The slap left Matthew rather dazed.Marion and Elara exchanged looks. They realized that even Nino's subordinate showed no respect for the Carters, let alone Nino himself. Shawn had gone so far as to hit Matthew without hesitation, too.Clutching his face, Matthew got back on his feet. Sensing the strange looks in the women's eyes, he felt humiliated, but he dared not say anything.After seeing that even Matthew couldn't do anything about it, Arnold knew there was no use in saying anything else. With great bitterness, he said, "I'll pay ten million dollars in compensation. Please tell Mr. Duran to give me three days to gather the money.""Three days? That's too long. You're not even getting an hour, let alone three days," Shawn retorted."What do you want, then?" Arnold fumed. "We're a modest family with a small company, and business hasn't been going too well. I can't fork out ten million dollars in cash right away. If you insist on being unreasonable, I'll have no choice but to
"I'll go!"It seemed to have taken every bit of Elara's strength to get those words out. She felt weak and wobbly on her feet, as if she could fall at any minute."How wise of you, Ms. Seymour," Shawn remarked with a grin. "Excellent. Come with me, please.""Ella!"Arnold and Marion were extremely agitated. They wanted to rush up to Elara and pull her back, but the men stopped them. All they could do was watch as Elara got into the car.Overwhelmed by his anger and sorrow, Arnold spat out the blood and fainted. Marion was so terrified that she didn't know what to do. Too beside herself to even call 911, she simply clutched Arnold and sobbed."Dad! Mom!"At some point, Gideon came back and was shocked by this sight. He quickly checked on Arnold and used some medical techniques to stabilize his condition.Slowly, Arnold regained consciousness, coughing as he did."Arnie!" Marion was overjoyed. "You're finally awake. You scared me half to death!""Ella…"Arnold had a dead loo
Elara was extremely familiar with Tom Horne, the plump young man in front of her. In fact, she was traumatized by him.They'd gone to college together, and at the time, he'd persistently pursued her. She wasn't interested in him, so she rejected him countless times. Much to her detestation, he shamelessly continued his attempts anyway.In the end, she had no choice but to get a few people to beat him up. Following that, he stopped bothering her.It had been three years since then. Elara didn't expect Tom to show up here, and from what Nino said, it sounded like he was a person of some importance.Elara remained doubtful. To her knowledge, Tom came from an ordinary background. No matter how much success he achieved in three years, how could he have managed to become a big shot who could hang out with someone like Nino?"It's been a while, Elara," Tom said meaningfully. "I bet you never thought I'd show up here."Snapping back to reality, Elara said, "Mr. Duran said it was you who
Elara was dumbstruck. She thought she must've misheard Tom."What did you say, Tom?""I asked you to perform a striptease for me. You can leave when you're done. That's not too much to ask for, right?" Tom said.Elara turned red with anger and berated, "You've gone too far, Tom!""I've gone too far?" Tom guffawed. "Are you dumb or naive, Elara? Do you really think I'd look out for you? Do you think I specifically asked for Mr. Duran's men to bring you here just to make you drink a few glasses of alcohol? "How is that enough to make you pay for all the pain and suffering you caused me during our college years?"Tom's tone grew steadily colder. Even his expression was contorted maliciously.He marched up to Elara like a stalking predator and growled, "Do you still recall how you humiliated me back then? You said I was delusional and a dog you couldn't shake off. You said you'd die before agreeing to be my girlfriend. You also called me a pig and said I was an ugly clown—that no w
"Hold it right there!"Once those words rang out, Elara instinctively pulled her clothes back on properly.Gideon rushed into the room. Eyes landing on Elara, he asked, "Are you okay?""It's you!"Elara had been wondering who'd arrived to save her. She didn't expect it to be Gideon. It would've been a lie to say she didn't feel moved, but what was the use of him showing up? Nino had no respect for the Carters, much less the Snows, who had fallen from grace. He was only going to get himself killed.With a foul expression, Nino questioned icily, "Who the hell are you, punk? How dare you cause trouble on my territory? Do you want to die?"Gideon didn't answer his question. Instead, he asked, "I'd like to know who hit Arnold Seymour, Elara's father. Come forward. Let me take a look at you.""Hah!" Shawn chortled. He was one of Nino's right-hand men. "It was me who brought my men over to beat Arnold up, punk! What about it? Are you going to try and stand up for him? How are you rel
"Gideon! What is that nonsense? Hurry up and apologize to Mr. Neely!" Elara berated."Gideon, right?" Shawn asked mockingly. "Listen to your wife. She knows her place. If you apologize, I'll just break both your arms. If you don't, I'll break all four limbs."However, Gideon took out his phone."Oh? What's this? Are you trying to call someone?" Shawn taunted. "I'm dying to see who would dare to come to Mr. Duran's territory and rescue you."Instead, Gideon simply said, "I gave you a minute. You have 30 seconds left.""What?"Shawn and the others were dumbfounded."20 seconds," Gideon said."Ten seconds!""Alright. Time's up! Since you're not doing it yourselves, I'll just have to help you out."Pale with fury, Shawn snarled, "I've never met someone as dumb as you. Since you've got a death wish, I'll fulfill it for you. Get him, men!"Gideon turned around and said, "Back away. Don't get hurt."Elara was outraged that Gideon was being so stubborn, but when she saw the men in
"A misunderstanding, you say?" Gideon repeated with a look of amusement.Tom nodded fervently. "That's right. It really was just a misunderstanding. I have an important meeting at my company, so if there's nothing else, I'll get going now.""Hold it."Two words were enough to make Tom pause in his tracks. He even started shaking."Do you take me for a fool?" Gideon questioned with a snort. "You think you can leave just like that after humiliating my wife?"Chuckling awkwardly, Tom took out a debit card and said, "Yes, of course. I should make it up to you. There's 100 thousand dollars in this bank account, Mr. Snow. Please consider it a token of my apology to Ella. That should be enough, right?""You think I need 100 thousand dollars?""Well…" Tom was furious, but he dared not let it show. He was worried that Gideon would fly off the handle and cripple him, too. That would truly be the worst-case scenario."What do you want, then, Mr. Snow?""It's simple. I believe in giving p
"I have no choice but to let you suffer a little bit. I hope you can understand, Mr. Horne," Nino said.Tom was infuriated, of course. What was he supposed to understand? Running naked to his office? Was it some kind of sick joke? If he did it, it would certainly make the headline news in Goldspire. How was he supposed to show his face in public ever again?"I'm the chairman of Horne Enterprise. You'd better watch it, or else, you can't blame me for not showing any mercy.""Hah! I guess there's nothing more to be said. Sorry about this. Men, undress him.""Yes, boss!"A few burly men subdued Tom and ripped his clothes off. Tom screamed and struggled, to no avail."I'm going to kill you, Nino!" Tom cried out, his eyes bulging out in anger. Alas, this wasn't the worst of it. What came next was the real nightmare, for he saw a massive wolfdog with saliva dripping from its gnashing teeth. Its eyes were ferocious, too.Chuckling, Nino said, "I've raised him for many years now, Mr.
Brantley truly lived up to his reputation. As soon as the netherflame entered his body, he immediately sat down cross-legged and began channeling his energy. His Martial God Physique reawakened, and he tried to forcefully suppress the netherflame.His body would turn blazing red one moment, as if it were about to melt, and then be covered in frost and ice shards the next.The alternating waves of fire and ice quickly tore through the internal structure of Brantley's Martial God Physique, and his condition kept worsening."No!"Harmoni was terrified. She quickly spat out an inner core—a treasure her father had given her. It was said to be the inner core of a half apex overbeast. However, it was badly damaged and no longer contained the full power of its original level.She instantly sent the inner core into Brantley's body. It exploded instantly, releasing a surge of energy that began to repair his damaged body.But it still wasn't enough. The netherflame was far too powerful. It
"Once you get the netherflame, your Martial God Physique will fully awaken in no time. When that happens, even Gideon won't be a threat."We can track Gideon down, crush him, and strip his Solar Titan Physique at the source. We'll also get the Beast Supreme Bone! Everything will be yours!" Harmoni shouted, cheering Brantley on.Gideon sneered. So, that was their plan.At this moment, Gideon couldn't help but admire the power of the Pharaoh's Shroud. They were just 100 yards away, yet neither Brantley nor Harmoni noticed them.Of course, it might have been because their attention was fully locked on breaking through to the third floor that they let their guards down."Open!" Brantley roared.His energy surged, and behind him, a phantom slowly took shape, radiating a fierce warrior-like energy. That phantom looked like a war god.Brantley kept swinging his fists, perfectly synchronized with the movements of the war god phantom behind him. Each strike made the floating palace tremb
Sure enough, floating in the deep sea ahead was a palace. It was pitch-black, and in the darkness of the deep sea, it was genuinely hard to spot.The glowing fish darted into the floating palace. Thanks to its golden light, Gideon was finally able to see that the palace gates were open.Strangely enough, the entrance seemed to carry some sort of mysterious power that blocked out the seawater completely. Not a single drop made it inside the palace."Marshal Snow, someone beat us to it.""It's fine. That just means they'll go and clear the way for us," Gideon said calmly.It didn't matter who got the heavenly flame first. As long as they weren't peak Supremes, he was confident he could take them on."Now that we've found our destination, do you two want to head back to shore first?" Gideon asked.Elara shook her head. "No. I'm not some helpless little thing. I've learned all the secret techniques you taught me. I can handle myself."Jessica chimed in proudly, "Marshal Snow, don't
Nethercult's outfits were nearly identical across the board, making them easy to recognize.As a major power in the northern region of the Wasteland, Nethercult kept a low profile. Tristan Neblanc, the leader, was as elusive as a ghost. He was heard of but rarely seen."Mr. Ballard, Harmoni and Brantley have started moving. Do you think they can get their hands on the heavenly flame?"Three people turned toward the eldest man among them—Nethercult's grand elder, Chaim Ballard.With Tristan absent, Chaim was in charge of the cult's operations.He pondered for a moment. "There's a decent chance. Brantley's working on forming the Martial God Physique. Though he's only at the half-step stage, his powerful body will attract the netherflame.""Mr. Ballard, are we waiting for the netherflame to enter Brantley's body before we suppress him?""Exactly.""That could tick off Talonclaw. And Harmoni said Brantley's from Martialgarde, the biggest faction in the eastern plains.""So what? I
Even though Gideon was locked in place and restrained, Gideon didn't sense any hostility from the giant fish. He met its gaze without flinching or acting humble.After a moment, he said, "I used your blood and triggered your phantom once, which helped me out of a tight spot. Thank you."The giant fish didn't move. It shut its eyes, clearly not interested in responding to Gideon."Mighty One, I came this time just to express my gratitude. I'll be on my way. If I get the chance, I'll come see you again."With that, Gideon bowed and turned to leave.Suddenly, a beam of golden light shot out like a sword and pierced into his body."Marshal Snow!" Jessica cried out in alarm.Gideon's body trembled, nearly losing his breath, but the sensation quickly faded.He touched his body and checked himself over. Nothing felt out of place.When he looked back, he saw the giant fish's eyes slowly closing. Clearly, that beam of light had come from its eyes just moments ago."Thank you." Gideon
"The Heavenly Sovereign is the ultimate trump card. As long as Chase doesn't have it, Attwell will always have a shot at pushing back against him."Of course, we're not expecting Attwell to actually beat Chase. We just need him to stir up some trouble and pull Chase's attention. That way, Chase won't have time to focus on the power grab," Jandial explained.Edric nodded to himself. "What you're saying makes sense, but why would Attwell even listen to you?"Jandial paused, looked around the room, and said in a low voice, "I'm only telling you all because we're brothers. Listen closely. When Attwell lost and fled to the Wasteland, his whole family was wiped out. But in reality, I secretly saved one.""What?" Everyone was shocked.Jandial said, "Attwell's only son has been living in my estate. I gave him a name—Alfsee… Alfsee Cook!"The princes around the table started murmuring, "Now that you mentioned it, I've seen that boy at your estate a few times. So that's Attwell's son? Unbe
As the saying went, good fortune hid misfortune, and misfortune might lead to good fortune.After everything Elara had just gone through, her strength had actually improved when she woke up. Her core had already advanced another step.However, Elara still hadn't undergone any formal training. She had all this energy in her body but didn't really know how to use it.Gideon passed on a few top-tier techniques to her—Voidpoint Touch and Cloudborne Palm—ones more suited for a woman to use.But for actual training, Elara would need to rely heavily on Umbra for guidance. When it came to refining the pure-essence physique, Gideon didn't know much himself.…The next morning, Jessica arrived at the High Marshal's estate. Gideon brought the two of them aboard an aircraft and left Drammore."Your Highness, I have news. Marshal Snow has left Drammore."In the grand hall, Edric, Freddie, and several other royal princes were seated together, expressions mixed.Edric asked, "Freddie, are yo
"Then, is it possible that Marshal Snow planted something in Jessica's body? Quick! Summon the four renowned physicians immediately. Have them do a full examination of Jessica," Freddie ordered.The four renowned physicians of Drammore arrived swiftly. After examining Jessica's body, each of them showed visible shock."Your Highness, Princess Jessica's body has no issues at all. She's just a bit weak. With some rest and care, she'll make a full recovery in just over a month.""It's truly remarkable!""The High Marshal isn't just a powerhouse. His medical skills are practically otherworldly, too. He's a true prodigy!""Even our own skills can't hold a candle to Marshal Snow's!""He's a giant among men!"The four renowned physicians sang praises nonstop.Only they knew just how miraculous the treatment was. Within just three days, Jessica's injuries were already 70% to 80% healed. It was like watching a living immortal at work."If only Marshal Snow would give us a few pointers,
"Where exactly did you get exposed to the fire poison?" Gideon asked.Jessica tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then said, "I remember now. It was probably in Tyrant Sea!""Tyrant Sea!"Gideon's eyes narrowed. That was the inland sea within Mulstead and the largest ocean in all of Dasovia. The weather above it was notoriously violent and unpredictable, with thunderous storms raging frequently. That was how it got its name.Jonathan asked, "Jessica, when did you sneak off to Tyrant Sea? That place is crawling with lightning storms. You've got some nerve."Jessica grinned. "I was just planning to sightsee along the shore of the sea, but then I spotted a shiny golden fish. It was so pretty, so I followed it right into the sea.""Princess Jessica, could you describe what happened in more detail?""Let me think… I dove into Tyrant Sea, chased that glowing fish, and went deeper and deeper. Then, I realized something wasn't right. I was way too far from the coast."I tried to sw