Rachel asked, "So, should we go?""Why should we?" Gideon rolled his eyes and called out, "Lysander!""Here!""Go to the Farrell family and deliver my message. They are to come to Beaker Island immediately.""As you command!"Lysander left at once.Harvey, Rachel, and Gary exchanged glances, finding the situation intriguing. However, Harvey and Gary were a bit uneasy, unsure if Gideon could match the strength of that terrifying man, Douglas.Rachel, on the other hand, had no such concerns. She was well aware of Gideon's strength and had complete confidence in him.…At the Farrell estate, a grand feast was underway.Douglas had arrived with only Cade Porter, his subordinate, by his side. For him, one person was enough!After all, Cade was one of the top ten strongest individuals in the Chapman royal family, a world-renowned powerhouse."Why haven't they arrived yet?" After several rounds of drinks, Douglas was growing impatient.Zane said, "Lord Douglas, I don't think they
Douglas' words left Cade stunned.Douglas chose to compromise? How could that be?He was one of the six sons of the Chapman royal family, ranking fourth in terms of status, prestige, and overall strength. He was a figure of unparalleled pride and dignity. How could someone like him compromise?Could it be that he was doing this for the Farrell family, not wanting the Farrell estate to be destroyed?Those who followed Douglas outside, like Zachary, were moved to tears, thinking Douglas had humbled himself to protect the Farrells.Lysander narrowed his eyes and smiled. "If that’s the case, then please do so at once. We'll see you at Beaker Island!"With those words, Lysander turned to leave.But at that moment, a sharp explosion rang out. It was the sound of a gunshot. The entire scene fell silent.Lysander froze. He looked down at the bloody hole in his chest in disbelief. Just now, a bullet had pierced through his back, right into his heart. Blood gushed out uncontrollably.In
At the same time, Gideon instructed Qyra to retrieve treasure medicines from the vault. Over time, Geoffrey had collected numerous precious medicines but hadn't taken them with him. They remained stored in the underground vault of Beaker Island.Before long, Qyra returned with over a dozen treasured medicines.Gideon crushed them directly, and the rich essence was infused into Lysander's body. Under Gideon's extraordinary medical skills, the bullet hole in Lysander's heart began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.The entire crowd was stunned.Cade and Pedro were frozen in place, speechless and motionless."Soul-Reaping Needle!" Gideon shouted decisively.He performed the most challenging technique of the "19 Vitality Needles", a formation known as Soul-Reaping. It was a technique to snatch a life back from the clutches of death!One second, two seconds, three seconds…Ten seconds later, Lysander coughed, life returning to his body.Cade and Pedro cried out simultaneo
At the Farrell estate, Zachary and the others were still drinking with Douglas, awaiting Harvey, Rachel, and Gary to come to pay their respects.According to Douglas' plan, all three families were to submit to the Farrell family, handing over two-thirds of their wealth. If they refused, their entire families would face annihilation. Such was their dominance and directness!Zachary silently calculated. If they managed to claim two-thirds of the three families' wealth, the Farrells would soar to new heights. Given time, they might even have a shot at entering Dalhurst."Sir!" Suddenly, the butler rushed in, flustered. "Someone has arrived!""Is it Harvey and the others?" Zachary asked with a smile.However, the butler replied, "It's not Harvey. It's a stranger who claims to have brought a grand gift!""Oh?" Zachary was intrigued.Could it be that word had spread so quickly about the Farrell family's rise, and someone was already eager to curry favor by presenting gifts?"Sir, the
Douglas' eyes glinted coldly. "To kill a warrior of the royal family and offend us? No one in this world can save them! Whoever it is, they must die! I want Goldspire turned upside down!"Zachary wiped his tears and asked, "Lord Douglas, what will you do? Will you contact the royal family and arrange for reinforcements? It seems there isn't time."That man said they would drop by in 30 minutes. If they could kill Mr. Porter, their strength must have been terrifying. We might not be able to face them!"Douglas replied coldly, "The power of the royal family is beyond the understanding of ordinary people. Prepare the car. We're going to the Mayor's Mansion!"15 minutes later, at the Mayor's Mansion, Caius greeted Douglas warmly.Caius spoke with a smile, "It's truly an honor for a royal prince to visit Goldspire. When did you arrive, Lord Douglas? Why didn't you inform us in advance so that we could give you a proper welcome?"Douglas replied, "Mr. Grayson, you're too kind. I didn't
"Mr. Snow! Something terrible has happened! The Goldspire military district has mobilized all its troops. 30,000 soldiers are heading straight for Beaker Island. It looks like they're targeting you!" Harvey stumbled in, his face pale with fear.Gary's hair stood on end. While Gideon was powerful, this was 30,000 soldiers they were talking about. Help from afar wouldn't arrive in time."Gideon, think of something quickly!" Rachel was starting to panic as well.Gary said, "Something's not right. How could the mayor possibly allow the military district's soldiers to surround Beaker Island? Doesn't he know Mr. Snow lives here?"Gideon chuckled. "This has nothing to do with the mayor. He doesn't have the power to go against the royal family. I suspect this is the royal prince's own act.""Should we retreat?""Why?" Gideon laughed lightly. "Since he wants to play, let's play with him. Beaker Island isn't as simple as you think. It used to be Dominic's base. He spent considerable effort
"Is Mr. Snow planning to fight? But those criminal underworld forces are nothing compared to fully armed soldiers.""If a battle breaks out, there will be countless casualties. Nobody can bear the consequences!""Mr. Stein is still in Drammore for studies, and we can't reach him. What should we do now?"A group of influential figures was at their wit's end.Caius said, "When the Cabinet Elder visited Goldspire previously, he left contact information. I called him and reported the situation."The group of leaders immediately asked, "How is it? What did he say?""There's no news yet.""This is so nerve-wracking! The battle is about to begin. Once it starts, it'll be too late!" The deputy governor was visibly uneasy.At that moment, the phone rang.Caius quickly put it on speakerphone. "Sir, please tell us how to proceed!"A cold voice came through the line, "This matter does not concern you. Let Douglas dig his own grave. The consequences are not your responsibility. However, y
"Zachary, you're all talk. If you've got the guts, come over here, and let's see if we won't beat you so hard that you'll be down on your knees!" Harvey and Gary shouted in unison.This infuriated Zachary. "How dare you spew such arrogant nonsense at this point? Don't you realize your ragtag bunch is no match for fully armed soldiers?"Here's my final ultimatum. Surrender now, kneel, and welcome Lord Douglas of the Chapman royal family, or all of you will vanish from Goldspire today!"Harvey sneered. "Zachary, if you've got what it takes, come start the fight and see if we're just a bunch of ragtag bunch!"Zachary turned around. "My lord, what do we do?"Douglas chuckled coldly. "They think we won't start a fight. What they don't understand is that, for the royal family, a few casualties mean nothing. If they're so stubborn, let's show them what we can do.""As you command!" Zachary felt both excited and nervous.He had never been in charge of such a large-scale battle before. T
"This is the place." Umbra gazed ahead.It was an unremarkable mountain.Gideon was puzzled. Umbra had insisted on traveling with him to Brightbane Sect despite Luna and the others strongly opposing it. Yet now, she had brought him here instead."This is your trump card?"That's right." She smiled.She looked around and, with a mysterious tone, said, "I stumbled upon this place by chance three years ago. Beneath this mountain, there's an Earthcore Flame.""Earthcore Flame?""Yes." She nodded seriously. "You should know what an Earthcore Flame is, right?"Gideon clicked his tongue. "Of course I do! Earthcore Flames are rare treasures with all sorts of incredible uses. But what does bringing me here have to do with going to Brightbane Sect?"Umbra said, "I suspect that deep beneath this mountain, there's an entire Earthcore Flame Vein.""An Earthcore Flame Vein?" Gideon was shocked.Just a single Earthcore Flame was already incredibly valuable.Back when he trained under Titu
In the end, Arlo couldn't hold on any longer.With a heavy thud, he collapsed into a pool of blood, pleading in terror, "Ms. Crescent, spare me! I was wrong! I won't dare do it again! I was only following orders from Mr. Bane. I had no choice! Please, have mercy and spare my pathetic life! I'm willing to serve you however you want!"Alas, Arlo had fallen to such a miserable state, utterly powerless before Umbra. This greatly boosted the morale of the students of Naesbrey Fortress and the hundreds of thousands of troops."Incredible!" Even Gideon clicked his tongue in awe.Umbra's strength had exceeded his expectations. Her moves seemed simple, but each strike was extraordinary. A pure-essence physique was truly terrifying!"Take him."At Umbra's command, Luna subdued Arlo."Mr. Snow, what's our next move? Should we take him to Brightbane Sect? I don't think that's a good idea. Arlo alone isn't enough to threaten Draven. That guy is ruthless. He wouldn't care if a grand elder die
"There's no need to start a war. There's no reason to drag all of Naesbrey Fortress into this. The two of us will go to Brightbane Sect. Do you think we can make it out unscathed?" Gideon asked."Not easily." Umbra's expression was serious.She said, "You're an outsider. You don't understand the six top powers of the eastern plains. Each of them has their own hidden trump cards and deep foundations. The two of us alone can't stand against the entire Brightbane Sect."He frowned. "So, do we really have to go to war? You'd better think this through."Umbra was conflicted as well.Dragging all of Naesbrey Fortress into this recklessly could be a disaster. After all, there were other factions waiting to pounce at any moment."Report!"Just then, a scout arrived with news. "Ms. Crescent, Brightbane Sect's grand elder, Arlo Watson, has appeared at the front lines with three seniors. He claims to be here for peace talks and wishes to speak with you in person."Umbra's heart stirred.
The process of awakening pure-essence physique could still be carried out even through clothing, but it was far less effective than direct contact.Umbra's delicate body trembled slightly.…Back in Brightbane Sect, loud voices could be heard."It's been three days, and still no leads? What did you promise me three days ago?" Draven's voice was sharp and furious in the grand hall.Arlo was drenched in sweat. "Mr. Bane, we have a lead.""Oh?""The battle took place at the border of the eastern plains and the vast mountain range. That area is completely uninhabited, so finding eyewitnesses was nearly impossible. So, I changed my approach and led a team into the mountains to gather information from the beasts."Turns out, my guess was right. At the time, Francis and Giles fought fiercely against the killer, causing a huge commotion that attracted several beast kings. After extensive analysis, we finally managed to confirm some of the killer's traits."Arlo took out a document and
As soon as Gideon and Umbra stepped out of the grand hall, Eve came running toward them. "Ms. Crescent, you're finally out of seclusion!""What's wrong?""Ms. Crescent, you might not know yet, but Brightbane Sect is likely preparing for war against us. Ms. Lumen has assembled an army of 300,000 stationed at the front lines."Not only that, many factions are watching in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity. Naesbrey Fortress is in an extremely dangerous position at the moment."Umbra narrowed her eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them. "Brightbane Sect… Draven… He's digging his own grave.""Ms. Crescent, it's great that you're awake. Please head to the front lines at once and take command.""There's no need. Tell Aunt Luna that if Brightbane Sect's forces dare to step into Naesbrey Fortress' territory, show no mercy. Start the war immediately. There's no need to hold back."Eve felt her heart tighten.Meanwhile, Umbra and Gideon had already walked away."This is going to b
"It would be best if we could eliminate Draven and Arlo. That would bring Brightbane Sect to its knees!"Luna raised a hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.She said, "To avoid causing panic, I had kept something hidden from you all. But now that Umbra has awakened, I will be upfront about it."Although Brightbane Sect is indeed detestable and loathsome, we should avoid direct conflict with them at this time."Umbra is poisoned. Right now, Mr. Snow is helping suppress it, but it's still affecting her. If a battle breaks out between us and Brightbane Sect, I fear Umbra won't be able to match Draven."The room stirred with murmurs.Luna tapped her fingers against the table. The crisp sound spread across the hall, restoring order."However, don't forget that we have Mr. Snow. Mr. Snow's strength is unfathomable. He is our honored guest. If Brightbane Sect is foolish enough to start a war, I doubt Mr. Snow will stand idly by."There's no need to panic. Carry on with your duties a
"By the way, Mr. Bane, there's one more thing." Arlo suddenly remembered something. His expression turned grim, rage filling his eyes.Draven frowned in confusion. "What is it?""It's…" Arlo hesitated."Spit it out! Stop beating around the bush like some old hag!" Draven exploded."Mr. Bane, Francis and Giles… have been killed." Arlo gritted his teeth.Draven trembled.Then, his voice dropped in disbelief. "What nonsense are you spouting? Who would dare kill Francis and Giles?"Arlo's voice was heavy with grief. "We don't know yet. The killer hasn't been identified. We're still investigating. But Francis and Giles are indeed dead. They were beheaded. A group of rogue cultivators stumbled upon their bodies and brought them back."Draven staggered.Then, under Arlo's lead, he entered a secret chamber where the headless corpses of Francis and Giles lay before him."Who did this?"In an instant, an earth-shattering killing intent erupted from Draven. His fury knew no bounds.Ev
"Kill!" Luna ordered.At her command, all the warriors immediately formed a battle array, their forces combining as one.Seeing their stance, the man was both shocked and enraged. He had no choice but to back away. But just as Luna had said, the plan to poison Umbra and overthrow Naesbrey Fortress was Brightbane Sect's doing.Now that it had been exposed, there was only one solution—eliminate all witnesses. Otherwise, this matter would bring enormous trouble."Die!" the man roared furiously. He slammed his fist onto the ground.Luna's expression changed. She noticed that something was wrong. However, it was too late.A terrifying force shot up from beneath the earth, instantly blasting Nancy into a bloody pulp."Bastard!" Luna was livid.However, the man only laughed. "Luna, I just did you a favor in cleaning up your own mess. No need to thank me. Until next time!"With that, the Brightbane Sect's forces swiftly retreated.Luna led her people in pursuit but stopped at the bor
"This is bad!" The woman's face changed drastically.However, there was nowhere to escape. A powerful palm strike came crashing down. No matter how she tried to block it, she was still sent flying.Her injuries were severe, with blood spraying wildly."Why?"Only that one word was heard, filled with anger and regret.Luna appeared with a group of Naesbrey Fortress' elite warriors, staring down at the surrounded middle-aged woman. Gritting her teeth, she demanded, "Why must it be you? Why did you betray Naesbrey Fortress?"Why did you poison Umbra? Do you even realize what you've done? You've committed an unforgivable crime!"The woman, Nancy Goodyear, wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, let out a bitter laugh, and struggled to her feet. "Luna, don't you understand? Kamaria brutally executed my husband, his body completely destroyed. And Umbra killed my daughter."And you! You stripped me of my power. I have nothing left! What else could I do? I want Umbra dead! I want