Stephanie's carefully maintained composure shattered the instant she recognized Marcus.Her eyes widened.The legendary miracle healer everyone had been desperately searching for was the very man she had rejected, insulted and mocked.For several seconds, she couldn't speak.She simply stood there, frozen.Chairman Rolland was equally stunned.His hopeful smile gradually disappeared as he looked Marcus over.The legendary healer he had imagined would surely be an older man, perhaps surrounded by assistants and bodyguards.Instead, the person standing before him looked no older than his own son.Chairman Rolland's eyes moved from Marcus to Julius, confusion written across his face.“Julius,” he whispered, pulling his son aside. “Are you absolutely certain this is...”He gestured helplessly toward Marcus.“I mean, the legendary healer should have an entourage. At the very least, shouldn't he be older, with several assistants?”He looked toward the driveway again as though expecting anoth

“There is something you should understand, War Goddess Stephanie,” Chairman Rolland began.His voice was noticeably lighter than before. After seeing his wife regain her sight, the heavy burden he had carried for years seemed to have finally lifted from his shoulders.“My wife's condition was never an ordinary illness.”Stephanie frowned.“What do you mean?”“Five years ago, she had an encounter with a martial arts expert from the Thunder Palace.”Chairman Rolland paused as the memory resurfaced.“That man used the Thunder Spirit Strike technique against her. It sealed her meridians and caused her blindness.”Stephanie's expression shifted.She knew of the Thunder Palace.The military had gathered information about several powerful organizations over the years, but even they rarely discussed the Thunder Palace openly. Their techniques were mysterious, powerful and beyond the understanding of most ordinary martial artists.“That young doctor...” Chairman Rolland continued. “He examined

The moment Grek raised his bid to ten million, several paddles went down.The other buyers exchanged looks before quietly giving up. They knew they couldn't compete with the Grek family.Grek noticed their reaction and leaned back with a satisfied look.“Eleven million.”A representative from a pharmaceutical company raised his paddle again.Grek's expression changed slightly.Someone was still willing to challenge him?He glanced toward the bidder before raising his paddle.“Fourteen million,” Grek announced.He looked at his watch as though the amount he had just offered was nothing worth thinking about.A few more people hesitated.“Sixteen million!”Another bidder called out, refusing to back down.“Twenty million,” Grek replied.He leaned back in his chair and casually examined his platinum card.The bidding area became quieter.Several people lowered their paddles.Grek's lips curved upward.This time, he was certain the herb would be his.He had already started moving his chair

The beaten thugs lay flat on the cold ground. Their bodies were bruised and weak after losing to Stephanie. Even in defeat, their eyes held a wild rage. They glared at her with pure hatred."Do you think you won, War Goddess?" one thug asked, spitting blood onto the floor. "We will never let you capture us alive."Marcus paid little attention to their words, but he watched the main thug closely. He recognized that desperate look. They were like trapped animals ready to strike with everything they had left.He turned to look at Stephanie, expecting her to get ready for another fight. But she stood still and relaxed. She did not seem worried about the threat at all.Before Marcus could speak, the air grew heavy with a dark power. The thugs began to move together, twisting their bodies in a strange rhythm.Marcus frowned as he watched them. Then he realized what was happening.They were performing a dangerous ritual. They were combining their energy to launch one final attack.Stephanie

Stephanie’s eyelids fluttered open, her sight slowly coming into focus. She blinked several times to adjust to the light, realizing she was lying back on the long sofa inside the hall with John and her assistant standing beside her."What is happening?" Stephanie asked, her voice dry and barely above a whisper.John leaned in with a relieved smile. "You are awake," he said gently. "How are you feeling?"Stephanie frowned, searching her memory. "I am not sure," she admitted. "What happened to me?"Her assistant stepped closer, her face showing both worry and relief. "We found you unconscious on the floor, so we moved you inside," the assistant explained. "Doctor John arrived shortly after and spent the last half hour stabilizing your condition."Hearing those words, Stephanie’s eyes widened as the events returned to her mind. She remembered the thugs, the strange light, and the sharp pain tearing through her body. She had assumed she could handle the force, but she had been mistaken.L