Gideon didn't ask directly. He no longer seemed to be in a rush. Instead, he said with a meaningful tone, "So, you're using the information about my parents as leverage to make me attack the Chapman royal family. Clever."Mose struggled to say, "You're not one to act quickly, but we can't let this opportunity slip by. If you join forces with the king to diminish the influence of the royal family, it would be a major accomplishment. I'll inform the king, and maybe you'll receive recognition or even a title."Gideon expressed his disinterest by shaking his head and then turned to Saul. "Give me something to work with," he urged. "Don't disappoint me."Saul glanced at Mose, who gave him a reassuring nod.Saul finally spoke, "First, we have learned that your mother was a member of the Jaeger royal family. She was actually a princess in their line."At the time, there was conflict within the Jaegers. Your mother chose to leave, and she took with her a painting called the Empyrean Atlas
"Honestly, Lavinia is a highly skilled and fiercely committed individual. She's been in Goldspire for some time now, trying to convince Dominic to lend his support. It's unfortunate that someone with so much potential is being sent off as mere fodder for the battle," Gideon stated.Mose sighed. "This situation is incredibly complicated. It's best if you stay out of it. The Light Council is not the only force at play behind Tylland. There are many other factors that need to be considered."It would've been easy if it were just the The Light Council. We could handle them, even with their power and influence. But there are other players involved, and the stakes are much higher than we initially thought."Casse also warned, "Gideon, it's best not to meddle with this matter. We don't have all the facts ourselves. Only the king knows the full story. If you have the chance to meet him, you can ask him directly."Hearing their response, Gideon understood that pushing for more information w
Marion had been growing increasingly frustrated over the past few days. The Carter family was in serious trouble.Previously, Matthew had been filled with overconfidence, proudly proclaiming that he was favored by Rachel and being groomed as a key figure in Avila Group. But now, they seemed to completely ignore him.To add to their troubles, the Carter family had faced numerous setbacks recently. Their already struggling company was now on the verge of bankruptcy.There were even rumors circulating about their impending financial demise, and it appeared to be becoming more and more likely.Marion couldn't wrap her head around it. How could so much change happen in such a short period of time?Fortunately, she hadn't given Elara's hand in marriage to Matthew. If she had, they would have ended up with nothing. Marion seethed with anger internally at the thought.Gideon's words were filled with arrogance, and Marion couldn't help but feel angry. "The royal families have been power
The woman exuded an icy demeanor, along with an air of authority befitting someone of high status.Forlas watched as the two walked away."Princess Arabella, I feel this is a waste of time. How can we find someone in such a vast crowd?""There's no other way. We're taking a chance. The fortune teller pointed out that there's a hidden powerhouse in Goldspire who might help the Foxhall royal family overcome its current crisis."Arabella Foxhall's brows were furrowed with worry.Five years ago, on the eve of the Martial Arts Tournament, the young leader of the Foxhall royal family and a group of prodigies met with a terrible incident, with all of them perishing.That young leader was Arabella's brother.Arabella was heartbroken.In the years since, the Foxhall royal family had struggled with a lack of talent in its younger generation. If this continued, they would inevitably fall behind the other royal families.After all, whether it was a faction, a family, or even a nation, the
Time flew by like a fleeting horse. A week passed in the blink of an eye.Due to the major incident on Beaker Island recently, even the Chapman royal family had suffered setbacks, leaving Goldspire in a state of calm.Everything was peaceful. Even the factions within the criminal underworld had gone into hiding, behaving exceptionally well, making the city unusually harmonious.However, Gideon was worried.It had been seven days since Ajax and the others went to Kitherglen to search for the Jaeger royal family's territory, and there was still no news from them.Of course, Kitherglen was an extremely harsh environment with almost no signal, making communication nearly impossible.Gideon could only comfort himself with that thought.With the strength of Ajax's, Hercule's, and Alistair's factions combined, even if Howard had set them up, they should still be able to escape. Surely, they wouldn't meet their demise in Kitherglen.Meanwhile, Dominic and many other champions had enter
"Now, Lavinia is about to head to the border. I need you two to keep an eye on her from the shadows. Unless she's facing a life-or-death situation, there's no need for you to intervene," Gideon stated.Willis replied, "Sir, in other words, we're to ensure that Lavinia doesn't die!"Gideon said, "You could put it that way. But give her three chances. If, after three times, she still doesn't wake up to reality and refuses to retreat, you can come back."Stubbornness had its limits. Beyond that, it would just be foolishness and unworthy of any sympathy."Understood!" Willis and Lyle accepted the orders.…The next day, Ruby personally drove a truck to Beaker Island, rushing over in a panic. "Gideon! Gideon!""What's with the yelling? I'm not deaf.""Hurry up already! Lavinia can't wait any longer. She's leaving tomorrow," Ruby said, pacing anxiously.Gideon didn't reply but walked over to the truck, opened it up, and checked the herbs inside.He nodded with a smile. "Not bad. Th
On a busy pedestrian street in Goldspire, Mollie asked curiously, "Princess Arabella, we've been in Goldspire for a week now. What are you thinking? Are we just going to stay here like this?"Why wasn't Arabella even a little anxious?"I'm waiting.""Waiting for what?""These past few days, we've learned that Goldspire has been hit by one major incident after another recently. There's no doubt that it's all connected to that hidden powerhouse."Arabella's eyes were bright, and her tone was filled with anticipation. "I believe another major event will happen soon. When it does, we'll know where this hidden powerhouse is and who they are!"Mollie responded, "Princess Arabella, are you sure it'll happen soon? After the Chapman royal family took a hit last time, all the forces in Goldspire are likely lying low. There shouldn't be any more big events!""Just wait and see. My intuition is usually right," Arabella said with a smile.The icy beauty's smile instantly attracted the atten
Matthew wanted to make a big move.Standing by the roadside, he made a call. "Are you ready?"A cold laugh came from the phone. "Don't worry. As long as the mother and daughter are here, they won't escape. Once it's done, the reward we promised you won't be a penny less."Matthew said, "Good."After hanging up, his expression turned fierce. "Marion, Elara, don't blame me. My family is on the brink of collapse. I have no other choice."Yesterday, the Boxing King's son, Christopher Stark, contacted him with a proposition. He wanted Matthew to help capture Marion and Elara.Matthew was shocked. Christopher's background was anything but ordinary.Goldspire's underground fighting rings numbered in the dozens, and Black Pugilists was the biggest and strongest among them.The owner of Black Pugilists was a formidable fighter, undefeated across the underground scene. His fighters were all top-tier as well.The scariest part of all this was that Black Pugilists was merely a small branc
The broken blade condensed the force of the blade itself."The great Marshal Snow is using a broken blade? How pathetic! My ghost blade was forged over three years, infused with countless rare materials. It's indestructible," Tristan boasted, laughing."If the man's weak, the weapon doesn't matter."Gideon's casual jab left Tristan speechless, his face flushed with shame."A smart aleck, I see. Die!"Just like that, a black blade arc came down.Gideon stayed calm, swung the broken blade, and a white arc of energy shot upward.The black and white blades clashed and shattered on impact.Tristan's next move followed immediately. "The eighth style of the 13 Ghost Blades! Nether's Pass!"The strike carried a chilling gale. The sound of wailing ghosts and howling spirits echoed.As it neared, Gideon noticed countless skulls swirling in the wind. They were only shadows, but enough to make one's scalp crawl. They were clawing and snarling, like demons escaping from hell."Those are p
"Bitch!" The three men were furious and humiliated.As Nethercult guardians, being injured by a woman was unthinkable!"Nethervoid Hands."They moved together, and an intimidating hand seal came crashing down.Noel was just about to step in when suddenly, Elara stepped forward, facing the incoming attack head-on without a trace of fear. Pure essence energy erupted from her, causing the surface of the sea to freeze."Ice Soul Palm." A cold gleam flashed in Elara's eyes as she slammed her palm forward, clashing with the hand seal in a massive explosion.The three guardians were sent flying.Elara also coughed up blood and was knocked back into the floating palace."Elara!" Jessica panicked and rushed in, helping Elara up."I'm fine." Elara then wiped the blood from her lips and closed the palace gates.Her physique was strong, but her cultivation level wasn't high enough. If it got serious, she couldn't match the three guardians.Still, that brief clash had been her first rea
Gideon and Tristan clashed fists and were blown backward.Gideon's whole body went numb. He thought to himself, "Anyone who's remotely close to the word 'supreme' is no joke."Tristan, meanwhile, was shaken to his core. The moment their fists met, a massive force surged through his arm.If he hadn't reacted in time to deflect the impact, his body would've taken serious damage. Even so, his right arm was almost completely numb now.His long sleeves covered it so no one could see the trembling."No wonder it's called the Solar Titan Physique. It's one of the top-tier physiques. Now I see why.""That was nothing. Watch out, Mr. Neblanc. I'm about to turn it up." Gideon laughed loudly, battle intent soaring.He launched a full-on attack.It was not a secret technique. Instead, it was just pure close-quarters combat.That put Tristan in a tough spot. Just one exchange had already left him at a disadvantage. If they kept going toe-to-toe, there was a real risk he would get injured an
The suns were burning the sky and boiling the sea.At that moment, the only thing Chaim could think about was how brilliant this was.Two suns hung in the sky, the scorching heat boiling the ocean. The spectacle was nothing short of breathtaking and awe-inspiring.From the floating palace, a tall figure slowly walked out as if the entire world revolved around him, wrapped in radiant light."It's finally done." Gideon clenched his fists, his face full of joy.After two or three days of torment, he pushed through and made it. He had successfully transformed. His battle physique had taken another leap. Now, he could call it Tier 2 Solar Titan Physique."There are nine total transformations—nine tiers. This is only the second. There's still a long road ahead."Gideon wasn't arrogant, but it didn't diminish his confidence. Now, he was sure he could trade blows with a peak Supreme without relying on the Beast Supreme Bone."It's ridiculously hard to break into Supreme Realm."In fact
A few minutes later, an aircraft slowly descended, and several figures disembarked. Among them were four people Noel recognized—Chaim and the others he had stopped before.However, that wasn't the important part.Noel's eyes landed on the man leading the group. It was a middle-aged man in a dark green robe. He whispered, "That should be Nethercult's leader. He's powerful."The energy he radiates is of a Supreme, but my gut tells me he's not fully a Supreme yet. At best, he must be half a step away. There's still something missing."Ronan spoke grimly, "They're here for the netherflame. Gideon's in trouble. But that kid could already go toe-to-toe with a Supreme before. Now, after the transformation, his physique should be even stronger. He shouldn't fear Tristan."On the shore, Chaim was confused. "Mr. Leblanc, why are we here?""Idiot," Tristan snapped. "That freak absorbed the netherflame. He'll be desperate for a safe place to suppress it. He couldn't stay in the aircraft forev
"Damn it!" Atop a mountain peak, Chaim slammed the ground in anger, his face dark with rage, breathing heavily.He had been chasing after the heavenly flame for so long, yet he didn't even catch a glimpse of a shadow."Mr. Ballard, calm down. Don't hurt yourself," the three Nethercult guardians tried to comfort him, though they, too, were seething with frustration.They already had it in the bag, but they blew it."They can't get away. I've already reported to Mr. Leblanc. That guy won't escape from his palm.""If Mr. Leblanc takes action himself, there's no way he'll fail.""Let's heal up first."…Inside the floating palace within Tyrant Sea, Jessica was bored out of her mind.The energy on the third level was incredibly intense. She wanted to check it out but didn't have the strength.Elara, on the other hand, was immersed in her training."Elara, aren't you even a little worried about Marshal Snow?""Why should I? He's tough. He won't die. Besides, we can't help him anyw
When Gideon left Drammore, Ronan and Noel followed. They entered Tyrant Sea, too, but didn't get close to the floating palace.It wasn't until Gideon blasted his way out of the floating palace, using the Doombringer Knuckle to shatter the killing formation, that Ronan recognized who he really was, leaving him completely stunned."Noel, you and Gideon both inherited my Doombringer Knuckle. Maybe this is just fate. You two are destined to clash one day." Ronan sighed."I'm looking forward to it," Noel said calmly, though the fighting spirit in his eyes was unmistakable.Ronan was surprised. "I thought you'd try to intercept Gideon and take the netherflame for yourself. I didn't expect you to help him by stopping the ones that were chasing him. Are you confident you've got this?"You should know that once Gideon fuses with the netherflame, his power will spike. I know a thing or two about the Solar Titan Physique. Every time it absorbs a new heavenly flame, it evolves."Once he has
"Marshal Snow, are you alright?" Jessica asked with concern as they burst out of Tyrant Sea and made it to shore. Gideon didn't look too good at the moment."Let's get moving. We have to find a safe place." Gideon could sense powerful members of Nethercult were already on their tail.The three of them rushed into the aircraft.Just as they lifted off, Chaim and the other four appeared right behind and struck without hesitation. "Nethervoid Hands!"A howling wind filled the sky as a swarm of black handprints and claw marks materialized, echoing with ghostly wails and eerie cries. The sinister energy pressed in from all sides, trying to engulf the aircraft."Solar Fist!"The two words echoed like thunder.Blazing light exploded outward, scorching and brilliant, spreading in every direction. The mass of black handprints and claws instantly disintegrated into nothing.The aircraft tore through the sky and vanished."After them!"Chaim's group leaped onto their own aircraft and to
The netherflame, as if it had a will of its own, seized the moment and flared up again with wild, unruly energy.Brantley screamed in pain.The sudden turn of events left Harmoni completely flustered. She shrieked, "Nethercult, you bunch of scumbags! It's bad enough that you used us as bait, but now, you're intercepting at the last second? You've got a death wish!"She instinctively assumed it was Nethercult pulling a bait-and-switch."Nethercult!" Brantley's eyes were bloodshot with rage.Gideon didn't say a word. He struck again, slashing open Brantley's abdomen.The netherflame burst out immediately.Inside Gideon, his Earthcore Flame trembled, and the core of his Solar Titan Physique pulsed with anticipation. Sure enough, it drew the netherflame in like a magnet. With Gideon guiding it, the netherflame turned into a stream of ghostly green light that surged into his body."No!" Brantley roared.He had paid such a heavy price. Just as he was about to seal the netherflame,