With a thought, Ethan drew the Chaos Clock back into his palm, the dark golden artifact pulsing gently as if satisfied.
He exhaled deeply, the breath steady and calm, but inside lay a measure of sacrifice.
Using several drops of his essence and blood to activate the Chaos Clock was no small loss—it cost him greatly. Yet his formidable recovery ability meant he would fully restore himself within half a month of rest and focus.
Ashen was dead, and with the formation's collapse, the tremors and dark energies around Echo Lake began to dissipate.
Ethan's hand reached instinctively, catching Ashen's storage ring and the black sickle that fell like a fallen star onto the frozen water.
A cultivator who had reached the late Tribulation Transcendence realm would surely have many precious treasures stored within their ring—and Ashen was no exception.
However, what piqued Ethan's interest most was the lingering formation—the Black Death Formation that had nearly engulfed him.
