Chapter 10

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The next morning, urgent knocks were heard at the door when Theodore was in the midst of a crucial moment in his cultivation.

Liliana was startled awake. She hurried to open the door and saw Austin standing outside with an anxious expression.

"Where's your brother?" Austin asked.

"Theodore is cultivating inside. Uncle Austin, what's—"

Though Liliana was still young, seeing his grave expression sent a wave of unease through her.

Austin rushed inside and said, "Hurry up! You guys need to leave immediately!"

"Uncle Austin, what's going on?" Liliana chased after him and asked.

"There's no time for questions! It'll be too late if you don't leave now!"

Austin entered the room and found Theodore seated cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed.

"Theodore—"

Theodore's brows twitched slightly before he slowly opened his eyes. Austin found it hard to meet his eyes. Although he was only eighteen, his gaze belonged to someone who had experienced a great deal in life.

Last night, Theodore had learned everything from the sixty years of memories. Besides, he had fully fused the sliver of sword intent he had grasped over the past thirteen years into the Sword Orb.

He could feel the Sword Orb's presence within his energy core. It was wrapped in a blazing internal energy.

Although he couldn't wield the Sword Orb's full power, he could still tap into a fraction of it. That fraction alone was enough to crush all of Philodorah.

"Theodore, take Liliana and go now!" Austin felt that something was off, but there was no time to dwell on it.

"What exactly is happening?" Theodore asked calmly.

"Stop asking questions! There isn't enough—"

"Please be honest with me, Uncle Austin," Theodore said firmly.

Austin had no choice but to explain. "The Boltons have found out that you killed Sebastian. They've come for revenge!"

"Is their patriarch, Richard Bolton, here?" Theodore asked.

"No, he's not here, but his eldest son, Harold, is here!" Austin's voice was tense. "He has already stepped into the Innate Realm! And, he didn't come alone. There are three Postnatal Grandmasters with him, along with the Boltons' guards!"

"Harold!" Theodore could never forget that name. It was the Boltons who led the charge in oppressing the Yardleys.

At that time, Harold was only a first-class cultivator while Theodore's father was already half a step into the Postnatal Realm. He nearly overpowered Harold. However, Richard suddenly intervened during their duel. He landed a devastating blow on Theodore's father.

That strike turned the tide. Harold seized the moment and killed Theodore's father right at the gates of the Yardley Manor.

At the time, Theodore's mother was pregnant. Upon hearing of her husband's death, she gave birth to Liliana and passed away soon after.

Theodore remained calm on the outside when he heard Harold's name, but a surge of killing intent was brewing within him.

"Perfect timing!"

"Theodore, what are you planning to do? Harold is an Innate Grandmaster! Take Liliana and leave at once! It’ll be too late if you wait any longer. You're the Yardleys' last hope. Come back and avenge us when you reach the Innate Realm!" Austin’s eyes were red when he said that.

"I heard the word avenge," a commanding voice was heard from the outside. "It's too late for that. You killed my son, so you'll pay with your life today!"

"We're doomed," Austin said, his face turning ashen.

Theodore stepped outside and saw a group of people approaching his room. They were led by a middle-aged man dressed in purple; he had an imposing presence. He was Harold Bolton—the eldest son of the Boltons and Sebastian's father.

He was dragging a bloodied figure with him. It was Anthony.

Behind him stood a dozen of his guards, including three Postnatal Grandmasters. Carson was among them.

"That's Theodore," Carson pointed at him. "The Seraphic Swordplay is in his possession. Mr. Harold, please spare our lives in light of our cooperation in handing over the sword technique."

Harold tossed Anthony aside and strode forward while scrutinizing Theodore from head to toe. He clicked his tongue in amusement and said, "You look just like him. If I hadn't killed him, I would have thought that Aaron Yardley had crawled out of his grave."

Theodore's hands trembled upon hearing the name "Aaron Yardley", his eyes burning with murderous intent. That was his father's name.

"I remember you," Theodore said coldly.

"You have a good memory. I should have killed you back then. If I had, my son wouldn't have died at your hands."

Harold then took a step forward.

A surge of overwhelming internal energy burst from his body; one could almost see its form. This was the power of an Innate Grandmaster.

The sheer pressure made everyone present feel as though a massive rock had settled on their chests. It was suffocating.

"Hand over the Seraphic Swordplay and I'll keep your body intact. Otherwise—" Harold shouted.

"Since you're already here, none of you will be leaving this place," Theodore interrupted, drawing his sword. "Let's settle the debt between us from thirteen years ago."

"You are quite bold, huh? You little brute!" Harold was slightly surprised.

He heard that Theodore had spent thirteen years as a furnace for the Ashcrofts. Now, Vivienne's Solar and Lunar Convergence had succeeded, and it allowed her to ascend into the Immortal Realm. There were rumors that Theodore was left crippled after she destroyed his energy core.

He had sent Sebastian to propose marriage as an excuse to humiliate the Yardleys and seize the Seraphic Swordplay.

However, he never expected that his son would never return. By the time he received the news, Sebastian had been killed by a cripple.

Harold was in doubt when the Yardleys' messenger delivered the news, but he knew it was true after seeing Theodore in person. The young man before him radiated a powerful internal energy. He wasn't someone who had supposedly spent thirteen years as a furnace.

"I'm sending you to hell to meet your father now!"

Harold then struck Theodore's head with a devastating palm strike without hesitation.

Theodore was instantly reminded of the same ruthless attack his father had suffered at the gates of the Yardley Manor thirteen years ago. The only difference was that Harold was now an Innate Grandmaster.

A surge of immense internal energy gathered in Harold’s palm. As it descended, the force sent a fierce gust through the air, making Theodore’s clothes flap violently. The oppressive aura was suffocating for Theodore; this was the power of an Innate Grandmaster.

Just as Theodore was about to activate the Sword Orb to counterattack, a figure suddenly stepped in front of him and met Harold's palm with a single punch.

Boom!

The impact sent a deafening shockwave through the air. People instinctively covered their ears, yet they could still feel pain in their eardrums.

"Callum Yardley!" Harold staggered two steps back while his palm throbbed from the force. "You've stepped into the Innate Realm!"

An old man with hunched shoulders and white hair stood before Theodore. Seeing this familiar figure, Theodore's nose stung with emotions.

It was his grandfather, Callum Yardley.

It had been thirteen years since they last met, and the once strong man had grown frail with age.

"Grandpa!" Liliana ran to him with tears in her eyes.

"Lord Callum!" The Yardleys cried out from a distance.

Callum's presence reignited their hope.

He gently stroked Liliana's head before turning to Theodore. His gaze was filled with warmth and sorrow.

"Theodore, you've suffered a great deal," he said.