Adam’s sneer cut through the chaos like a blade. “Too slow,” he murmured.In the same instant, his arm shot up. His hand closed around Maverick’s ankle mid-kick with unholy precision. Before anyone could even gasp, Adam pivoted backward, using Maverick’s momentum against him.Then—boom!He slammed Maverick into the ground with bone-shattering force.The earth cracked. Shockwaves rippled outward, blowing dust and shards of tile into the air. The ground beneath Maverick collapsed into a crater three inches deep, spiderweb cracks spreading like veins of destruction.The crowd stumbled back as the tremors reached their feet.Even for a late-stage grandmaster, the force was monstrous. Any normal man would’ve died instantly, crushed into paste. Maverick’s reinforced body held together—but the pain was savage. Blood rushed up his throat; his ribs screamed under the impact.“Argh!” he bellowed, veins bulging across his temples.For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then Maverick snapped back

Adam’s jaw tightened until the line of it looked like a blade. Francis was no ordinary threat — a divine grandmaster, his presence folded around him like armor. On a field of battle, Francis moved mountains. Adam’s chances were paper-thin; if Francis chose to end him here, there would be nothing left to bargain with.The air in the courtyard felt suddenly thinner, as if the world was holding its breath. Torches guttered, throwing long, jaundiced shadows across cracked stone. Men who had been laughing an hour ago went quiet, their faces threaded with anticipation and fear. Even the dogs at the edge of the compound had pressed their noses to the ground, sensitive to the change.Francis didn’t look like a man about to ask for mercy. He filled the space with a kind of slow, unhurried thunder. “How dare you injure my son on our territory? You’ve got some guts!” His voice rolled over the crowd, a command dressed in contempt. It vibrated through Adam’s ribs and lodged like a warning.Adam’s

Adam’s eyes darkened with sorrow at the mention of Xander Sanders, the man who had been more than just a mentor to him—he had been family. The faint ache that flickered across Adam’s face didn’t go unnoticed by Leah, though she kept silent, sensing the weight behind that look.“Yes,” Bruce declared, his deep voice echoing across the courtyard like a rolling storm. “He is my future son-in-law. And anyone who dares to harm him—” his gaze swept over the crowd like a blade “—will answer to me personally!”A suffocating pressure rippled outward, forcing several onlookers to lower their heads instinctively. Even Francis, a divine grandmaster, felt the invisible force pressing against his chest. Bruce Sanders in full authority was not someone anyone dared to provoke.Francis’s eyes narrowed, his pride smarting, but he didn’t dare challenge Bruce head-on. Instead, he turned to Adam, his tone cold. “Where is your mentor now?”Adam’s expression didn’t waver, though his heart tightened. “He’s li

At the Sanders Mansion, the dining room looked like someone had emptied a royal treasury onto the table. Silver platters, steaming dishes, rare ingredients, the whole spread. Bruce had gone all out for Adam. Harvey lifted a crystal glass filled with a faint blue liquid that glimmered under the lights. “Adam, this is my father’s prized Icy Silk Wine. He guards it like a dragon. I’ve never even smelled it before. But tonight, I get a taste because of you.” He took a sip and closed his eyes like it was heaven. Renee leaned forward and added more food to Adam’s plate. “Eat more. You look thin.” She looked mid-thirties at most, smooth skin, sharp figure, but she was Leah and Harvey’s mother. Time had treated her well. “Mr. and Mrs. Sanders, thank you. Really,” Adam said. His voice slipped for a second. The warmth in the room hit him harder than the wine. “We’re a family. Don’t thank us,” Bruce said, smiling without putting on an act. “This is your home now.” Renee nodded. “Bruce is r

He leaned closer. The moment he saw the edges, he recognized it. He had seen something like this before. The two pieces Dracula had stolen were smaller parts of this exact design. Now that he saw Bruce’s piece, it clicked into place. The two stolen fragments had once formed half of this same amulet.And if those two were halves of one piece… then Bruce was holding another.Three pieces. Three out of nine.Bruce nodded slowly, shutting the box halfway, as if the air itself might steal the amulet from his hand. “There are nine pieces of the Ninefold Griffin Amulet. Together, they hide the path to the Heavenly Domain.”Adam’s head snapped up. “The Heavenly Domain? What even is that supposed to be?”He knew the rumors. The tales. The exaggerated nonsense storytellers used to trick children into training harder. But Bruce wasn’t speaking like a man reciting myths. His tone held weight. Real weight.Bruce’s voice dropped. “The Heavenly Domain is a paradise where cultivators can shed mortali