Sebastian nodded slightly and said to Nina, "Don't let them hurt this mother and daughter. Although they're just stray ghosts, they can still kill!"As he spoke, he pulled out his sword and rushed toward the stray ghosts in the lead. That was when Nina finally realized why she had sensed the energy of a king of spirits. The old woman had trapped too many vengeful spirits, and she had been training in black magic.The old woman was completely different from Nina. Nina was a snake to begin with, and she had transformed into human form after training in the mystic arts.However, the old woman was a human who had become a snake after training in black magic. It was a kind of black magic that had been done in the wrong order, and it resulted in one becoming a snake after losing their human form. The old woman appeared to have gotten vast reserves of power and could even have a longer life. However, once she died, she wouldn't be able to enter the spiritual world.As she had original
There was a thump as the old woman fell so hard that she left a human-shaped depression in the rocky ground.When she hit the ground, she spat out a mouthful of green blood. She looked up in terror at the Devora, who had the head of a dragon and the body of a snake. Her body trembled uncontrollably."We have the culprit! Please give the command, my lord!" Unus said respectfully to Sebastian after he had turned back into his human form.Sebastian looked at the severely injured old woman and sighed. "Don't you know how rare it is to be born as a human? Even the ultimate goal of a mystic beast like a Devora is to transform into a human! But you? Not only did you give up on your human form, you even trained to become an animal!"The old woman stared at Sebastian in despair. She was sure that she would die that day. Neither Sebastian nor Nina would give her a way out. "Kill me! In my next life, I will be sure to get revenge!"Although the old woman knew that she would die, she would
The old woman shook her head relentlessly and backed several steps away. Suddenly, a large hand closed around her throat from behind her. "How dare you refuse to answer when my lord is asking you a question?" Unus' huge hand was clamped tightly around her neck, like a strong steel lock.The old woman suddenly felt a strong dragon breath enter her body. All her organs began hurting intensely."Don't kill me! I'll tell you!" the old woman begged at the top of her voice. She seemed to have felt death. Life could be an endless cycle for other mystic arts practitioners. Some of those who were very skilled in the mystic arts could retain their memories of their previous lives even in reincarnation. However, life was very precious to the old woman because she would not be able to be reincarnated. Even living for five more years would be better than dying on the spot."Speak!" Sebastian commanded. The old woman pointed at her neck. Sebastian nodded at Unus, who pushed the old woman
This time, even more miners had been buried inside. Countless orphans and widows knelt at the tunnel entrance to the mine, screaming and crying. However, their husbands and fathers would never return.Eight mining accidents happened in total, and countless miners died there. No wonder the old woman had been able to disguise them as ghost pawns. Although the eight mining accidents hadn't all been related to the old woman, they had all been connected to the Berkeleys. As the illusions disappeared, a round moon appeared in the sky once more. It was a clear night, and stars glittered in the sky. The old woman looked at Sebastian and asked, "Can I go now?""Remember, if you hurt anyone again, I'll destroy the entire Berkeley family!" Sebastian said coldly.The old woman snorted angrily and suddenly transformed into a snake. She disappeared into the night in the blink of an eye.Sebastian hastily used a Soul Converge spell to draw the lost souls of the little girl and Candy.He fo
A flash of anger crossed Nina's face. It was true that no one could be trusted. Sebastian had stepped in during a moment of crisis, but not only were these men ungrateful, they were even trying to make him a scapegoat. It was a good thing that Nina had made herself invisible so that Daxton and the others couldn't see her. Otherwise, they would have come to blows already.Although Daxton wasn't a Warrior, he was used to lording it in Acorn City because he was the bodyguard of the Berkeleys' future daughter-in-law. He would never give in to a frail-looking woman like Nina.Sebastian glanced at Daxton and nodded slightly. He was also worried that Candy might never wake up again.As a doctor, he believed he should take full responsibility for his patients. That was why he had agreed to Daxton's demands in the first place."Please lend a hand and carry Ms. Candy back to the car," Daxton instructed Unus.Unus shot him a cold look and didn't move. If Sebastian hadn't been there, Daxt
Before long, Candy sat up in bed, looking as if nothing had happened. "Daxton!" she called out.Daxton was standing in the doorway. When he heard her voice, he hurried up to her. "Ms. Candy, you're awake!" Candy smiled and nodded. "Did this gentleman save me?" Daxton hesitated for a moment. His eyes flicked from side to side before he said quickly, "Ms. Candy, you have no idea how worried we've all been! About four days ago…"He told Candy about everything that had happened, right in front of Sebastian. After listening to Daxton's account, Candy looked at Sebastian in surprise and asked, "So it was you that saved me? Alright then, tell me how much money you want." Sebastian wasn't dressed like someone who was rich. Most charlatans like him who dabbled in traditional medicine were usually after money.That was why Candy's opinion of Sebastian dropped significantly. Her eyes held a trace of disdain. "I don't need money," Sebastian said flatly. "I'm busy, so goodbye!" He
"Ms. Candy, don't go easy on him. He's been getting on my nerves for a while now," Daxton said through gritted teeth. From the moment Sebastian had ignored him on their way to the mine, Daxton had been bottling up his frustration. Now that Candy was awake and alert, he finally had an opportunity to let it all out. He was sure that he could knock Sebastian out with one punch if Candy ordered him to do so.Although the burly man with Sebastian would be harder to deal with, Daxton had more than a dozen men, and they were armed. Even if they couldn't defeat them with their fists, they had guns!"Pay?" Sebastian frowned.Wasn't that repaying kindness with cruelty? This was an excellent example of it. He had never bothered being polite to people like that. Candy jutted her chin and said arrogantly, "I'll give you one chance to apologize to me. If you don't, then don't even think about leaving this villa!"Instead of getting angry, Sebastian laughed. "Plenty of people say that to me
Although Candy was an actress, she was as shrewd as anyone in the martial arts community. "Put your guns down!" she ordered the bodyguards in the doorway. The bodyguards sighed in relief and put the guns back in their holsters."Stand down! And you, who told you to tell them to take out their guns? I wanted to treat Mr. Ballard to a meal to show my gratitude. What are all of you doing?" Women were known for being fickle, and Candy was a textbook example. Just a moment ago she had been fiercely declaring that she would teach Sebastian a lesson, and in just the blink of an eye, she was smiling widely at him. "Mr. Ballard, I don't have any bad intentions," she said sweetly, beaming at him. "After all, you saved me. How could I let you leave without expressing my gratitude first?" "I don't think a meal is necessary," Sebastian replied flatly. Candy hurried up to him and said, "Mr. Ballard, if you just leave, what will people say about me? As an actress, my reputation is very 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