Fred gave a small shake of his head. "It's someone I love!"Fred's trip to the Ancient Martial Realm was like walking a tightrope over a chasm—every step could be his last. Normally, he would have said his goodbyes to family and friends, but this time, he could not risk it. He could not just waltz into the Warlord World or pull aside his folks from the Walker family and Wanda without raising eyebrows. This mission was top-secret; one slip-up and not only would his entry into the Ancient Martial Realm be jeopardized, but it could also spark chaos back home.What would happen if the Ancient Martial Realm got wind of his plans? Well, Fred's already slim chances would plummet to zero.With that in mind, all the love and longing he felt for his family had to be channeled into one person—the only one of his kin still living an ordinary life.His girlfriend, Tyne.When Fred called her his beloved, Seelie, for some reason, went quiet.They drove on without a word, all the way to Cloud Pr

Seelie did not get to finish her thought when Fred let out a sharp cry. In the blink of an eye, they were engulfed in a thick mist.Seelie clapped a hand over her mouth in shock.She had seen this spectacle before. When the legendary Holy Emperors Howlite, Agate, and Onyx shattered the gateway to the secular world for the Ancient Warlords, it was exactly like this."Did it look like this when you arrived?"Fred caught every flicker of doubt on Seelie's face as he asked the question. "So what if it is? That doesn't mean you've got this in the bag! Remember, it took three Holy Emperors joining forces just to crack open a tiny gap when we left!" Seelie huffed, her pride stung, but Fred was already tuning her out. He took a moment to look around—at the sky, the mountains, the wildflowers—then drew in a deep breath and strode forward. Seelie, with no other option, hurried after him. They fumbled through the mist, one in front of the other, unaware that the fog was lifting and their fi

This was indeed the case!Varioso was immediately overjoyed when Fred agreed. He said with a smile, "My utmost pleasure to be of service, Mr. Fred. My carriage is not far ahead. I'll have someone bring it for your wife’s comfort!"With that said, Varioso promptly walked away.Fred turned to look at Seelie and said, "Why did you pretend to be Tyne?""Why not? I don’t mind."Seelie snorted with a strange look on her face and then asked, "Why did you identify yourself as Fred without using a pseudonym? Aren't you afraid that Holy Emperor Howlite will hear that you have come to the Ancient Martial Realm?""Hiding in plain sight is the best cover! If I use a pseudonym, others might test me and I might reveal myself accidentally. In that case, I might as well use my real name. Would I be the only Fred in the Ancient Martial Realm?" Fred said indifferently.Seelie knew that what Fred said was reasonable, but she still did not feel convinced. "Don't forget, your strength is greatly redu

Fred knew Seelie had been right. Varioso provided a carriage and enthusiastically took them to his home. His main goal was to recruit fighters for these Stefords.Hence, Fred asked, "And the Stefords are...""Oh! I forgot that Mr. Fred came from the West Island and doesn't know much about the Stefords!"Varioso immediately explained with a smile, "This place is called Waterway Town, like I’ve said before. The Stefords owned the largest martial arts center in Waterway Town. They have a reputation of being the center with the most powerful martial arts experts in the entire South Islands for at least three generations!”"Oh? Since the Stefords are so powerful, there should be no shortage of fighters, right?" Fred immediately asked with a smile.How could Fred, a sly fox, be fooled by Varioso?When he heard this Varioso smiled awkwardly and said, "Uh... Mr. Fred, you know how it is with families… What goes up must come down. Although the Stefords were indeed famous throughout the So

However, Bovies’ words were not unreasonable either.First of all, this Quintennium Challenge was very important to the Stefords. If the Stefords lost in this competition, losing control of Waterway Town would be the least of their concerns.Those who had always coveted the Stefords would think that they were no longer powerful. Outside attacks would come, overtly or covertly. "One more thing!"Now that Runiya was shaken, Bovies spoke again. "We, the Stefords, have many enemies in this competition, there is no telling what kind of shameful means those people will use. From my perspective, people with unknown backgrounds should be subjected to stricter inspection!”"Bovies, you… What do you mean?!" Varioso could not sit still anymore and immediately stood up and shouted."I mean no disrespect. Everyone is thinking of the Stefords’ best interests. This includes you too, Commander Burke!" Bovies said proudly."You… I…"Varioso's face turned red with anger. He shouted, "I brought