Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 3037: Serpent Supeme

Emery followed the Supreme beyond the gate and up another winding mountain path. They climbed for several more miles, the stone steps twisting between sheer cliffs and ancient pines before the trail finally opened into a secluded valley hidden among the peaks.

It was a peaceful grove.

Crystal-clear streams spilled down the surrounding cliffs, feeding a series of quiet ponds whose glass-like surfaces reflected the afternoon sky. Ancient trees, their branches heavy with emerald leaves, cast cool shadows over carefully tended gardens, while birdsong drifted gently through the air.

At the heart of the valley stood an old temple.

Its weathered stone walls bore the marks of countless years, yet everything remained meticulously maintained. A handful of young attendants moved quietly between the halls, sweeping fallen leaves, tending flowerbeds, and replacing incense within bronze burners. The entire place radiated a tranquil atmosphere completely detached from the outside world.

Their destination, however, lay beyond the temple.

Behind it, built into the mountain itself, yawned the entrance to a secluded cave.

The Supreme stopped outside the entrance, Emery standing respectfully a step behind.

"Ronan," he called. "Come out."

Only silence answered at first.

Several moments later, a figure finally emerged from the darkness.

He appeared not much older than Emery himself, with dark hair hanging loosely over simple robes. Stretching lazily as he walked, he let out a wide yawn, looking entirely unconcerned by the commotion outside.

"Old Tian," he grumbled, rubbing one eye, "I already told you not to bother me." His gaze drifted toward the valley beyond. "That noise earlier... was that you again?"

"Someone came looking for you," the Supreme replied with a faint frown.

"Someone... who..."

The words stopped abruptly.

His eyes landed on Emery.

The irritation on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by genuine surprise before breaking into a broad smile.

"Ah... my young friend."

He crossed the distance between them in what seemed like a casual step, yet arrived before Emery in an instant.

"It’s good to see you again."

His eyes swept over Emery before widening slightly.

"It’s only been a few years, and you’ve already reached the peak of Two Cosmos?" He shook his head with obvious delight. "You truly never cease to surprise me."

Emery couldn’t help but feel baffled.

A few years...

In reality, a few decades had passed since they had last met. Yet to a Supreme who had lived for thousands of years, a few decades were little more than the blink of an eye.

Ronan studied him for another moment before smiling.

"So... what brings you all the way here?"

Emery considered how much he should reveal before deciding that the simplest answer was also the closest to the truth.

"I heard you were being held here," he said. "I came to see if you were alright."

Ronan scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I mean..." he admitted with a sheepish grin, "I kind of am."

"Entirely by your own choice!" Old Tian snapped immediately, sounding genuinely offended.

Emery looked from one man to the other, unable to hide his confusion.

The exchange felt nothing like what he had expected.

The two Supremes argued with the casual familiarity of old friends—perhaps even brothers—rather than jailer and prisoner. Whatever the rumors outside had claimed, this clearly wasn’t a simple case of imprisonment.

Ronan noticed Emery’s puzzled expression before turning back toward the dragon supreme.

"Why are you still standing here?" he asked with a dismissive wave. "Can’t I have a little privacy with my guest?"

The dragon Supreme snorted.

"Hmph. I really do waste my time on you."

With a flick of his sleeve, his body dissolved into countless drifting strands of wind before disappearing completely, leaving the quiet grove to the two of them.

Ronan chuckled softly.

"Come. Let’s talk over there."

He led Emery toward a small stone table set beside the nearest pond, where crystal-clear water reflected the surrounding trees and waterfalls. Two simple stone chairs faced one another beneath the shade of an ancient tree, making the secluded corner feel more like a peaceful garden than part of a Supreme’s sanctuary.

They had barely taken their seats when a young attendant quietly approached carrying a clay teapot. Without saying a word, the youth poured two cups of fragrant tea before bowing respectfully and withdrawing as silently as he had come.

Only after taking a slow sip did Ronan look back at Emery.

His smile remained relaxed, but there was a hint of seriousness in his eyes now.

"So..."

"What are you really here for?"

Emery admitted that he had always carried a measure of guilt for leaving the Gene Project unfinished all those years ago. After hearing the rumors surrounding Ronan, that lingering guilt had only been matched by his curiosity about how far the research had progressed in his absence.

Ronan laughed heartily.

"Haha! I never expected you to finish it." He shook his head with a grin. "Still, those few years you gave us changed everything. If it weren’t for your work, those halfblood Supremes wouldn’t be acting so greedily now."

He took another sip of tea before continuing.

"Most of what you’ve heard is true. Old Tian and I really did fight here years ago... all because of the project."

His expression softened.

"In the end, we reached an agreement. He promised the project would continue in earnest and convinced me to become involved more directly than I’d originally intended."

He shrugged as though speaking about something completely ordinary.

"My clone bodies, to be precise. They’ve become the project’s primary research material... Every few months, I grow another one for them. That’s why I spend most of my time recovering here."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"As for all the secrecy..." he chuckled. "I simply didn’t want the others finding out how easily Old Tian talked me into cooperating."

Emery slowly nodded.

That explanation fit far better than the rumors of imprisonment.

"Is it true," he asked, "that the project has reached some kind of critical breakthrough?"

Ronan’s smile became harder to read.

"Yes... and no."

He swirled the tea in his cup before taking another sip.

"There has definitely been a breakthrough... But not in a way we initially intended" His brows furrowed slightly. "Those Dragon Clan bastards..." He clicked his tongue and waved the thought away.

His eyes suddenly brightened as another thought occurred to him.

"Now that you’re here..." he said with genuine excitement, "would you be interested in joining the project again? That would be wonderful!"

Emery fell silent for a moment.

"Senior... I’ll gladly help however I can." He sighed softly. "But I’m dealing with a rather troublesome problem at the moment."

He opened his inner domain.

A figure identical to himself stepped out.

His dark avatar.

The avatar walked forward, stopped before Ronan, and bowed respectfully.

Emery had summoned the avatar for one reason alone.

Rather than explaining its condition with words, it was easier to let Ronan examine it himself, especially after the damage it had sustained during the clash with the Nine Heavens Supreme. He then explained everything—from the long journey still awaiting him, to the avatar’s worsening condition, the limitations of its body.

"Senior... do you know of any way to solve this?"

Ronan’s gaze settled on him, something calculating behind the easy smile.

After a brief pause, he nodded.

"There is..."