Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)
Chapter 1329 A Hair's Breadth Away

The black-robed man vanished, making Ivan realize that his target had detected his pursuit. While the black-robed man effortlessly navigated through Mount Everest, evading the eerie fog and ghostly beasts, Ivan relied on brute strength or violence.

In that moment, the threat of being discovered put him in a dangerous situation. He remained on edge, listening intently for any sign of danger. A surge of imminent peril left him unable to determine its source. Reacting instinctively, he lunged forward just in time.

Suddenly, a large section of the ground silently disappeared, consumed by an unknown force. The eerie fog and the soil beneath his feet vanished into a void, leaving no trace behind.

Ivan realized how narrowly he had escaped disaster; if he hadn't reacted promptly, he might have vanished along with the ground. His heart raced with the realization of the close call. Yet, frustratingly, the black-robed man remained undetected after the surprise attack. Despite his heightened senses, there were still many blind spots, leaving Ivan wishing for eyes in the back of his head.

For now, he had to remain on the defensive. Every move increased his vulnerability, and the approaching dangers of the black-robed man, eerie fog, and ghostly beasts heightened his urgency. Gritting his teeth, Ivan's eyes reflected a determined resolve. He knew that using his powerful weapon against the black-robed man was not feasible in this environment; it might prove ineffective.

There was only one viable option. With firm determination, Ivan bit his fingertip, moved his wrist, and conjured a charm adorned with golden runes between his fingers. He obtained this charm in the cave of Mount Cape, a divine mountain. It was a symbol left behind by his past self.

The charm was well hidden, and he only discovered it after obtaining the scepter. There was a piece of paper next to the runes, which explained how to use the charm. It stated that it was an ancient teleportation charm and ended with a warning: "Do not use unless necessary."

Although he wasn't sure where the charm would teleport him, it had to be better than facing the current dangerous situation. The gap between him and the menacing black-robed man was insurmountable, and danger loomed with every passing moment. Determined, he clenched his teeth and pressed his finger onto the teleportation charm. In a flash of golden light, he disappeared.

The black-robed man lurking in the shadows momentarily halted, frustration etched on his face. He hadn't expected Ivan to slip away again. The black-robed man had been excessively cautious, suspecting for days that an ambush was imminent. Every hint of a trap convinced him that Ivan was merely waiting for him to fall into it. Now, his target had eluded him again. Frustration welled up in the black-robed man, thinking, "But where could he have escaped to?"

After all, the terrain of Mount Everest was second nature to the black-robed man. This sacred peak had been formed from the remains of the Earth Goddess and was entirely his creation. As he aimed to harness the Earth Goddess' power, he needed to transmute her spiritual energy into willpower for his use. Mount Everest was a long-term project, and he was in no hurry; he'd periodically check in and retrieve her refined willpower.

This visit to Mount Everest was intended to hunt down the elusive Little Ruler of Hell. With his familiarity with the mountain, he was confident it was just a matter of time before he located Lilly's hiding place. He felt he was closing in on her hiding spot and expected to reach her within half a day. Mockingly, he mused, "Hiding in Mount Everest to evade disaster? A misguided decision indeed."

After all, this was the black-robed man's domain. He didn't believe in her extraordinary talent or the idea that she was the only one capable of breaking free from the shackles of the Manifestation of God's will. This time, he was determined to kill her.

As one of the five major gods in the underworld, he had willingly descended there, believing that only when the underworld was empty could he achieve Catholicism.

If there was truly only one person who could break free from the Manifestation of God's will, they alone could become the sole ruler of the Three Realms and Six Paths. He pondered why he couldn't be that person. Thus, the Little Ruler of Hell had to be eliminated. By doing so, he aimed to demonstrate to the Manifestation of God that he alone deserved reverence under its will.

Taking a deep breath, the black-robed man, after contemplating his choices, temporarily left Ivan behind and continued his search for Lilly's whereabouts. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes, sensing a specific direction. "This way...?"

He wondered why he also detected a trace of the Earth Goddess in this direction. Having refined a significant portion of the Earth Goddess' spiritual energy, he had become highly attuned to her presence. "The remnants of the Earth Goddess have been desperately avoiding me... I didn't expect them to intersect this time."

He intended to kill both of them!

...

Meanwhile, Lilly remained seated within the Earth Goddess' cave, still in a state of enlightenment. Her spiritual consciousness had expanded to a 50-foot radius, growing even more powerful. Observing the small ghost beast hiding beneath her knee, she tried to apprehend it using her spiritual consciousness.

Picking up immortal herbs was no longer a challenge, so she needed to practice with something that could move. When she eventually had to confront the black-robed man, who would be thousands of times more formidable than the small ghost beast, she had to acquire the necessary skills as quickly as possible...

Lilly's spiritual consciousness resembled invisible air, extending within a 50-foot radius around her, granting her a clear view of every inch of the earth. With a single thought, her spiritual consciousness moved as swiftly as lightning, gripping the small ghost beast by the nape of its neck. With minimal effort, she lifted it.

The small ghost beast was shocked by that and thought, "Oh no, another filthy creature has come again!"