Crystal and Dante had always treated Whitney as a money making machine. She was the means to their comfortable lifestyle. Now, they had actually tried to harm her. Sebastian and Whitney had been married for three years, so he still had some affection for her. Even Gavin and Fitz looked unkindly at Dante and Crystal."What are you trying to say, Sebastian? I'm warning you, Whitney's my daughter. You're only her ex-husband. Don't think I don't know what you're trying to do! "You just can't find a reason to shift the responsibility for this, so you're trying to frame me and Dante!" Crystal screamed shrilly. She knew that they were at a disadvantage, and she edged backward toward the door as she spoke.Dante was also retreating toward the door as he pointed at Sebastian and said, "Ballard, don't try to put the blame on us! Even if these pastries aren't of very good quality, they won't kill anyone! Besides, whoever heard of someone dying from eating incense ash? I—"Before Dante co
"Stop talking nonsense and tell us!" Fitz yelled angrily.Dante looked mournful as he wept and said, "I didn't want to do this! It was a man called Mr. Reynolds who made me do it.""Mr. Reynolds?" Sebastian frowned as he stared intently at Dante."You've met him before. It was the guy in the burial suit who slapped me in the face a couple of days ago at the entrance to Frostwave Corporation."At Dante's explanation, a familiar face rose up in Sebastian's mind.He had met Elton at the Northmans' the other day. However, he had managed to escape as everyone was focusing on saving Theodore."Sebastian, I really was forced to do this." Dante sobbed as he crawled over to Sebastian on his knees. He could see that there was still an icy, menacing glint in Sebastian's eyes. The truth was that Crystal and Dante had been kicked out of the Sutton family not long after Whitney left. They could no longer spend as extravagantly as they had before. They were now living in an old house that w
Fitz broke out into a cold sweat at once. He looked nervously at Sebastian and said, "Mr. Ballard, Ms. Sutton—"Sebastian said seriously, "Commander Sorensen, please station guards to watch over Whitney. We can't let any other accidents happen. I'll rush back right now to cast a spell and find the straw man that her soul has been attached to.""C-Cast a spell?" Fitz's face convulsed involuntarily at Sebastian's words. He then looked over at Gavin.Gavin nodded at him and said, "Do as Mr. Ballard says. If anything happens, I'll take responsibility.""Alright!" Fitz nodded heavily and commanded his subordinates to set up the building as a temporary military-restricted zone. No one would be allowed to enter or exit as they pleased. He arranged for a military vehicle to send Sebastian and Gavin back to the convenience store.…Meanwhile, in a villa in the northern suburbs of Sunway, Hunter swirled the red wine in his glass. He looked scornful as he looked at Jace sitting in front o
"Oh?" Hunter's eyes lit up involuntarily. He looked excited as he asked, "Mr. Beckard, do you mean to say that you want to make Sebastian's ex-wife into a corpse puppet? But like you said, that's just his ex-wife. What kind of threat would it pose to him?"Elton grinned and snapped his fingers.Before long, the door to the hall opened. Ryder strode into the living room with Mabel in tow.Although Ryder looked perfectly normal, Mabel was looking dazed and vacant. Elton pointed at Mabel's forehead. She shuddered violently and immediately began telling all of them very truthfully about what had happened during the three years that Sebastian and Whitney had been married."You heard her, Mr. Sloane. As long as Whitney opens her mouth, she can get anything, even the formula for the Arctic Snow Mask and the Goldcrow pill."Therefore, if we can control Whitney, we can use Sebastian's affection for her to get the formula for the Arctic Snow Mask. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how m
At the thought of the possibility, Elton's expression turned grim at once.If the soul-attached straw man was destroyed, the curse would turn against Elton. Even his training and the level he was in would be reduced by a whole level!Gandolf was sitting opposite Elton. Seeing Elton's fear, he smiled calmly and said, "Don't worry, Elton. I've already sent the Black and White Sentinels to guard it."With two Elite Grandmasters there, I'm sure that nothing will go wrong. Plus, it would be a good opportunity to get rid of young Ballard. We can avenge Mr. Stephen."At the mention of the Black and White Sentinels, Elton couldn't help looking at Gandolf in surprise. He frowned and asked, "The Black and White Sentinels? They're the two protectors of the Dark Medicine Sect. You managed to get them to participate?"Although the Dark Medicine Sect wasn't as renowned as the Sacred Medicine Society, it still had a reputation among the martial arts mystic sects. The Black and White Sentinels
Meanwhile, Sebastian arrived at an abandoned factory on a neighboring hill.There was a flickering light in one of the rooms on the second floor.Sebastian could see by the light that there was a little figure made of wood. Whitney's photo was taped to its head, and her birthdate was carved on its body. There were oil lamps lit near the top of the wooden figure's head and below its feet. The three oil lamps under its feet had been extinguished."Rise, Charm Spirit!" Sebastian pulled out a yellow paper charm and muttered a spell before flicking it into the air.There was a whoosh as the yellow charm transformed into a ball of fire. The center of the wooden figure's forehead suddenly lit up in a red glow!"Mr. Ballard, is that the straw man with Whitney's soul?" Gavin asked in a low voice as he leaned closer to Sebastian.If Gavin hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that mystic spells really did exist in their world. "Yup." Sebastian nodded heavily an
Gavin moved as fast as lightning and threw a punch at the Black Wind's chest."Hmph! You don't know your place!" The Black Wind sneered. He raised his palm and let it collide with Gavin's fist.There was a sharp bang as the two of them collided.At that moment, Gavin realized in shock that the middle-aged man was extremely strong, despite the fact that he looked like a bag of bones!He felt as if his fist had crashed against a small mountain, and it bounced back immediately.Before Gavin could dodge and hide, the Black Wind's fist slammed heavily against his chest!Gavin felt as if he had crashed into a speeding train. As he spat out a mouthful of blood, he felt himself being thrown backward helplessly.Sebastian hurriedly took a step forward to catch him. He pulled out an Energy Replenishing Pill and put it in Gavin's mouth."Mr. Ballard, I—" Gavin looked defiantly at the scrawny figure.Sebastian sighed softly and comforted him. "Gavin, you've done your best."The Black Win
Sebastian dodged the blade of the Black Wind at a measured pace. A three-foot-long metal umbrella flew toward Sebastian's shoulder."Die, young man!" The White Moon held the metal umbrella and injected all his force into it.Sebastian trod the Seven Star Path and stood aside. The metal umbrella struck a giant rock behind Sebastian.There was a loud rumble, and the eight-foot-high giant rock was smashed into powder. Gavin couldn't help gasping at the sight. Although he was an Elite Grandmaster, neither his strength nor his speed could compare with that of the Black and White Sentinels!The rock that the White Moon had just shattered was a piece of granite that was known for being tough. Even a bullet would only have left a mark on it, let alone human strength alone. Sebastian's gaze swept over the granite, which had been reduced to powder. He couldn't help nodding.The Black and White Sentinels lived up to their legend. They were unbeatable among Elite Grandmasters!If Sebas
Cries of surprise and disbelief erupted at once. Cedric, who had been confident of winning, was now completely dumbstruck."This is impossible! You're cheating!" he shouted. He couldn't suppress the shock he felt. However, he realized at once that he had blurted it out without thinking.There wasn't a single person within 80 feet of Sebastian. How could Sebastian have cheated?Octavius glared grimly at Cedric. There were over a thousand pairs of eyes watching. Saying that Sebastian had cheated was ridiculous.He was thinking quickly about how to extricate themselves from the mess when a gold pill fell into Sebastian's palm."Although Spirimist pills aren't top-grade mystic pills, I'm sure it's several grades higher than a Spiritual Energy Pill. Would any of the senior members from the Healer Sect be interested in testing out its authenticity?" Sebastian held the Spirimist pill in his hand and turned to look in the northwest direction, where the Medcrofters' grandstand was. A
"Hmph!" Octavius huffed coldly and turned his head to one side."The competition now begins." A white-robed old man walked up to the rostrum and announced the beginning of the competition in a loud voice.The apprentices of the Healer Sect and Medcity all crowded around the sides of the arena to pick the medicinal herbs that they needed. The participants knew that they weren't the main event that day—they were only there to make Cedric stand out.However, everyone wanted to show off their skills in front of a crowd of a thousand people. If they caught the eye of the elders in their sects, they would be able to get the elders' skill passed on to them.Even if they couldn't shine as brightly as Cedric did, they could at least become one of the core apprentices. Sebastian yawned and asked Cedric rather impatiently, "Are you going to compete or not? Aren't you just refining Spiritual Energy Pills? Must you dawdle so much? My time is limited." He pointed to his wristwatch as he spok
Cedric said, "To tell you the truth, I'll be refining a Spiritual Energy Pill today! Didn't you just say that my Spiritual Energy Pill is worthless compared to a mystic pill? Then refine one and show us all! Do you dare to do so?"Cedric shook the waiver he was holding.A white-clad youth sitting behind Octavius couldn't help frowning slightly. His name was Nicholas Thornton, and he was the young sect leader of Medcity. Medcity hadn't sent him to compete in the Medical Congress. His only purpose was to observe. Besides, Nicholas was self-aware and knew that he was no match for Cedric with his own knowledge of pill refining. Therefore, there was no need for Medcity to embarrass itself. However, Medcity and the Healer Sect had a very close relationship. Nicholas couldn't help being worried that Cedric would make a mistake. He lowered his voice and said to Octavius, "Mr. Fuller, if that Ballard fellow really can refine a pill that's in the mystic pill grade, won't Cedric…"Nicholas
"You're much too inexperienced to compete in refining pills. I'll give you one final chance to give up on the idea of betting your life," Sebastian said impassively.Cedric wasn't the only one who laughed. Everyone in the venue burst out into mocking laughter."Who does he think he's talking to? That's the young Refinist of the Healer Sect.""Yeah! I heard that a year ago, Cedric had already attained the skill of refining Spiritual Energy Pills, which are the most premium kind among the true pills. How can a layman like Sebastian be so boastful?""I think that he's just trying to give himself a way out. It's a pity that Cedric won't fall for it."Everyone in the crowd was speaking contemptuously about Sebastian.Cedric clasped his hands behind his back and began the Square Steps footwork. He walked slowly down the steps and gazed in Sebastian's direction as he said, "Ballard, I'm not looking down on you, but what gives you the right to brag in front of me?"I don't mind telling
In the center of the venue, there was an empty piece of land that was about the size of a soccer field. Seats rose in tiers around it. The tiers were already filled with martial sect apprentices who had come to watch.Bertie and Drake headed straight to the main grandstand on the north side. They bowed respectfully to Sebastian and said, "Please be seated, Mr. Ballard."Sebastian did not stand on formality with the two of them. He sat in the main seat of the north grandstand at once.Bertie and Drake sat down on either side of him. This made several of the younger people present look at Sebastian. Opposite them, in the south grandstand, several elderly men stared at Sebastian as they muttered to each other. They pointed at him from time to time. One of the old men looked displeased as he spoke to those around him."Those are the elders of the Healer Sect. The ones sitting beside them are elders of other sects who are on good terms with the Healer Sect," Drake said quietly in Se
After ten minutes or so, Sebastian felt as if he was sitting on a volcano. Every single pore in his body felt as if it would catch on fire.The air around Sebastian burst into flame, and even his clothes were burnt to ash. However, the extreme heat turned into extreme cold in just an instant.Layers of frost and ice coated Sebastian's body at once. It was the result of light and dark energy fighting for authority in Sebastian's body. After some time, the spiritual energy in Sebastian's body suddenly surged toward his limbs. Everything happened so suddenly that his skin cracked into deep fissures, unable to withstand the immense pressure.Blood seeped out of the cracks on his skin.Sebastian felt as if there were countless bugs and ants gnawing his body, and the pain made him wish that he was dead. Finally, after an hour, the cracks on Sebastian's body slowly healed as the two conflicting forces of spiritual energy merged into one.As Sebastian slowly opened his eyes, a powerfu
At Sebastian's current level, celestial pills were beyond him.After hearing Sebastian's description, both Bertie and Drake looked at him, their eyes shining. Prior to hearing this, they had been suspicious of where the energy replenishing pills had come from, but they no longer doubted that Sebastian had refined them."I didn't expect you to have the skills of a Refinist at such a young age, Mr. Ballard," Bertie said, looking awed.Sebastian smiled faintly and said, "Refining pills isn't actually that complicated. You just need to control the spiritual energy and the heat with your mind so that you can speed up the decomposition of the medicinal herbs in the medicine furnace. "However, Refinists have different levels of skill, so the effective components that remain at the end of the process also differ."Bertie and Drake both looked confused, so Sebastian didn't explain further. He weighed the cauldron in one hand and said firmly, "Rise!"The palm-sized cauldron rose up into t
After that, Sebastian bought several other rare medicinal herbs from the Wraith Market to use in refining pills.Although the Wraith Market was the most renowned medicinal herb trading market among the mystic martial arts sects, someone like Sebastian was also a very rare customer. He didn't even ask about the price of each herb, and he was very generous. As Sebastian had bought a huge amount of herbs, all of which were very valuable, he would ordinarily be seen as easy prey.However, as he was accompanied by Bertie, Drake, and the rest of the Warrior League members, no one dared to raise their prices. Sebastian only returned to his lodgings after the sun had set. He was immensely satisfied. He casually tossed aside several sacks of medicinal herbs. Carefully taking out a rusty, palm-sized cauldron, he held it gently in the palm of his hand. He scrutinized it carefully, as if it were a precious treasure.Both Bertie and Drake looked curiously at the tiny cauldron. Finally, B
Drake and Bertie knew exactly what Cedric was planning.Although the energy replenishing pills that Sebastian had given them were far better than the Breakthrough pills from the Healer Sect, whether or not the pills had been refined by Sebastian himself was something they had yet to confirm. Even if he had refined them, who could guarantee that Sebastian would be assured of victory against Cedric when it came to pill refining?After all, the Healer Sect had put a great deal of effort into training Cedric, and he was known as a young Refinist prodigy. If Sebastian made even the slightest mistake, he would end up in big trouble! "Okay, I'll take the bet. I just hope you won't go back on your word when the time comes," Sebastian said, smiling slightly. "Alright!" Cedric grinned maliciously and nodded as he said, "Tomorrow, 10:00 am at Greendrake Town. It's ten miles away from here. I hope you won't be late." Cedric threw back his head in laughter as he walked out of the crowd.