He heard a deafening sound as a tremendous force suddenly collided with his arms. The sensation was as if a heavily loaded train was rushing toward him at an incredibly fast speed. The Reiki that Mr. Chardon had gathered in his arms was instantly dispersed by this immense force! His arms also experienced a sharp pain, and he felt as if they were broken.However, that was not the end of it. The massive impact caused Mr. Chardon’s body to be pushed back dozens of meters before he could barely stabilize himself.Mr. Chardon, who had just managed to stand firm, immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. He had lost almost all sensation in his two arms, and his entire chest felt as if it had been shattered as he suffered significant internal injuries.However, Mr. Chardon could not anticipate that while he had just managed to steady himself, Charlie would rapidly approach him at an alarming speed!Amidst his astonishment, Mr. Chardon was about to resist with all his might when he sudde
Mr. Chardon roared, "Thunder, come!" with a powerful and majestic momentum.According to the scene Mr. Chardon had envisioned in his mind, after his thunderous shout, the sky should be covered with dark clouds and rolling with muffled thunder. Following that, a lightning bolt as thick as a water bucket would descend from the sky, striking Charlie’s head directly. He firmly believed that even if this lightning bolt could not hit Charlie directly, it would render him completely powerless to resist. By then, Mr. Chardon would have ten thousand ways to torture him and force him to reveal all his secrets.However, after Mr. Chardon shouted ‘Thunder, come!’, no dark clouds appeared in the sky like last time, nor were there any roaring thunder or lightning.The night sky in Aurous Hill tonight was exceptionally clear, and coupled with minimal light pollution in the mountainous area, one could look up and see a crescent moon and a sky full of stars.When Mr. Chardon saw that there were n
Mr. Chardon saw the Thunder Order in Charlie’s hand and immediately recognized it as a treasure made of Thunderstrike wood. Although he did not know how to craft magical instruments, he was familiar with the quality of raw materials. The Thunderstrike wood in Charlie’s hand had a long history and was unmistakably a top-grade Thunderstrike wood, at first glance.He had a shocked expression as he blurted out, “What… What is going on? Where did you get that magical instrument?!” Charlie sneered and said, “To be honest with you, I was the one who crafted both of these Thunderstrike woods. It’s just that mine is the father, and yours is the son. Although the son is usually arrogant, he has to behave when he meets the father, so it will naturally become silent!”Mr. Chardon was furious and yelled, “Damn you! Do you think an old man such as myself is not educated at all? Do you think I'll believe in such nonsense?!”Charlie said with a smile, “You don’t believe me? I'll demonstrate it fo
Moreover, Mr. Chardon knew that the only magical technique he could cast remotely was the blade from the British Lord’s wooden sword. In contrast, Charlie’s techniques included an invisible blade similar to his and heavenly thunder descending directly from the sky. Mr. Chardon’s wooden sword could not harm Charlie, and he had nowhere to hide from the heavenly thunder. Therefore, if this continued, he would undoubtedly be worn down by Charlie. The only solution was for him to engage in close combat with him!With this in mind, Mr. Chardon clenched his teeth and yelled coldly, “Young lad, either you die, or I perish today!” After saying this, he infused Reiki into his legs and unleashed the technique of teleportation that the British Lord had taught him as he rushed toward Charlie at an eerie speed, which resembled a space jump. The greatest advantage of this technique was its elusive trajectory, making it difficult for the opponent to harm him and simultaneously shortening the di
Only two very close explosions were heard, and those two sword edges were unexpectedly smashed into dust by Charlie’s fists! Mr. Chardon, who only had a pair of red underwear covering his entire body, had just run about ten feet away. Initially, he had been using his sword to frantically escape without looking back in order to save his life. However, after hearing two explosions, a sudden burst of excitement flashed in his heart!These two explosions were noticeably different from the earlier ones when the sword edges had collided with the soul-piercing blades. These two explosions sounded more like the result of the sword hitting the target's body!“Could it be… Could it be that Charlie didn't manage to evade my sneak attack?!” Mr. Chardon suddenly felt overjoyed at this thought. He instinctively turned around, wanting to see if Charlie had been injured by his two swords. If so, he could capitalize on the advantage and perhaps take Charlie's head! However, at that moment, to h
At this moment, Ruby, who was hidden in the shadows, was completely stunned! She didn't expect that the formidable man in black before her was actually Curtis’s son from back then!Meanwhile, Charlie was unaware that there was still a concealed cultivator with a hidden presence ten feet away in the shadows. His attention was solely on Mr. Chardon, who was in front of him. Despite witnessing Mr. Chardon’s pathetic and fearful appearance, Charlie felt no sympathy for him.He looked at Mr. Chardon and shouted again, “Thunder, come!”A thunderous explosion echoed as another lightning bolt descended from the sky! This time, the thunder struck Mr. Chardon’s right hand directly, turning it into black charcoal!In the previous few lightning strikes, Charlie had deliberately controlled the power in order to toy with Mr. Chardon. However, this time, Charlie intentionally increased the power, directly disabling Mr. Chardon’s right hand.Mr. Chardon felt an intense burning pain in his hand. W
However, human greed never followed such rules. In reality, the younger someone was, the less they feared death. Many young people who were around fifteen or sixteen dared to face death in confrontation with others. On the contrary, as people grew older, they often became more afraid of death. Even someone like Mr. Chardon, who was a cultivator, was not exempt from this commonality. In fact, he was more afraid of death than most people.When Mr. Chardon saw that Charlie was not showing him any mercy at all, he cried and said, “Charlie, back then, I was also acting under orders. The British Lord gave me an order I couldn't refuse! If you want to avenge your parents, you should go after the British Lord and not a lowly pawn such as myself…”Charlie sarcastically remarked, “Oh? You’re selling your boss out for your own gain now? Well, if you honestly reveal everything about the Qing Eliminating Society, I might give you a quick death so that you won’t suffer such a horrible death!”M
The pineal gland was considered the dwelling place of the Nine True Paths in cultivation. Some say it corresponded to the pineal gland in human anatomy, capable of secreting various hormones with subtle and mystical effects on the body. However, with age, its functions gradually deteriorate and would become almost ornamental.For cultivators, activating the pineal gland signified unlocking a whole new world. Activating the pineal gland involved using Reiki to unlock the pineal gland located at the center of the brain.The pineal gland was also known as the upper elixir field. Generally speaking, it was easy to activate the lower elixir field, and it was not difficult to open up all eight meridians. However, only extremely skilled cultivators could activate their upper elixir field. For cultivators, this spot was the supreme realm of the Nine True Paths, where human consciousness originated. If one could activate the pineal gland and cultivate in the right manner, one would not only
"That would be me," Don Albert replied and asked in return, "And who are you? What's your business with me?"Mr. Bay quickly said, "Good evening, Don Albert. I'm Mr. Bay from the Calligraphy and Painting Association—we've met before.""Oh, Mr. Bay…" Don Albert did indeed recall who he was. "So, why have you called me?""I hope you don't mind—I had to ask a few friends to get your number…"Don Albert smiled as he already had a hunch that Mr. Bay was calling about Jacob. "I see. Just be straight with me now.""Okay, so here's the thing…" Mr. Bay promptly said, "Jacob and Zachary Evans really stirred some waves with what they did, and it's talked about a lot amongst the circles of antique enthusiasts in Aurous Hill… But I wonder if you've heard?"Don Albert sighed. "Yes, I've heard. Go on."Mr. Bay obliged. "Well, to be honest, it wasn't just a big deal amongst the circles of antique enthusiasts in Aurous Hill. Even the Calligraphy and Painting Association was affected. As you know
Having heard all of that, Julien promptly picked up his cup and chugged his drink, and he felt distinctly different as soon as the liquor touched his lips.While one would usually feel warm after drinking alcohol, like a thrilling burning sensation, this medicinal liquor was nourishing instead, almost as if every single one of Julien's sweat pores were revitalized.After all, it was the enhanced version of the Healing Pill, whose effect was more than double the prototype. That was why just a fifth was enough for Julien to feel two years younger.With the miraculous pill, he felt less tired, and sitting on the stool didn't hurt his rump or his hip.Even his sight was much sharper, his presbyopia clearing considerably.In short, his entire body had never felt this good!Even as he glanced at Raymond across the table, he could see that the other man's cheeks were flushed, and many of his wrinkles had smoothed over!It went without saying that Julien was envious as Raymond drank twi
Julien had made up his mind—Charlie had already dragged him into this anyway, and he certainly wouldn't stay as a slave who bemoaned his fate every day.He had boarded Charlie's ship, and the ship had sailed—he just had to come up with a plan so that he could stay on it without any problem.After all, the chances for him to become the next Rothschild head or how long he would get to live were banked entirely on Charlie's decision.If Charlie didn't want him as head, he just had to ask Helena to be his broker and sell some pills to old Harrison, and Julien would be forced to stay as the heir apparent to their empire until he expired.And since the decision was made, he must first show some sincerity by investing into Aurous Hill—it was the ideal way to bring in both capital and human resources.With Julien having indicated his position, Charlie smiled. "Aurous Hill is a land of wealth and prosperity. As a local, I keenly await your investment, Mr. Rothschild."Julien was worried f
Julien shook his head and gingerly asked, "Jordan Fox likes his granddaughter?"Charlie smiled, shaking his head. "And your father doesn't like you as his eldest? Admiration is no guarantee of inheritance. And if we're talking about love, is it not a gesture of love that he provided you with endless cash and a life of privilege that only the world's top one percent can enjoy?"Julien also noticed the flaw in his logic. "Then, do you perchance know why, Mr. Wade?"Charlie nodded. "Jordan granted his position to Kathleen because that was the condition I proposed to him in return for prolonging his life. No succession, no pills—no matter how much he was willing to pay me for it."Then, Charlie looked Julien straight in the eye as he continued solemnly, "If the day comes and I find you more reliable, I will choose you as the sole broker for your father's pills. Just think about it—if the day comes that you're the only person your father can get his pills from, would he say no if you as
Charlie chuckled. "You might think that I'm screwing you over, but in reality, I'm indirectly solidifying your place as heir apparent. From what I've learned, your family has not confirmed who it would be."Julien chuckled awkwardly. "You're right, but I am now. With the pills you've provided, however, my father might live longer than me…"Charlie nodded. "Since we have the fortune of meeting over drinks, I shall cut to the chase—to me, it doesn't matter who between you or your father lives longer. My priority is with whom I could hope for a better partnership."And right now, your father has shown more sincerity than you have, which was why I asked Helena to provide him with my pills."Pausing, Charlie then asked, "Are you aware of your father's recent activities? In Northern Europe?""A little," Julien replied. "A data center or something along those lines."Charlie nodded again. "See, I've asked Helena to make him a new offer—I will provide him with one pill should he build an
Charlie had actually invited Julien over to bring him aboard his metaphorical ship.While not particularly down-to-earth, Julien was still the second most important figure in the Rothschild family, and having him on board wouldn't hurt.Moreover, just having drinks with Charlie and Raymond here basically told everyone they were friends. If Harrison knew that Julien was meeting the son of Curtis Wade as well as 'Biden Cole', who had taken the Four-Sided Treasure Tower from the Rothstchilds, he just might have Julien shot.While Julien may not become the head of the Rothschild family anytime soon, he would prove very useful.With Helena basically controlling Harrison and Charlie himself controlling Julien, traveling Stateside would be no different from going home."It seems I must reevaluate my opinion of you now with that attitude."Charlie smiled at Julien and raised his cup, "Come, let's have a toast—to friendship."Julien nodded, picked up his cup, exclaiming cheerfully, "To f
Pausing, Julien then said, "I mostly drink wine and the occasional whiskey.""How much are those, usually?" Raymond asked.Julien thought about it. "If it's table wine, 10,000 to 50,000 USD. For bigger occasions, it'd be something over a hundred thousand."Raymond nodded and pointed at the bottle of Oskian vodka he had bought. "Guess how much that is?"Julein shook his head. "I don't usually drink Oskian alcohol, so I'm not too sure…""Come on," Charlie chuckled. "We're not asking if you know—we're just asking you to take a guess.""Then…" Julien quickly said. "I'm guessing, three thousand?""Three thousand?" Raymond chuckled and shook his head. "That's way too flattering. It's around 7 USD.""Seven bucks?!" Julien exclaimed, and he blurted, "You usually drink something that cheap, Mr. Cole?""Well, not stateside," Raymond smiled. "But I liked it after I ordered one from a diner yesterday. It's cheap, and it has quality."Julien gulped as he stared at his own cup filled to th
Julien flinched and promptly threw his hands up. "No, no, no… please don't say that, Mr. Wade! That's not what I mean—as a son, it's only right that I hope my father lives long and prospers. Why wouldn't I want him to?"Charlie pointed out, "Then why'd you say that I've screwed you over repeatedly?""Oh. I, uh…" Julien wasn't sure how to respond to that, and he groaned unhappily, "I was not being mindful with words. I take that back…" Charlie nodded. "Then, I'll give you another chance.""Huh?" Julien was left confused, and he quickly asked, "Another chance… for what?"Charlie clapped him on the shoulder again, smiling, "We're old friends, aren't we? Why would I screw you over? Anyway, your turn."Julien was left utterly aggrieved as he read through Charlie's intention—that was precisely the definition of screwing him over!If his father knew he had come to Aurous Hill to hang out with these two, especially Biden Cole, he would definitely be removed as heir! And yet, Charlie
Having seen a sliver of the common folk's plight, Julien turned back to the journey at hand.Soon, his MPV arrived at Aurous Hill's Antique Street.As it was closing hours, the place appeared bleak, almost as though it had been completely abandoned. It was only during opening hours and the few hours before closing that the place became most alive anyway.Most of the time, the vendors and employees outnumbered the guests, and during closing hours, it would get very quiet. One wouldn't even find strays here as there weren't scraps around.Still, Julien had no idea what the hell the place was, even as he arrived outside Treasure Measure following the location Charlie had sent.Once he was sure he was at the right place, he called Charlie, immediately sounding respectful and flattering, "I'm here, Mr. Wade. If you don't mind opening the door…""Alright, just hang on," Charlie said and put down the phone while turning to Raymond, who was putting the food on a folding table, "Our frien