"Who would've thought that the Tri-Sage Master was a fraud?" Vincent sighed.And to think that he used to worship him as well.The auctioneer finalized the bid, and the beads were officially Gideon's.Sebastian chuckled as he whispered, "Do you want to have some more fun?""What do you mean?" Vincent asked suspiciously."Obviously, we're going to expose their lies."Vincent paused and asked anxiously, "Are you sure you can do it, Dr. Ballard? After all, the Tri-Sage Master is not someone you can afford to offend.""Trust me," Sebastian said confidently.After that, he yelled loudly, "How does it feel to buy a fake artifact for 390 million dollars, Mr. Dankworth."At that, the hall erupted into a cacophony of whispers. Everyone was staring wide-eyed at Sebastian.Rosalie also turned to stare at him worriedly. "This idiot! How could he expose them like that? Does he want to die?" she mumbled anxiously.Phillips frowned but chuckled as he studied Sebastian.Meanwhile, Gideon f
The attendees in the auction hall began to disperse. Gideon was looking for the Tri-Sage Master to redeem his 195 million dollars, but the old man was already gone.Sebastian and Vincent, on the other hand, were preparing to leave. Coincidentally, Sebastian bumped into Rosalie at the exit."Ms. Griffin," Sebastian greeted.Rosalie seemed to walk faster as she ignored Sebastian.Phillips, who was by her side, chuckled. "Aren't you going to talk to him?""We have nothing to talk about! He's a playboy!" Rosalie said angrily as she urged Phillips to leave.Phillips was an experienced observer. He pretended to have a stomachache and said, "Oh, my stomach hurts. I need to use the restroom. Wait for me." Ignoring Rosalie's puzzled expression, he turned and left. As he walked away, he nodded slightly at the approaching Sebastian and whispered, "Make sure to console her."Sebastian, though unfamiliar with Phillips, smiled back and replied, "Thank you." He then approached Rosalie an
"Why wouldn't it look good?" Rosalie rolled her eyes and whispered into Sebastian's ears. "Then, should I drop by your store later? I'm yours tonight."Those words could really make any man go feral. Sebastian was stunned. Then, he let out a breath. He knew he had to make a choice between Rosalie and Whitney."We'll talk about it later." Sebastian didn't promise or reject her.Afterward, they left the club together. It was already late at night. Suddenly, Sebastian noticed a murderous intent, and he frowned. "Is it that Tri-Sage Master?" Sebastian thought to himself with a chuckle.He looked at Rosalie and said, "Rosalie, head back first. I have something to take care of.""What is it? Do you want me to come with you?" Rosalie asked. She didn't want to part from him."It's a private matter.""Alright then, come back soon. I'll be waiting for you at the store," Rosalie replied. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving.Watching Rosalie walk away, Sebastian let
Sebastian chuckled coldly. "Is that so? Well, let's see who comes out on top tonight!""How arrogant!" The Tri-Sage Master snorted, his face twisted with sinister intent. With a wave of his hand and a muttered incantation, he bellowed, "Trap!"In an instant, the protective charms affixed to the surrounding trees stirred without wind, emitting an eerie rustle. Strings of red light swiftly connected like threads, binding toward Sebastian! The spectacle, if witnessed by the average person, would surely challenge their beliefs. Sebastian chuckled lightly. "Mere child's play." With that, he propelled himself off the ground and, like a sword, charged straight at the Tri-Sage Master!Seeing this, the Tri-Sage Master smirked confidently. "You fool, you have no idea of the power of this Corpse Trapping Circle. You're just walking into a trap!"As he spoke, the strings of red light transformed into serpentine forms, swiftly darting toward Sebastian's limbs, attempting to bind him! Wi
The Tri-Sage Master was taken aback. He barely had time to react before he was heavily smashed to the ground by the corpse puppets."Shit!" The Tri-Sage Master cursed while trying to get up. But before he could, five more corpse puppets were kicked into the air and came crashing down on top of him, pinning him down firmly.Then, Sebastian approached with his hands in his pockets, looking down at the Tri-Sage Master struggling to breathe under the weight. He said coldly, "How does it feel to be pinned down like that?""You brat! You're asking for death!" the Tri-Sage Master roared, attempting to conjure a spell with his raised hand.Sebastian frowned and flicked his fingers. Then, several silver needles shot out, piercing the Tri-Sage Master's arm.The next moment, the Tri-Sage Master's hands went numb, and he cried out in agony. "What did you do to me?""Nothing much, just keeping you in check for now," Sebastian replied casually.The Tri-Sage Master felt despair creeping in.
They spent the night without saying a word.Sebastian woke up the next day and got up from the couch. Well, he wasn't a womanizer. Also, he knew they should take more time to get to know each other more.Rosalie also woke up and freshened herself up. She didn't even have breakfast before she rushed back home."What's wrong?" Sebastian asked."My mom needs me for something related to the company.""Do you need me to accompany you?"Rosalie smiled and replied, "It's just a minor issue. I'll handle it and come back to be with you.""Alright, take your time." Sebastian sighed helplessly. He couldn't stand Rosalie's teasing anymore. She had been flirting with him since last night. Despite his strong self-control, he was on the verge of giving in.Rosalie grinned mischievously as she turned and ran toward Sebastian to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Bye."Sebastian watched her leave with resignation.Once Rosalie was gone, Sebastian remembered the Sky Devouring Bottle he had acquir
Sebastian frowned slightly and asked, "Paramount Group from Sunway? Are they impressive?"He hadn't been closely following the business world at Steinberg in recent years, let alone large corporations in Sunway like Paramount Group.Penelope explained, "Paramount Group is one of the top five conglomerates in Sunway, with a market value of over 60 billion. It's a publicly traded company primarily focused on the nationwide and overseas sales of pharmaceuticals, health products, and skincare products. "Their CEO, George Cowper, wants to discuss a partnership for the nationwide and overseas distribution of Arctic Snow Mask."Sebastian considered it and asked, "What do you think?"Penelope hesitated slightly before responding, "To be honest, Mr. Ballard, Paramount Group is quite strong. The main advantage is their overseas sales channels, which account for half of the national market. Partnering with them shouldn't pose any major issues.""Alright, prepare for it. I'll accompany you
George's face darkened with displeasure as he angrily retorted, "Who the hell are you? Do you think you have a right to speak here? "Ms. Cain, who is this man? Why did you bring him? Don't you know tonight is a crucial meeting between your company and Paramount Group? "Why did you bring someone so disrespectful? Do you not want to cooperate?"George was furious. Never before had anyone dared to challenge Paramount Group during negotiations. Companies typically begged for their attention, but this audacious young man was questioning and opposing them.Penelope quickly tried to smooth things over with a forced smile. "I'm sorry, Mr. Cowper. He's my assistant. But regarding the terms you mentioned, we find it hard to accept."George sneered coldly. "Ms. Cain, think carefully. Paramount Group controls both domestic and international sales channels. If Arctic Snow Mask wants to achieve greater success, it's difficult to find another company capable of handling its distribution like
After all, Octavius was an expert at the fourth level of the Celestial realm. How could he be unable to withstand even one blow from Sebastian?There was a thump as Octavius fell heavily on the ground about 40 feet away. He spat out a huge mouthful of blood.After a long time, he raised his head in disbelief and stared at Sebastian in shock. "You… How could you—"Sebastian huffed coldly and toyed with the Spirimist pill in his hand. He scoffed and asked, "Is everyone in the Healer Sect an idiot like you? If I can refine Spirimist pills, how could I be less powerful than you?"The heavens have their own laws, so we'll end things here for today. I hope the Healer Sect will learn its lesson. If you cause trouble again, I wouldn't mind wiping out your entire sect."Remember, I never joke with my enemies." Sebastian turned and walked toward the entrance of the venue. As Sebastian passed the crowd, they all stood up to clear a path for him. They watched him walk off into the distance.
There was an uproar from the crowd as soon as Sebastian spoke."Isn't Ballard being too harsh? The head elder of the Healer Sect has already humbled himself to beg him. Why isn't he showing him even the slightest respect?""That's right. Cedric is a rare talent in the Healer Sect. If he just dies in this manner, it will be a loss to the mystic sects.""Even if it's just for the sake of those in the mystic sects, Ballard shouldn't be so cold and unfeeling."The crowd muttered darkly. They were all against Sebastian.Octavius felt more confident when he heard the crowd. The crowd's emotions were very important. If everyone felt sorry for Cedric, they could exert pressure on Sebastian and force him to let Cedric go. Even the Warrior League wouldn't risk angering the crowd for Sebastian's sake. Besides, Sebastian's biggest ally was the Warrior League. Would he really offend the Healer Sect so thoroughly?Octavius smiled thinly and said to Sebastian, "Mr. Ballard, I'm sure you'v
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