The handsome youth's name was Lucius Vipera. He grinned evilly and said, "You're the first person who's had the guts to insult me. You will pay!""My lord!"Violet hastily bowed to Lucius, too afraid to even look up at him.Lucius ignored her and strode toward Sebastian."Young man, you are extraordinary. To have accomplished so much in your 20s isn't an easy feat. If you apologize to the Berkeleys and promise to never oppose us again, I can consider letting you go today!" he said coldly in a manner that brooked no argument. Sebastian scoffed and shook his head as he said disdainfully, "You're not also planning to make me grovel to you in apology, are you?"While they all looked on in shock, Sebastian seemed to flicker out of focus, leaving behind a line of shadows as he rushed toward Lucius.Lucius narrowed his eyes and huffed coldly. "With your paltry skills, are you really going to—"Before he could finish, Sebastian's slap landed. There was a cold flash, which Lucius has
"How is that possible?"Lucius looked as if he was in disbelief when he saw that Sebastian had cut through the coal-black silk threads so easily. Sebastian appeared in front of him in an instant, and he raised Purity to slash at him.Right at the moment when the sword energy was about to touch Lucius' clothes, the air around them seemed to ripple violently. Lucius shot backward several feet as if he were a phantom, and he dodged Sebastian's attack."You're truly extraordinary!"There was a gleam in Lucius' dark eyes. As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to blur out of sight before splitting into three identical figures! Even the coal-black knife in his hand was exactly the same. "You didn't expect that, did you, young man? That's our lord's secret cloning technique!" Violet laughed triumphantly. Sebastian now had to fight against three on his own, which would be certain to end in his death. So what if he could break through the binding of the coal-black silk threads?
Lucius panicked at once. His clones couldn't make different moves, but Sebastian's attacks were all coming from different directions. How could he dodge them?A bolt of blue light slashed down on the head of one of Lucius' clones. He dodged to the side quickly while leaping up to dodge the other five swords. However, before he could land, he spat out a mouthful of blood.Although his original form had escaped from harm, his clones had been killed immediately. Although they were only his clones, they were very closely connected to his true form because of how truncated his Cloning Technique was compared to the original. That was why the backlash was particularly strong when his clones were killed."Just one move and both are already dead? Your Cloning Technique really isn't much!"Sebastian's 18 clones had surrounded the severely injured Lucius and were covering over a dozen different directions."How could this be? How could you have such an orthodox Cloning Spell passed dow
In the end, even the scales on Lucius' body had been swiped off by the blows. Huge pieces of scales were torn off his body along with his skin and flesh. With every piece of scale that was torn off, he let out a bloodcurdling scream."Aargh! Please have mercy! I won't ever act recklessly again! Have mercy!"Lucius was now completely bloodied from the beating he had received. He was covered with wounds that went deep to the bone, and he was bleeding profusely. Even Violet couldn't bear to look at him.He no longer had the dignity of the ancestral being of the Berkeleys, and he had lost his domineering air. "You won't? Hmph! What are you going to say about that snake curse in her, then?" Sebastian asked, pointing at Candy. Lucius almost burst into tears. He didn't know anything about what they had done to Candy. Besides, once the soul of a snake began to merge with that of a human, they would become an entwined soul.He had only ever heard of a secret art that could separate an e
"You've done many evil deeds, and it's time for the Berkeleys to be destroyed!" Sebastian exclaimed. He summoned back his 18 clones with a single thought while he raised Purity. "No!" Violet screamed at the top of her lungs.There was a dull thump, and a head flew high into the air. A dark energy that looked both like a snake and like a human shot out at once. Sebastian wasn't going to let her have a chance of escaping. He tossed out four yellow paper charms at the same time. They formed a Nullcurse Spell and trapped both of Violet's souls within it."When I say die, I mean that your soul and spirit will be destroyed! You won't have a chance at finding another host!"Sebastian raised his palm and upturned it slightly as he said, "Destroy!""Sebastian, you'll come to a tragic end!"There was a blast as countless bolts of gold light burst forth and pierced the dark shadow, which looked both like a snake and a human.In the blink of an eye, the dark figure had disintegrated in t
Kayden soon received news of how Sebastian had broken into the Berkeley clan hall the night before.He was furious. Who did Sebastian think he was? Was the Berkeleys' clan hall the kind of place that people could just walk in and out of as they pleased?"Mr. Berkeley, shall we go and see the clan hall later? After all, Ms. Candy is still there," Jayden said in an ingratiating tone.He had only managed to latch onto Kayden through his connection with Colton. This was a rare opportunity for him to make a comeback.That was why he had spent quite a large sum of money on Kayden recently. He had already gifted him over a dozen high-quality emerald pieces.Kayden wouldn't have been impressed by him if he hadn't done so."Do we need to? Sebastian is sure to die this time! Rocco is annoying me more right now. How dare he neglect me just because he thinks he's found a strong ally in Sebastian?"Kayden had seen clearly how obsequious and respectful Rocco had been to Sebastian while ignori
Not long after Kayden had reached the Aequor, over a dozen ambulances pulled up opposite the hotel and waited there. "Rocco, get out here!" Kayden yelled toward the manager's office as soon as he reached the restaurant on the third floor. Rocco had received the news as soon as Kayden walked into the hotel. He had been scared witless when he saw Kayden storm in. Sebastian hadn't been back for two nights. He might have been killed by the Berkeleys! Without Sebastian's support, how could Rocco oppose them?To Kayden, killing Rocco would be as easy as crushing a bug. "What should I do, what should I do? Oh God, oh holy mother of gods! What should I do, damn it!" Rocco ran wildly around his office. He didn't even know which god to pray to for protection. "Rocco! If you don't get out here, I'll burn your office down!" Kayden shouted once more. Rocco's heart almost stopped at the mention of fire. He pushed the door open quickly and scurried over to Kayden. "Mr. Berkeley, plea
Kayden grinned slyly as he spoke. The reason he hated Sebastian so much wasn't only because of how badly the latter had beaten him up. What was more important was why someone like Sebastian would have such a beautiful woman with him!Kayden was the heir of the Berkeleys. He was the most influential heir in the whole of Acorn City! When compared with Nina, Candy was practically a country bumpkin. Kayden couldn't stand the drastic difference between the two women. Didn't all beautiful women like rich men?Shouldn't beautiful women be vying for the attention of wealthy heirs instead?Sebastian was just a charlatan who went around tricking people! How could he have such a beautiful woman as his companion?Kayden was determined to make Nina one of his conquests by the end of that day so that she could see how impressive he was. Even if Sebastian died, Kayden wanted to make sure to cuckold him even in death!"Mr. Berkeley, t-this isn't appropriate!"Although Rocco did not know
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