Silvanus wondered if Sebastian knew the Steel Finger technique. He had gained fame with that technique, and he knew better than anyone else how difficult it was to learn it.Even martial artists in their 40s might not have reached Sebastian's level, but Sebastian was only in his 20s!Sebastian flicked the broadsword away lightly, and Silvanus' body was hurled toward the wall beside him. The broadsword slipped out of his grip.There was a loud bang as he crashed heavily against the wall. He felt as if every single bone in his body had shattered, and he howled in pain."Aren't you a little too old to be acting like a child? Does it hurt that much?" Sebastian asked as he walked over to Silvanus, grinning widely. Clutching his broken arm, Silvanus backed away until his back hit the window frame. He had nowhere left to run. "You… you're not playing by the rules! Don't you know that you should respect your elders?" Silvanus yelled angrily, pointing at Sebastian.Sebastian gave a sha
Let go? Even if both his arms were broken, Ernest would never give up on resisting.However, no matter how strong-willed he was, he was up against Sebastian.Before Ernest could react, there was a sickening snap at his shoulders. Ernest's arms were broken, hanging uselessly at his sides. "Huh?""Oh my!"The onlookers cried out in shock."I'll ask one last time," Sebastian said as he walked toward the window, dragging Ernest with him. "Will you pay the one billion and give me a hotel or not?"He then hoisted Ernest out the window by the throat, letting him dangle in midair.As soon as the cold wind hit him, Ernest shivered violently. He knew that Sebastian would have no qualms about dropping him. When he glanced down, Ernest almost burst into tears of fear. "Have you thought things through? My arms are getting tired," Sebastian said with a wide grin. With his throat in Sebastian's grip, Ernest couldn't make a single sound. He had no choice but to nod vigorously at Sebasti
Ernest rushed over to Anton. He yelled into the phone, "Wentworth, if you don't hand over a hotel in the next three minutes, you can expect the wrath of the Wind Dancers to come upon all of you!"There was a long pause on the other end before a voice stammered, "M-Mr. Chapman, we can offer a hotel to resolve this issue, our best one, even. The problem is, three minutes just isn't enough time!"The voice belonged to Joaquin's cousin, Edwin Wentworth. Even if he took a rocket, he still wouldn't reach the Aequor within three minutes. They were hundreds of miles apart. "I don't care!" Ernest roared. "My last command before dying will be for the Wind Dancers to destroy the Wentworths! We'll crush even your rats underfoot!"There were only two minutes remaining. Ernest was so agitated that he could barely register the pain from his broken arms. "Time's almost up. Mr. Chapman, why don't you reunite with Mr. Fenton?" Sebastian said as he walked toward Ernest."Mom!" Ernest shrieked, co
Anton was sweating in fear. He had never seen anyone collect a debt the way Sebastian did. If he refused to pay or if he was even just a minute late, Sebastian might toss him out of the building like he did with Ernest. They were on the 18th floor!"M-Mr. Ballard… could… could I make another call?" Anton stammered as sweat dripped down his face. He took out his phone and gave Sebastian a pleading look.Colton's heart sank. He had mistakenly thought that he would be let off the hook once the Wind Dancers brought the money. However, he was wrong. Sebastian had meant that each family had to pay one billion. That was a big problem. The Wentworths didn't lack the money, but what about Colton?The Lynches were destroyed. Where was he going to get that much cash?At that thought, Colton crouched and began inching slowly toward the elevator. However, before he could press the button, the doors opened, and Curtis burst out. "Mr. Ballard!" Curtis exclaimed. "You… don't you think you'
Curtis hadn't just seen Ernest's corpse outside the building. There had been Silvanus' corpse too. It was clear that Sebastian had killed them both. He was just an administrative worker. There was no way Curtis would have the guts to kick up a fuss with Sebastian."Mr. Ballard, I don't think that there's anything more to discuss. The Wind Dancers will send an expert to go through the details."With that, Curtis turned on his heel and headed toward the elevators. He left without looking back.When Colton saw the elevator doors closing once more, his heart turned cold."Mr. Lynch, were you planning to leave with Mr. Hansen?" Sebastian asked, grinning at him. Colton's heart twisted. He forced a bright smile as he said, "Mr. Ballard, you've got it all wrong. I… I just came here to have a look!""Oh, were you afraid that it would be too crowded outside? Did you want to fall down the elevator shaft instead?" Sebastian asked, still smiling."No!" Colton jumped aside instantly, wavin
After Colton and Anton had left, the onlookers gradually dispersed.Sebastian returned to his seat and continued sampling Boren's local delicacies."Mr. Ballard, the Wentworths and the Wind Dancers are unlikely to just let this go. Besides, the Teritz Hotel and the Rayon Hotel aren't under our control yet. Although you're legally the owner, the management of the hotels must be changed!"Rocco was in the field of business management and knew how important the management staff was. If the senior staff stayed the same, the hotels would only belong to Sebastian by name. "Change the management?" Sebastian asked mildly. "Do you have the people for it?""Well…" Rocco shook his head slightly and said, "Although I know a few managers, they're not familiar with hotel operations. It'll be better to promote someone from among the mid-level staff!"Firstly, they know the hotels well. Secondly, they'll be able to handle human resources and other arrangements easily once they're promoted. It'l
"Dad—""You ingrate!" Joaquin pointed furiously at Anton. "Do you know that you almost destroyed our family?""Dad… I just couldn't accept it. The hotel in Acorn City can bring us a profit of 100 million a year. Why should we just hand it over to Ballard for nothing? I—"Before Anton could finish, Joaquin slapped him. He did it so hard that Anton flew into the door and smashed it, rolling out to the hallway.Peggy Sorel was sitting on the living room couch and watching TV as she snacked on peanuts. When she saw that her son had been hit, she hurried over and helped him up before looking angrily at Joaquin. "What are you doing, Joaquin?" she demanded. "This is our son, not your subordinate nor your enemy! If you touch him again, I won't forgive you!"As Peggy spoke, she charged at Joaquin and began to scratch and hit him mercilessly.Joaquin pushed her aside and pointed at Anton. He yelled angrily at Peggy, "It's all your fault for spoiling that boy rotten! That is why he does w
Anton knew how the world worked. He wasn't just a brainless wealthy heir. Although he had already offended Sebastian, the latter hadn't killed Anton the way he had the others. That meant that he still had a chance!If he played his cards right, he might even be able to win Sebastian's favor. And if that happened, the Wentworths wouldn't just prosper in Boren, but they'd rise to new heights.As for the properties under his name, how much were they worth? Anton knew that he would have to spend money to earn money."We'll talk about it when Mr. Ballard returns from Mount Quiln," Joaquin said. "However, I've got to warn you. You were able to get out alive because he was lenient. There won't be a next time!"He sighed deeply and waved a hand at Anton impatiently. Then, he returned alone to his study.Anton slumped onto the floor as he gazed at Joaquin's retreating figure."What on earth happened, Anton?" Peggy asked as she helped Anton up from the floor. She pulled him to sit on the c
Rexton's pupils constricted, and the muscles in his face twitched. He stared at Samson with a wary look in his eyes. He and Samson were two minor stages apart. It was no laughing matter. If the two of them began to fight, Rexton would be sure to die if he didn't have any external assistance."What's the matter? Are you scared?" Samson sneered as he asked in a cold, accusatory tone. That flipped a switch in Rexton's head. His expression changed instantly, and he turned a fierce look on Samson. "Afraid?" he asked through gritted teeth.As he spoke, Rexton seemed to make up his mind. He slowly reached into his pocket and took out a pale blue paper charm, which looked thicker than usual.The paper charm was oppressive to look at. Sebastian instinctively sensed a threatening energy approaching!Even Samson looked wary when he saw the paper charm."Uncle Rexton, this is a Soulcrush Charm. Great Uncle Arnaud has clearly said that no one in the Ballard Estate is allowed to use spiri
Sebastian immediately felt the pressure around him drop. The feeling of being pinned down disappeared as well."How dare you—"Before Rexton could finish, a shadow flashed past him, and Samson popped up right in front of him.Samson stuck out his finger as if it were a sword and tapped him on the chest. Although Samson hadn't used any strength, Rexton could see the murderous look in his eyes. There was a dot of scarlet light that swirled around Samson's finger. A crimson rune was gradually appearing, and there was a chilling, murderous sensation in the air. Sebastian gasped. He had finally realized how the mystic spells should be used, and he was in awe. It wasn't that Sebastian was unable to do it. It was just that up until then, he had only seen the mystic sect apprentices of the secular world. Perhaps their understanding of how to use mystic spells was too superficial, which was why Sebastian's perception had also been affected.Realization only dawned on him when he saw
At Rexton's roar of fury, everyone turned to look at Samson, who was still standing there quietly without moving."A traitor? Murder?"There was finally a flicker of emotion on Samson's face. A sudden glimmer of light flared in his eyes, which had been devoid of life for a long time."Rexton, you know very well how your father died!"As Samson spoke, he walked toward Rexton with a steady step as he said, "I admit that I've wronged Sebastian and his mother. I was just too soft-hearted back then. That's why I believed your lies and tried to keep the big picture in mind for the Ballards, but look at how you've treated me!"There was suddenly a cold glint in Samson's eyes, and he said in a thunderous tone, "You set up a series of traps and tried to kill and torture my wife and son!"You pursued them until the ends of the earth! If my mentor hadn't rescued Sebastian, do you think he'd still be alive today?"Did you just accuse me of murder? Did you ever think of the fact that we're f
Sebastian felt his blood boiling.Although he had once hated Samson because of how he had kicked Sebastian and Isabella out of the family, Samson was still his flesh and blood!When he saw how Rexton was mocking and humiliating Samson, Sebastian felt extreme fury.However, the restrictive force around him was just too strong. Even though he used every skill he had ever learnt, he still couldn't get out of the Skylock Spell's restriction. He could only watch them be smug and arrogant.At that moment, a young man in the crowd suddenly gave Sebastian a resounding slap and said coldly, "It's been ten years! This day has finally come for you and Samson!"If your mother hadn't caused a huge fuss here, my grandfather would never have died! Today, I am going to let Samson get a taste of what it's like to have a family member die in front of him!"The man suddenly pulled out a three-foot-long sword from behind his back. He thrust it at Sebastian's chest.Sebastian couldn't even move a
"Sebastian, I was only planning to ask you to go and greet the elders," Rexton said. "Since you insist on doing things the hard way, don't blame me for being ruthless!"He put one hand behind his back as he fixed a sinister look on Sebastian. There was a murderous tone in his voice as he spoke once again. "Even if you do have some skills, those basic moves aren't even worth looking at here!"As Rexton finished speaking, several youths from the Ballard family stood in the four main directions, respectively. They were all holding a blue paper charm that even Sebastian had never seen before. They began to form a seal. "Seal off the sky and lock the earth!" the four men boomed simultaneously before tossing the paper charm into the air!In a flash, the four blue paper charms disappeared into thin air. Countless silver bolts of light rushed up to the clouds with the four of them at the center of it!Right after that, the silver bolts of light weaved together to form a huge net. Countle
"Stop talking!" Rexton said angrily, cutting off their discussions. He then turned to look at Sebastian and said, "Sebastian, as a junior member of the family, you should be polite. Since you're back, come with me and greet your elders!"Although Rexton appeared to be giving Sebastian a suggestion, the murderous look in his eyes and his commanding tone wasn't pleasant at all. Sebastian looked coldly at him and the people behind him. He huffed and asked icily, "What if I refuse?""What did you say?" Rexton's eyes turned cold, and he eyed Sebastian with an unpleasant look on his face.Among the people behind him, four men walked out. They stared fixedly at Sebastian, as if he were their sworn enemy. They had also taken up positions in the best spots to attack."Are you going to try to do things by force now? Fine. I'd like to stretch too!" Sebastian crooked a finger at them in a challenge."Where do you think this is? How dare you behave so recklessly here?" one of them yelled a
Although Sebastian could feel Samson's resignation so clearly, he was determined to find out where Isabella was now that he had met him.When he stepped forward to find out, a noise broke out behind him.There was the sound of footsteps hurrying toward them, and Andreas rushed into the yard, panting heavily. He said urgently to Sebastian, "Bad news! Someone's here to cause trouble! Sebastian, come to the family chapel with me and hide—"Before he could finish, the gates to the yard opened, and over a dozen figures rushed in. The man in the lead was also a middle-aged man in his 40s. Those behind him were almost all among the younger generation of the Ballards.However, all of them had murder in their eyes.It was obvious that the family members of these people had died in the battle that took place when Isabella had turned up to fight with the Ballards. They had come specially to pick a fight with Sebastian upon hearing that he had returned to the Ballard Estate."Well, if it i
Sebastian gathered himself and waved at Duo as he said, "You don't need to come with me. Just wait there!"He took a deep breath and walked quickly toward the detached house on the slope.When he found himself standing in front of the tall gate, Sebastian suddenly felt conflicted. He hesitated for a long time before pushing the gate open and walking inside.The courtyard was fairly neat and tidy, but the furniture was very crude. There was only a rickety wooden table and a few wooden chairs that had been mended many times.In the spot close to the wooden fence, there was a little flowerbed built with bricks, and flowers and plants in a variety of colors were planted there.Beside the flowerbed, there was a middle-aged man who was over 40 years old, with salt and pepper hair. He was staring fixedly at Sebastian. There was a worn look on his face, which didn't match his age at all. When Sebastian met his eyes, he was immediately surprised.It was Samson, the man who had kicked Se
Sebastian drew in a sharp breath and looked up at Andreas involuntarily.No wonder he had received news in the past about how Isabella had been seen at an unknown, great mountain.No matter how many people he had sent to do their best to search for her, there had been no trace of her at all.Sebastian now realized that Isabella hadn't been an ordinary person, either. After all, if she had been able to escape unscathed after causing a huge ruckus in the Ballard Estate, she had to be a top expert in terms of both her skills and the realm that she was in!"However, I was still young at the time. There are many things that I've only heard about. When you see Uncle Samson later, everything will become clear!"As he spoke, Andreas led Sebastian around a mountain ridge. At the foot of the mountain, there was a wooden house with a courtyard."Do you mean to say that my mother was also from an elite family of the mystic martial arts?" Sebastian asked, frowning. At that moment, all he want