Meanwhile, a couple of dozen kilometers away, a man was lying on the ground seriously injured and a woman was standing before him in a fighting stance, as if trying to protect him from the man standing opposite to her.

"Marcus, how could you betray us like this!?" Emily asked as she clenched her teeth in anger. Inwardly she was feeling not only anger but sad that the senior brother she had always held in high regard was trying to kill her lover.

A few minutes ago, she had gone in search of Leo and Marcus since Damien told her something that worried her.

But when she got to where they were, she was shocked to see Marcus trying to kill Leo. She was quickly able to save him in the nick of time by attacking Marcus from behind.

If she was a moment later, she was sure she would have lost Leo forever. She had no idea why Marcus would betray and try to kill Leo. She first thought that it was some kind of misunderstanding but now she was completely sure Marcus wanted Leo dead.

However, she could not understand how Leo's cultivation got sealed.

Leo could barely move as his cultivation was sealed and coupled with the injuries he received when trying to defend Marcus' attacks, he could only helplessly watch as his girlfriend faced off Marcus.

He knew Emily wouldn't be able to defeat Marcus' as he was the strongest of them all and coupled with his tough defense, it was hard to even scratch him.

Since Emily just got here, she had no idea why Marcus was trying to kill Leo. But Leo now knew why, since Marcus revealed the reason himself just before he was trying to land the killing blow.

Marcus said in a displeased tone as his face scowled, "Emily...You really don't know? Since all those years back, I did many favors for you without even asking for anything and what did I get in return? You didn't even consider me as a boyfriend material while you just had to fall for this weakling. I was the best of the best and even people thought that both of us would make a good couple. For fucking more than 12 years, I tried to get your attention like a dog. I tried to be the good guy but you didn't even bat any eye at me."

Marcus sighed as he continued, "If only you didn't come here, everything would have gone smoothly and I would have easily replaced Leo as your new lover. Even your father would welcome me with open arms seeing how he holds me in high regard. I could have made you forget Leo with my love and have ourselves a happy married life. Tsk...what a pity." He shook his head with a disappointed expression.

Emily could hardly believe the words that were coming out of her usually gentle and friendly senior brother. It was true that Marcus did many favors for her and gave her a hand whenever she was in need.

However, she appreciated what he did and that was why she considered and cherished him as one of her best friends.historical

But how can Marcus expect her to fall in love with him just because he did her some favors?

She now understood that Marcus wanted Leo out of the picture so that he could have her. Her heart pained thinking that Leo got hurt because of her.

A sinister expression formed on Marcus' face as he said, "Well, I didn't expect things to take such a turn. Maybe it's better this way, if I can't have your love, I will just ravage you in front of your boyfriend before I kill him hahahaha."

Emily's face trembled as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Leo had a black expression on his face hearing Marcus' words. He was angry at Marcus and disappointed in himself for being so useless when his lover needed him the most.

"Marcus...don't you dare!!" Leo mustered up energy as he shouted at Marcus.

Leo couldn't believe that the senior brother he had looked up to was targeting his woman all this while. He wondered whether all these years of brotherhood and friendship were just a lie.

"Emily...get out of here! Forget me and run!" Leo shouted to Emily in an insistent tone.

"NO! I am not going to leave you!" Emily shouted in a forceful tone.

Emily gripped her hands getting ready to fight. She could escape using her Wind ethereal arts even though her cultivation was weaker than Marcus. But there was no way she was going to leave Leo to his death.

Marcus laughed seeing the couple's expression, one was of hostility and despair while the other was of anger mixed with a spirit to battle to the death.

He said with an evil smile, "Emily, no need to try and put up a struggle. I will make you submit to me right in front of your lover and let him see you moan like a slut under my cock. I will turn you into my sex toy, pleasuring me whenever I feel like it."

Before Emily could retort his depraved words, she felt her ethereal energy flowing back into her ethereal core. Her eyes widened when she was unable to make use of any ethereal energy from her ethereal core. She realized her cultivation was sealed!

Fear and despair clouded her heart as her face became pale with fright.

Marcus laughed seeing her face becoming pale with fear, "See...I spared you the trouble of having to even fight me. You never had a chance of winning anyway unless you escaped. But of course, you won't do that."

Her mouth trembled as she said, "That drink...you drugged us!"

"Wow...you are smarter than your boyfriend here. At least you figured it out. Well, why don't we show your boyfriend how a real man makes love to his woman. Let him see your lewd expressions while you suck my cock like a whore." Marcus said as he lasciviously licked his lips.

Emily stumbled backward as she saw Marcus approaching her with the look of lust all over his face. She wanted to run from this beast but at the same time, she didn't want to leave Leo alone.

Leo screamed, "Marcus..don't..I swear I WILL KILL YOU!!!"

"NOOOO!!!" Emily screamed in despair as her hands were caught in the grip of Marcus while he tore apart her clothes.

Tears of fear and despair dripped from her eyes as she hoped that whatever was happening was only a nightmare. The last thing she would ever expect is her best friend trying to rape her in front of her lover.

*SCREEEE*

Just before Marcus could grope her bare breasts, a frightening pressure descended on him as he coughed out blood, forcing him to let go of Emily.

His body instantly crashed with his face planted on the ground, making him unable to even move his fingers.

Emily quickly covered herself with another set of clothes as tears continuously dripped from her eyes. She hurried backward as she saw a huge roc descending on the ground. As it flapped its huge wings, they felt as if they were in the middle of a strong gale.

She instantly identified it as the Phantom Mist Roc, a Peak Level Sky Ethereal Realm beast, since she was aware that its territory was nearby.

However, her eyes widened seeing a familiar figure sitting on top of the huge roc as if he was using the huge roc as his mount.

"S-Sir Alchemist??" Emily cried out in surprise.

Leo had a relieved expression seeing that Alchemist Azrael came to their rescue.

'The rumors of Alchemist Azrael's ethereal cultivation being at the Heaven Ethereal Realm must be true!!" The couple mentally screamed as they realized in their own way how Damien was mounting a Peak Level Sky Ethereal Realm beast.

They at first didn't believe those rumors since they knew how legendary the Heaven Ethereal Realm was and couldn't understand why Damien would still stay in the Rong Empire if he had such power. They only expected him to be in the Sky Ethereal Realm at most.

They were also surprised that an ethereal beast like the Phantom Mist Roc would submit itself to be a mere mount. They knew that these kinds of ethereal beasts would rather die than submit and even stronger cultivators wouldn't try to tame them.

However, the huge roc seemed more frightening than they expected and wondered if all Peak Level Sky Ethereal Realm beasts were this terrifying. When they looked into its eyes, they felt their spines going cold.

Damien got off the roc slowly while Marcus was under the firm talons of his undead roc.

Marcus was surprised and shocked at the sudden turn of events. When he learned that Emily and Leo were going to marry soon, anger and jealousy filled in his veins. Seeing no other alternative, he had meticulously planned to kill Leo without Emily's knowledge.

However, he was unable to let out even a sound and could only helplessly lie under the clutches of the roc while enduring the torturing pressure.

Damien looked at the couple and said in a low growl, "Why are you two still here?"