamiliar vastness of its form startled her.

Her eyelids grew heavy.

Just as she had entered this place as if in a dream, she knew she was now being pulled back out.

The water remained tranquil—deep, dark, yet utterly transparent.

The Black dragon coiled upon the surface, watching her.

Its eyes were now clear, its once-dull scales now gleamed with a radiant iridescence.

Its flowing mane shimmered with a newfound luster.

Vera suddenly realized—her Innate True energy had been restored.

Yet, she had no way of knowing whose life force had been sacrificed for it.

“…It’s done.”

Immortal Pharmacist let out a weary smile.

Only then did Great Master Thorne slowly remove his hand from Vera’s back.

His aged body trembled—strength no longer flowed through it as before.

For years, he had used his internal energy to stave off the deterioration of his body.

But now, that too had come to an end.

“This… was not easy….”

“Move carefully, old friend. You are no longer a Kingdom of Harmony master.”

“I know, Immortal Pharmacist.”

With great difficulty, Great Master Thorne braced his knee and pushed himself to his feet.

Once, he could have sat in meditation for days without issue.

Now, merely standing put a strain on his body.

“…Are you truly alright?”

Jordan, having completed his duty as guardian, moved to support him alongside Immortal Pharmacist.

Together, they guided the old master to his usual wooden resting bed.

He was no longer the powerful warrior he once was.

Now, he was merely an ordinary old man in his twilight years—no, even weaker than that.

All but a sliver of his Innate True energy had been expended.

At most, he had three months left.

At worst, a single month.

That was all the time Great Master Thorne had left in this world.

“I told you, I am fine.”

Suppressing a rising cough, he forced a response.

But the truth was clear to all present.

There was no longer any point in hiding it.

“You must be careful now, Great Master Thorne.”

“I know.”

Immortal Pharmacist clicked his tongue and sighed.

Then, patting Great Master Thorne’s shoulder, he spoke again.

“Stay here for a while. I will prepare medicine to fortify your body.”

“Would you? That would be a great favor… I must repay you somehow….”

“Repay me? Don’t be ridiculous.”

Immortal Pharmacist squinted at him before letting out a quiet chuckle.

Grabbing a fan by the fireplace, he began stoking the flames.

Meanwhile, Jordan remained unsettled.

“…What do you plan to do now?”

“I will train her. Until I ascend, I must pass on what I have learned.”

“And that is enough for you? That alone…?”

“It is enough.”

Surprisingly, Great Master Thorne felt nothing but relief.

There was nothing left within him.

A vast emptiness.

Yet, the wisdom and truths he had cultivated over his lifetime supported him.

The Daoist concept of Emptiness and the Buddhist notion of Void —

They were eerily similar.

Now, he had not only grasped them with his mind and heart, but had also embodied them physically.

By relinquishing everything, his thoughts and spirit had settled into a serene clarity.

Though he had given away all of his Innate True energy, he would never again rise as an absolute master…

Yet, he had stepped beyond the limits of what it meant to be human.

That alone was enough.

“…I thought I had reached my peak.”

“What do you mean?”

“Letting go… has shown me a broader path than I ever imagined.”

Jordan stared at him, completely unable to grasp his meaning.

Just moments ago, Great Master Thorne had been a mid-stage Kingdom of Harmonymaster—an absolute martial force. Yet, in an instant, he had become nothing more than a frail old man.

And now, he spoke words that Jordan could hardly comprehend.

But Great Master Thorne simply smiled.

Slowly, he gripped his aching knees and forced himself upright, accepting Jordan’s supporting hand as he moved beside the bed where Vera lay unconscious.

“Ah… my knees are giving out.”

“They gave out long ago. You were only moving because of your internal energy.”

“Tsk. To think I would realize so painfully that time spares no one.”

His withered, wrinkled hand reached out, grasping Vera’s tiny fingers.

There was no longer any strength in his touch.

Though his appearance had not changed much, his body felt entirely different.

“When will she wake?”

“How should I know? But likely before the day ends. At worst, by tomorrow.”

“Aiden must be worried sick….”

Immortal Pharmacist let out a small laugh.

If Aiden knew the truth, would he truly be worrying about Vera—or would his concerns lie with Great Master Thorne himself?

More likely, he’d first have to deal with an earful from Damien.

“Is this really the time to be worrying about your disciple? Shouldn’t you be worrying about yourself?”

“I have, at most, three months left.”

“For heaven’s sake, stop talking like that. Damn it, I shouldn’t have gone through with this.”

The amusement vanished from Immortal Pharmacist’s face.

Because Great Master Thorne’s words did not sound like a joke.

Meanwhile, Jordan remained silent, his expression dark, seated on a small chair in the corner of the cave.

For a warrior of Kingdom of Harmony, he looked utterly lost in thought.

Great Master Thorne did not ignore his troubled gaze.

“You are here, are you not?”

“What do you mean?”

“You, and even though he’s in poor condition, Everstone Clan’s Family Head. Reverse Heaven Unity will be fine. While I am still here, I will do everything I can to help.”

A deep sigh escaped Jordan’s lips.

He was indeed a Kingdom of Harmony master.

But was he an absolute force like Great Master Thorne?

No.

Of course, with Jordan stepping forward, few swordsmen would stand a chance against him.

Unless, of course, the legends of the past resurfaced—

Monsters like Dark Emperor, Secluded Martial Saints, or the Three Emperors.

As long as they remained in hiding, Jordan could handle things.

But Great Master Thorne was a different matter.

His mere presence negated any such concerns.

He was a force unto himself.

Where Jordan could not promise absolute protection, Great Master Thorne could.

A gap that could not be closed.

“…If I were just a step or two stronger, perhaps… but as I am now…”

“Why do you think that’s impossible?”

“My age… no, never mind.”

He swallowed his words.

After all, Great Master Thorne had reached mid-stage Kingdom of Harmony at an age far older than his own.

Seeing this, Great Master Thorne simply smiled, raising his weakened hand to lightly pat Jordan’s shoulder.

“I will help you.”

“…But I am not a Suncrest disciple.”

“I never said I would teach you Suncrest’s sword. Would you even learn if I did?”

“No. I am not that foolish.”

The sword of Suncrest and the sword of Akrest were fundamentally opposed.

If one could become stronger simply by switching to a faster, more elegant style, then no one would dedicate their life to mastering a single path.

Such a thing would be poison.

So then—

What was he planning to teach?

“But… if I were to learn from you…”

“I am not asking for a formal master-disciple relationship. I will simply help you. Isn’t that enough?”

Though he had lost his internal energy and his body had withered,

The wisdom, the insights, and the experience of a mid-stage Kingdom of Harmony master remained.

His senses, his swordsmanship—those could not be taken from him.

“…Would it be right for me to accept? You have, at most, three months.”

“Three months is more than enough.”

And then—

Great Master Thorne’s gaze slowly shifted.

Because Vera’s small fingers had just twitched.

“…Perhaps three months will not be enough, after all.”

“Shh. Be quiet. She is waking up.”

Three pairs of eyes turned to the child resting upon the bed.