Zayn took a seat behind the cameras as he has done countless times. Meanwhile, Zeke and a few other leaders of Steinberg sat in the specialized VIP section.The competition tonight was an incredibly important event for Steinberg. After all, the competition was a perfect opportunity to showcase both Steinberg and traditional medicine. As Steinberg Pharma's chief director, Zeke had a heavy burden to bear if the competition did not do well."Mr. Winslow, the first contestant is a man named Sebastian Ballard. He's incredibly skilled in medicine, and it only took him one session to cure me of my chronic illness!" Zeke said to a man dressed in a black suit next to him with a grin. He continued, "Sebastian even cured Mr. Griffin Senior and Mr. Whitaker Senior's illness as well. So, his medicinal skills are truly impressive! If you have any chronic aches and pains, I can arrange for him to do a check-up!"The man Zeke spoke to was Timothy Winslow, Steinberg's Chief Administrative Office
Sebastian didn't respond to their disparaging comments and simply shook his head, showing how he really felt about their comments.That small motion didn't go unnoticed by the livestream audience, and the comments started to roll in again."Jaime has such a vicious tongue! Keep those comments coming!""Sebastian does look very plain. I even thought he was some farmer who had mistakenly walked onto stage!""Could he be part of an elaborate prank by the organizers to create some buzz for the competition?""So this is the Good Crestborne Doctor competition? What a joke! I can't believe they would let someone like him on stage. Since he can be on stage, does that mean my vet neighbor can also be a contestant?"In the arena, the host explained the flow of the first round of the competition and what was to be expected from the contestants.The competition and its rules were simple. It was a medicine formulation competition. The contestants had to formulate medicine based on the pres
One of the mentors had turned off their light for him, which was the equivalent of the mentor not allowing him to move on to the next round!The director group, the onsite audience, and the livestream audience were stunned."OMG! One of the lights has already been turned off? That's too quick!""Serves him right! That idiot wanted to get attention, but I bet he didn't expect to offend one of the mentors!""I can't believe he went on stage with a plastic bag, what a joke!""Is this a comedy program? Is this contestant a comedian? I can't believe he actually went on stage like that. Does he want to get disqualified?"The discussion within the livestream audience was heated.Whitney had also buried her face in her hands when she saw Sebastian walk on stage with the plastic bag, overcome by embarrassment."Winnie, look! That idiot Sebastian really is shameless! Thank God the both of you are divorced or you would be made fun of as well!" Crystal snickered."How hilarious! Does he r
While the netizens were making fun of him, Sebastian had already taken his furnace out and headed to the medicine formulation area.He glanced at the herbs prepared before picking out the ones that he needed. His movements and actions were languid and not at all like a contestant in a competition.Once he had picked out all the herbs he needed, he began formulating his medicine.At the same time, Theon had already lost his patience and hit his button, extinguishing his light.The crowd was in an uproar at that.Those were two lights that have now been extinguished!If one more mentor extinguished their light, Sebastian would not be able to advance to the next stage.Fergus was grinning from ear to ear at the VIP section, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Winnie, look! That's another light that has gone off! I can't believe he's treating this competition like a game! You'll only be laughed at by keeping people like him in your life!""He's right! Winnie, I don't want to sound naggy b
Sebastian had also heard the host's question, and he froze momentarily before quickly regaining his composure.Whitney hesitated and took a deep breath before she replied coldly, "As his ex-wife, I hope that he'll be qualified for the next round but as an audience member, I don't think he will."The audience chattered excitedly at her answer, and the livestream audience also started spamming the comments."I also think the same!""Even his ex-wife doesn't believe in him! Where did he get the balls to compete?""I bet that he's going to be disqualified!"At the same time, in the rest area, Henrietta frowned as she watched Sebastian. The manner in which he was formulating the medicine was nothing like she had ever seen before."Does he really know how to formulate medicine?" Henrietta wondered to herself.Inside the hall, in the VIP section, Timothy watched Sebastian with a frown. After that, he turned to Zeke to ask, "Mr. Fisher, are you sure he's a genius?"Zeke looked a bit e
Sebastian was nothing but a liar!In the end, Whitney looked away from Sebastian and gave Rosalie a sidelong glance. Her gaze didn't go unnoticed by Rosalie, who locked eyes with her and smiled.Just then, the camera panned to Rosalie, causing the crowd to be whipped into a frenzy again."OMG! Another goddess!""Ms. Griffin's beauty is out of this world!""But… why do I feel like there's something suspicious about her gaze toward Sebastian?The host asked with a smile, "Ms. Griffin, I heard that Sebastian is your friend. Do you think he has a chance to be qualified for the next round?"Rosalie smiled before she turned her attention to Sebastian and to the final light that was still on. "Even if all the lights have been extinguished, I still believe that he can qualify for the next round!" she declared.After that, Rosalie raised her chin haughtily at Whitney.Whitney scowled, and the both of them locked eyes, neither of them willing to back down.The audience descended into
The crowd went wild at that.All four lights had been extinguished. What more was there to see?The four mentors also frowned before they started discussing amongst themselves.Crystal mocked, "Why hasn't that idiot given up yet? He's just embarrassing himself by staying on stage.""Mrs. Suttpm, it's better for us if he's humiliated!" Mabel exclaimed.Crystal nodded at that with a smirk.Whitney couldn't bear to watch on anymore, so she got up and rushed to the side of the hall.She then picked up the microphone and yelled, "Sebastian! That's enough! How much longer do you plan to make a fool of yourself?" She continued angrily, "Don't you find it embarrassing? Why can't you just admit that you can't do it?"Sebastian frowned and locked eyes with Whitney before he asked, "You think I'm making a fool of myself?""Are you not?" she challenged. "All four lights are extinguished! Is this how you plan on proving yourself to me? You're nothing more than an attention-seeking clown!
After that, Whitney took a seat with a huff.Rosalie smiled and turned to the four mentors before she said, "As the main organizer of this program and competition, I humbly ask that the four mentors respect each and every contestant."Since Sebastian managed to formulate a pill, could the four mentors please judge it?" she asked.The four mentors exchanged a look before eventually nodding."Alright, we will respect every contestant," Eddard said. "However, Ms. Griffin, we will be judging him more strictly than the rest. So, if he gets a low mark, I hope you understand."Rosalie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with a smile. "I believe in him."After that, she walked off the stage while the four mentors walked on stage to judge the pill."Mr. Cosgrove, do you want to go first?" Roberto asked with a smile.Eddard frowned but replied, "Alright, I'll go first."After that, he examined the pill before sniffing it. His distasteful expression slowly shifted as he sniffed it and
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