Instantly, the scrawny man's arm froze in midair. He let out a blood-curdling scream while clutching his arm. Dropping to his knees, he writhed in pain and yelled in agony."Who's there?" the other man shouted. He grabbed a machete and glared at the rusted iron doors. A figure emerged from the doorway, each step slow but deliberate, radiating an air of menacing aggression."You two are dead meat," Sebastian said coldly, his voice dripping with murderous intent. The air around him seemed to vibrate with sheer malice. Even Whitney could feel it as she shuddered at the intense atmosphere.She stared in shock at Sebastian, who had appeared like some kind of hero to save her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she was overwhelmed by relief. She never expected him to be the first to find her.Sebastian raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you okay?"Whitney nodded furiously, tears streaming down her cheeks as she said, "I'm fine… I'm okay…"Whitney suddenly felt so wronged and aggrieved
The scrawny man's face turned pale, and he dropped to his knees. "I'll talk! Our boss ordered us to do it. He said we had to kidnap that woman and hold her until we got further instructions.""Why?" Sebastian asked with a frown.The scrawny man trembled as he replied, "I-I don't know. Our boss tells us what to do, and we just do it. He doesn't share anything else with us."Sebastian's frown deepened, his voice growing colder. "What's your boss's name? Where is he now?"The scrawny man hesitated, and his expression changed."Not gonna talk?" Sebastian said with a cold laugh, raising his hand to reveal three silver needles. "If I use these, you'll suffer a fate worse than him," he warned, pointing to his convulsing partner.The scrawny man flinched, trembling uncontrollably. "He's Leonardo Cobalt. We call him Leo. He's in charge of the underground casino in the downtown west. He's probably at the casino right now…""Casino?" Sebastian muttered with a frown.Hans wasn't wrong;
Leonardo's face darkened instantly upon hearing the question. He frowned and stared across at Sebastian with a cold gaze. "Who the hell are you?""Does it matter? You just need to answer me. Were you behind Whitney's kidnapping?" Sebastian asked coldly.Leonardo snorted, laughing derisively. His eyes were filled with contempt and mockery. "Kid, you come into my place talking big. Are you looking to get yourself killed?""Yes or no?" Sebastian repeated, his tone unwavering.Leonardo's expression turned grim, his eyes gleaming with irritation. He turned to Milo and asked sharply, "Where's the woman?"Milo was already in a state of shock as he collapsed to his knees with a cry. "Leo, h-he saved the woman!""What?" Leonardo roared, his anger erupting. His eyes locked onto Sebastian, his voice turning ice-cold. "Kid, are you here to start trouble?"Sebastian replied calmly, "Trouble didn't start with me. It started with you."Leonardo's rage boiled over. "You're fucking dead!" Wit
Leonardo let out a furious roar, and the guards hastily reloaded their guns, ready to shoot Sebastian from above. But before they could pull the trigger, Sebastian dropped to the ground and dashed forward at a high speed. Within a few quick moves, he had taken down all guards, leaving them clutching their broken arms and screaming in agony on the floor.Leonardo was dumbfounded, his heart pounding with fear. This guy was insanely strong, far beyond anything he'd ever seen."W-What do you want?" Leonardo stammered, his voice trembling with fear.Sebastian turned to him, his tone cold and emotionless. "Tell me, who ordered you to do this?""You wish!" Leonardo shouted defiantly. In his line of work, the first rule was to keep his mouth shut, or else he'd never survive."No? I've got a hundred ways to make you talk," Sebastian replied coldly as he stepped toward Leonardo.Seeing Sebastian coming at him, Leonardo shivered in fear and tried to scramble away. But with a swift fli
"Who even are you?" Sebastian frowned.Leonardo let out a mocking chuckle, his voice filled with spite as he shouted. "You don't even know who Mr. McQueen is, and you dare wreck our casino? You really have a death wish!" "Spit it out if you have something to say," Sebastian retorted coldly.Leonardo was infuriated by the comeback, and he shouted, "Fine, you're so cocky! Let me tell you, this is Mr. Zachary McQueen, one of the three infamous underground casino kingpins in Steinberg!Leonardo continued, "In Steinberg, everyone bows to Mr. McQueen? He controls 18 underground casinos and over 20 entertainment venues! Just one word from him, and he can summon a thousand men! "Kid, no matter how tough you are, you think you can take on a thousand people? I suggest you get down on your knees and beg for mercy, or you'll be dead before you know it!" Sebastian frowned, looking at the crawling Leonardo. "You done?" he asked coldly.Leonardo frowned. "What are you waiting for? Kneel!" h
"Attack!" Zachary ordered coldly.Suddenly, the door of the private room was pushed open.In the blink of an eye, dozens of henchmen in black suits burst into the room, filling the space to the brim. A voice bellowed from outside the room, demanding respect and sending shockwaves through the tense atmosphere. "Who dares touch Mr. Ballard without my permission?" Zachary stiffened, his body trembling as he turned toward the source of the voice. Stepping boldly through the door was a tall figure in a white three-piece suit and matching white shoes. The man strode in with a menacing aura, flanked by a retinue of subordinates.It was Hans! The undisputed kingpin of Steinberg's underworld, a man with the power to control everything with a single hand. The sight of Hans immediately drained the color from Zachary's face. Hans was a well-known man in Steinberg. Although Zachary was one of the three major kingpins of the underground casinos, with his own sphere of influence, he had
Upon seeing James enter, Zachary's expression changed dramatically, and his brow furrowed with concern."Mr. Turner? What brings you here?" Zachary reined in his anger and gave a slight bow, showing James a level of respect.James, the head of the Turner family, was a legendary figure in Steinberg. Anyone with any influence in the city had to give James some measure of respect. Even someone like Zachary knew better than to disrespect him."Hmph! If I hadn't come, would you have gone so far as to cripple Mr. Ballard?" James snapped, his face filled with displeasure.Zachary shuddered at his words, and he frowned in confusion. He glanced at James and asked, "Mr. Turner, are you here for this punk?""Watch your words!" James pounded his cane on the ground with a resounding thud, his voice sharp with reprimand. "Zachary! To speak to Mr. Ballard like that… Are you disregarding me?"Zachary froze, and his expression changed. He quickly stammered and said, "No, of course not, but I don'
Sebastian frowned. It seemed that the Targery family had considerable influence.James also whispered, "Mr. Ballard, Mr. Targery Senior was previously retired from a prominent position in Sunway, where he had significant authority. Many of his protégés now hold high-ranking positions. We can't afford to provoke Mr. Targery Senior easily."Meanwhile, seeing Hans and James's reaction, Zachary smirked coldly and said, "Mr. Turner, Mr. Wagner, what now? Are you still sticking up for this punk, or do you want to call it a day? I won't make things difficult for you both. Just take him away, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened."Hans and James exchanged uneasy glances, then looked at Sebastian."Mr. Ballard, maybe it's better to let it go today. Ms. Sutton is safe now, after all," Hans suggested.But to everyone's surprise, Sebastian simply smiled and raised his head, staring directly at Zachary with an air of defiance. He said coldly, "I don't care who you have as your backing
"Hundreds of international experts have gathered in Steinberg, and they're obviously targeting us, the martial arts community," Alaric said. "That's why Mr. Harton issued the Martial God Command for the sake of our safety."Phineas glanced at the middle-aged men and nodded slightly. "Oh, I see." Despite Alaric's words, he didn't believe a single thing the man said. Alaric and Ezekiel weren't the kind of people who would care about the rest of the world. If they were, they wouldn't have made the comments that they had in the stands. In fact, they had been very unhappy about the fact that Sebastian had won three battles in a row."That's right. Even though we misunderstood Mr. Ballard in the past, that was a personal matter. It has nothing to do with righteousness," Alaric added.Phineas eyed him coldly and smiled. "It would be a blessing for the martial arts community if you truly thought that way. Right now, we're under immense pressure. This is the time when we need the help of s
Aiden's eyes were shining slightly.Ezekiel nodded quickly and said, "That's right. This must be the treasure spoken of in the legends. It's just a pity that it's fallen into the hands of someone like Sebastian. What a waste!"Aiden thought for a moment before saying, "Mr. Harton, the influence of the Flying Cranes alone will not be enough to force him into submission."People like Sebastian were sure to have an ally. The Flying Cranes had influence in Jerose, but they weren't currently in Jerose.The major sects in Sartvale would play a greater role than the Flying Cranes.Ezekiel knew what Aiden meant. However, none of the sects in Sartvale had the courage to make Sebastian their enemy.On the one hand, Belinda was supporting him. On the other, the incident with Ethan had shocked Sartvale's martial arts community.Several experts at the seventh level of the Celestial realm had almost all been slaughtered without mercy. Who else would dare to provoke Sebastian?"A few sect lea
Belinda hosted a lavish dinner for Sebastian, Phineas, and the others. It was late at night when Blake finally brought Sebastian back to the convenience store. Melvin sat thoughtfully in the car. After thinking long and hard, he pulled out his phone and found a number. He sent a message to it.Not long after that, a young man in Ballard Mansion walked over to a pavilion in the back garden. Arnaud was relaxing in the pavilion."Great-grandfather, there's news from Melvin," said the young man. "Oh?" Arnaud glanced sideways at him."Melvin is very sure that Sebastian's ally is the Warrior League." The young man stepped forward and handed his phone respectfully to Arnaud. "Alright. Andreas, go and get ready. It's time for him to return to Ballard Mansion and acknowledge his ancestors," Arnaud said calmly. "Yes! I won't let you down!" Andreas Ballard replied. He bowed deeply to Arnaud and took three steps backward before turning to leave.As he watched Andreas walk off, Arnaud s
Sebastian shook his head slightly and said, "Thank you for your kind thoughts, Madam Dragon. Even if the entire martial arts community treats me as an enemy because of this, I'll accept it."How could Sebastian be an elder in the Warrior League when he was the successor of the Sacred Medicine Society?Everyone looked at Sebastian in slight surprise. He would be willing to make an enemy of the entire martial arts community?Belinda was also surprised. She hadn't expected Sebastian to be so firm."Mr. Ballard, are you afraid that your mentor will be against it?" she asked, frowning.No one would refuse the conditions that she had just made. Besides, joining the Warrior League in the current circumstances would be great for Sebastian.With the Warrior League as his ally, the Sapientia wouldn't dare to do anything to him. She hadn't expected Sebastian to refuse outright."Mr. Ballard, do you have a mentor?" Elara asked, puzzled. Hadn't Sebastian always said that he didn't have one?
When Belinda and Elara heard Sebastian's voice, they walked out of the back room."It's been a while, Mr. Ballard," Belinda said, smiling.Upon seeing her expression had changed from how it had been when she greeted him, Melvin was even more astounded by Sebastian's identity.Belinda always smiled when she met Sebastian, but it was a rare event for any other person to see her smile."It's been a while, Madam Dragon," Sebastian said with a bow. "Please sit down, Mr. Ballard." Elara hurried toward him and pulled him down beside the main seat. Melvin and Phineas returned to their seats, looking rather awkward."Mr. Ballard, I hear from Mr. Tuxley that Ezekiel is plotting something against you. That's why I sent Blake to bring you here. I'd like to hear your opinion," Belinda said, smiling.Everyone noticed that Belinda had spoken respectfully twice. They all turned to look at Sebastian."Madam Dragon, I wasn't concerned about Ezekiel at first, but now so many sects from the mar
Blake chuckled as he walked in."Yes! I just jump up and slap people in the face—" When Zane turned and saw that it was Blake, he abruptly stopped speaking.He smiled awkwardly. Boasting in front of Blake was just asking for trouble."Zane, that move where you jump up and slap people was quite interesting to watch," Blake said, grinning.Zane suddenly had a coughing fit. He didn't know if Blake was complimenting him or not."Is Mr. Ballard around? I've come on behalf of Madam Dragon. She would like him to pay a visit," Blake said to Zane. "Yes, yes! He's inside. He's with Ms. Griffin, and they're chatting—" Zane suddenly spotted Sebastian leaning in the doorway, a smile playing about his lips as he stared at him."Uh… he's not chatting." He hastily changed tack and congratulated himself for being quick-witted."Come in, Blake." Sebastian rolled his eyes at Zane. He knew exactly what Zane was going to say whenever he opened his mouth. He was sure that Zane had nothing innocent
Blake bowed slightly to Belinda before turning and leaving the hall."Please sit for a moment, gentlemen. We'll discuss this matter once Mr. Ballard arrives." Belinda left Melvin and Phineas there on their own after she had finished. She didn't even give them a chance to reply before entering the back room with Elara.Melvin and Phineas sat awkwardly in their seats. It didn't seem right to either leave or stay."Relax, gentlemen. Madam Dragon is discussing some matters with a few elders. Have some tea and wait for Mr. Ballard," a maid said as she carried over a tray of tea. She served both Melvin and Phineas with a cup of fragrant tea.Melvin was pleasantly surprised. He took the teacup from the maid with both hands. Although she was a mere maid, the important thing was who she worked for. Belinda had a close relationship with the head director of Dramon's Martial Arts Court. It could even be said that the Martial Arts Court wouldn't exist without her.Even the national head dir
"Yes. That's right," Melvin answered quickly.Blake nodded slightly and strode to the entrance. He said to Phineas, "Mr. Tuxley, Madam Dragon would like to see you."Phineas immediately puffed up his chest and straightened his clothes. When he finally felt presentable, he followed Blake to the hall.Meeting someone as important as Belinda was a matter of honor for Phineas. Therefore, he prostrated himself as soon as he entered and said to Belinda, "My name is Phineas Tuxley and I'm the head director of the Steinberg Martial Arts Court. Greetings, Madam Dragon."Belinda was startled to see him prostrate as soon as he entered. She suppressed a smile and shook her head slightly. "Mr. Tuxley, a bow like that is an outdated rule from hundreds of years ago. It is no longer appropriate in today's times. Please sit down," she said, pointing at the seat beside her."Thank you, Madam Dragon." Phineas stood up and glanced at the chairs. Where was he supposed to sit? Melvin had already ta
Melvin bowed his head and followed Blake into Ventus Estate. On the way there, he kept stealing glances at the black-clad men.The more he looked at them, the more shocked Melvin became. Where had the Warrior League gotten so many experts at the third level of the Celestial realm and above?In any other sect, they would be a deacon at the very least, but they were only fit to be guards for the Warrior League.He didn't know that these men hadn't previously been at such a high level. It was all thanks to Sebastian that they had been able to improve so swiftly.That was why everyone in the Warrior League respected Sebastian so much. Sebastian and the Warrior League relied on each other and helped each other. There was no imbalance in their relationship."Please come in, Mr. Cappell." Blake stood in the doorway to the hall and indicated for Melvin to enter.Despite Blake's politeness, Melvin knew that he had no right to walk in front.The Lucoxes weren't just the family who contr