Sebastian decided to abandon the idea. He decided to let it go, giving himself a few days of peace for training.While thinking, Sebastian took out the silver bellflower Charles gave him."I can try to formulate a Breakthrough Pill with this," Sebastian muttered.Then, he got up and left the convenience store. He headed to a nearby pharmacy to buy some medicinal ingredients.Just as he stepped out, he received a call from Vincent, who asked politely, "Dr. Ballard, is the Life Prolonging Pill ready?"Only then did Sebastian suddenly recall that he owed Vincent a Life Prolonging Pill."I'm sorry, Mr. Hindon. I've been quite busy recently and forgot about it. I will prepare it and send it to you soon," Sebastian replied with an awkward chuckle.Vincent laughed and said, "No worries. A remarkable person like you, Dr. Ballard, must be very busy. I'm not in a hurry.""Mr. Hindon, you're joking. I'll send the Life Prolonging Pill to you in an hour," Sebastian replied politely."Thank
Vincent chuckled. "The Tri-Sage Master is one of the most powerful experts. He was the one who formulated the Astralix Fortune Beads."He continued, "Those beads have the power to ward off evil energy and recalibrate an individual's geomancy harmony. Hence, the 30 million dollar starting bid is considered quite cheap."Sebastian frowned. "Mr. Hindon, don't tell me you plan on purchasing the Astralix Fortune Beads tonight.""As expected, I can't keep anything from you." Vincent puffed out his chest proudly and said, "You're right. I have my eyes set on those beads. Let me know if you're interested in any other artifacts on bid, and I'll get it for you."Sebastian laughed softly and directed his attention back to the Astralix Fortune Beads.The Tri-Sage Master was a Dainist, and yet he created an Astralix artifact. How interesting.Sebastian couldn't tell from the picture whether or not the Astralix Fortune Beads were as powerful as Vincent claimed them to be. So, he could only wai
Rosalie, who was dressed well, noticed Vincent and Sebastian not long after they took a seat. She frowned when she saw Sebastian and huffed coldly. A man in his late 40s seated next to her followed her gaze after she huffed. "Is that the man you were rumored to be in a relationship with?" he asked with a chuckle. Rosalie glowered at him. "Don't be ridiculous, Mr. Phillips. I don't know him."The man Rosalie called "Mr. Phillips" laughed as he asked placatingly, "Did the both of you fight?""No! I would never fight with a dickhead like him!" Rosalie snapped.Phillips laughed again and didn't say anything else.The auction soon began, and everyone shifted in their seats in anticipation.The auctioneer, a tall and slim lady clad in formal attire, walked up on stage. She began the introductory speech and kickstarted the auction.Surprisingly, the Sky Devouring Bottle was the first item to be auctioned. Perhaps because it looked too unassuming, and the starting bid wasn't high eit
The crowd broke into an uproar at his words. What did he say? Did he really call the Tri-Sage Master a fraud? Was he insane?"Who the fuck does he think he is? How could he say something so outrageous?" one of them shouted.Another chimed in, "I can't believe he called the Tri-Sage Master a fraud! No one has ever done that before!""What an idiot. Now he'll have to suffer the wrath of all those men who worship the Tri-Sage Master!" one other exclaimed.The crowd's gaze toward Sebastian was one of anger, distaste, and annoyance as they spoke.Rosalie frowned as she watched the crowd's reaction. She couldn't help but feel worried for Sebastian.Half of the auction attendees worshiped the Tri-Sage Master. Though she knew he was a fraud, no one would believe her if she told them."This fool… How could he say that out loud in public?" Rosalie grumbled with a pout as she watched Sebastian worriedly.Phillips laughed before he asked, "Are you worried about him?""Nonsense…" Rosal
An attendant walked onto the stage with a silver tray covered with a red cloth.Though the tray was covered, the attendees knew that the Astralix Fortune Beads were on the tray.The auctioneer watched as they all craned their necks just to catch a glimpse of the beads."Ladies and gentlemen, it's now time for the main event!" the auctioneer declared. "I'm sure everyone here knows what the last artifact is, right?"She continued, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the Tri-Sage Master's reputation, considering half of all the attendees here have been blessed by him!"The Astralix Fortune Beads is an artifact that the Tri-Sage Master spent three years crafting! It can ward off negative energy, prolong lifespan, improve luck…"The auctioneer began describing the characteristics of the Astralix Fortune Beads, and someone from the crowd yelled impatiently, "Alright! We get it! Show us the beads!"The auctioneer smiled. "Alright then. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the A
Vincent stared at Sebastian in disbelief. "Fake? Are you kidding?"He had asked Sebastian to come because he knew that Sebastian was able to tell real artifacts from fake ones. So, if he said the beads were fake, it was probably true."It's fake," Sebastian declared.Just now, when the auctioneer pulled off the red cloth, Sebastian was also nearly fooled by the golden glow of the beads.However, upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't the Astralix Fortune Beads. They were just regular dyed beads strung into a bracelet. The trick to how he was almost fooled was because there was a small spiritual energy circle in the beads! That was how everyone felt the waves of spiritual energy washing over them.As for the golden glow… there was a small golden light bulb inside the beads.In other words, it was a fake!It was clearly created and put up for auction to deceive the wealthy people present.In fact, Sebastian suspected that the men sitting around the Tri-Sage Master were i
"That's amazing! Now the worth of the beads are far more than 300 million dollars!" Gideon exclaimed.The Tri-Sage Master nodded. "That was just something I wanted to add on. Go on, continue bidding. We'll cap the amount at 400 million dollars.""Alright," Gideon replied.As expected, someone from the crowd raised their sign shakily as they gritted out, "3… 320 million!""330 million!""350 million!"The bidding continued until Gideon finally called out, "380 million!"Then, he turned to Vincent and teased, "Why so silent, Mr. Hindon? You should be able to afford it right?"Vincent frowned as he discussed silently with Sebastian."Mr. Hindon, what are you and that kid talking about?" Gideon demanded.Sebastian ignored him and said to Vincent, "Can't you see? Gideon and the Tri-Sage Master are working together!"Vincent frowned. "Are you sure?""You don't believe me?" Sebastian asked with a smile.He then pointed a finger at Vincent's ear, and a wisp of spiritual energy tra
Gideon shot to his feet furiously as he roared, "Why aren't you trying to outbid me?"Vincent sighed loudly. "It's too expensive. I can't outbid you. I'm simply not as rich as you are. He then said gleefully, "Congratulations on buying the beads for 390 million dollars."As he spoke, he couldn't help the smug grin that was spreading across his face.Gideon suddenly understood what was happening. His deception had been exposed!Then, he turned to the auctioneer and yelled desperately, "No! My bid doesn't count! Vincent can have it for 385 million dollars!"Gideon was about to rip out all of his hair from frustration.390 million dollars… for a fake artifact? He couldn't believe that he had to pay for a fake!As he screeched, he turned to Vincent and growled, "Hindon! Bid 400 million dollars on the bid now! I'll let you have it! Do you know how good these beads are?"Gideon was panicking to the point where he was losing his mind.The other attendees watched him suspiciously.Wh
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