When Silvanus saw Sebastian walking toward him, he sneered. "From how ignorant you are, I doubt you even have a mentor. I wasn't planning on killing you today, but you just have to do things the hard way!"As he spoke, Silvanus lunged forward and brought his broadsword down in a heavy slash. Broadswords were one of the most brutal weapons. The wielders knew it was all about dominance. Every move, whether a slash, chop, or slice, was aggressive and overwhelming. Silvanus was an expert in broadswords, so his strike was powerful and precise. The blade whistled as it moved through the air, aiming straight for Sebastian's shoulder. "Oh, what a shame. It wouldn't have killed the guy to show Mr. Fenton some respect!""Exactly! He should think about who he was up against. The Mountsplitter is Mr. Fenton's signature move!""So many renowned experts have died under Mr. Fenton's blade, and they were decades older than that kid. Who does he think he is?"The onlookers began to buzz, feel
Silvanus wondered if Sebastian knew the Steel Finger technique. He had gained fame with that technique, and he knew better than anyone else how difficult it was to learn it.Even martial artists in their 40s might not have reached Sebastian's level, but Sebastian was only in his 20s!Sebastian flicked the broadsword away lightly, and Silvanus' body was hurled toward the wall beside him. The broadsword slipped out of his grip.There was a loud bang as he crashed heavily against the wall. He felt as if every single bone in his body had shattered, and he howled in pain."Aren't you a little too old to be acting like a child? Does it hurt that much?" Sebastian asked as he walked over to Silvanus, grinning widely. Clutching his broken arm, Silvanus backed away until his back hit the window frame. He had nowhere left to run. "You… you're not playing by the rules! Don't you know that you should respect your elders?" Silvanus yelled angrily, pointing at Sebastian.Sebastian gave a sha
Let go? Even if both his arms were broken, Ernest would never give up on resisting.However, no matter how strong-willed he was, he was up against Sebastian.Before Ernest could react, there was a sickening snap at his shoulders. Ernest's arms were broken, hanging uselessly at his sides. "Huh?""Oh my!"The onlookers cried out in shock."I'll ask one last time," Sebastian said as he walked toward the window, dragging Ernest with him. "Will you pay the one billion and give me a hotel or not?"He then hoisted Ernest out the window by the throat, letting him dangle in midair.As soon as the cold wind hit him, Ernest shivered violently. He knew that Sebastian would have no qualms about dropping him. When he glanced down, Ernest almost burst into tears of fear. "Have you thought things through? My arms are getting tired," Sebastian said with a wide grin. With his throat in Sebastian's grip, Ernest couldn't make a single sound. He had no choice but to nod vigorously at Sebasti
Ernest rushed over to Anton. He yelled into the phone, "Wentworth, if you don't hand over a hotel in the next three minutes, you can expect the wrath of the Wind Dancers to come upon all of you!"There was a long pause on the other end before a voice stammered, "M-Mr. Chapman, we can offer a hotel to resolve this issue, our best one, even. The problem is, three minutes just isn't enough time!"The voice belonged to Joaquin's cousin, Edwin Wentworth. Even if he took a rocket, he still wouldn't reach the Aequor within three minutes. They were hundreds of miles apart. "I don't care!" Ernest roared. "My last command before dying will be for the Wind Dancers to destroy the Wentworths! We'll crush even your rats underfoot!"There were only two minutes remaining. Ernest was so agitated that he could barely register the pain from his broken arms. "Time's almost up. Mr. Chapman, why don't you reunite with Mr. Fenton?" Sebastian said as he walked toward Ernest."Mom!" Ernest shrieked, co
Anton was sweating in fear. He had never seen anyone collect a debt the way Sebastian did. If he refused to pay or if he was even just a minute late, Sebastian might toss him out of the building like he did with Ernest. They were on the 18th floor!"M-Mr. Ballard… could… could I make another call?" Anton stammered as sweat dripped down his face. He took out his phone and gave Sebastian a pleading look.Colton's heart sank. He had mistakenly thought that he would be let off the hook once the Wind Dancers brought the money. However, he was wrong. Sebastian had meant that each family had to pay one billion. That was a big problem. The Wentworths didn't lack the money, but what about Colton?The Lynches were destroyed. Where was he going to get that much cash?At that thought, Colton crouched and began inching slowly toward the elevator. However, before he could press the button, the doors opened, and Curtis burst out. "Mr. Ballard!" Curtis exclaimed. "You… don't you think you'
Curtis hadn't just seen Ernest's corpse outside the building. There had been Silvanus' corpse too. It was clear that Sebastian had killed them both. He was just an administrative worker. There was no way Curtis would have the guts to kick up a fuss with Sebastian."Mr. Ballard, I don't think that there's anything more to discuss. The Wind Dancers will send an expert to go through the details."With that, Curtis turned on his heel and headed toward the elevators. He left without looking back.When Colton saw the elevator doors closing once more, his heart turned cold."Mr. Lynch, were you planning to leave with Mr. Hansen?" Sebastian asked, grinning at him. Colton's heart twisted. He forced a bright smile as he said, "Mr. Ballard, you've got it all wrong. I… I just came here to have a look!""Oh, were you afraid that it would be too crowded outside? Did you want to fall down the elevator shaft instead?" Sebastian asked, still smiling."No!" Colton jumped aside instantly, wavin
After Colton and Anton had left, the onlookers gradually dispersed.Sebastian returned to his seat and continued sampling Boren's local delicacies."Mr. Ballard, the Wentworths and the Wind Dancers are unlikely to just let this go. Besides, the Teritz Hotel and the Rayon Hotel aren't under our control yet. Although you're legally the owner, the management of the hotels must be changed!"Rocco was in the field of business management and knew how important the management staff was. If the senior staff stayed the same, the hotels would only belong to Sebastian by name. "Change the management?" Sebastian asked mildly. "Do you have the people for it?""Well…" Rocco shook his head slightly and said, "Although I know a few managers, they're not familiar with hotel operations. It'll be better to promote someone from among the mid-level staff!"Firstly, they know the hotels well. Secondly, they'll be able to handle human resources and other arrangements easily once they're promoted. It'l
"Dad—""You ingrate!" Joaquin pointed furiously at Anton. "Do you know that you almost destroyed our family?""Dad… I just couldn't accept it. The hotel in Acorn City can bring us a profit of 100 million a year. Why should we just hand it over to Ballard for nothing? I—"Before Anton could finish, Joaquin slapped him. He did it so hard that Anton flew into the door and smashed it, rolling out to the hallway.Peggy Sorel was sitting on the living room couch and watching TV as she snacked on peanuts. When she saw that her son had been hit, she hurried over and helped him up before looking angrily at Joaquin. "What are you doing, Joaquin?" she demanded. "This is our son, not your subordinate nor your enemy! If you touch him again, I won't forgive you!"As Peggy spoke, she charged at Joaquin and began to scratch and hit him mercilessly.Joaquin pushed her aside and pointed at Anton. He yelled angrily at Peggy, "It's all your fault for spoiling that boy rotten! That is why he does w
Whitney perked up at Sebastian's question. "It's all because you ran into the two monsters that day," she said. "I saw it on the surveillance footage. That was when I realized that the two women living in the store don't have that kind of relationship with you…"Whitney had never asked, and Sebastian hadn't bothered to explain who Nina and Lyanna were. That was why she had mistakenly thought that both of them were Sebastian's lovers as well.Realization had only dawned on her when she heard Nina address Sebastian as her master, even in her dying breath. Whitney had seen how powerful Nina was that day and how she had been willing to die in order to protect Sebastian.Nina and Lyanna weren't Sebastian's lovers. They were his servants. Not only that, Nina was a thousand-year-old giant snake!That had completely changed Whitney's view of the world. Although there had always been legends of mystical beings and ghosts, Whitney was an accomplished businesswoman who believed firmly in sc
Sebastian laughed wryly and shook his head. "I'm not from the Ballard Estate," he said. "My name is Sebastian, and it's better if my cousin weren't seen around me too much.""Oh, you're Sebastian."The two young women breathed a long sigh of relief. They looked him up and down for a long time before exchanging a glance. Then, they covered their faces and giggled.One of them stepped forward and said, "Come with me. Honestly… you seem pretty normal. I don't get why Ms. Sutton is yearning for you so much."Sebastian cleared his throat awkwardly and said nothing.The young woman led Sebastian into the house, where Whitney was sitting and reading a book intently. She said, "Ms. Sutton, look who's here."Whitney put down her book and looked up. When she saw Sebastian behind the young woman, she was both surprised and delighted. She got up and threw herself into Sebastian's arms."Sebastian, is it really you?"The young woman covered her face and chuckled before leaving the room sile
Sebastian watched Andreas leave and exhaled deeply. Preston wasn't the only one he didn't trust. No one in the Ballard Estate was worthy of his trust, including Andreas.Once Andreas had completely disappeared, Sebastian beckoned to the woods in the distance and said, "Come out!"In a flash, Duo appeared at his side. "My lord, why didn't you wipe out those people in the hall today?" he asked.Duo clenched his fists tightly, and there was a murderous look simmering in his eyes. Although he hadn't been in the hall, he had clearly heard everything the Ballards had said.Anyone who disrespected his master deserved death!Besides, neither Sebastian nor Duo would have had to lift a finger to kill them. All they had to do was to crush the Tribulation Avoidance Charm and trigger the divine tribulation. Once it descended, no one in the hall would have lived to tell the tale, including Arnaud."If we become hostile with the Ballards, it'll be almost impossible for us to leave in peace. Now
"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