Countless luxury cars rushed to Steinberg from all directions as influential figures from various fields all gathered at the same time.Even Larys and Harold were surprised by the commotion.Steinberg immediately sent out hundreds of traffic policemen to maintain order. Despite this, Steinberg's traffic came to a standstill. Anthony's name had spread all throughout the state, and every family who wanted to prosper had come to curry favor with him.The local families in Steinberg also wanted to use the opportunity to replace the Four Great Families.However, the Four Great Families were no longer in Steinberg. The Coltranes had been uprooted completely by Sebastian, while the Winters were just a shell of their former selves.However, the remaining eight were still irreplaceable in Sartvale. In terms of connections and capabilities, Steinberg's influential families couldn't hope to replace the Carrows and the Petersons. Even if someone wanted to rise through the ranks, the remai
Sebastian had once forced all the elite of Sunway to kneel while he had been armed only with a single sword. Today, they would hold their heads up high again and vindicate themselves by humiliating Sebastian publicly."My lord, there are people who want you to go out and die," Nina said, smiling.It was ridiculous. Nina was a snake deity, but even she had submitted to Sebastian and accepted him as her master. How could a few martial arts practitioners be so clueless? They were actually asking Sebastian to go and die!Human flesh was one of the most nourishing things to eat, especially when still alive. Nina was practically drooling as she thought about it. "Mr. Ballard." Rose walked out of her room, holding her treasured sword.Sebastian sighed in resignation and said to Rose, "You must not kill her. It'll be much more useful to keep her alive."Sebastian went to the door and glanced down the steps.There were a few familiar faces in the crowd standing below. Maximus and Tripp
Anthony glared at Maximus. He wanted nothing more than to slap him across the face."Young man! So many of us are here today to demand justice from you. I think you should give up all your martial arts training today and repent for your wrongdoings. Perhaps Mr. Laing will take pity on you and spare your life," Tripp said arrogantly, his hands clasped behind his back.Sebastian didn't even spare Tripp a glance. He walked over to the bronze horse and began scrutinizing it. It was strange. Sebastian had never noticed anything unusual about the bronze horse before. Why had Lyanna specifically asked for it?As he scrutinized it further, he realized something. Although the bronze horse's body was shrouded in dark energy, there were actually four red clouds on its hooves.Red symbolized blood, but it also represented life. In contrast, black symbolized death and destruction.There was life and death energy on an object. The intertwining of life and death represented reincarnation."Th
Sebastian's gaze swept across the crowd. He smiled and said, "Later, you must all kneel here at the door for a day and a night. No one will be allowed to leave!"Anthony burst into laughter out of sheer anger.How dare Sebastian act so brazenly at a time like this? Even Anthony had not been so cocky at his age. Besides, Sebastian was clearly disrespecting him with that statement. He wanted everyone here to kneel later? Wasn't he implying that Anthony was no match for him?How ridiculous! How dare a man in his 20s look down on a sect leader like Anthony?Ignorance truly made people fearless. And to make such a statement in front of so many people. How could he be so shameless?"Young man, I admit that I am far less skilled than you are when it comes to bluffing," Anthony said, sneering."How do you know that I'm bluffing?" Sebastian smiled lightly. "Hmph! You are young and ignorant. You can't imagine the difference between us and how big the gap is. You will never know!" Ant
Even Gabe took a step backward in the face of such power.The blade was already exuding so much power before it even struck. Once Anthony swung it, the force would surely affect Gabe as well.Anthony had decided to kill Sebastian with his strongest strike. He wanted everyone to see what happened to those who offended the Caelbane Sect.How dare Sebastian kill and maim Anthony's apprentices? Sebastian had practically signed his own death warrant."Die, Sebastian!" Anthony roared. He raised the blade over his head and brought it down with full force, aiming for Sebastian's head.The air seemed to freeze as an intense energy swept through the area. The men closest to the fight even felt a sting on their faces from the force of the intense energy. As Anthony brought the blade down, the bricks beneath his feet actually cracked. The crowd cried out in shock once more as they watched.Was that how powerful Anthony was?Was this what it meant to be a true ancient martial arts practi
Even Rose wouldn't last more than 20 moves against Anthony. It was no wonder the apprentices of the ancient martial arts sects were so dismissive of the secular martial arts community.The Caelbane Sect was only a small sect among the mystic martial arts sects, and Anthony was a nobody among them. Despite this, the skills he was showing were amazing!Maximus knew that he could never reach Anthony and Sebastian's level, not even if he spent his entire life trying. The two of them would always be far ahead of him.No wonder Sebastian had been so cocky in Sunway that day.Anthony put all his strength into his blade as he tried to attack Sebastian once more. Yet, Sebastian dodged it effortlessly. The blade shone with a silver-white glow as it thudded heavily into the ground. There was a loud rumble, and a long crack that was about 40 feet long appeared on the pavement.Anthony slowly landed on the ground and looked up at Sebastian, who was drifting down gracefully. "There are ve
Maximus looked at Anthony in shock. What Anthony had just done was an admission of his defeat!Although the victor was not clear yet, Anthony's hand had been torn open from just a single blow. Didn't that mean that he wasn't as powerful as Sebastian?Maximus hurried over to Tripp and said, "Mr. Gibson, let's go! Anthony's is no match for Sebastian!""What?" Tripp was dazed.Even Anthony was no match for Sebastian? Maximus must be joking!"Mr. Gibson, Anthony's palm was torn open. If you don't believe me, look at the hand that he's using to hold the blade!" Maximus said in a low voice.Only then did Tripp notice that blood was dripping off the blade that Anthony was holding. The blood was from Anthony's palm!What was going on? He was the sect leader of the Caelbane Sect! How could he be defeated by Sebastian?Gabe frowned as well. He knew how powerful Anthony was. Even if Anthony was no match for Gabe, he was definitely not weak. Gabe was ten years older than Anthony, but eve
Anthony spat out yet another mouthful of blood, but a cold smile appeared on his face. He didn't even need to look to know that Sebastian must already be decapitated. It would be unimaginable for Sebastian to escape such an intense blow."Mr. Ballard…" Zane looked nervously at the cloud of smoke. It was where Sebastian had been a moment ago.However, both Nina and Rose couldn't help laughing. Sebastian wouldn't be killed so easily by Anthony. Nina and Sebastian were connected with a life-and-death connection. If Sebastian died, so would Nina. If Sebastian had really not been a match for Anthony, she would have stepped forward to do something.Although Anthony and Gabe looked formidable, Nina could crush them both easily with just a simple slap, and even she was no match for Sebastian. Even if there were ten Anthonys working together, they still would not be able to kill Sebastian!Anthony smiled slightly. So what if Sebastian was a rare talent? He was too young, and he didn't k
"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
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