Cecil wasn't powerful enough to see the intense dark energy. Only people at Sebastian and Bartholomew's level could sense it."Please move aside," Sebastian said, pushing Cecil gently.Cecil turned after hearing Sebastian speak. He scoffed and said, "Would a brat like you dare to step forward? Even I suffered greatly just now!"Cecil felt that Sebastian was just a reckless young man who didn't know his own strength.Bartholomew turned and noticed Sebastian. "Young man, the thing inside is very difficult to handle. Quite a few young people got bitten just now," he said seriously. Sebastian nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, sir. However, I've always been tough, so I'd like to go up and see."Bartholomew's expression darkened at Sebastian's words, and he said, "Young man, you shouldn't speak so boldly. I'm saying this for your own good.""You are much too reckless and arrogant. Even I wouldn't dare to speak so boldly in front of Mr. Haye!" Cecil huffed coldly.Alec was shiver
As soon as Cecil spoke, even Bartholomew looked contemptuously at him."Go up if you can then!" A middle-aged man pushed Cecil forward.Cecil shuddered and turned to glare viciously at the middle-aged man. He said, "If you push me again, I'll bite you to death!""Damn, I ran into a crazy dog!" The middle-aged man rolled his eyes scornfully at Cecil."Young man, were you using the Dipper Eradicator?" Among all the people present, Bartholomew was the most knowledgeable. He had recognized it at once. Sebastian turned and said to Bartholomew, "You are very knowledgeable, sir."However, before Sebastian could finish, a wild wind suddenly rose out of nowhere. Even the chandelier in the hall, which was very heavy, began swaying. The gold lights on the seven paper charms were extinguished, and the light in the entire villa suddenly became dim. "What's going on?" Bartholomew felt his skin prickle and a chill ran down his spine.There was an enormous blast, and the doors to the villa
Even Bartholomew fell to the floor in fear. He stared vacantly ahead. "This is it. We're doomed this time!"The other geomancers began to murmur in fear."If I manage to get out of here alive, I'm going to switch careers at once!""Damn it! This is my second time doing geomancy for someone!"Sebastian was amused at their comments.Clearly, among the traditional five arts of the Way of Wisdom, traditional medicine wasn't the only one that was on the decline. All of the Five Traditional Arts of Crestborne were no longer being passed on.Sebastian got his sword ready. He clasped his hands behind his back and took five steps forward. Finally, he tossed the last paper charm under his feet.As soon as the paper charm touched the floor, it ignited like a candle flame.Sebastian took three steps to the left and threw another paper charm. He continued to change his position as he threw ten paper charms in total.All the paper charms were burning like candles. Although the light wasn't
The woman's voice was filled with emotion that could affect others greatly. It echoed in Sebastian's ear once more.Death is life, and life is death!Sebastian raised the sword he was holding and held it slowly against his own neck."Life and death are interconnected, and both are unclear."Sebastian suddenly felt a deep grief rise in his heart, as if his own life had no meaning. When the sword rested against his neck, he closed his eyes. Tears slid down his cheeks.Just as he was about to cut his own throat, a golden light flashed in his mind, and the scene before him disappeared at once.Sebastian's eyes snapped open and saw that he was still in utter darkness. The entire villa was as silent as death. When he thought about what had just happened, he broke out into a cold sweat. He had almost cut his own throat just now.If it weren't for the Sacred Medicine Secret Annals, which had pulled him back to his senses at the most important moment, he would be dead.Sebastian wiped
As he rushed forward, Sebastian bit his middle finger and let the blood drip onto the sword.He tossed the seven paper charms out simultaneously. They landed in different positions, which looked chaotic, but was actually merged with the spell of the mystic sects. The seven paper charms and the one that Sebastian was holding formed a spell to suppress evil. It was the Gold Spirit-subduing spell!Sebastian was carrying out the spell of the Sacred Medicine Secret Annals according to what he could remember.The woman in white immediately screamed tragically. The illusion disappeared in a flash, and Sebastian found himself back on the second floor of the villa.The dark energy had also disappeared completely, and the woman in white was lying in the Gold Spirit-subduing spell, struggling. "Before long, you'll disappear from this world forever," Sebastian said impassively as he watched her. The woman in white glared viciously at Sebastian, and dark energy rose up around her."Are y
Norman had fainted several times from the intense pain, and a few of his family doctors were trying to staunch the bleeding of his wound."Are you alright, Mr. Nichols Senior?" Sebastian asked in concern.Norman tried his best to concentrate as he said, "Mr. Ballard, I don't know what happened just now, but the wound suddenly started bleeding. It hurts so much."Sebastian couldn't help laughing and said, "That's because the demon maggots are gone. It's normal for such a huge wound to bleed. It'll get better after a few days."Sebastian handed a bottle of medicine to the nurse who was staunching the wound for Norman. The bottle contained the Gold Remedy, which Sebastian was supplying to the military.After dressing the wound for Norman, Sebastian said, "Mr. Nichols Senior, let's go and see Mr. Croydon together."Norman looked shaken as he said, "Mr. Ballard, are you sure he won't bite again?"When Sebastian nodded firmly, Norman felt reassured and led him back to the villa next d
"Yes, sir!" One of the young men approached Sebastian and said, "Mr. Ballard, please write your phone number and bank account number here."He took out a small book from his pocket and handed it to Sebastian. "Mr. Croydon, there's no need for me to write my bank account number. It was nothing," Sebastian said, smiling. "Mr. Ballard, you can't say that. Even though it wasn't your duty, you saved my life. That's an undeniable fact. I wish to thank you, and money isn't something you can take with you when you die. It's just a bit of money to thank you for saving me."As the richest man in Port Isle, Lorcan had stopped caring about money long ago. Instead, he prized loyalty even more. Lorcan respected Sebastian even more for not wanting anything in return despite saving his life.In the end, Sebastian couldn't refuse him any longer, so he had to write his bank account number on the book."Mr. Ballard." While Sebastian was chatting with Norman and Lorcan, Bartholomew mustered up t
Bartholomew's son had refused to listen to him and insisted on moving into an old house. As a result, his family had been destroyed. That was why Bartholomew was confident in his skills. "Mr. Haye, I happen to have some free time. Why don't I go with you and see?" Sebastian asked, smiling.Upon hearing that Sebastian was about to leave, Norman immediately said, "Mr. Ballard, you can't leave! Stay here tonight so that we can celebrate properly. I have to thank you on behalf of myself and Mr. Croydon." Lorcan got up quickly and said, "Mr. Ballard, you can't leave in such a hurry. At least give us a chance to thank you. You can stay for a meal, can't you?" Sebastian glanced at Bartholomew, who looked troubled, and he said to Lorcan and Norman, "Mr. Croydon, Mr. Nichols Senior, I'll be back tonight. That will be alright, won't it?" Lorcan nodded seriously and said, "If you said so, you can go ahead, Mr. Ballard. However, you must come back before 8:00 pm. We'll be waiting to hav
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
Sebastian threw his head back in laughter. He strode forward, standing in the center of the hall, and said coldly. "Ungrateful? How could you have the audacity to say such a thing?"Even if I'm surrounded by enemies, you Ballards can forget about making me submit! It's just death, after all. If I even blink, then I won't call myself a man!"Everyone there stared at Sebastian."How dare that brat be so cocky? If he's not punished, it'll be a disgrace to our family rules!""He should be given the death penalty!""It'll be a disaster if we just let him be, and it'll only bring trouble for our family. Please give the order, and we'll kill him at once!"The entire hall was in an uproar. Even Preston, who had been speaking up for Sebastian and Samson, sighed in resignation.Since Sebastian had already made his stance clear, Preston couldn't help even if he wanted to.Sebastian had roused the anger of everyone there, and Arnaud had closed his eyes and wasn't saying anything. He was cl
Sebastian was just about to step forward when Samson hastily waved a hand at him and said, "Sebastian, the grudges of the Ballard family from over ten years ago have nothing to do with you. Don't get involved!""But—"Sebastian's gaze sharpened as he turned to look at Milton. There was an icy glint in his eyes. Samson shook his head slightly at Sebastian. The Ballard Estate had at least ten experts at the eighth level of the Eldoria realm. At Sebastian's current level, trying to fight them would only bring him big trouble."Sebastian, one must learn how to adapt to the situation," Samson whispered into his ear using voice projection. "Today, I will exchange my legs for your and Whitney's freedom. Think of it as a payment for what I owe you and your mother."Sebastian clenched his fists tightly. He hated himself for being too weak. He couldn't even protect his own family in a place like the Ballard Estate, where many experts were gathered.However, he would never allow anyone to
"Do you accept it, Samson?" Arnaud asked harshly when he saw that Preston hadn't said anything else. He turned to look directly at Samson.Samson smiled bitterly and turned to look at Sebastian before raising his head to look at Arnaud, who was sitting high above them. He said, "Uncle Arnaud, I was the reason for everything that happened. I wish to ask you not to trouble Sebastian.""What are you talking about?" Preston was agitated. He stood up again and yelled, "There must still be an investigation about who was right and who was wrong. Why should they break your legs?"As he spoke, his eyes blazed with fury. He looked at the thin old man and said furiously, "Milton, you old bastard! How can you be so shameless at your age? Tell me! Did you embellish the story to Arnaud?""Uncle Preston!" Samson stopped him quickly and sighed slightly. "Forget it. It's my fault for bringing such huge trouble upon our family back then."I admit that I have let our family down. Since imprisoning m
As the man in the black robe yelled, the entire hall fell silent at once. The thin old man threw the black-robed old man a disgruntled look, but he returned obediently to his seat.Once the noise had died down, Preston stepped forward and swept an icy gaze over the crowd who were present. "You call yourself the elders of the family?"The monument of our ancestral dragon is right in front of you. How could you bully two young members of the family in front of it? Don't you feel any shame?"Besides, how dare you speak before Arnaud does?"After the harsh scolding they received from Preston, no one in the crowd dared to protest. Sebastian nodded involuntarily. It appeared that Preston did have influence in the Ballard family. At least no one had interrupted his scolding, including Arnaud and the man in the black robe.Preston huffed angrily and bowed to Arnaud, who sat in the middle. "Arnaud, I've brought Samson and Sebastian!"Preston went over to the chair next to the black-robe
"Sebastian, I won't be going in. Remember, don't say anything without being spoken to, and don't be impulsive!" Andreas said softly in Sebastian's ear when they reached the door to the hall. He then walked over to the crowd, which was packed on both sides of the hall.Samson and Preston walked into the hall without any change in expression. Sebastian hesitated for a moment before hurrying to catch up.When they reached the entrance, the two old men reached out to stop them and said to Preston, who was in the lead, "Preston, I'm afraid that it wouldn't be a good idea for you to go in. Everyone knows that you're biased toward Samson's family. If you get into an argument with Arnaud, then—""Nonsense!" Preston yelled furiously. He spoke in a menacing tone to the two old men. "Don't try those tricks with me. Today, I'm going to be the voice of reason. Who among you can do anything to me?"With that, he pushed them aside and strode into the hall.The two old men gazed after his ret
The Ballard Estate's resources were unfathomable as it was. Could Isabella's family be even more powerful than theirs?Sebastian clearly remembered that both he and Samson were under the Sacred Medicine Society. They even had the same mentor.The Sacred Medicine Society was above all the other mystic martial arts sects. Even the sect leaders of the Nine Sects were very respectful toward his mentor.If Samson really was from the same sect as Sebastian, then his mentor had clearly been unable to save him. Wouldn't that mean that the Sacred Medicine Society was no match for the Ballards?Wouldn't that mean that Isabella's family was an even greater entity?"If my mother's family is really that powerful, why couldn't they rescue my father? There would also be no reason to let me join the Sacred Medicine Society either, right?" Sebastian asked probingly. It seemed as if Andreas had never even thought about such questions. He smiled and shook his head. "You probably don't know about a