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
"W-What do you want?"He got a loud slam on the table in response. A long table made out of redwood cracked, and wood chips flew everywhere. Hadley was not prepared for this and almost got hurt."Ow!"Everyone took a sharp breath as they looked at Chase fearfully while backing off. They knew that Hadley was a goner.Esther, the young heiress of the Coopers, was also trembling from fright. She tugged at Chase's sleeve, afraid he might do something overboard.However, he next did something no one expected.Chase grabbed Hadley by the neck and pulled him up from his seat. Chase said coldly, "You want to play? I'll play!""You!" Hadley panicked. He tried to struggle but was unable to exert any strength.Chase elbowed him in the abdomen, causing Hadley to scream. He instantly sucked in his stomach as his face turned pale. Hadley's lips trembled. He broke out in a cold sweat from the pain and could hardly speak.He fell onto the floor the next second. He was heaving and covered in s
Hadley's face was pale as he tried to push himself up with both hands on the ground. He stumbled out of the hall.Chase looked around and said calmly, "Everyone, the charity event tonight will continue."The noise in the hall gradually died away after he declared this. Everyone looked at each other and kept silent. There was respect and fear for Chase in their eyes."Are you helping me?" Esther was stunned and asked the question.Chase took a gentle sip of red wine as a glint flashed in his eye.The Starks were a powerful family in Capital City. They had great influence, especially overseas, and they had immense power that could take down any government. They even had military power.If it were not for the Coopers, Chase would have gone ahead to destroy the Starks."Chase Collins…" Hadley soon walked out of the washroom with a dark look on his face.Chase turned to glance at him. "What do you want? Do you still want to fight me?""No, I don't!" Hadley could feel this chest tig
"I know I'm not your match," Ford said, bowing his head. "So, I willingly admit defeat. But I still want to see the Holy Path with my own eyes. That is why... I'm making this shameless request."His explanation actually made sense.Chase and the others already knew that Sky Dragon Holy Land was founded by the dragons who had ascended from the lower realm. It was not difficult to believe that they had the secret techniques needed to transmit battle footage.It also meant that all the rumors about Chase being a mysterious hidden expert were probably a joke among the major Holy Lands and sects. At least, among those sects that had close ties with Sky Dragon Holy Land, they probably already knew about Chase's true strength.Maybe all the Saints and Saintesses who had shown up at this little tournament in Light Divine City were actually here just to test Chase's abilities.Realizing this, Chase chuckled quietly and said, "Of course, you can come along, Ford. But first, I have to actual
After stepping down from the stage, Chase did not waste any time on unnecessary words.He quickly avoided the crowd of onlookers who acted like crazed fans and returned to the reserved inn room with Willow and the others."Tomorrow, your opponent will be the Saint of Sky Dragon Holy Land, Ford," Walter said excitedly."They say Sky Dragon Holy Land was established by the dragons who ascended from the fifth level. You thrashed the Lightning Dragon back on the fifth level the last time, so this time should be just as easy.""Where'd you get such reliable information?" Willow asked, feeling a little surprised.After all, with Walter's rather fearsome appearance—looking every bit like a bandit—most people would not want anything to do with him."I have dragon blood, remember?" Walter patted his chest proudly."Last time, after absorbing the Poison Dragon's core and a good amount of blood essence, the concentration of my dragon lineage became strong enough to catch Sky Dragon Holy La
On the main stage, Chase watched the sea of runes flying toward him. Suddenly, a spark of understanding struck him.He channeled his vital energy into the right index finger that had fused with the divine bone. Recalling the sword manual techniques, streaks of lightning-infused vital energy shot forth as sword energy.He moved his finger through the air, as if painting across the void. Each stroke unleashed a brilliant sword aura, razor-sharp and unstoppable, shattering everything in its path.Jade's rune barrage was broken apart one by one. Fragments of spiritual light and shattered runes drifted through the air.Every slash of Chase's sword aura was executed with such precision that not a single movement was wasted. The angles and trajectories were so perfect that each attack struck the runes at their most vulnerable points, maximizing impact.Among the spectators, only Carla, Fallon, and Ford—who had just rushed over—could truly appreciate the brilliance of his swordplay.More
"But the Light Divine Pearl is a creation-grade treasure. It's still only at the martial god level. It's far from being fully awakened," Fallon said with a frown.While the two spoke, Jade and Chase had already clashed head-on. Jade had unleashed her Thousand Eyes and Flowers.Countless ancient runes, shining with brilliance, shot out from the light screen behind her. Each rune faintly contained the essence of martial arts, distorting the space as they passed.If one's cultivation was insufficient, one's mind and soul would likely be shaken first, followed by one's body being pierced by the runes.As the rain of runes blasted toward Chase like a raging storm, the spectators below gasped as they were finally witnessing a truly grand spectacle.Willow and the others were awed by the sheer momentum of Jade's ultimate move. Although they knew Chase would not be harmed, they could not help but feel anxious."Can Chase block it?" Lisa asked worriedly while glancing at Willow."My mast
Jade gritted her teeth as she gathered all her vital energy, preparing to unleash her ultimate move. It was the very origin of her title—Thousand Eyes and Flowers.Behind her, a vital energy screen spread open like a peacock fanning its tail.The surface was covered with intricate patterns, resembling the eye-like spots on a peacock's feathers.These patterns were not mere decorations. Each one was an ancient rune, capable of releasing a devastating vital energy attack.When Jade unleashed this move, everyone below gasped in shock."No way, this is just a friendly tournament match. Does Jade really need to go this far?""Should we reinforce the arena's defensive array? I'm afraid someone might get caught in the crossfire.""Tsk, tsk, it's been so long since we last saw Jade lose her temper. She's even more stunning when she is angry!""You're such a pervert. If you get hit by that move, there will not even be a corpse left of you!""You don't understand. There are worse ways t
Inside Universal Holy Land, Clive and his master were facing off against the woman suspected to be the Dark Divine Pearl. Meanwhile, at Light Divine City, Chase's fourth round at the tournament's semifinals had already begun.His opponent was Jade, the Saintess of Modest Lady Holy Land, also known as Thousand Eyes and Flowers.It was already extremely rare for two contestants with such a rare same surname to appear in the same tournament. They belonged to different factions yet both were advancing to the final few rounds. Not to mention, if Yara had revealed his phoenix bloodline and inheritance, he might have very well made it to the finals too.The people with the surname Fries were terrifying beyond words!These were the thoughts running through Chase's head for no particular reason. On the other hand, after Jade saluted, she launched her attack without hesitation.Chase, still a bit distracted, was startled by the ferocity of her strike. Such a name and demeanor, paired with
Skyler spoke proudly.Clive kept having the feeling that something did not seem right when he heard Skyler's words."The Holy Path will only open after winning the tournament championship. Only those selected by the champion can enter. I was already eliminated in the second round…" Clive stammered."Won't you become the champion after killing the current champion? Isn't killing Chase Collins what you want to do?" Skyler was frustrated with Clive.Clive finally realized what felt wrong about all of this."You're not Skyler," he said coldly.The Universal Element Priest had also locked down on Skyler with his vital energy at this point. "Reveal yourself. Who are you? What did you do to Skyler?""Oh? How did you know?" Skyler was taken aback but quickly calmed down and asked the question. "What's wrong with my charisma and appearance?"He looked at his body and clothes while asking the questions with curiosity and calmness. This person had admitted to pretending to be Skyler."Fir
"His will is a blur." Clive sounded helpless when he added, "But it's a will that is extremely frightening and evil."He had the right to this opinion as someone who had faced Klondike directly.When Klondike's will was directed at him, Clive could feel unlimited fear and helplessness. Any second more of facing Klondike might make him lose his mind.He could barely take the energy pumped into him. He only managed to get through it because of his guilt for Rania and his desire to live.The thought of begging Klondike was equivalent to seeing death.There was one reason why he was brave enough to talk about Klondike with the Universal Element Priest and Skyler. It was because Klondike was in a stage of being half awake and half asleep. Clive only dared to discuss Klondike when he was asleep.However, speaking of anything that crossed the line would attract his attention, and Clive was not willing to see that happen.The Universal Element Priest and Skyler glanced at each other. The
Both of those disciples thought they could see Skyler lose his temper, but he reacted calmly. The attempts to fan the situation seemed to have failed. Had they lost credibility with Skyler for their misguided actions?They broke into a cold sweat from fear.Those disciples had offended the previous and current Saints. It looked like they had just made life tougher for themselves.They glanced at each other and gave a long sigh.…Inside Universal Element Palace, Clive had placed Rania down on a training mat while he knelt in front of his master, the Universal Element Priest. "Master, please save Rania North. I'm willing to pay any price without regrets!"He spoke with great determination, and there was a grim look on his face."Silly boy." The Universal Element Priest glanced at Clive and sighed."Rania North seems to have been poisoned by a vicious curse and an extraterritorial poison. I can temporarily save her life, but her face…" He shook his head."I'm grateful enough that