"What… What's happening? Why are these swords flying on their own? Such powerful sword energy! Are these... black iron swords?!"Everyone was stunned, their eyes wide with shock. The event unfolded so abruptly that none of the Hawkinses' guards could react in time.In an instant, countless black iron swords tore through the air, forming a dense cloud that surged toward the guards like a tidal wave."This is bad!" Luis roared in fury. "Block them!"A massive surge of energy exploded from him, forming a white fist aura that smashed into the incoming sword energy."Hmph! A mere insect of a martial arts saint dares to intercept my black iron swords? You people are courting death!" Chase sneered.With a wave of his right hand, the swarm of black iron swords merged into a single massive blade that slashed down toward Luis.A terrifying sword light split the air. Luis hastily countered with a punch, but it was not enough to escape unscathed. A gruesome gash tore across his chest, blood
"Young man—no, Mr. Collins—please, let's talk this through. There's no need for violence," Luis pleaded. His dignity as the head of the Hawkins family had all but vanished. The Hawkinses had been a cornerstone of Bactria, influencing its entire power structure. Now, however, Luis saw that everything could change with Chase. He needed to bring Chase to their side no matter what it took.After all, Chase's talent was extraordinary, and his potential for growth was limitless. If the Hawkinses could recruit him, they would gain a formidable martial arts saint. They could elevate their standing to unprecedented heights.Luis said, his face stretching into a fawning smile, "Mr. Collins, on behalf of the Hawkinses, I'm willing to compensate you with any resources you need. I can even offer you an entire mine to aid your refining pursuits.""You think I need your resources?" Chase scoffed, his tone dripping with mockery. "And from the Hawkinses? I doubt you can provide anything worthwhile
Luis was utterly stunned upon hearing Chase's words. He had never imagined Chase's appetite would be so insatiable. He wanted the entirety of the Hawkins family's assets!"Mr. Collins, pardon me for being frank, but if it's money you want, the Hawkinses are not lacking in that. I can offer you five times the amount you desire," Luis said, attempting to negotiate.Chase chuckled. "Mr. Luis, you've misunderstood. Money means nothing to me." He then added while shaking his head, "I'm after more than just your resources. What truly interests me is the Hawkinses' forging techniques. Surrender those, and I might spare your life.""The forging techniques?!" Luis's eyes widened with disbelief. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! The Hawkinses' ancestral rules strictly forbid passing those techniques to outsiders. We can only offer you finished products!"The forging techniques were a legacy painstakingly developed by generations of the Hawkinses' forebears. They were the family's lifeblo
"You can try," Chase said with a faint smile."You…" Luis was consumed with rage.Suddenly, a pitch-black spear shot out from the side. It was aimed directly at Chase.Chase's expression shifted. With a light tap of his toes on the ground, he leaped back several yards, creating distance between himself and the attacker."I see the Hawkinses really are cunning!" Chase's gaze turned icy. "But since you're so desperate to die, I'll gladly oblige."Sword energy erupted, sharp and unforgiving. A single flash pierced through the head of a guard."Y-You're breaking your word!" Luis roared, his face turning an ashen shade.He had planned to use the family members as leverage against Chase, but instead, Chase had struck preemptively."I won't lay a single finger on your family," Chase said coldly. "But as for the others... Don't blame me for what's about to happen."He stared at Luis, his expression devoid of emotion. "Do you really think I care about the Hawkinses' wealth? To me, your
"Fine! As long as you spare my life, I swear eternal loyalty to you. I'll serve as your slave or servant if that's what it takes!" Luis declared without hesitation. He knew too well that if he refused, death would be his only outcome.Luis was not afraid of dying—he simply could not accept defeat. A lifetime of prestige was ruined in an instant."I, Luis Hawkins, swear to the heavens that I'll submit to Chase Collins and never betray him. Should I break this oath, I vow to meet a terrible end!" Luis raised his hand and spoke in a firm, resolute tone.Chase scoffed, his expression tinged with disdain. He had no intention of believing Luis, and the mockery in his eyes was evident. "Luis, you think I don't see through your games? Do you think I'm unaware that you're merely stalling for time?""H-How do you know that?" Luis narrowed his eyes, a murderous glint flashing within them.Chase chuckled coldly. "Luis, I've dealt with countless schemers and liars. Your petty tricks? They don'
"Hmm? Someone's approaching," Chase muttered, his brows furrowing together.He sensed several figures drawing near, their presence becoming increasingly apparent."It seems some people aren't ready to give up. Fine. If they've come, they won't be leaving," Chase said, a glint of cold determination flashing in his eyes.Without warning, Chase leaped out of the window and slammed his foot into the ground.The courtyard erupted in a cloud of dust and debris."Chase, prepare to die!"Several figures in black emerged, their auras sharp and menacing. All of them were martial arts saints who were exuding lethal intent.Four blades streaked toward Chase, each gleaming with deadly precision."Child's play," Chase remarked with a sneer. With a casual wave of his hand, he deflected the incoming attacks.The sheer force of his strike was overwhelming, like the weight of a mountain crashing down.In an instant, two of the martial arts saints exploded into clouds of blood and gore, leaving
"How could it not be here?" Chase muttered, narrowing his eyes. He was certain the Hawkinses' treasured manuals should be stored in this library.Suddenly, his expression shifted as he sensed something unusual.A faint breeze seemed to manifest out of nowhere, followed by a soft green glow that gradually expanded, forming a hazy barrier.Chase focused his mental energy, triggering a subtle yet profound ripple from the depths of his consciousness."Break for me!"His spiritual force surged like thunder, tearing through the barrier in an instant."So, the library not only holds cultivation techniques but is also protected by a spiritual restriction formation! For an ordinary martial arts saint, even someone at the peak stage, breaking through this would be impossible!"With a cold snort, Chase strode confidently toward the center of the library.There, in the heart of the room, sat a skeleton cross-legged. Its surface glowed faintly with a greenish hue, and it radiated a powerful
Outside the library, the guards were startled by the sudden commotion."Intruder alert!"Within moments, hurried footsteps echoed as guards approached the library in a frenzy.Chase casually tossed the long spear into the air and lightly pushed off the ground with the tip of his foot. His figure darted forward like a phantom.…Meanwhile, from the opposite direction of the library, two figures were rapidly closing in."The library is under attack!""I can feel a surge of energy that's far beyond the capability of a martial arts saint. Could it be a martial arts overlord?"These two stage-five martial arts saints were skilled fighters stationed by a branch of the Hawkins family to guard the area.As they rushed to investigate, a deafening explosion filled the air.The roof of the library collapsed, releasing a violent energy wave that swept outward, making their robes billow wildly."This is bad!"The two guards were furious. They rushed into the library, only to see a crims
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
The man had just commented to his junior when a sharp sword aura came swishing toward him. It sliced off half of his fringe, and his knees buckled from fear. If the sword had moved an inch further, his skull would have been sliced off."Shut your trap!" Clive's cold voice was heard. It was filled with murder. He had ignored all the criticisms directed at him. However, he pulled his sword out when the man insulted Rania."This is my woman. Insult her again, and I promise you will not see the sun rise tomorrow." Clive turned and continued walking forward without looking back.When he finally vanished from sight, a tall, dashing man came forward with a sword behind his back."Is Clive around?"He asked the two Universal Holy Land disciples who had just seen Clive."Clive just went inside to see the master, Skyler," one of them replied respectfully."Oh. What a coincidence. Um… What happened to your hair?" Skyler suddenly noticed the fringe of the disciple answering him had been slic
"If everything goes as planned, I'll be heading to the Holy Path with Chase Collins." Yara put the small, white bottle into his storage pouch as he spoke in a low voice."There's no hurry for this. I need to make proper arrangements at the Evil Shadow Sect first. Carla secretly set up the Severance Formation at the locations where Norm Weber and I were cultivating in isolation. She wanted to trap us inside and see us dead! I must have my revenge for that."The Holy Path won't happen immediately. You'll make it there eventually. Don't worry too much about it."Tack's eyes turned sharp at the mention of Carla. He and Norm had taken pains to nurture and groom Carla to become the sect master of the Evil Shadow Sect.Yet she showed ingratitude to their efforts by trying to kill them just to be with that rascal, Fallon Locke.Carla was a heartless woman who had no loyalty or filial piety. Such a vicious woman should find it lucky if all they did for revenge was to kill her.Tack saved N
Yara returned to his room at the inn after exiting the tournament venue. He checked the room carefully for any signs of intruders entering his room. He then took out a talisman from his storage pouch and blew gently on it.The talisman started to burn, and gentle smoke slowly billowed in the air. A formation formed instantly, and the entire room was cut off from the outside world.After that, Yara took out a messaging talisman. He touched the image of an old man on it. The next moment, the old man's image projected in front of him. He looked to be about 50 or 60. The old man had a head of white hair and a white beard. He was also wearing a big, red robe as he held a chowrie in his hand."Chase Collins took the bait, master," Yara said respectfully to the old man."Good job. You'll be rewarded well once this is done." The old man whisked his chowrie and laughed. He added, "Get his primordial essence, understand?"He lowered his voice when giving the instruction. When he bent his hea
After all, Chase had to bring Yara along if they were really going to the Holy Path.Chase would not be able to hide it from them then. It was better to be honest with them from the start."What? He needed something from you? Will he come over to see you tonight?" Willow's question had Lisa and Walter exchanging a glance.Chase had no idea how to respond. "What are you thinking, Willow? Sweep those dirty thoughts out of your mind."He berated Willow.Willow realized what she had just said and quickly apologized. "Oh, that's not what I meant. I just wanted to ask what you meant by him needing your help."Chase sighed. "To put it in a nutshell, Yara has phoenix bloodline and requires the Light Divine Pearl's help to receive the Rising powers of the Phoenix Deity. He knows that I have hope of getting the Light Divine Pearl, which is why he came to me."Willow and Walter were stunned."The Phoenix Deity? Isn't that one of the Five Major Demon Saints who holds the same standing as th