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Chapter 344

Author: Only For You
Aspen smirked and said, "Ms. Santana, you sure are devoted to Mr. Lloyd. From the beginning, you've been protecting this so-called expert at every turn. Aren't you worried that the rest of us collectors might feel a little neglected?"

Elsie responded calmly, "I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Ms. Stevens. Mr. Lloyd is a distinguished guest of Radiant Group, and it's my job to assist him. Is there an issue with that?"

Aspen let out a disdainful laugh. "For someone to earn such exceptional treatment from you, Ms. Santana, they must be quite the expert. So, Mr. Lloyd, how about it? Are you brave enough to take me on? Don't chicken out now after all your earlier bravado."

All eyes turned to Andrew, their curiosity piqued. His earlier confrontation with Orion had been impressive, earning him widespread admiration, but gemstone cutting was an entirely different challenge.

Someone encouraged, "Mr. Lloyd, your expertise in antiques is remarkable. Surely you can hold your own in
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  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 345

    Andrew spoke calmly, his tone steady but cutting. "Aspen, there's nothing wrong with a woman being proud and confident. As long as she has the right to be proud, that's fine. But if a woman is arrogant and foolish on top of it, she's bound to learn some painful lessons." Aspen sneered, glancing sideways at Christina. "Christie, did you hear what this man just said? He claims he's going to teach me a painful lesson. Honestly, with an ex like that, I can't blame you for kicking him to the curb. If you hadn't, I would've stepped in to help straighten him out myself." Christina's face darkened as she cast a worried glance at Andrew. Why was he so bold? It seemed that he did not understand that going up against Aspen in a gamble like this was reckless. "Everyone, quiet down! The gemstone challenge between Mr. Lloyd and Ms. Stevens is about to begin," Elsie announced, her voice rising above the crowd. She turned to Andrew and Aspen, adding, "Do either of you have any additional term

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 346

    Andrew did not waste any time. He pointed at a medium-sized stone and said, "Could you cut this one for me, please?" Aspen scoffed and said, "Andrew, you should really take a closer look. Jumping in without thinking might just make you a laughingstock." Ignoring her, Andrew turned to Francesca with a smile. "Get ready to celebrate." Francesca froze for a moment before catching on. "Wait… are you seriously this confident?" Andrew chuckled and replied, "We'll know soon enough, won't we?" Aspen gritted her teeth. This man had an unbearable arrogance that made her want to wipe the smirk off his face. The crowd stayed silent, not daring to say a word. With stakes this high, nobody wanted to risk disrupting the players' focus and becoming the target of blame. Aspen's stone was cut first. A gasp echoed from one of the experienced gem traders in the crowd. "Wow! It's a massive green tourmaline with impressive quality. It's just shy of the imperial grade." Christina let out a

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 347

    Aspen felt a sharp, burning pain on her face. Christina was stunned too, unable to believe the sudden turn of events. Aspen had opened such a good gem, so how could she still lose? "Fine, I'll admit defeat for the first round," Aspen said, her voice cold as she could not bear the eyes of the crowd anymore. "Andrew, do you dare to go for another round?" Andrew waved her off. "There's no need to hurry. I'll deal with things first." Right in front of Aspen and everyone else, Andrew casually gathered Aspen's green tourmaline and his own rare red spinel and handed them to Francesca. Francesca blushed. "Andrew, I can't carry these." "It's fine. They're ours anyway. Just keep an eye on them. Don't let anyone steal them." Francesca beamed, nearly bursting with excitement. These were two high-quality gems—though she was not an expert, she knew they were worth a fortune. Nonetheless, it was not about the money. What mattered was that Aspen, that nasty woman, had lost to Andrew—sh

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 348

    The cutter was beginning to regret his earlier actions because Andrew had proven to be far more formidable than expected, even outshining Aspen. If only he had not been so absolute in his statements before. "What are you waiting for? Don't you trust me?" Aspen snapped when she noticed her cutter's hesitation. The cutter flinched and quickly replied, "I'll cut open Ms. Stevens' stone right away. This time, Miss, you'll definitely win." Andrew chuckled. "Aspen, your judgment is clouded. The Stevens family of Bridgefields isn't exactly rolling in money. Being this wasteful isn't doing you any favors." He gestured toward the largest raw stone in the center. Aspen responded with a cold laugh. "Andrew, don't you understand that a raw stone's size has nothing to do with what's inside? You can't seriously think that just because this stone is huge, it must contain something valuable?" Several gambling experts nodded in agreement with Aspen's statement. The central stone, with its ha

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 349

    "Stupid woman, I just asked you to wait, not admitting defeat," Andrew said with a smirk. "Why are you already counting your money? Running low on funds?" Aspen's face turned red with anger. "Fine, let's see what trick you're trying to pull here," she spat, knowing she was running out of money. Even if she won, claiming Andrew's worthless stone would be like taking home garbage. "Mr. Lloyd, what else would you like me to do?" the cutter asked. The crowd watched curiously, wondering what Andrew could possibly do at this point. "This stone can be cut further, don't you think?" Andrew smiled, pointing at the multicolored piece. The cutter was taken aback and replied, "Mr. Lloyd, we've already reached the core layer. Further cutting would be pointless." Elsie and the others frowned deeply at Andrew's suggestion. The massive stone had already yielded worthless material and cutting it further would only destroy its integrity and decrease its value even more. "Mr. Lloyd, in

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 350

    At this point, there was nothing else Elsie could do. The situation seemed hopeless for Andrew. "What a shame for Mr. Lloyd this round," someone remarked, while others chimed in, "Why choose such an obviously worthless large stone when there were so many better options?" The antique experts shook their heads in disappointment, having hoped to see Andrew triumph over the Bridgefields heiress. Yet, Andrew did not even glance at Aspen's Royal Violet Crystal. Instead, he carefully guided the craftsman's cutting, and as the waste material fell away, a mysterious red glow began to emerge. The craftsman's heart skipped a beat—such a lustrous glow should not appear in worthless material. Elsie noticed something unusual too, and quickly moved to Andrew's side, crouching down for a closer look. The red glow intensified, revealing a transparent red gem standing out prominently among the debris. For a moment, even the experienced Elsie was left speechless. "Well, what do we have here?

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 351

    The Blood Phoenix Miracle once stunned the entire antiquities and gemstone world. Discovered in the northern desert of Etharia, it earned its name from its brilliant colors and a tiny red fossil inside. This made it the most prestigious of Etharia's four legendary stones before a mysterious billionaire acquired it. Andrew's Blood Phoenix Agate, with its perfectly preserved cicada inside, was essentially another Blood Phoenix Miracle manifesting itself into the world. Though more precisely, this one would be known as the Blood Phoenix Cicada. The chaos at the stone gambling venue was quickly contained when Silas, the CEO of Radiant Group, made a personal appearance. The panel of experts and the bigwigs from the Jayrodale Antiquities Association could not contain their excitement as they rushed to authenticate Andrew's extraordinary find. "There's no doubt that this is a divine treasure just like the Blood Phoenix Miracle," one expert declared. Others chimed in, "The cicad

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 352

    "Mr. Lloyd has shown us what true stone gambling mastery means by turning something seemingly worthless into something miraculous," Elsie concluded. The crowd erupted into an unstoppable frenzy, repeatedly chanting, "Mr. Lloyd!" His reputation as a master was cemented in thousands of minds. Countless eyes gazed at him with intense admiration, though many found it hard to comprehend that Andrew was still just a young man. They wondered how someone so young could build such an impressive reputation in antiquities and stone gambling, making them question if some people were truly born under lucky stars. "I lost… I lost again," Aspen laughed bitterly, her face deathly pale. The higher her confidence had soared before, the more crushing her defeat felt now. Typically, as the proud heiress of Bridgefields' Stevens family, Aspen would never admit defeat. However, Andrew's final move with the Blood Phoenix Cicada completely shattered her pride and confidence. She no longer doubted w

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  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 448

    Rodney chuckled. "Mr. Lincoln, you truly live up to the high regard my father holds for you. Please rest, and I'll make sure you're properly compensated later." Ivan nodded and turned to leave, but Andrew's voice cut through the air. "Wait." Everyone froze—both Rodney's Madblade Martial Academy group and Rhodes family bodyguards were stunned. "Andrew, what are you doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Jerry growled through his pain. The bodyguards joined in, "Are you insane? Even Jerry was defeated! Do you want to die?" "Shut up! We already have a lot of problems on our plate!" "Andrew, don't try to get yourself killed. Mr. Lincoln is obviously a powerful expert—no one can save you!" Since even a master like Jerry had been defeated, they viewed Andrew's interruption as suicidal. The Rhodes family bodyguards were amazed at Andrew's audacity, believing he was playing with fire. "Well, our side still has one person who hasn't fought yet," Andrew said casually. "O

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 447

    Below the ring, Andrew nodded slightly. Jerry's arrogance was backed by real skill, but unfortunately, the martial arts path was like a mighty river flowing into an endless ocean—there were always greater depths to discover. Ivan finally moved, transforming from his mountain-like stillness into explosive action. His classic internal martial arts technique concentrated all his power into a single point, channeling his energy like a surging tide before releasing it like a dragon's strike. Then, a dull thud echoed through the arena. Jerry's palm strike connected with Ivan's chest, but Ivan's counter-strike to Jerry's abdomen was even faster. Blood gushed out from Jerry's mouth as he staggered back three steps, his face pale as paper and filled with shock. Meanwhile, Ivan stood unmoved, wearing a look of disdain. He commented, "The Octa-Palm technique flows like a swimming dragon, fluid and adaptable. Too bad you've only scratched the surface of what your master created." Ivan wa

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 446

    Jerry's eyes narrowed as he laughed bitterly. "So you're a nobody who's afraid to speak up. Fine, I'll make you pay for your ignorance and arrogance." Down below, the Rhodes family bodyguards were rubbing their hands in anticipation, already envisioning Jerry's decisive victory after defeating two of Madblade's fighters. "Andrew, this is the final round—if Jerry wins, we've got this in the bag! Watch and learn what real power looks like!" "Kid, look at Jerry, and then look at yourself. From what I can see, you probably couldn't even last half a move against him," one guard sneered. Another laughed, "Half a move? Jerry's breath alone could blow him away!" They continued their mockery: "The entire tournament was won by Jerry single-handedly. Hey Andrew, didn't you say you wouldn't let us lose? Haven't seen you lift a finger!" With victory seemingly within reach, Jerry's followers had become increasingly arrogant, praising him while ridiculing Andrew. Andrew just smiled a

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 445

    Dean scoffed. "Don't worry, Mr. Sanford. I'll handle this arrogant fool." With a single leap, he landed on the fighting platform. Jerry looked at Dean with extreme contempt and taunted, "If it were Atlas, perhaps he could have given me a decent fight. But you, his worthless senior? You're not worthy—save yourself the humiliation!" Dean's gaunt face turned ashen as he gritted his teeth. "Jerry, you're only slightly more famous than me. Even if I can't defeat you, I'll at least make sure you suffer!" With that, Dean launched into a flurry of lightning-fast punches toward Jerry. Jerry moved with measured steps, turning left and right before delivering a powerful palm strike that sent Dean stumbling back three steps. "Garbage!" Jerry mocked, still keeping one hand behind his back. Dean was enraged and charged forward three steps before leaping high and launching a series of three rapid kicks. Three loud thuds sounded, and Jerry retreated while blocking Dean's flying kicks with

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 444

    Suddenly, Ollie, who had been attacking fiercely, started panting and made a tactical retreat. The Madblade student's face broke into a mocking smile as he taunted, "What's wrong? Tired already?" The student changed his footwork pattern, rhythmically advancing toward Ollie before launching a series of quick, vicious strikes at his face. Ollie was startled and tried to defend with all his might, but his footwork became unstable and chaotic. Seizing the opportunity, the Madblade student whipped out a devastating leg sweep that connected with Ollie's thigh. As Ollie groaned in pain and lost his balance, his opponent showed no mercy and delivered a lightning-fast kick to his groin. There was a sickening crack that made even Andrew wince. Ollie's face drained of all color as he rolled around the ring, screaming in agony. The Rhodes family bodyguards stood speechless, completely caught off guard. Ollie had not only lost but had been brutally defeated—his groin likely shattered. "Ro

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 443

    Andrew shook his head and warned, "Jerry, you're being too arrogant. "From what I can see, the head of Madblade Martial Academy doesn't even need to step in—that martial arts expert next to Rodney alone is enough to give you serious trouble." Jerry sneered. "What do you know about fighting levels? Do you think you can see something I can't? Young man, don't mistake ignorance for courage—it's truly foolish!" Ollie Keoghan, who had just been called up, mocked, "Andrew, why do you always have to run your mouth when you're around Ms. Rhodes? Jerry could probably take you down with just one finger." "Ollie is right—this guy's a nobody who talks too much," another guard chimed in. "Since we're having three matches, let's win the first two to secure victory. Then, we can let this punk go up for the last round and get beaten to a pulp by Madblade's fighters. Jerry's bodyguards all shot hostile looks at Andrew, joining in the criticism. Andrew just shook his head, noting how Jerry'

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 442

    Rodney declared, "If my side loses, then you'll get their 60 million, handed over without question. But if you lose, I don't want anything else except…" At this point, Rodney suddenly stopped, his eyes gleaming with lust as he licked his lips in an incredibly vulgar manner. Behind him, his martial arts students joined in with sleazy snickers. Lauren felt goosebumps all over her body. She asked with disgust, "What do you want?" Rodney smiled. "Don't worry, my request isn't too outrageous. I just want your stockings, Lauren. And specifically, the ones you're wearing right now—I want them while they're still warm!" Then, he burst into laughter. Lauren's face turned slightly pale, clearly suppressing both rage and humiliation. She controlled her emotions well, though, and turned to look at Jerry. "Don't worry, Miss. I can defeat these petty thugs with one hand tied behind my back," Jerry said coldly. Lauren turned to Andrew, blushing slightly. "Dr. Lloyd, my stockings are on

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 441

    Rodney's lips curled into a mocking smile. He sneered, "Mr. Keoghan, you've got quite the attitude, showing off in front of my Madblade Martial Academy. What do you think this is, some kindergarten playground?" Jerry, being a renowned senior grandmaster for many years, carried himself with natural authority. "Mr. Sanford, if it were your father, Vince Sanford, I would show him proper respect. But you're still too young and inexperienced, so I advise you not to make any foolish decisions." Jerry continued, "Just hand over Dean and let Ms. Rhodes deal with him. If you do that, we can put this whole incident behind us." Lauren gave a cold smile and turned to Andrew. "Don't worry, Dr. Lloyd. Jerry is one of the top fighters in the Rhodes family. If Rodney wants to play rough, we're more than happy to oblige!" Andrew's expression showed traces of doubt. Jerry's power as a senior grandmaster was indeed undeniable. Even if he had only recently reached that level, it was still enough t

  • Rising from the Ashes   Chapter 440

    Rodney's words made the skilled fighters behind him burst into raucous laughter. The students stopped their practice to stare at Lauren with strange expressions. "Rodney, I told you years ago that I wasn't interested in you," Lauren said calmly, showing no sign of anger. "Your persistent pursuit might be romantic to some, but even if you offered me the entire Madblade Martial Academy, I wouldn't give you a second glance." Rodney's face darkened immediately. He had tried to embarrass Lauren, but her sharp tongue had turned the tables on him instead. A hulking man beside Rodney sneered, "Ms. Rhodes, if you're going to reject Mr. Sanford, why are you even here?" "For our money," Lauren replied curtly. Dean scoffed. "Atlas owed Rhodes Corporation money, not me. If you want it, go ask him in hell." Lauren smirked. "Atlas may be dead, but not all Northern District's people are gone. I know you cleaned out Atlas's accounts. Dean, are you really going to pretend you don't owe us?"

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