Winda instantly tensed, her instincts sharper than a drawn blade. She stepped up to Adam’s side, her posture rigid, every nerve on edge. Her hand hovered near her weapon, her aura flaring faintly as if daring anyone to make a move. She knew the danger better than anyone. Adam hadn’t yet fully recovered his strength, and though his presence still carried the weight of authority, physically he was not at his peak. Against Gunther alone it would be a difficult battle. With Nathaniel Crane—the Great Elder whose name carried dread across the continent—standing at Gunther’s side, the situation was dire. The chances of survival were razor-thin.Gunther’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Adam. For the briefest flicker of a moment, uncertainty broke through his cruel façade. He had been so certain Adam was dead. Selena had personally claimed she’d abandoned Adam in the wild, food for beasts. Gunther himself had seen Romeo shatter Adam’s legs like brittle twigs. The man before him should not be st

Adam’s eyes blazed with a manic light, his veins bulging as he clenched his fist. In the next instant, he hurled a punch toward Nathaniel, the air around his arm distorting violently as if space itself were being ripped apart. The force roared forward like a tidal wave, carrying the weight of destruction.The entire hall shuddered. Chairs toppled, the marble floor cracked under the sudden surge of energy. Warriors and servants alike felt their hearts seize in terror, cold sweat soaking their backs.Nathaniel’s pupils shrank. A sudden palpitation gripped his chest, a primal warning of danger. Without hesitation, he tightened his core, stomping the ground as he swung his own fist. His punch carried the fury of decades at the pinnacle, the kind of strike that could level a mountain.The fists collided.A thunderous boom erupted, followed by a shockwave that ripped across the room. Glass shattered, pillars trembled, and people were thrown to the ground, coughing up blood from the sheer fo

Adam lifted the lid of the wooden box with steady hands, though his heart raced beneath his calm exterior. Inside lay a single herb, its pale surface gleaming with a faint inner light.It was snow-white, its roots twisted into the vague shape of a human body. The air around it carried a subtle fragrance that refreshed the lungs, soothing yet powerful. Even a casual glance was enough to reveal its extraordinary nature.Adam’s eyes narrowed, a rare glint of excitement flashing across them.A century-old Snow Ginseng…The legends were true. Judging by its size and form, the herb had matured for nearly a hundred years. Such a treasure could mend bones, restore vitality, and bolster one’s foundation. But Adam had a higher purpose for it.“With this,” he murmured under his breath, “I’m halfway there.”The Snow Ginseng was a key ingredient in refining Nourishing Pills. Once paired with the century-old Dragon Root, he would finally have the means to create the pills. Those pills would not onl

“Celestial Master Thorne, please, I beg you—let me go. Please!” Tessa’s voice trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks.Gunther’s expression instantly soured, his jaw tightening as fury twisted his features.“Tessa,” he growled, his tone heavy with menace, “it seems you prefer to do things the hard way. Do you want me to take you by force?”Her knees felt weak, but she shook her head frantically, sobbing.“No… please, I beg you.” Her tear-filled eyes locked onto his with a fragile desperation that could have moved almost any man. In that moment, she looked so pitiful, so helpless, that another might have stepped forward to shield her, to protect her.But Gunther was not such a man.Instead of pity, her tears only ignited something vile inside him. His pulse quickened. His breathing grew heavier. He licked his lips slowly, savoring the moment.“Yes… cry for me. Struggle all you want. It only makes me want you more.”He rose from the couch and began advancing toward her, each step del

Hearing Gunther’s words, Tessa felt as though a bolt of lightning had torn through her chest. Her legs buckled, and she nearly collapsed to the floor. The world around her spun, her vision blurring as the weight of the revelation crashed down.Adam…The man she had treated as useless. The man she had mocked, belittled, and cast aside without mercy. He had saved her countless times, silently bearing every humiliation. And in the end, he had died because of her.Her heart clenched so painfully that she could barely breathe. Regret, sharp as knives, cut into her. If only she had known the truth earlier. If only she had stood by him. If only she hadn’t divorced him so heartlessly. Tears streamed down her face, and for a fleeting moment, she wished she could trade her life for his.Gunther watched her despair with cruel satisfaction, his sneer widening.“I know what’s going through your mind. You want to avenge him, don’t you? To bury that knife in my chest? But you’re too weak, Tessa. Pat