Hans received the announcement from the Ninth Mountain very quickly."Go into the ring and compete? Give the Ninth Mountain all our assets and territory if we don't want to die?""The audacity! This is really too much! Gerald really thinks there's no one in Steinberg to oppose him and that we're all just lambs to the slaughter?" Hans was furious. He slammed his fist on the table, almost tilting the coffee cup on its surface.Joseph frowned and said, "Mr. Wagner, Gerald is trying to establish his authority here. We must be careful."Hans frowned and said in a low voice, "There's no use, Mr. Zimmer. This isn't just about establishing his authority. He wants to kill Dr. Ballard and I as an example! Tonight is a trap. If Gerald kills my whole family, please save my wife, Mr. Zimmer."Joseph raised his eyebrows and said, "Mr. Wagner, there may be a turn of events. Dr. Ballard might be much more powerful than we think.""I hope so." Hans sighed.He had bet everything he had on Sebasti
Everyone looked seriously at the figure."The underworld kingpin of Steinberg! The one who's really at the helm!""Mr. Wagner!""He came too!"There was an uproar in the arena at Hans' appearance. Hans was the most legendary man among the Steinberg underworld bosses. His power spread across half of Steinberg city!He also had several listed companies, and the most successful of them was Prosperity Corporation, which had a market value worth billions!Once Hans entered, the underworld bosses who were already seated rose reluctantly to bow to him. "Mr. Wagner."Hans nodded impassively. He took his seat with Joseph and the rest of his retinue. Those around him were unaware, but Hans knew that after tonight, he would either stand firm as the top dog in the Steinberg underworld or die here and become a part of Steinberg's history!He had bet the outcome on Sebastian.After a while, the bosses grew impatient of waiting and began complaining. "Where's Daniel? Why hasn't he come
They looked at Harry again, and he half-smiled as he said, "I gathered everyone here today to announce that Mr. Carson is dead. I will be in charge of the Ninth Mountain as Mr. Lambert of Steinberg!"The moment he finished, the underlings of the Ninth Mountain began chorusing his name loudly."Mr. Lambert!"Harry stretched out his arms, thoroughly enjoying the moment.He felt as if he was flying high, and it felt intoxicating to have this kind of authority in his hands!He waved his hand, and his underlings stopped shouting at once. He swept a cold gaze over the crowd and said, "Does anyone have a problem with this?"Felix, Tristan, Dominic and the rest all exchanged glances. Then they looked at Hans, whose eyes were closed as if he was resting."Since no one has any objection, I'll announce the next thing." Harry put his hands behind his back and said importantly."Hurry up!" Felix yelled.Harry looked threateningly at Felix and said coldly, "Tonight, a boxing match will be h
Gerald stood in the ring and said coldly, "You're not worthy of knowing who I am. I'll give you one chance. Give up your territory and submit to me! Otherwise, you die!"Felix's heart dropped to his stomach. He looked at the man next to him and said, "Titus Kart! It's up to you now!"Titus got up. He stared grimly at Gerald, who was in the ring, and said coldly, "I'll fight you!"Gerald laughed slightly and said, "You're no match for me.""You'll know whether I am or not after we fight!" Titus barked. His footsteps thumped across the floor, and he jumped into the ring.The force of his footsteps left a trail of cracks on the floor. Titus stood in the ring and stared intently at Gerald, who stood opposite him. He didn't know why, but he could feel a heavy pressure coming from Gerald. It was something that Titus had never felt before!"After you." Titus bowed. Gerald stood with his hands behind his back and said disdainfully, "I don't even need to touch you to kill you.""You'
Hans was incredibly moved. "Mr. Zimmer…" he murmured.Joseph flashed a small smile and straightened his posture before he made his way up the stage. He had an air of resoluteness to him that made him look a decade younger than he was."Mr. Wagner, I wasn't able to help you out the last time you had a duel. This time, I will help you by buying time for Dr. Ballard!" Joseph declared with a determined tone.Gerald, who was standing in the ring, scowled slightly as he watched Joseph. He then chuckled before he said, "Since you are an Inner Strength Master, I acknowledge that you have some level of capability. However, it's a shame that you seem to be hurt."Gerald then declared coolly, "If you fight me, you will die."Joseph had already made his way onto the stage by that point, and he stood before Gerald with his hands behind his back.With his posture and silent determination, he looked refined and powerful."Death is nothing to be afraid of. To be honest, I've always wanted to
"Why would someone so powerful go overseas?" someone asked in confusion.Tristan pondered the question silently before, and his expression was one of terror as he replied, "Malcolm was a vicious and cunning man who had no qualms about committing crimes. He was incredibly powerful back then and reigned terror over Jerose."He paused before continuing, "In the end, only Benedict Ziegler from the Alpha strike force was able to subdue him, and Malcolm was forced to swear never to step foot in Crestborne ever again!"The crowd broke into another heated discussion at that."Benedict Ziegler? The man from the northern military region?" The crowd's expression had shifted from disbelief to adoration once Benedict was mentioned.Benedict was something of a legend within Crestborne!He was considered a martial arts prodigy and had become a martial arts Grandmaster at the young age of twenty, making him the youngest person ever in Crestborne to become a martial arts Grandmaster.Now, he w
The area fell into a dead silence. In an instant, everyone's gaze was directed right at Sebastian, who was standing at the entrance.Sebastian's back was straight as he shook the remaining water droplets from his umbrella. His actions were so plain, and it was hard for anyone to discern anything special about him.So, he was Dr. Ballard?How could someone that Gerald called a martial arts Grandmaster be so… normal?Besides, he looked incredibly young and was probably still in his twenties!Someone from the crowd had gotten to their feet to yell angrily, "You brat! Who the hell are you? Leave!"Did Sebastian not know what situation the arena was in right now?None of the underground bosses even dared to utter a single word in fear of Gerald directing his wrath at them. So what was this ordinary brat doing, calling attention to himself?Was he that desperate for attention?Or did he have a death wish?Gerald's power was oppressive since he was already a Grandmaster, so how co
Besides, it seemed like his medicinal skills were extraordinary. Considering how he was able to revive Joseph, who had been on the brink of death.Sebastian coldly glared at Gerald as he demanded, "Don't you think you've gone too far? Not only did you want to kill him, you even destroyed his lower abdomen so he could never do martial arts again.""The victor gets to do whatever he wants! Anyone foolish enough to step onto this stage is marked for death!" Gerald declared arrogantly from the top of the ring. Sebastian frowned, and he nodded. "I understand."After that, he walked up to the stage.The fighting ring was elevated, and usually, people would just jump onto the stage as a show of their power. However, Sebastian chose to walk up the stairs instead.There was a roar of laughter from the crowd. Besides the underground bosses of Steinberg, some in attendance were just here for entertainment.These people snickered as they whispered amongst themselves."No way. Is he really
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