"What?" The Cabinet was in disbelief.Adam and Blake had just reported what happened in the Cloud Mountains and described Gideon's appearance.The Elders immediately recognized that it was Gideon. "He was the notorious figure who caused a global storm some time ago."Adam and Blake were shocked to learn this. While many knew about the chaos mentioned, few were aware of Gideon's involvement, as the Elder had kept it tightly under wraps. Even Adam, the chief commander, and Blake, the leader of Dragon Squad, were unaware.At that moment, they felt relieved, knowing that they had been overpowered by someone capable of causing such chaos and driving powerful world-class champions to madness. And yet, they couldn't shake off a feeling of unease.How old was Gideon? To think that he could inspire such fear and control over them… The Elders finally understood why so many world-class champions followed Gideon—his power was unimaginable, inducing both awe and despair in those who challeng
"Well, that's not surprising. Your sister's a war hero, and she's got a lot of pride. She doesn't think much of regular guys. Plus, the Snow family hasn't been doing well lately." Seanno kept smiling bitterly.He sighed and said, "Still, we can't just call off this engagement. We need to be grateful for their past kindness."Ruby said, "Dad, I talked to Gideon. He's planning to come by and break off the engagement himself.""Really?" Seanno looked puzzled and frowned. "Did you pressure him or anything?""Not at all. Gideon just doesn't want to go through with it.""I see." Seanno nodded. "If that's the case, it'll be better for your sister. But we should still show some concern. Since your pharmaceutical company has moved to Goldspire, it's a good chance to support the Snow family more!"Ruby blushed. "Dad, those are minor things. I know how to handle them. What I really want to say is…"Seeing this, Seanno laughed out loud. "When have you been so shy about something? This is a
"Here's your security team. Get to know them. I need to find the Warrior King and give it one last shot," Lavinia said.She handed over the security team to Ruby and rushed off. Ruby still couldn't bring herself to tell her the truth.She introduced herself to the security team and then called Gideon. "Hey, guess who this is?""Have you lost it?""You're such a stick in the mud." Ruby snorted. "We missed out on that meal yesterday. How about we grab lunch today?""Do we really have to?""You promised me yesterday. You can't back out now."Gideon sighed. "Fine. I'll pick you up at YM Tower."Ruby smiled. "Are you worried about me?"The call ended abruptly."Damn it!" Ruby was really ticked off.…Time flew by, and it was a little past 11:00 am. Gideon drove to YM Tower, where Ruby had been waiting for ages. She'd already ditched her security team."Let's hurry up!" Ruby didn't want the security team catching up with her.Gideon drove them to Dawn Restaurant and got a boo
"Harvey Cross," Gideon murmured, finally identifying a key figure. He ordered, "Find out Harvey Cross' whereabouts immediately. I want to see him today."Lysander replied, "We've already tracked his movements. The latest update says that Harvey will return to Goldspire tonight."Gideon nodded. "Once he's back, have him come to Beaker Island to meet me.""At once!" Lysander hurried off.…The manor on Mount Elk was brightly lit that night.This was the residence of Harvey, the president of the Sunnigh Commerce Association. A year ago, Harvey had left Goldspire to study abroad. Tonight, he was finally returning.Having deliberately spread the news of his return, many of Goldspire's elite and influential figures gathered at Elk Springs to await him.As the president of the Sunnigh Commerce Association, Harvey wielded considerable power. Coupled with his mysterious background, it was said that establishing good relations with him could pave the way to great success in Goldspire's b
Under the cover of the night, a group of people arrived at the gates of the Avila estate.At the forefront was a burly man radiating a powerful presence, clearly an expert in his craft. He was Harvey's adopted son, Charlie Cross, one of Harvey's most trusted subordinates."Open the door!" Without a second thought, Charlie began pounding on the gates of the Avila estate.His immense strength caused the gates to rattle violently, cracks appearing with each strike."Who dares act so brazenly?" The captain of the Avila family guards stormed out with his team, his expression dark. "Who are you? Don't you know this is the Avila estate? You must have a death wish!""And who do you think you are to speak to me like that? Scram!"With a single slap, Charlie sent the captain flying. The man was knocked unconscious on the spot.The other guards were stunned.That captain was a seasoned Verdura champion, highly skilled and handsomely paid by the Avila family. Yet, he was knocked out cold w
Wilder struggled to his feet, glaring at Charlie with cold eyes. "You'll pay a heavy price for what you've done tonight. Not just you, but Harvey, the entire Cross family, and the Sunnigh Commerce Association!"Charlie was filled with disdain. He sneered. "Do you think the Avila family is capable of that? Heh! I'm looking forward to your revenge. Don't disappoint me!"Before long, his subordinates regrouped."Did you find her?""We didn't find Rachel!"Charlie turned to Wilder. "Old man, I hope you're telling the truth. I'll head to Beaker Island right now! Move out!"The group hurriedly departed.Wilder coughed up a few more mouthfuls of blood, laughing grimly. "Heading to Beaker Island will be his death sentence!"As soon as he finished speaking, he fainted."Hurry!""Take Mr. Morrick to the hospital!"Suppressing their anger, the Avilas rushed Wilder to the hospital while beginning to clean up the estate.Meanwhile, one of the family's leading middle-generation figures,
Charlie assumed he had simply missed his target. He stomped his foot again, attempting to replicate his earlier move. However, the pebble didn't budge this time."Huh?" Charlie was startled. He exerted more force but found the pebble completely immovable.What was going on?What Charlie didn't know was that all the stones around him had been locked in place by Gideon's presence. There was no way he could move them."Can't shake it loose?" Gideon's face was filled with mockery. "Why don't you just pick it up with your hand?""How dare you insult me?" Charlie erupted in fury. "A master cannot be insulted! Die!"This time, Charlie charged forward himself. In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance and threw a punch aimed directly at Gideon's head.However, an overwhelming energy suddenly enveloped Charlie, freezing him in place. His entire body was locked up, unable to move.It was as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, the cold penetrating to his very bones.An uncontrollabl
Charlie's trembling voice caught Harvey off guard. "What happened?""I'm at Beaker Island. Rachel is here, too. I've been beaten!""What?" Harvey was both shocked and enraged.Charlie was a martial arts master and had even brought along an elite squad, yet he had been beaten. Judging from his tone, it sounded severe.Anywhere else, Harvey would have erupted in anger already. But Charlie had mentioned Beaker Island—a government-restricted area. Could it be that someone powerful resided on the island?"Dad, what's going on? Why hasn't Charlie brought Rachel back yet?" Xavier, his face flushed from drinking, swaggered over with a young heiress draped on his arm."I'm heading over now," Harvey said into the phone before hanging up. His expression turned grave. "Your brother has been attacked on Beaker Island and wants me to go there!"Xavier was incredulous.Harvey asked, "Is Mr. Manson still awake?""He's not asleep yet.""You stay here and continue hosting the banquet. I'll hea
Unlike Emery, Constantin had gotten intel from Logan and the others that Gideon was heading west. So, Constantin concluded that he had gone to Kitherglen.However, Kitherglen was vast. Finding one person was like looking for a needle.Still, Constantin was no fool. He figured Emery was connected to Gideon. Otherwise, why would he suddenly show up and block his entry into Drammore?So, Constantin hid along the route and sure enough, saw Emery heading west. He trailed him quietly.And now, they were at the Jaeger royal family's grounds."I haven't been inland in a while. Has the Jaeger royal family of the eight royal families fallen? A woman is in charge now? And only a half-Supreme at that."Constantin sized up Talia with contempt, making her seethe with rage. But Constantin was clearly on the same terrifying level as Emery. She was angry but didn't dare speak out.Emery, on the other hand, believed Talia. He patted the white crane and turned to leave.Seeing this, Constantin sh
After leaving the underground palace, Gideon had no intention of lingering.He said his goodbyes to Talia, took Adrelda, and left the Jaeger royal family's ancestral grounds, entering the nether aircraft to continue westward.In the Daysia Tower, Clementia asked cautiously, "Lady Talia, did the High Marshal agree to take over?""Whether he'll even make it back from Mount Immortal is still unknown. Talking about whether he'll take over or not is meaningless right now."Talia picked up her cup, blew on it, and said, "Clementia, I've never married and have no children. I treat you like a daughter and have invested a lot in training you. However, your talent still falls short compared to the world's top prodigies."Clementia's face burned with shame. Her expression dimmed. "Lady Talia, I'm sorry for letting you down.""It's not exactly disappointment. It's just that all top prodigies have some kind of unique physique. You don't, so naturally, you fall behind.""Lady Talia, if I had
Facing Talia's seemingly forceful stance, Gideon ignored it and asked instead, "The old man guarding the third floor of Sutra Library—who is he? Why is he always mumbling weird stuff?"Talia shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know. He's been around since I was a kid. I asked your grandfather once, and he said the man can guarantee our clan a hundred years of peace.""Seriously? That powerful? No elders in the royal family know who he is?""If someone did, don't you think I'd already know?" She looked exasperated.He rubbed his chin, full of thoughts.Talia continued, "He's always cryptic. What did he say to get you so worked up?""He said I'd be thrown into the 18 Hells.""Huh?" Talia's expression darkened.Gideon asked, "What, do you know something?""Are you going to Zonia Sect in Neroxia?""How'd you know?" He was slightly surprised. "I'm planning to head to Mount Immortal first, then cross it to visit Zonia Sect.""You're going to Mount Immortal, too?" Her eyes widened.
The old man didn't stop Gideon. Instead, he laughed weirdly from behind. "Young man, you're definitely screwed. You're getting thrown into hell.""What a nutjob!" Gideon pushed the nonsense out of his mind.The third floor didn't have many martial arts techniques, but the ones there were clearly high-level."Soaring Immortal's Blow." Gideon stumbled on one technique by chance. What surprised him was the name signed underneath—Annalise Jaeger."Did Mom create this secret technique?"He quickly grabbed the book and skimmed it. It turned out that the Soaring Immortal's Blow was incomplete. This was only a fragment of it. Even so, he could tell it was terrifyingly powerful."Mom was a badass." Gideon was seriously impressed.Annalise had left the royal family in her 20s, which meant this technique was created before that. She probably came up with it when she was still a teenager. She was a total prodigy and stunningly gifted.Edric's and the others' praise of Annalise was clearl
"It's no wonder they are a royal family. The heritage here is insane. There are so many resources." Gideon strolled through the Sutra Library, full of praise.Then, it hit him.He had built his own force, packed with world champions and elite soldiers. But in terms of martial arts resources, he had almost nothing. He lacked top-tier martial arts.He couldn't just hand out his own secret techniques. Even if he did, it would only be to his most trusted inner circle. There was no way it would be public."It looks like I need to start paying attention to this. It's time to stockpile martial arts techniques," he thought to himself.The Sutra Library had three levels. The first floor was all basic stuff. By the second, the quality shot up, and there were a few techniques Gideon found interesting.However, it didn't move him. Sure, it was interesting, but it wasn't enough.He headed toward the third floor and finally noticed an old, wiry man lying in front of the entrance."Even a pla
"That's because…" Clementia trailed off. A cold sweat broke out on her back.If she spilled that Gideon had just mentioned taking the family head position, the fallout would be huge. That was far more serious than any assault. The elders would come charging in, ready to kill."Clementia, go on.""Don't be scared, Clementia. We need him to apologize today.""The royal family cannot be insulted!"Seeing the younger generation yelling and shouting in the square, Gideon couldn't help but chuckle. "Are you all that bored? This has nothing to do with you. Get lost.""Insolence!""Arrogant bastard!"The hot-blooded youths were fired up.Gideon let out a cold snort. A sharp pressure swept over the entire square, instantly silencing everyone."You haven't trained your strength, but your mouths sure work fine. Be glad I'm not interested in the family head position. Otherwise, I'd show you what real discipline looks like."He glanced at Clementia.She immediately led Gideon away from
Gideon stared at Talia's retreating figure, lost in thought. He couldn't figure out what she was really up to.The position of the family head in the royal family was something prestigious and powerful, yet Talia was willingly handing it over. Something didn't add up.If something was too strange, there was probably a trap.Still, Gideon wasn't in a rush to leave. Since Talia had the idea to pass the family head position to him, he might as well collect some interest first. If there wasn't even a little interest, the offer had to be a fake.As he walked out of Daysia Tower, a graceful woman approached. Gideon recognized her. During the Martial Arts Tournament of the Eight Major Royal Families, she was the leader of the Jaeger royal family's younger generation. Her name was Clementia, if he remembered right."Mr. Snow, we meet again.""It's been a while. Ms. Jaeger, you've become even more beautiful.""You flatter me, Mr. Snow." Clementia smiled and added, "But it's you who des
"Then, why did you force my mother to leave?" Gideon questioned"No, no, you've got it wrong. Annie's leaving wasn't because of me. It was her choice. From the beginning, she never planned to fight me to be the family head. As soon as the struggle began, she quietly left with the Empyrean Atlas," Talia explained.Giden frowned slightly.Suddenly, Talia smiled. "Besides, if Annie hadn't left, she would've never met your father, and you wouldn't even exist, right?""I've been searching for my parents all this time. Do you have any leads?""None." Talia shook her head and sighed. "I want to find Annie just as badly as you do. But all these years, I've come up empty."Gideon, I've known for a long time that you're Annie's son, but I never made a move against you. That's because I hoped you might find her."Gideon didn't doubt this. With Talia's influence, confirming his identity would've been easy. Back when he was still weak, she could've captured or even killed him at any time.
"Wait here for me," Gideon said softly to Adrelda, then walked step by step into the main hall.Callan and the others were also waiting outside the hall.The hall was deep and imposing. Around it stood tall bronze pillars, carved with strange patterns. At the very end stood a majestic stone statue.The statue depicted a woman. It had one hand pointing skyward while the other held some kind of artifact as it gazed into the sky.Gideon instinctively guessed this was the founder of the Jaeger royal family, worshipped by generations of descendants.Beneath the solemn statue stood a throne. On the throne sat a stunning woman, upright and dignified, dressed in a lavish white phoenix robe.Gideon stopped walking. He stared straight at Talia, his expression slightly dazed.Talia looked just like Annalise—those eyes, that nose, and those brows. For a moment, Gideon thought the woman on the throne was the very mother he had longed for all these years.The hall was silent. Talia was als