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
"Who would've thought that the Tri-Sage Master was a fraud?" Vincent sighed.And to think that he used to worship him as well.The auctioneer finalized the bid, and the beads were officially Gideon's.Sebastian chuckled as he whispered, "Do you want to have some more fun?""What do you mean?" Vincent asked suspiciously."Obviously, we're going to expose their lies."Vincent paused and asked anxiously, "Are you sure you can do it, Dr. Ballard? After all, the Tri-Sage Master is not someone you can afford to offend.""Trust me," Sebastian said confidently.After that, he yelled loudly, "How does it feel to buy a fake artifact for 390 million dollars, Mr. Dankworth."At that, the hall erupted into a cacophony of whispers. Everyone was staring wide-eyed at Sebastian.Rosalie also turned to stare at him worriedly. "This idiot! How could he expose them like that? Does he want to die?" she mumbled anxiously.Phillips frowned but chuckled as he studied Sebastian.Meanwhile, Gideon f
The attendees in the auction hall began to disperse. Gideon was looking for the Tri-Sage Master to redeem his 195 million dollars, but the old man was already gone.Sebastian and Vincent, on the other hand, were preparing to leave. Coincidentally, Sebastian bumped into Rosalie at the exit."Ms. Griffin," Sebastian greeted.Rosalie seemed to walk faster as she ignored Sebastian.Phillips, who was by her side, chuckled. "Aren't you going to talk to him?""We have nothing to talk about! He's a playboy!" Rosalie said angrily as she urged Phillips to leave.Phillips was an experienced observer. He pretended to have a stomachache and said, "Oh, my stomach hurts. I need to use the restroom. Wait for me." Ignoring Rosalie's puzzled expression, he turned and left. As he walked away, he nodded slightly at the approaching Sebastian and whispered, "Make sure to console her."Sebastian, though unfamiliar with Phillips, smiled back and replied, "Thank you." He then approached Rosalie an
"Why wouldn't it look good?" Rosalie rolled her eyes and whispered into Sebastian's ears. "Then, should I drop by your store later? I'm yours tonight."Those words could really make any man go feral. Sebastian was stunned. Then, he let out a breath. He knew he had to make a choice between Rosalie and Whitney."We'll talk about it later." Sebastian didn't promise or reject her.Afterward, they left the club together. It was already late at night. Suddenly, Sebastian noticed a murderous intent, and he frowned. "Is it that Tri-Sage Master?" Sebastian thought to himself with a chuckle.He looked at Rosalie and said, "Rosalie, head back first. I have something to take care of.""What is it? Do you want me to come with you?" Rosalie asked. She didn't want to part from him."It's a private matter.""Alright then, come back soon. I'll be waiting for you at the store," Rosalie replied. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving.Watching Rosalie walk away, Sebastian let
Sebastian chuckled coldly. "Is that so? Well, let's see who comes out on top tonight!""How arrogant!" The Tri-Sage Master snorted, his face twisted with sinister intent. With a wave of his hand and a muttered incantation, he bellowed, "Trap!"In an instant, the protective charms affixed to the surrounding trees stirred without wind, emitting an eerie rustle. Strings of red light swiftly connected like threads, binding toward Sebastian! The spectacle, if witnessed by the average person, would surely challenge their beliefs. Sebastian chuckled lightly. "Mere child's play." With that, he propelled himself off the ground and, like a sword, charged straight at the Tri-Sage Master!Seeing this, the Tri-Sage Master smirked confidently. "You fool, you have no idea of the power of this Corpse Trapping Circle. You're just walking into a trap!"As he spoke, the strings of red light transformed into serpentine forms, swiftly darting toward Sebastian's limbs, attempting to bind him! Wi
The Tri-Sage Master was taken aback. He barely had time to react before he was heavily smashed to the ground by the corpse puppets."Shit!" The Tri-Sage Master cursed while trying to get up. But before he could, five more corpse puppets were kicked into the air and came crashing down on top of him, pinning him down firmly.Then, Sebastian approached with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the Tri-Sage Master struggling to breathe under the weight. He said coldly, "How does it feel to be pinned down like that?""You brat! You're asking for death!" the Tri-Sage Master roared, attempting to conjure a spell with his raised hand.Sebastian frowned and flicked his fingers. Then, several silver needles shot out, piercing the Tri-Sage Master's arm.The next moment, the Tri-Sage Master's hands went numb, and he cried out in agony. "What did you do to me?""Nothing much, just keeping you in check for now," Sebastian replied casually.The Tri-Sage Master felt despair creeping in.
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