“These gifted eccentrics are proud by nature. The only thing that will ever truly win their respect is unquestionable strength.”Adrian understood what Harley Emerson meant. With a faint smile, he said, “Whether they respect me or not is of no concern to me. The only reason I agreed to this mission is to remove the threat Hinoku has left hanging over the Republic of Novaland.”Harley Emerson looked at Adrian’s retreating back and found himself at a loss for words.That same evening, members of the Dark Chamber made their way in secret to Guancheng and checked into a hotel near Mount Tai.“We leave tonight after nine. There’s about an hour before then. Get some proper rest and make sure you’re in the best condition possible.”Octavia Isaacson glanced over the group and delivered the instruction in her usual clipped tone.Those taking part in the mission were Adrian of the Medical Division, Octavia Isaacson of the Mystic Formation Division, Naomi Norris of the Esoteric Arts Division, Ha

At that moment, all prior grievances were cast aside. With perfect tacit understanding, they began protecting one another and working in concert, each using their own abilities to fend off wave after wave of incoming danger.Octavia Isaacson’s hands flew in rapid motion as she searched for flaws within the formations while simultaneously working to break them.Adrian, too, threw punch after punch, neutralizing the hidden threats the others could not cover in time.“Innate Eight Trigrams, Qimen Dunjia, five elements displaced—break!”With a sharp cry from Octavia Isaacson, one of the two great overlapping formations before them shattered, and the pressure on the group was immediately cut in half.“Sister Isaacson, you’re the best! Keep going!”Naomi Norris flashed a grin and then hurled another ferocious punch!Even now, Adrian still found it impossible to get used to the violent contrast between Naomi Norris’s bulging musculature and the delicate little expressions on her face.Boom!

With a roar, Watanabe Tano hurled himself at Adrian.Adrian’s iron-fisted execution of Uchiha was a naked insult to the three who remained—a slap across the face.They could not swallow the humiliation.“You two, cut down the others. This brat is mine.”Uechi Daiki and Fukukawa Yōsei answered once and charged Harley Emerson and the rest.“Watch yourselves. I’ll finish this old relic and back you up!”Adrian called the warning over his shoulder just as Watanabe Tano’s strike descended.“Wail of the Nether!”A sweeping tide of deathly chill rolled in. The sky darkened under a swarm of translucent specters, their faces twisted and ravenous.The temperature plunged, as if the living world had fallen away.Adrian snorted. “Parlor tricks. You think that can kill me?”Gold flared over his hands. With his left, he traced a sigil through the air; with his right, he drove a palm forward.The talisman blazed, detonating the onrushing wraiths to tatters.Before Watanabe Tano could react, Adrian’s

Vincent Wallace and William Lane both shook their heads, faces creased with worry.“The injuries are catastrophic—tendons severed in hands and feet, and the dantian completely destroyed. At this point, perhaps only Master, when he returns, has any real chance.”“These Hinoku thugs went too far!” Ronald Peterson ground out. “Even in a challenge match, you don’t maim like this. If my father and the others don’t wake up… what are we supposed to do?”A heavy pall settled over the ward.Daisy tried to soothe them. “Don’t panic yet. When I called Adrian, he’d already booked a flight. He should be on his way back right now. Let’s hold on.”Ronald nodded, voice catching. “We’ve never doubted Mr. Doyle’s skill—but their dantians are gone. Even if they live… the rest of their lives, they’ll be ordinary.”If that. Martial artists carried old wounds like second skins; with energy to protect them, they could pass for whole. Strip that away, and they’d be plagued by every small illness under the su

Adrian’s brow furrowed. If they’d kicked up this much chaos, they wouldn’t rest until they found him—vanishing made no sense.Emptiness hesitated. “What if those old men learned how strong you are and bolted ahead of time?”Adrian shook his head. “No. There’s a larger scheme at play. Either way, we need to flush them out fast—or they’ll remain a ticking bomb.”Everyone agreed without argument.He checked the time and rose. “It’s late. Your bodies need days to recover. We won’t keep you. If anything breaks in the next few days, call me.”They escorted Adrian out of the hospital.Lorenzo Watson, William Lane, and Vincent Wallace hurried after him.“Master, wait!”Adrian glanced back, puzzled.Vincent, nudged forward, threw Daisy a quick look, then handed over a finely wrapped box. “Master, Miss Sandy had an emergency back home and had to leave. She regrets not saying goodbye in person. This is for you—and she said not to forget her.”Adrian, not the most sensitive man alive, accepted th