Meanwhile, Sebastian arrived at an abandoned factory on a neighboring hill.There was a flickering light in one of the rooms on the second floor.Sebastian could see by the light that there was a little figure made of wood. Whitney's photo was taped to its head, and her birthdate was carved on its body. There were oil lamps lit near the top of the wooden figure's head and below its feet. The three oil lamps under its feet had been extinguished."Rise, Charm Spirit!" Sebastian pulled out a yellow paper charm and muttered a spell before flicking it into the air.There was a whoosh as the yellow charm transformed into a ball of fire. The center of the wooden figure's forehead suddenly lit up in a red glow!"Mr. Ballard, is that the straw man with Whitney's soul?" Gavin asked in a low voice as he leaned closer to Sebastian.If Gavin hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that mystic spells really did exist in their world. "Yup." Sebastian nodded heavily an
Gavin moved as fast as lightning and threw a punch at the Black Wind's chest."Hmph! You don't know your place!" The Black Wind sneered. He raised his palm and let it collide with Gavin's fist.There was a sharp bang as the two of them collided.At that moment, Gavin realized in shock that the middle-aged man was extremely strong, despite the fact that he looked like a bag of bones!He felt as if his fist had crashed against a small mountain, and it bounced back immediately.Before Gavin could dodge and hide, the Black Wind's fist slammed heavily against his chest!Gavin felt as if he had crashed into a speeding train. As he spat out a mouthful of blood, he felt himself being thrown backward helplessly.Sebastian hurriedly took a step forward to catch him. He pulled out an Energy Replenishing Pill and put it in Gavin's mouth."Mr. Ballard, I—" Gavin looked defiantly at the scrawny figure.Sebastian sighed softly and comforted him. "Gavin, you've done your best."The Black Win
Sebastian dodged the blade of the Black Wind at a measured pace. A three-foot-long metal umbrella flew toward Sebastian's shoulder."Die, young man!" The White Moon held the metal umbrella and injected all his force into it.Sebastian trod the Seven Star Path and stood aside. The metal umbrella struck a giant rock behind Sebastian.There was a loud rumble, and the eight-foot-high giant rock was smashed into powder. Gavin couldn't help gasping at the sight. Although he was an Elite Grandmaster, neither his strength nor his speed could compare with that of the Black and White Sentinels!The rock that the White Moon had just shattered was a piece of granite that was known for being tough. Even a bullet would only have left a mark on it, let alone human strength alone. Sebastian's gaze swept over the granite, which had been reduced to powder. He couldn't help nodding.The Black and White Sentinels lived up to their legend. They were unbeatable among Elite Grandmasters!If Sebas
As soon as Sebastian finished speaking, the Black and White Sentinels shot toward him almost simultaneously. Beside them, Gandolf wielded his sword and shot toward Gavin."Young man, today is the day you—"Before the Black Wind could finish, Sebastian struck with his sword and sliced him in half!Blood splattered the ground. The White Moon's heart trembled when he saw it.He couldn't understand why Sebastian now seemed like a completely different person from who he had been just a moment ago!The truth was that Sebastian hadn't been using all his strength at all. After all, he was there for the soul-attached straw man. As for the Black and White Sentinels, Sebastian hadn't thought of them as important at all.When he saw that the Black Wind wasn't a match for Sebastian, the White Moon wavered. The thought of escape flashed through his mind.Before he could stop his attack, Sebastian's wrist flicked. His sword formed a complicated pattern in the air and enclosed the White Moon in
"Hmph!" Gandolf ignored the pain in his legs and said, "Young man, all I regret is that I wasn't able to tear you into a million pieces to avenge the hundreds of apprentices that the Sacred Medicine Society killed back then! Don't even think about hearing—"Sebastian didn't wait for Gandolf to finish. He pulled out a silver needle and sneered. "Is that so? Let me see how tough you can be."Gandolf's pupils constricted as he watched Sebastian plunge the silver needle into his pain acupuncture point.He was an elder of the Dark Medicine Sect. He knew very well what Sebastian was trying to do.If that silver needle pierced Gandolf's pain acupuncture point, he would have no choice but to confess everything, no matter how much he hated Sebastian. The pain that would assail him could not be borne by ordinary people."Young man, I will never forgive you, even in death!" Gandolf roared. He was about to bite through his tongue to commit suicide, but a numb feeling spread up from his ja
Sebastian pointed at the three lamps on the top of the straw man's head and said, "These three lamps correspond to Whitney's soul. The seven lamps beneath her feet are part of her spirit. If all ten of these lamps are extinguished, she'll never wake up again."Sebastian took out his Sky Devouring Bottle and pointed it at the soul-attached straw man.There was a whoosh as a white cloud of energy was sucked into the Sky Devouring Bottle from the soul-attached straw man.Right after that, the remaining life lamps were extinguished."Mr. Ballard, are you…" Gavin broke out into a cold sweat from fear when he saw that the remaining life lamps had been extinguished. If anything happened to Whitney, he couldn't bear the responsibility. "It's alright. I just sucked Whitney's soul and spirit into this bottle. As for this soul-attached straw man, it no longer has any use." Sebastian took it and mumbled a spell.With a whoosh, a ball of blue flames burned the soul-attached straw man into
"Winnie!""Winnie!" Crystal and Dante immediately crawled over to Whitney's bed upon seeing her awake."Mom, Dante, what's going on with you two?" When Whitney saw the bruises on their faces, she frowned slightly. She looked up in surprise at Fitz and Sebastian, who were standing beside them."Winnie, you're finally awake! If you hadn't woken up, they would have killed us!" Crystal pointed at the handprint on Dante's face and said, "Look at what the asshole Sebastian did to Dante! Half his face is swollen! Someone also hit me on the back with the butt of a gun!"Seeing the bruise on Crystal's back and Dante's swollen left cheek was swollen, Whitney's eyes glinted dangerously. However, she regained calm very quickly. "Sebastian, what happened? Why would you do that to my mother and Dante?"Although Whitney's impression of Sebastian had been completely overturned after spending time with him, Crystal and Dante were still her family. She couldn't help the accusing tone in her voi
"Mom, Dante." Whitney walked over to the desk with a wooden expression on her face. She picked up the box of pastries and held them out to them. "Didn't you consider the fact that I could have died?" she asked in a choked voice. "If it weren't for Sebastian, would I still be standing here talking to you right now? Mom, I'm your daughter too."Whitney could no longer suppress her grief. Tears slid down her cheeks like broken strings of pearls. Whitney had never imagined such a thing. Even though Edna and Ryder had taken the lead in making the Suttons ostracize her, she hadn't ever thought that her own mother and younger brother would help outsiders harm her! What had she done wrong?"Winnie…" Crystal saw a note of despair and determination in Whitney's eyes, and she panicked at once. She knew more than anyone that if it wasn't for Whitney, she and Dante would end up begging on the streets in the future."Stop talking!" Whitney wiped away the tears on her face and smiled bitte
Whitney perked up at Sebastian's question. "It's all because you ran into the two monsters that day," she said. "I saw it on the surveillance footage. That was when I realized that the two women living in the store don't have that kind of relationship with you…"Whitney had never asked, and Sebastian hadn't bothered to explain who Nina and Lyanna were. That was why she had mistakenly thought that both of them were Sebastian's lovers as well.Realization had only dawned on her when she heard Nina address Sebastian as her master, even in her dying breath. Whitney had seen how powerful Nina was that day and how she had been willing to die in order to protect Sebastian.Nina and Lyanna weren't Sebastian's lovers. They were his servants. Not only that, Nina was a thousand-year-old giant snake!That had completely changed Whitney's view of the world. Although there had always been legends of mystical beings and ghosts, Whitney was an accomplished businesswoman who believed firmly in sc
Sebastian laughed wryly and shook his head. "I'm not from the Ballard Estate," he said. "My name is Sebastian, and it's better if my cousin weren't seen around me too much.""Oh, you're Sebastian."The two young women breathed a long sigh of relief. They looked him up and down for a long time before exchanging a glance. Then, they covered their faces and giggled.One of them stepped forward and said, "Come with me. Honestly… you seem pretty normal. I don't get why Ms. Sutton is yearning for you so much."Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly and said nothing.The young woman led Sebastian into the house, where Whitney was sitting and reading a book intently. She said, "Ms. Sutton, look who's here."Whitney put down her book and looked up. When she saw Sebastian behind the young woman, she was both surprised and delighted. She got up and threw herself into Sebastian's arms."Sebastian, is it really you?"The young woman covered her face and chuckled before leaving the room sile
Sebastian watched Andreas leave and exhaled deeply. Preston wasn't the only one he didn't trust. No one in the Ballard Estate was worthy of his trust, including Andreas.Once Andreas had completely disappeared, Sebastian beckoned to the woods in the distance and said, "Come out!"In a flash, Duo appeared at his side. "My lord, why didn't you wipe out those people in the hall today?" he asked.Duo clenched his fists tightly, and there was a murderous look simmering in his eyes. Although he hadn't been in the hall, he had clearly heard everything the Ballards had said.Anyone who disrespected his master deserved death!Besides, neither Sebastian nor Duo would have had to lift a finger to kill them. All they had to do was to crush the Tribulation Avoidance Charm and trigger the divine tribulation. Once it descended, no one in the hall would have lived to tell the tale, including Arnaud."If we become hostile with the Ballards, it'll be almost impossible for us to leave in peace. Now
"It all comes back to Uncle Samson," Andreas said. "Great Uncle Arnaud already told you he'd let Uncle Samson have his freedom if you find the other emerald token, but then he brought up the marriage alliance. "It directly affects whether or not Uncle Samson can regain his freedom. So, why don't you think about it?"With a quiet chuckle, Andreas walked toward a grove of peach trees to the west.Realization finally dawned on Sebastian. Arnaud was a shrewd man. He wouldn't slip up like that. Besides, although the Ballards and the Yeomans had established a marriage agreement, they hadn't named specific individuals, only that the Blessed Child of the Ballards would fulfill it.The Blessed Child bore the duty of guiding the Ballards to revival. In other words, the emerald token would be better off falling into the Blessed Child's hands rather than anyone else's.Could it be that the final emerald token was with the Yeomans? If that were true, why hadn't the Ballards used their pow
"I'm sorry, but I have no interest in becoming the head of the Ballard family," Sebastian said impassively. "I only want my father to be freed."Arnaud's expression changed slightly, but his tone remained neutral as he said, "It's Braxton who owes you and your mother, not the entire family. Why must you do this?"Sebastian let out a cold snort. It was true that Braxton had been the one who had kicked them out, but weren't the true culprits the elders of the Ballard Estate?"If there's nothing else, I'd like to see Whitney," Sebastian said, rising slowly to his feet. As soon as he mentioned her name, Arnaud waved a hand at him and said, "Don't be in such a rush, Sebastian. Whitney is safe. The Ballards would never harm a frail woman."He added, "However, there's something I want to ask you. Is Whitney still your wife?"Sebastian frowned. "Whether she is or isn't, what business is that of the Ballards?""Of course it is," Arnaud replied firmly. "The Ballards and the Yeomans of
Arnaud led Sebastian into a secret room deep within the Hall of the Ancestral Dragon. Once inside, Sebastian saw a Cosmic Orbit Diagram. It was exactly the same as the records in the Sacred Medicine Secret Annals.However, the Ballards' Cosmic Orbit Diagram was divided into different sections. It looked even more three-dimensional."This is the Cosmic Orbit Diagram passed down through our family for generations," Arnaud said proudly. "The one that the Sacred Medicine Society has is just a copy."The legacy of the mystic arts in Dramon almost all came from the Ballards.The Ballards had withheld some things back then as well. As a result, all the legacies of the various secular sects only had incomplete Cosmic Orbit Diagrams. It was why there were very few experts at the fifth level of the Eldoria realm and above.Afterward, Arnaud led Sebastian into a library. Thousands of technical legacies lined the shelves. Sebastian flipped through them. The techniques recorded there were
Samson glanced at Sebastian. He took a deep breath and said to Arnaud, "Thank you for sparing me, Uncle Arnaud."He gave Sebastian a few final reminders before leaving the hall with Preston.Once they were gone, Arnaud pointed at Duo and said to Sebastian, "Tell him to leave too."Sebastian waved a hand at Duo."I'll wait for you at the entrance, my lord," Duo said. "If anything happens, I'll be here as soon as you call!"He gave Arnaud a cold look before striding out of the hall.Arnaud watched him leave and smiled approvingly. He beckoned to Sebastian. "Come, sit!"Sebastian didn't hesitate. He crossed the hall and sat in the chair opposite Arnaud."Do you know why I asked Andreas to bring you back here?" Arnaud asked impassively. Sebastian shook his head expressionlessly. He said in a cold voice, "It's probably because of the emerald token in my father's possession."Apart from using him and Whitney as leverage against Samson, he couldn't think of any other reason.Arnau
"The Blessed Child! The Blessed Child has finally come to our family!"The black-robed old man who had been sitting beside Arnaud stood up, looking pleased. He couldn't hide his excitement as he turned to Arnaud and said, "Arnaud, our family is going to prosper!"Only Rexton and Milton looked extremely displeased. Braxton and Roland looked pained, as if they had lost something of great value. They were practically thumping their chests in regret!The Blessed Child had been foretold by one of the heads of the family centuries ago. No matter how far the Ballards declined, the prophecy said that after a few hundred years, a Blessed Child would appear—someone who could lead the family's revival!The only proof of the Blessed Child was for him to enter a master-servant oath with a Devora."Prosper? What a joke!" Hugo scoffed, holding Virtus firmly. "Weren't you all just clamoring about killing the two of them?"At Hugo's words, Arnaud's expression changed slightly. "When did I say tha
"Hugo!"Arnaud, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide. He eyed Hugo with a conflicted expression as he asked, "Have you forgotten the agreement the Thornes made with us ten years ago?"Hugo smiled coldly and put one hand behind his back. "That was the agreement you made with the Thornes. I'm only following Ms. Thorne's orders to protect Samson and find the emerald token. If Samson dies in this battle, how am I supposed to explain that to her?"He pointed at Sebastian and added, "He's Ms. Thorne's flesh and blood. Your family has no right to punish him! If the Ballards insist on killing them today, don't blame me for going on a killing spree!"When Hugo had finished, Sebastian finally realized that Hugo was from Isabella's family and that he had stayed at the Ballard Estate to protect Samson.It was clear that Isabella hadn't held a grudge toward Samson. In fact, she had sent an expert to stay behind to protect him in case anything happened.Arnaud's