The crowd on the field had not yet fully dispersed when Source Spirit made her move.The folding fan in her hand was delicate and lively, its vivid crimson hue like snow stained with blood.The cherry blossoms painted upon it seemed almost alive; as her fingers brushed across them, they bloomed with an aura of death.Blossoms drifted from the trees—at first only a few, then gathering into sweeping clusters that danced with the wind. Yet the falling petals never touched the ground.To Adrian and the others, Source Spirit appeared to be dancing, her movements so graceful they bordered on unreal—yet no one mistook this for a mere performance.A faint fragrance rode the breeze. Every petal seemed drawn by her motion, circling her body before converging at her fingertips.At this moment, they were no longer petals, but lethal weapons beyond resistance."What overwhelming killing intent!"Iris Lloyd’s expression hardened as he stepped forward.Before Adrian could stop him, he had already dr

Source Spirit’s hair was blown wildly by the surging currents of force, fanning out as she took on the likeness of a feral fox spirit, claws bared."Today—you will die!"Adrian merely looked at her, offering no reply.Source Spirit spread her hands, drawing all the power from the puppets into herself. Before her, a towering silhouette gradually took shape.It resembled a White Tiger—yet from its head protruded horn-like growths, grotesque and unnatural.Adrian watched calmly as the aberrant creature solidified, then shook his head with a trace of regret."So this is what you call advancement?"It was clear he held no regard for the creature before him.Source Spirit let out a cold snort. "Go!"The White Tiger threw back its head with a deafening roar and charged toward Adrian.Each thunderous step of its massive limbs made the ground tremble.Adrian did not move.A faint smile curled at Source Spirit’s lips.So much arrogance in his words—yet when faced with the White Tiger, he stood

Adrian nodded. He knew little about such matters, and thus felt no particular reaction.Ophelia continued her explanation.“Fifty years ago, when the Novaland Republic was far less developed and the world far more unstable, Hinoku attempted to infiltrate the country with their Onmyoji, even going so far as to set up geomantic arrays within the presidential residence.”“They intended to disrupt the fortune of the capital itself. Fortunately, the Special Investigation Bureau discovered it in time and dismantled the array in one decisive move, preventing far greater losses.”“Let alone ordinary citizens—even most officials rarely get the chance to encounter the Bureau. The reason we’re revealing our identity now is so you can better understand.”Only then did Adrian fully grasp the situation, and the lingering displeasure in his mind quietly dissipated.Seeing his expression soften, Ophelia finally let out a breath of relief.“I’m not trying to shield this woman. The Bureau has reason to

Octavia wasted no time on words. Her offense and defense were seamless, leaving him no opening.Florye, too, grew serious. The short blade in his hand moved like a venomous serpent, tangling with Octavia’s dagger in a deadly dance.Inside the office, Daisy listened to the commotion outside, her legs trembling as she sank into a crouch.With her back pressed against the door, she shakily pulled out her phone.At the restaurant, after several rounds of drinks, a faint haze of intoxication had settled over everyone—everyone except Adrian and Iris Lloyd, who remained perfectly clear-headed.Adrian’s phone vibrated. Seeing Daisy’s name, he answered immediately.“What is it?”Daisy took a steadying breath. “Come to the company—now. There’s an assassin here. Octavia’s holding him off outside.”“I don’t think she can beat him.”Adrian’s expression hardened instantly.“Stay where you are. I’m on my way.”He rose to his feet. Leonard Newman looked at him in confusion.“Mr. Doyle, are you leavin

Unlike the man who had leapt in moments before, Adrian walked upon the river’s surface, pursuing step by step. Though he appeared merely to stride forward, each movement seemed to compress distance itself.No matter how desperately the assassin beneath the water swam, he could not shake Adrian’s relentless pursuit.At last, a cruise ship came into view ahead.The assassin burst out of the water without hesitation. In the very next instant, Adrian appeared before him. With a single palm strike, the man was driven back into the river, never to surface again.Adrian glanced at the ship, sensing the presences aboard. Aside from several formidable auras, there were also more than a dozen ordinary people.His expression darkened. He hadn’t expected these assassins to drag innocent lives into this—after all, no one could predict whether they might go mad and destroy the vessel.Even if they didn’t, Adrian might.One of the assassins on deck had already revealed himself. Adrian flashed a bril