Xayne had indeed blocked Esmond's last strike, but the blood he spat was not due to the attack. It was from the effect of pushing his body beyond its limits to break his current level."Young man, you've done well. For someone your age to take two of my strikes in a row, you can truly stand proud among your peers," Esmond said after resting for ten minutes to calm his mind.Xayne wiped the blood from his mouth and forced a grin. "You've done well too. For someone your age to still fight me like this, you've aged like fine wine. But I'm eager to see what surprises you'll come up with next."Esmond nodded slightly and took a deep breath. "You're the first young man who's ever dared to speak to me this way."It's a pity that you're still too young. Some things need time to settle. Advancing your level too quickly isn't always a good thing." Esmond's aura shifted as he spoke.Even though he stood in place, he suddenly seemed to merge with everything around him.Then, the unexpected h

An overwhelming force was crushing the massive boulders beneath Esmond, and his body was nearly buried halfway into the ground. He was almost entirely sunk from his lower abdomen down. "Is this how the people of the Heaven Sword Circle are different?" Xayne glanced at Esmond's few disciples. Any disciple who caught Xayne's cold gaze immediately dropped to their knees. They were nothing but insignificant compared to Esmond. If they couldn't even stand against Esmond, they wouldn't dared to act recklessly before Xayne. "I am willing to serve you. Please, King of the North, spare my life!" Esmond uttered. Xayne frowned, his eyes icy as he replied, "Oh? Serve me? You're not planning to gather more help to cause me trouble when you get back, are you?" He didn't want to listen to such empty vows. "No! Absolutely not! We are all Divine Commanders, there's a fundamental difference with the Supreme Commanders! The power of heaven and earth watches the oaths we take! We would su

Flamey clung desperately to one of the imperial guards, hiding carefully behind him. The sound of Xayne's footsteps echoed, each one like a death knell for Flamey. With every step Xayne took, Flamey's body trembled slightly. He could feel Xayne getting closer and with each passing moment, death crept nearer. In that instant, Xayne appeared like the embodiment of death itself, the murderous intent in his eyes as vast as the sea. Esmond knelt on the ground, unmoving. Deep inside, Xayne was eager for Flamey to die. If it weren’t for his revenge, he would not in this miserable state. Even Flamey's fellow disciples had taken a few steps back, distancing themselves so they wouldn’t get blood on their hands when the time came. Suddenly, a flash of lightning tore through the sky and a deafening clap of thunder followed, causing the imperial guards to panic and shove Flamey away, retreating from him in fear. By this time, Xayne's entire presence radiated with killing intent, ev

"What do you mean?" Xayne frowned, unsure of what Rhaega meant. "Lexter is dead. Do you know this, King of the North?" Rhaega spoke in a low voice while driving. What? How did Lexter die? When did this happen?!" Those words hit Xayne like a thunderbolt. "Lexter... dead?! What about Warren and Hammond?! " Just a day ago, he had left the capital with Lexter and others. At that time, Lexter had even invited him to visit his hometown someday. 'It can't be an eternal farewell,' Xayne thought to himself. "On his way back home, the plane crashed. But here's the strange part—the entire plane had only eight passengers. Whether it was an accident or deliberate... well, the answer seems obvious. "I've secretly sent people to protect Warren and Hammond, but... whether they'll stay safe, I can't say. At this moment, you cannot afford any mistakes, Xayne. Otherwise, everything will come crashing down." Rhaega's tone grew heavier with each word. It was clear to anyone with ha

Lowes furrowed slightly. He was not sure if it was appropriate to take the lead at such a sensitive moment. "Join forces? Do you even know the true background of that Locke fellow? Our Bullard family doesn't need to get involved in such struggles. We simply need to make sure the world knows of our power. As for the rest, it's irrelevant." Hyenka had no intention of helping the Emperor, and helping Hilton was out of the question. What Hyenka needed was an opportunity to elevate the Bullard family's prominence to new heights. Ever since the demise of the Xavier family, no other household had managed to fill the vacuum left by their fall. Now was the perfect moment for the Bullard family to rise from the shadows and claim that position. Lowes's eyes twinkled as he nodded, understanding Hyenka's strategy. "You're right, Master! I'll see to it immediately." With a slight nod from Hyenka, Lowes swiftly exited the room and turned to his attendants. "Contact all the major media outlets