Chapter 2353

Screams echoed across the sky, and about five or six of the Burkes' members were severely injured and had to be sent flying. Though no one died, the unexpected turn of events left Gerry visibly taken aback, as his intention had been to swiftly overwhelm the duo. The intensity in his glare betrayed his anger. Gerry did not expect that a mere level three paragon like Severin could pose such a huge threat to a level five paragon. Generally speaking, those who entered the Starry Sky Battlespace were nearly always considered prodigies in the Bleurealm—that was defined as individuals capable of achieving near invincibility as well as transcending levels in combat. However, even prodigies faced limits to advancement, especially within the level of paragon where the gap between each stage of a level was a vast chasm. Overpowering higher level opponents were much easier at the attainment of a supreme saint, but that was no longer the case when one reached paragonhood. The display of Severin's swordwill had stunned Gerry so much that he suspected it to be strong enough to pose problems for even a level five paragon. He feared that a moment's hesitation could lead to severe injury. At that juncture, an injured Burke disciple suppressing the tumultuous swordwill within and said bitterly to Gerry, "Fifth Young Master, he's too strong. We can't even get close to him!" Gerry's face soured. He turned to the two level four paragons and commanded them, "Take care of that woman for me and leave this fellow to me!" The disciples all sighed in relief upon hearing the order. Facing a harbinger of death like Severin was incredibly stressful. Of out the ten, only Gerry was a late-stage level five paragon and boasted the highest attainment among them. Two were perfect-stage level four, while the others were mostly around level three. Numbers did not automatically guarantee success a battle between high-level practitioners. An example could be seen with Severin, who appeared to be strong enough to best a level five paragon even though he was just a level three paragon. Even Gerry faced some trouble with him, and the other members of the group would almost certainly feel that way too. Upon receiving Gerry's instruction, the group moved swiftly toward Callie and aimed to eliminate her. Meanwhile, Gerry took on Severin himself. He felt a pain coursing through his body as he sensed the violent swordwill emanating from Severin, and that was when he realized that it would be unwise to drag the confrontation out too long. The bright phenomenon earlier had likely caught the attention of not only of the Burkes, but also of prodigies from other factions. It was only because of their tracking skills that the Burkes arrived promptly. If the conflict extended long enough for prodigies from rival forces to join the fray, then securing the treasures and the Lumigold would only be the first part of the problem—he would then have to expend some effort to leave the place unscathed. Upon realizing the urgency, Gerry knew that he had to prioritize his clansmen and negotiate with Severin. Gerry gestured respectfully to Severin. "Surrender the Lumigold, and we will gladly compensate you to two eighth-grade herbs as a token of our sincerity." Severin sneered when he heard that. In his view, such tactics were nothing more than deceit, and he was not about to relinquish his hard-earned gains simply because others had asked him to.