Before she could finish her sentence, a sharp crack rang out.The manager collapsed to the floor, one side of her face swelling instantly from the blow.The middle-aged man withdrew his hand, undisguised disgust flickering in his eyes.“You—”Phoebe Baldwin barely had time to point a trembling finger before another slap struck her across the face.“Ah!”She fell to the ground, clutching her cheek as tears sprang to her eyes. Then she burst into loud, unrestrained sobs—any trace of celebrity poise utterly gone.The manager, still dazed from her own humiliation, snapped back to her senses when she saw Phoebe struck as well. She hurriedly helped her to her feet.Phoebe clutched her face and screamed at her bodyguards.“The company pays you a fortune to stand there and watch? Go! Beat him! Beat him to death!”She pointed wildly at the middle-aged man, her composure shattered.But just as her bodyguards stepped forward, a wave of men surged in from every direction of the airport. Though dr

Master Xavier took two unhurried steps forward.“Call Adrian here at once. Otherwise, I will begin with your disciples.”The students helped Neil Peterson to his feet, fury blazing in their eyes as they stared at Xavier.He accepted their glares without the slightest concern.Neil steadied himself with difficulty and cast a subtle glance at one of his disciples. The young man immediately slipped away to discreetly notify the other martial arts schools across Skyline City.Raymond Mitchell and Wesley Nolan received the message and set off at once for the Martial Arts Association Hall.Within a short span of time, nearly the entire martial arts circle of Skyline City—whether directly involved or not—was converging on a single location.At Hill Group, Daisy sat in her office with a helpless expression.Adrian had slipped off again—and this time he had taken Octavia with him.She sighed. She had hoped Octavia could at least ease Freya’s workload. Despite all precautions, she still hadn’t

“If you don’t believe me,” Adrian said calmly, “then perhaps I should try using my full strength.”Before the words had fully fallen, he drew back his fist, energy surging and condensing around it, and drove it straight toward Priest Xavier.No one saw him move.He was fast—absurdly, impossibly fast.Even Priest Xavier failed to react. A violent pain exploded in his chest. Adrian’s figure flashed before his eyes—then receded into the distance.Because Priest Xavier himself had been hurled away, sent flying by that single devastating punch.The arena fell into stunned silence.“This… Priest Xavier was sent flying by Mr. Doyle? One punch? Just one?” Wesley Nolan gaped, his voice thick with disbelief.Adrian had already become a height they could scarcely hope to glimpse, let alone attain.Priest Xavier crashed to the ground and spat out a mouthful of blood. When he lifted his head, his gaze toward Adrian had turned venomous.Patrick Davidson staggered back, shaking his head in denial.“

Neil Peterson let out a heavy sigh. “Mr. Doyle killed Priest Xavier. I’m afraid this may invite retaliation from the Xavier Sanctuary.”“The Xavier Sanctuary?” Adrian asked. “What is that?”At the mention of it, several respected masters of Skyline City’s martial community visibly paled, fear flickering across their faces.“If I had the choice,” one of them muttered, “I’d rather never cross paths with the Xavier Sanctuary in my lifetime.”Wesley Nolan sighed and shook his head.Neil, though not as overtly fearful, clearly held the place in wary regard.“Priest Xavier came from the Xavier Sanctuary. I believe you noticed, Mr. Doyle, that his techniques were far from orthodox.”Adrian nodded. From the fire serpents to the Yin-Yang Five Fiends Array, the methods had reeked of something sinister—hardly the mark of any upright tradition.“The Xavier Sanctuary is… unwholesome,” Neil continued carefully. “They are not a legitimate spiritual order. Nearly all of them resemble Priest Xavier—ru

The black-clad bodyguards dared not relax. They quickly formed a tight wall around Grayson Foster, shielding him completely.Outnumbered? Octavia did not care in the least.Her movements turned swift and forceful, striking like a tempest without a word. In an instant, she was locked in combat with over a dozen guards.Her frame was slight, her movements nimble—but her strength was undeniable.One after another, the bodyguards suffered under her blows. Even gathered together, they could not so much as brush the hem of her clothing.With a sharp kick, Octavia sent one guard flying. Borrowing the momentum, she drove her palm into another man’s chest, his face contorting in shock.The surrounding diners had already retreated before the fight erupted—partly to avoid collateral damage, partly because no one had the appetite to continue eating.Seeing Octavia besieged by so many men, Daisy’s heart tightened.“What do we do? She looks like she’s in danger…”There was nothing she could do but