Sebastian nodded. "The both of you came quite quickly.""Do you want to kill yourself or do you want us to kill you?" the man asked with a cold smile.In his opinion, defeating someone like Sebastian was simple.He had originally thought that Sebastian was some powerful martial artist but now that he saw him in person, he realized Sebastian was nothing more than a young man.To be frank, the Sentinels were disappointed that they weren't going to be able to have a fight.Sebastian smiled calmly, which made the Sentinels frown.Was this brat laughing at them?"Seems like you've already made your choice," Onyx, the man in black, said with a grin, showing off rows of yellowed teeth.The commotion also woke up Rosalie, and she rubbed her eyes groggily before she realized that there were two other people in the shop."What's happening," she asked in confusion.Just then, Onyx struck the air between him and Sebastian with his palm.A foul-smelling wave of jet-black fog came directl
What was even more terrifying was that the corpse poison had somehow infected him as well, and black markings were creeping up his arm and to his chest!Probably because he was infected with a lot of poison, but within a few seconds, Onyx crumpled to the ground, howling as his skin started to decay.Meanwhile, Ivory was shell-shocked and ran off without another thought.It was clear that they had met their match tonight."Do you really think you can escape that easily?" Sebastian scoffed as he flung silver needles at her retreating figure.However, Ivory was prepared, and she swung her staff, effectively shielding herself from the needles. There were even small sparks as the silver needles bounced off her staff.Despite her attempt, she couldn't shield herself from all the needles, and a few embedded themselves into her face.One of the needles even struck her in her eye, and blood sprayed out.Ivory was not looking to fight and yowled in pain before jumping nimbly over the wal
"I know," Dante replied. "How's my sister?"There was a mischievous chuckle from the other end of the phone before the voice replied, "Don't worry, she won't die. Once you take over the company and get that 50 million dollars, she'll be returned in one piece.""Fine! Just don't hurt my sister," Dante said coldly.The man on the other end laughed again. "Don't worry. We've got it under control."After that, the call ended.Dante let out a breath that he had been holding, but he wasn't able to relax at all."I'm sorry, Winnie. I have to do this! I have to prove that I'm not useless! That I am capable!" Dante mumbled coldly.…Back at the store, an hour had passed since Howard had first arrived.He seemed extremely anxious as he asked, "Dr. Ballard, are you sure that Ivory will come back?""She will if she doesn't want to die," Sebastian replied mildly.Almost immediately after, a shadowlike figure appeared at the convenience store.Howard jumped in fright, and a few guards ru
However, she didn't close the door, as if leaving it open for Sebastian.Of course, Sebastian knew what Rosalie was up to, so he just sighed helplessly.The next day, Sebastian was woken up by his phone ringing incessantly. He took a look and found that it was from an unknown number."Hello, who's this?" Sebastian asked politely the moment he answered the call."Sebastian, is Whit with you?" The person who called him was a woman who sounded very anxious."And you are?" Sebastian frowned as he found the voice very familiar."I'm Theresa! Is Whit with you?" Theresa asked coldly.Sebastian frowned once again and said unhappily, "Ms. Livington, do you think she'd be here, considering our relationship?""She's not with you?" Theresa mumbled in confusion. Then, she hung up.Sebastian's expression turned ugly, and he muttered, "Crazy woman."Tossing the phone aside, he got up and freshened himself up before working out.Rosalie got up and left the room just when Sebastian finished
"Ms. Sutton?" Hans was taken aback by the sudden request but quickly responded. "Understood. I'll mobilize our people across the city to find Ms. Sutton.""Mm hmm," Sebastian replied curtly before hanging up, his expression darkening.Whitney had been missing for 12 hours? Still, she was an adult; she could take care of herself. Hence, Sebastian wasn't that concerned.Just then, a black Range Rover pulled up outside the convenience store. The door swung open, and a man in a black suit stepped out. His demeanor was authoritative yet respectful."Excuse me, are you Mr. Sebastian Ballard?" he asked politely.Sebastian frowned slightly, nodding. "Yes. What's this about?"The man bowed slightly, showing deference. "My employer, Mr. Turner, would like to invite you to lunch. Would you be available to join him?""Mr. Turner? James?" Sebastian asked, his curiosity piqued.The man nodded, confirming Sebastian's suspicion. "That's correct."Sebastian chuckled and asked, "What, is he in
Sebastian's opinion of Abel raised slightly. This was no ordinary man; he was calculative, patient, and had a knack for handling difficult situations."Okay, Mr. Carlton, right?" Sebastian replied, his tone calm. "Just be direct. I've got other things to attend to, so let's not waste time."Abel frowned slightly, showing a hint of irritation, but quickly regained his composure. Even though he tried to hide it, Sebastian noticed the subtle shift in his expression."Mr. Ballard, it's best to resolve conflicts rather than escalate them. I hope you can say something to the Sunway military region to release my brother and sister," Abel explained. He'd been working tirelessly for the past few days, reaching out to his contacts, but to no avail.The Sunway military region had made it clear that the order to detain Abel's siblings came directly from Draco, and no one could overrule it. The only way to change the situation was to gain Sebastian's forgiveness.Abel was taken aback when
"What did you say? Kidnapped?" Sebastian's expression turned grim, his brow furrowing deeply as a tense air filled the room."What's going on?" Sebastian asked coldly.Hans quickly explained, "Mr. Ballard, I don't have all the details yet, but our intel indicates that Ms. Sutton was abducted by a gang tied to a casino.""A casino?" Sebastian frowned, confused. When did Whitney get involved with people from a casino?"Where is she?" Sebastian asked urgently.Hans replied, "We're still looking. I've sent out teams to find her, but Steinberg is big. It might take a while."Upon hearing this, Sebastian's expression turned cold. Rage surged through him.Despite his divorce from Whitney, Sebastian couldn't remain indifferent to her abduction. "Find Whitney's whereabouts as soon as possible. Use any means necessary!" he commanded."Yes, Mr. Ballard."After Sebastian ended the call, James rose with concern. "What happened, Mr. Ballard?""Whitney has been kidnapped," Sebastian repli
Seeing Dante's hesitation, Crystal snapped and started hitting him with her fists while yelling, "You idiot! That's your sister! Tell me where she is, now!""Mom!" Dante shouted, grabbing her shoulders to hold her still, his eyes wide with desperation. "Listen, she's safe, I swear. I just hid her for a bit, just to keep her out of the way. It's not what you think. I just need to take control of the company… I need to prove myself!""Mom, please help me, help me do this!" he pleaded, hoping to sway her. "If I can run Frostwave Corporation, I can make it bigger and better than ever! I can make the Sutton family one of the most powerful families in Steinberg!" Crystal pushed him away, tears streaming down her face. "How could you be so stupid, Dante? She's your sister! How could you do this? No, I'm telling your grandmother everything. Don't worry; I'll ask her to go easy on you. I won't let you get into too much trouble," she said, turning to leave.Dante panicked and dropped to his
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