Tessa’s hands were trembling.She did not understand realms, cultivation levels, or what it truly meant to be a pre-divine grandmaster. But she could read faces. She could hear tone.And from the way the Elders were speaking, from the way even Lord Venom and Gina had grown tense, she knew one thing.Gunther was terrifyingly strong.Her eyes locked onto Adam.He looked calm.Too calm.“Adam…” Her voice shook despite her effort to steady it. “Please leave.”Tears welled up again, but she forced herself to continue.“Today is… supposed to be a celebration. A wedding. Please don’t turn it into a battlefield. I’m begging you. Just go.”Gunther’s expression darkened instantly.“Tessa.” His voice cut through the hall like a blade. “Know your place.”The warmth in his earlier tone was gone.“You are mine. Do not interfere in matters between men.”He stepped forward slightly, his aura pressing outward.“Now that he has walked in here, he will not be walking out.”Tessa turned quickly to Gunthe

Gunther’s heartbeat pounded in his ears.Adam’s strength was far beyond what he had calculated.Not slightly stronger. It was overwhelming.Ten times. A hundred times beyond what he had imagined.But he had already crossed the line.There was no retreat now.If Adam lived, he would die.Gunther’s eyes turned vicious.“Do not panic!” he roared, forcing steadiness into his voice. “Follow me! We kill him together!”He raised his longsword high.“Ten billion for each of you once he’s dead!”The promise slammed into the shaken crowd like a stimulant.Ten billion.Not a mere million.Not one billion.Ten.Even fear began to tremble under that weight.Gunther stepped forward, aura exploding outward. Killing intent surged from him in thick waves, pressing down on the hall like a storm front.The Elders and Gods of War remained frozen for a moment.They had just watched four grandmasters die without resistance.No one wanted to be next.But Gunther had already moved.If they stayed behind, the

Lord wavebreaker face drained of all color. His lips trembled, but his spine stayed straight as he knelt.“O’ Supreme General, I deserve death,” he said hoarsely. “I will not beg for my life. I only ask that my family be spared. They know nothing of my crime.”The hall was silent. No one dared to breathe.Adam studied Wavebreaker for a long moment. This was not a coward kneeling before him. This was a man who knew the cost of betrayal and accepted it without complaint.“You have rendered great service over the years,” Adam said calmly. “Your loyalty before today will not be erased by one failure. Your family will be protected and provided for. They will live without fear.”Wavebreaker’s shoulders shook. He pressed his forehead to the ground.“Thank you, O’ Supreme General.”He rose without hesitation, reached for a spear resting nearby, and positioned its tip against his chest. There was no scream. No second thought. With a single decisive motion, he drove the weapon through himself.

To Adam’s surprise, besides Sasha, Whitney was also missing.Adam didn’t bother to search for her either. She had her own feet to carry her wherever she wished, and he had neither the patience nor the inclination to chase after a woman who clearly didn’t want to be found. Whatever her reasons, they were her own.Leaving Lord Venom, Gina, and the others to handle the aftermath of the chaos that had unfolded, Adam took Tessa by the wrist and led her away from the ruins of what was supposed to have been a wedding. The contrast wasn’t lost on him — she was still dressed in white, still breathtaking, still radiating that quiet grace that had always unsettled him in ways he refused to examine too closely.The journey back to Hollow Reach Valley was silent. Tessa didn’t speak, and Adam didn’t offer her any words of comfort or explanation. The tension between them was a living thing, coiled and restless, filling the space where conversation should have been. Tessa stole glances at his profile

“Adam, our grudge is settled. Why did you capture me?” Sasha demanded, her eyes blazing. “Settled? When?” Adam tilted his head, genuinely appearing to search his memory. “I must have missed it.” “Don’t play dumb.” She crossed her arms, jaw tight. “I served you for two days, and then my father redeemed me with the phoenix blood herb. What more could you possibly want?” “You’re right,” Adam conceded easily. “We were even. Before today.” He let that land. “Then you showed up at Gunther’s wedding.” “That’s absurd. I attended a wedding — I didn’t raise a hand against you. Half the region was there. Why am I the only one standing in front of you right now?” Adam regarded her for a moment, something almost like amusement passing through his expression. “Didn’t expect you to have such a sharp tongue.” He waved a hand. “Fine. You can go. But hear me clearly — stay out of my affairs and don’t entertain any thoughts of revenge. The consequences won’t be worth it.” “I never intended to seek