With that, Selena turned and left without another word, her steps unhurried and her expression calm. She was certain of one thing—Marcus Jago would never swallow this humiliation. Hatred, once ignited, was far harder to extinguish than pain. And she was right. Almost the moment the door closed behind her, Marcus pressed the call button beside his bed. “Sasha,” he ordered hoarsely. “Come to my room. Now.” Not long after, the door opened and Sasha stepped in. When she saw Marcus lying there, pale and broken, her brows knit together instinctively. “Marcus, what’s wrong?” she asked softly. He had always doted on her since she was young, indulging her whims and shielding her from punishment. Seeing him like this stirred something uneasy in her chest. Marcus’ eyes reddened. His voice dropped, raw and desperate. “Sasha… can you take revenge for me?” She stiffened. “Marcus, Dad will handle it,” she said quickly. “You don’t need to worry. Father won’t let this slide.” Her answer insta

“I grew up surrounded by medicinal herbs,” Adam said coldly, his lips curling into a disdainful smile. “Your ordinary poison is useless against me.” What he did not say was how close he had come to disaster. The moment the wine slid down his throat, his instincts had screamed danger. A cold sweat had broken out across his back almost instantly. It was true that his body had developed resistance to most toxins over the years, but the poison Sasha used was no common substance. It was vicious—far beyond what his former self could have endured. If not for his current cultivation path, he would already be a corpse. The dual cultivation technique coursing through his body reacted on its own. Active and passive energies surged through his meridians, colliding and intertwining as they devoured the invading toxin bit by bit. The process was painful and exhausting, but it strengthened his flesh and organs even as it purged the poison from his system. In other words, Sasha had gambled with

The sudden confrontation instantly drew the attention of the surrounding passengers who were in the middle of disembarking. Conversations died down, footsteps slowed, and curious gazes locked onto the tense standoff. In no time, a small crowd had formed, whispering excitedly as they sensed drama—and bloodshed—looming in the air.Adam chuckled lightly, completely unfazed by the murderous aura rolling off Lucian. “Mr. Jago, you should get your facts straight,” he said lazily. “Your son willingly handed his sister over after losing to me. By the rules of our bet, she belongs to me now. I can hug her, keep her by my side, or even bring her into my bedroom if I want. That’s none of your business.”A murmur rippled through the crowd.Many of them nodded subconsciously. The bet between Marcus and Adam had been clear, witnessed by others, and bound by honor. In their world, promises made in cultivation duels were ironclad. Marcus had lost. Like it or not, the consequences had to be borne.Luc

Romeo nodded as well, his expression grim. Between resentment and fear, fear clearly won. Adam’s growth rate was simply too terrifying. Given time, he would become an existence they could no longer touch, much less suppress. If they didn’t act now, they might never get another chance.Yet Selena merely smiled, calm and composed, as though everything was unfolding exactly as she expected.“Let’s not rush,” she said softly. “Wouldn’t it be wiser to make our move after he obtains the phoenix blood herb?”Dracula’s eyes lit up instantly, while Romeo’s lips curled into a slow grin. Selena was absolutely right. If Adam died after acquiring the herb, they would not only eliminate a future catastrophe but also seize the priceless treasure for themselves. One move, two gains.“Perfect,” Dracula said coldly. “Then we wait.”Adam and his group soon disembarked from the ship and checked into a nearby high-end hotel. The atmosphere remained tense, but no one dared to provoke him openly. Adam secur

Despite Lucian’s best efforts to conceal it, Adam still caught the fleeting murderous glint in his eyes. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, but Adam didn’t miss it. He simply snorted inwardly and dismissed it.He had never been someone who bullied the innocent. He wouldn’t strike those who hadn’t wronged him—but if someone dared to hurt him or scheme against him, he would return the favor tenfold. That had always been his principle.And in this matter, it was the Jagos who had crossed the line first.If Lucian or his family sought revenge later, Adam would not hesitate to respond.“Mr. Manchester,” Dante said after Lucian and Sasha left, lowering his voice, “now that you have the phoenix blood herb, perhaps we should head home immediately.”Adam glanced at the window, noting the darkening sky. “It’s already late. We’ll leave tomorrow.”Dante hesitated, clearly conflicted, before speaking again. “Mr. Manchester, forgive my bluntness, but I’m worried the Jagos won’t take this lying