The flute was clearly made of refined iron. It gleamed coldly under the lights."Disrespectful? Just a lesson?" Zane and Whitney repeated. They had also arrived in the hall.Whitney looked angrily at the middle-aged man seated beside Romulus. He had two long knife scars on his face, and his left sleeve was empty."He injured one of our waiters for no reason, and I only went up to say a few things to him. What right did he have to slap me?"Women took their looks very seriously, and Whitney was no exception. The man's slap was still stinging even at that moment!Besides, how could she go out with a clear handprint on her face?The middle-aged man beside Romulus shot to his feet and snorted derisively as he said, "You bitch! You have no right to speak in front of Mr. Chastain."Romulus turned to look at him, indicating for him to be quiet. The middle-aged man shut his mouth quickly. Romulus was arrogant, but he wasn't conceited enough to think of himself as invincible. Before
Romulus' expression changed at once.However, no matter how much he looked at him, Sebastian just seemed like an ordinary person. He didn't seem like an expert at all.He couldn't believe that an expert at the seventh level of the Celestial realm like Devin would have died at Sebastian's hand!However, Romulus had heard several rumors about Sebastian as soon as he arrived in Steinberg. It was just that most of those people had suffered huge losses because of him.Romulus frowned and said, "Sebastian, many martial arts sects are your enemies. Don't you know that you should keep a low profile? If you're willing to take me as your mentor, I can plead on your behalf. At least you'll have an ally in the future."Romulus had made his intention clear. He wanted to use this as an opportunity to make a powerful man like Sebastian part of the Irongate Sect.He felt that Sebastian was still working on his own and was now being targeted by the martial arts sects. No matter how capable he was
Romulus could sense that Sebastian wasn't someone he could fight against. He seemed to remember seeing the sword in Sebastian's hand once at Mount Wandale's headquarters. However, wasn't Purity the treasure of Wandale? Why would it be with Sebastian?"It's your turn now. Once you go to hell, teach them how to be a good person!" Sebastian said coldly.Romulus hastily threw his sword aside and bowed to Sebastian. "Mr. Ballard, I am also a martial arts apprentice. I only joined the Irongate Sect over a decade ago. Please let me go as a fellow practitioner."Romulus could only pretend that he was an apprentice of Wandale to try and make Sebastian relent.Wandale was the most prestigious and one of the founding members of the Nine Sects. Sebastian couldn't harm him and risk offending the Nine Sects, after all.It was Romulus' last hope. He knew better than anyone that he was sure to die in Sebastian's hands if they continued to fight."Which sect you're from has nothing to do with m
Romulus was the left sentinel of the Irongate Sect and was very influential. He was also the apprentice of Peak Three in Sapientia's Cesum Court. Many sect leaders in the martial arts community showed respect to Romulus, so it went without saying the same would happen in a small place like Steinberg. When the news of Romulus' death reached the Martial Arts Court, even the head director wet his pants in fear.Even though he hated Romulus, he should have died anywhere but in Steinberg! If Sapientia started asking questions, how was he going to answer?"Who killed Romulus?" A middle-aged, stern-looking man in a white robe slammed the table angrily in the Martial Arts Court as he spoke. He was the head director of the Steinberg Martial Arts Court, Phineas Tuxley. He was also a top expert at the ninth level of the Celestial realm.Although the Martial Arts Association had undergone a lot of changes recently, Phineas hadn't bothered to get involved in any of them.After all, the Ma
Phineas pushed the door open, looking sinister. The moment he walked in, he turned his head aside quickly.A well-built, middle-aged man was lying on a massage bed. He was naked and had four or five masseuses with him.Phineas was the head director. He couldn't just ignore such a crude scene. How did Alaric get all that energy? He was using up so much, but he didn't look tired at all."Well, if it isn't Mr. Tuxley! It seems you have the time to come and see me today. Are you here to have some fun as well?" Alaric asked. He sat up and wrapped a towel around his waist. Phineas covered half his face and turned his head to say, "Mr. Donnelly, Romulus was killed by Sebastian at Scentia an hour ago. Other victims include two of his apprentices and 18 other followers. None of them were spared.""What did you say?" Alaric shot up from his seat in shock when he heard the news.Romulus wasn't as agile as Alaric, but he was the true pillar of the Fury Scimitars. After all, he had the s
Alaric glared viciously at Phineas. How was he supposed to know?"Since Sebastian was the one who made this mess, then he should do something for the martial arts community to make up for his mistakes. It's his fault for killing Emil, after all!" Alaric said thoughtfully. If Sebastian hadn't defeated Sword Towers and hindered the overseas Dragon Sect's grand plan to return to Dramon, why would Jules have suddenly sent a warning to the Dramon martial arts community?He had even specifically mentioned Sebastian and challenged him. The best solution right now would be to persuade Sebastian to accept Jules' challenge.If Sebastian won, he would be helping the martial arts community to get rid of danger. If he lost, Jules wouldn't allow him to stay alive.If so, Alaric would just need to report the news to Sapientia. Sapientia wasn't going to hold a grudge against a dead person, after all. Alaric might even benefit from it. He thought for a long time and finally came up with a pla
"Mr. Tuxley, do as I told you to, and Sebastian is sure to agree," Alaric said, smiling sinisterly."I hope so." Phineas walked out of the room, looking extremely displeased. He had come all the way there and still ended up having to take care of the issue.Phineas became angrier the more he thought about it. He almost crashed into the glass doors at the entrance to the club because he was distracted."Be careful, Mr. Tuxley!" One of the deacons who had come with him hastily pushed the glass door open.Phineas glanced at the transparent glass door and said to the pretty young woman at the reception, "Tell your boss to change this door! Damn it, if that glass door is still here the next time I come, I'll wreck your club!"Phineas got into his car, looking extremely menacing.The two deacons followed him cautiously. Phineas was clearly in a terrible mood. Anyone who provoked his anger would be sure to get very unlucky."Mr. Tuxley, where should we drive to?" the driver asked tenta
"Thank you, Ms. Griffin. I apologize to both of you as a representative of the Martial Arts Court for what happened today. As for the death of Romulus, he deserved it! The Martial Arts Court will not pursue the matter with Mr. Ballard, and we'll even award him!" After that, Phineas hastily left the Moonlyte Club and rushed straight to Sebastian's convenience store.Half an hour later, he respectfully pushed open the door to the convenience store and stood there reverently. He spoke in a small voice to Rose, who was standing there. "Is Mr. Ballard here?""Who are you?" Rose asked, looking coldly at him.Phineas hastily plastered on a smile and said, "I'm the head director of the Steinberg Martial Arts Court, and my name is Phineas Tuxley. I came here especially to see Mr. Ballard.""Mr. Ballard is inside. Please wait a moment," Rose said. She turned and walked away from the counter before going into one of the rooms. She said softly, "Mr. Ballard, someone called Phineas Tuxley i
"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