"Ah…." Iris realized she had slipped up with her question towards Number One, as it had revealed that her story about John was not truthful. Her apologetic gaze shifted towards Adam, who stared at her intently, as if he would have no more lies regarding John.
Iris's lips opened and closed several times as if she was thinking about how to word her next statement. A sigh escaped those lips as she resigned herself to telling the truth. Her gaze hardened as she stared at Adam and hoped he could withstand the truth. If he were to blame himself for John's current predicament and regress mentally, she would feel only remorse and sorrow.
"I lied about John's whereabouts after he rescued you," Iris said. Adam's eyes narrowed as he heard this, but he remained silent as he allowed her to continue.
"John didn't go to find Kadin after rescuing you…Instead, he was surprise attacked by Kadin…and knocked into the Dao Transformation trial," Iris finally revealed the truth, and sighed once more afterwards; a sigh of relief at telling the truth finally, and also anxiousness at how Adam would take it.
Her eyes widened slightly as she noticed Adam start trembling again, as he had done many times recently. However, this trembling was different.
"Motherfuckers," Adam cursed loudly as he clenched his fists as tight as possible, his face fully enraged. "KADIN! I'll fucking cut you down, if its the last thing I do!"
Iris almost couldn't believe her eyes at the moment, as the Adam who had known nothing but fear recently was no more. Whenever the name Kadin or the Starforge Clan was brought up, he would recoil in fear, as if the mere mention of them would summon them.
That fear was nowhere to be seen now, and only unbridled rage remained. It was a complete shift from his recent self, and Iris was beyond words at the moment.
"Where is Kadin…where is he?" Adam's gaze shifted towards Number One, who stood nearby watching the proceedings in silence.
"Adam…Adam," Iris called out as she sped towards him and grabbed him by his shoulders. "Calm down a bit," she said to him.
Adam's heated gaze snapped towards Iris, and his heaving chest finally calmed after a while.
"First off, you aren't nearly strong enough to fight Kadin, and you'd only throw your life away. Do you think John would want that?" she asked him, as he had clearly lost himself in rage. Apparently John was the one subject that would set Adam over the edge, no matter how fearful he was.
Her words were like a bucket of ice on his head, and Adam's heated rage quickly calmed down as he realized the truth of her words.
"Also, Number One said John is still alive, and is now in the Heaven Tribulation Realm…if anything, we should be feeling sorry for whatever gets in his way in the Dao Transformation trial," iris continued.
Adam's gaze shifted towards Number One, who stared back calmly.
"Are you sure he's still alive?" Adam asked seriously.
"Would I be protecting you like this if he wasn't?" Number One replied, causing Adam to finally sigh in relief at John's survival thus far.
"You two should get out of here," Number One spoke up. "Those two were camping at the entrance of the Heaven Tribulation trial, which is why I knew you would appear here if you actually arrived. But I can't keep protecting you going forward, nor do I want to. I only did as I did because of the soul-slave contract, but that doesn't mean I'm required to shadow you permanently."
"We understand," Iris replied after listening to his words. The Honorable Alliance was in the middle of a war, and someone like Number One, an assassin in the top ten of the Jade Dragon List, was more than invaluable for the war effort. They couldn't have someone like him shadowing them, as it would just mean many more lives lost elsewhere.
"Good, then find shelter, and stay until this is all over," Number One said as his body faded away, leaving the area for good.
Iris watched Number One leave, thinking of what to do next.
"I want to break through to the Heaven Tribulation Realm," Adam said, his words shocking Iris as her gaze snapped to him.
"What? Why would you do that now?" she asked.
"I'm useless as I am now," Adam replied, his voice cold as if he hated his current cultivation level. "I'll never be able to help John, Chase…or you as I am now."
Iris stared at Adam for quite some time, thinking of what to say. His cultivation had finally reached the peak of the Late Meridian Forging Realm, so it was possible.
"Your tribulation will attract unwanted eyes," she warned.
"I know, and I don't care," Adam replied firmly, his gaze shifting towards the horizon. "Let's travel to the most remote part of this realm, and I'll have my tribulation there. It should buy us enough time, and once its done, we'll flee before danger arrives."
Iris continued to stare at Adam in silence as she thought over his words. His plan wasn't impossible to pull off, but would no doubt be dangerous nonetheless. However, she could tell that his mind was already made up.
"Okay," she replied, "let's do it."
Her words caused a smile to appear on Adam's face for the first time in a long time, and he nodded his head at her words.
"Let's do it!"
After figuring out their next move, the two silently left the area, and traveled through the final trial lands to the most remote corner they could find, over a thousand miles away from the arrival point. Thanks to Iris's innate eye talents, they had been able to avoid any danger on their several day journey, and they finally arrived in a secluded valley surrounded by mountains on all directions.
"There's no one around for hundreds of miles as far as I can tell," Iris said to Adam. While her eyes could not see that far, they had not encountered anyone for the last several hundred miles of their journey.
"Good," Adam said as he gazed up towards the sky with a heated expression, which started to darken as clouds began to swirl overhead.
