Chase saw through Kaplan's plan immediately.Kaplan nodded his head in acknowledgment, saying, "Mr. Collins, you're astute."After a pause, he continued, "All we need is for you to keep the Webers occupied for about two weeks, and we'll have our chance to topple them. We'll soon take their place as the top family in the country."His eyes sparkled with a cunning glint. Hero had derailed Larsen Group's efforts for over two years; there was no way Kaplan would let that go. Once the Webers fell, the Larsens would rise as the new elite."What makes you think I can help you defeat the Webers?" Chase replied coolly.Kaplan took a deep breath and said seriously, "Because you're the only one qualified." He leaned forward. "I don't care about your history with the Webers. All I know is I need your help.""Fine, I'll help," Chase agreed without hesitation. He had no fear of Hero, having caused an uproar within the Weber family previously. He knew he was firmly in their crosshairs.Rather
"Heh, your plan is indeed clever, but unfortunately…" Chase shook his head. "I have no interest in getting involved in this mess. But I can shield you from the Webers," he stated calmly."You…" Kaplan's eyes widened in shock. He had not expected Chase to agree so readily. Chase's attitude was so casual that it made Kaplan pause, making him wonder if there was a hidden scheme at play."I won't meddle in your affairs because I simply don't care. Whoever wins or loses doesn't concern me," Chase said indifferently."Alright, we'll do as you suggest!" Kaplan decided, silently berating himself for being foolish enough to worry. If it had been anyone else, would they have agreed so easily? Chase had not even asked for any reward, which would have raised flags for anyone with common sense!Kaplan laughed, realizing that Chase's choice would benefit him as well. If Chase truly possessed the strength he claimed, then the Larsens might just have a real chance against the Webers."Mr. Larsen,
Chase glanced around and noticed that aside from Jovan, there were four or five older family members from the Coopers, all from the same generation.Jovan held a unique position in Capital City. He was not burdened with family responsibilities like other heirs. He only needed to focus on his studies and eventually marry and start a family."Chase, come over and have a seat," called a young man around 28 years old, who exuded confidence and strength. His name was Cosmo Cooper."Chase, this is my older brother, Cosmo," Jovan introduced. "He's one of the future successors of the Coopers and a formidable semi-saint ancient martial artist."A semi-saint represented the pinnacle of ordinary ancient martial arts. Although Jovan was quite capable, he was still far from the semi-saint level. He was not even a true master yet, let alone a martial arts saint. Martial arts saints were figures revered as near-mythical on land, far beyond the reach of typical martial artists."Pleasure to mee
"Miss Esther, it's been a while," Chase said softly with a detached gaze.He had only met Esther a few times and had no reason to act overly familiar now."It's good as long as you remember me." Esther Cooper nodded lightly before turning away and gracefully making her way to an empty couch where she took a seat."Miss Cooper?" An astonished voice suddenly called out.Esther turned her head and smiled warmly. "Mr. Stark, hello."The voice surprised Chase as well. Chase looked over at the man called Hadley Stark.He appeared to be in his early 20s. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt and donned polished shoes, also sporting a Rolex worth around 30 grand. He had a clean, sharp look and came off as rather charming."Who are you, and how do you know Miss Cooper?" Hadley's brows knit together, his tone carrying a hint of hostility.Chase did not respond, simply standing there with an indifferent gaze."Oh, I forgot to mention. This is Hadley Stark from the Starks of Capital City,
Everyone gasped at the sight.One single move had defeated Hadley! Who was this man?This banquet hosted by the Coopers had mostly drawn members from various provincial branches, along with a few core family members. These guests, though not part of the immediate family, were still the elite children of wealthy provincial families.Each one, by their own merit, held significant influence even in a top-tier city like Capital City.For a moment, everyone froze, stunned by Hadley's embarrassing retreat."Mr. Collins is truly strong!""He even knocked out Hadley just like that. No wonder he dares act like he owns the place!"After a brief silence, the guests began whispering among themselves, their eyes filled with newfound respect for Chase. As she sat on the couch, Esther sipped her tea with an unreadable expression. She seemed unaffected by the chaos."Miss Cooper, I apologize if I've caused a disturbance," Chase said, preparing to leave."Hold on!" Esther suddenly stood up, st
"This…"Everyone was astonished by what they saw. They were all stunned.Hadley was a martial artist. How could he be defeated so easily?"T-That's impossible!"Esther's pretty face turned pale as she stared at Chase in disbelief. She was not willing to admit it. Chase's power far surpassed her imagination. She thought Chase was just an ordinary man but it looked like he was more than that."Chase Collins, w-who are you?" Esther clenched her teeth. She had a feeling that Chase was not as simple as he seemed.He did not reply and turned to leave."Wait!" That was when Esther suddenly shouted.Chase stopped and turned back to look at her. "What do you want?""Stop your arrogance, Chase Collins. This party was organized by the Starks. Hadley Stark is the most outstanding person among the Starks' youngest generation. They won't let you get away with this so easily."Hadley's companions began to snap out of it. They looked ferocious as they glared at Chase with animosity. It was b
Chase swept a glance at everyone. A sarcastic smile appeared on his face. "Do you think you jokers can scare me?""Do you want to continue having some fun?""Too bad even the king can't save you!""You should get out of here like a coward or you'll only embarrass yourself!"These people kept insulting Chase, but he remained calm until the last of them spoke."I'll say this once more. I don't care if Hadley offended you. Let him go right now and knock your head on the ground three times as a show of your apology. You might be able to live if you comply."The man who said this was Dale Cooper.Chase raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Who are you to talk to me that way?""You're dead!"Dale's eyes turned dark as he narrowed them. He was close to Hadley and would not stand by quietly to see Hadley being beaten.There was the sound of wind gushing. Dale raised his right fist, and shots of energy shot out as quick as lightning. They were aimed at Chase's chest."Hmph! You're not as good as y
"Huh?" Hadley's eyes widened in shock. He could not believe that Conrad, who had always done everything he said, would defy his orders."Are you crazy, Conrad?!" Hadley roared at him. He wanted to punch Conrad to death. It was clear that Conrad refused to go along with him. He ignored Hadley and turned to leave."Damn it!" Hadley laughed in anger. He took a deep breath as he forced his temper down."What are you waiting for, Esther? Kick that country bumpkin out! Don't worry. If you help me, I promise the Starks will always be an ally of the Coopers."Hadley clenched his teeth as he looked at Esther. His tone was threatening."You…" Esther's pretty face turned pale, and her dainty body trembled. She had expected Conrad to comply with Hadley's orders. However, things did not turn out as she thought.Esther looked at Chase.Chase had returned to his seat. He was sipping some wine calmly. There was a sarcastic smile on his face. He looked like he knew that the Starks would be humil
"Castiel can only rely on his own luck now. Ivana, we should leave," Turk, the white-robed man, sighed."I suppose there's no other choice," Ivana replied, casting one last glance in the direction Chase had flown. There was a hint of reluctance in her expression.In the end, she activated her movement technique and soared away.Turk had been paying close attention to Ivana. When he noticed the lingering look in her eyes as she gazed after Chase, his expression darkened, though his thoughts remained unreadable.Once Ivana had taken flight, Turk flicked his fingers, sending a small black sphere rolling into the cave before he turned and departed.Not long after, Chase reappeared."Interesting," he mused, watching the direction Ivana and Turk had gone. A smirk played on his lips.With his heightened spiritual awareness, his perception far surpassed others of his level. The two stage-three martial god weaklings were nothing to him.After confirming that they had truly left, he step
Four black tentacles shot out from the cave, heading straight for the four of them.The boorish man, still reeling from his earlier clash with Chase, had no time to react before the tentacles wrapped around him. He let out a series of agonized screams as he was dragged into the depths of the cave.The white-robed man and the woman in purple stood farther away and managed to dodge the attack, their figures flashing as they leaped to safety.Chase, however, remained in place, completely entangled by the tentacles.The white-robed man halted, initially showing concern for the boorish man being captured. But upon seeing Chase ensnared as well, his expression shifted to delight. He assumed the beast would eliminate this troublesome opponent for him.Yet despite the tentacles stretching taut, Chase remained utterly unmoved. It was as if he had taken root in the ground.Feeling the strength of the tentacles, he realized they were far more powerful than those that had restrained the boor
What?!Chase felt incredulous.He dodged the attack and retreated about three feet away."What is this?!" Chase asked."Did you release monsters into this cave?" the woman in purple yelled angrily with her sword raised in the air."Monsters?" Chase glanced at the cave entrance in bewilderment. He saw a long, black tentacle appear from the cave as it reached out for the woman."Look out!" The two men behind the woman shouted as they defended her at the same time.Sword stances filled the air as the man in white helped the woman stop the tentacle. The boorish man picked up his blade and leaped into the air. He slashed down the back of the tentacle.Black-colored blood splattered onto a rock. Hissing sounds were heard coming from the plants as holes appeared in them due to the corrosion. There was lethal venom in the monster's blood.Chase was shocked to see this. The wailing he heard must have come from the monster. It looked quite powerful. He felt lucky about not entering the
Chase opened his eyes. His clothes had been wet but were now dry.He channeled his skills, and strength circulated him. He got rid of all impurities and felt invigorated.After that, he stopped using his skills and punched into the air using pure physical strength. He could vaguely hear the sound of a sonic boom.The effects of the Mirage Dragon Tiger Pill on body refinement were not bad at all. He estimated that he could achieve an upper level if he could take another three to five more pills.It seemed like a visit to the Nefarious Deity Sect was now inevitable.Chase turned to leave.Right after leaving, dark smoke began to billow from the middle-aged man's corpse, forming into a man. "Damn it. I can't believe I can only escape using Nefarious Deity Form. But I've managed to obtain your mind and soul's aura. The next time we meet, I'll make sure you'll suffer a fate worse than death. I won't let you die so easily."The man, who was in Nefarious Deity Form, began to glow green
The man was only at stage three, where each punch possessed a weight of 30,000 pounds.Besides that, as the Nefarious Deity Sect's signature fist technique, it possessed the Nefarious Deity Energy. It could invade the opponent's spirit and soul upon contact.It was also the perfect complement to the Nine Mirage Ecstasy.However, Chase seemed completely unaffected. He seemed to have managed to defend himself against that punch.The middle-aged man knew that he had lost all opportunity at survival when he failed to hurt Chase with the punch. He quickly maneuvered to defensive mode. Black smoke billowed from his body and formed into a protective armor around him."Nothing but a party trick!"Chase checked himself for any injuries caused by the man.Thirty thousand pounds worth of strength was nothing but a drizzle to him.As for the Nefarious Deity Energy and harm that came with it, Chase was now able to withstand the evil power after using the Thunderfruit Core to strengthen his
The middle-aged man was scared speechless after witnessing Chase brutally kill the muscled man. He kneeled right away to beg for his life."Please let me off! I still have Mirage Dragon Tiger Pill that's perfect for martial nirvanas to refine their physiques. It's what you need right now."Mirage Dragon Tiger Pill?Chase frowned. He was aware that normal monsters and medical herbs did not have much effect on martial nirvanas who were also body refining cultivators.He knew that a Steel Dragon Tiger Pill was a unique profound-grade pill that was refined with an exclusive method that combined the Steel Technique with ingredients such as a dragon or tiger monster's inner core, dragon and tiger bones, and other rare supplements. It was refined using a special flame and required 49 days to complete. It could enhance one's physique tremendously.However, what was a Mirage Dragon Tiger Pill?"What's the difference between your Mirage Dragon Tiger Pill and the Steel Dragon Tiger Pill?" C
There might only be a difference of one word between martial gods and martial nirvanas, but both were totally different concepts."Cut the crap! I'll show you the holy technique of the Nefarious Deity Sect!"The muscled man suddenly put his hands together, and a ghostly wail was heard echoing in the air. A savage spirit appeared. It was holding a rusty, iron sword in its hand. It was filled with a murderous rage as it lunged at Chase."Possession Technique?" Chase's eyes narrowed. He was not a stranger to such unorthodox techniques. He had even fought numerous people using such techniques."Die!" the man roared as he controlled the spirit. A black sword flash tore through the air as a chilling glint came slashing at Chase."That's nothing." Chase shook his head and flung out a silver needle.The silver needle shot through the air and went between the eyes of the spirit. Blood splattered instantly as the spirit's massive body evaporated. It formed into a wisp of green smoke and va
Chase had not gone far when he heard a furious roar. A dark figure lunged right at him for the kill.It was a ferocious black wolf that had fur as dark as ink and extremely sharp teeth."How dare a mere stage-four martial nirvana monster ambush me?" Chase grunted coldly and moved his arm. A bronze saber appeared in the air, and a slash was heard. Just like that, the wolf was sliced into two.The wolf was left with half a body. Its soul appeared from the other side of its body, and it vanished instantly."Huh? It still managed to escape?!" Chase frowned. The look on his face suddenly changed as he ran toward the valley.A loud explosion was suddenly heard. It was as deafening as an avalanche.He saw a mushroom-shaped cloud of smoke appear in the air as stone and dust flew about. Numerous trees collapsed while bushes were flattened."Haha! I've finally caught you, you rat!" A sinister laugh was heard. A muscled man in armor walked out as he stared at Chase coldly. He had a huge bu
The blade contained powerful sword intent, and it sliced open a horrible wound on the Black Iron Demon Crocodile's belly. Blood gushed out from it.The crocodile roared furiously as it struggled. However, it could not escape as the blade had cut its veins, which immobilized it.Chase exhaled. He went forward and kicked the crocodile's head.A series of crisp cracks were heard before the crocodile ended up in a pool of blood. It was a horrifying sight.It was a martial nirvana beast, and even though it had been seriously hurt, it could still move. Chase did not dare waste any time. He took out some rope he had prepared earlier and wrung it around the crocodile's neck. He dragged it out of the underground palace."This Black Iron Demon Crocodile's body is massive. It must've consumed the blood essence of many human martial artists. I wonder what other surprises it has for me."Chase chuckled as he prepared to leave.However, that was when Chase paused in his footsteps and suddenly