The cold smirk on Axel’s face widened further, brimming with arrogance.Ignoring Theodore’s final warning, the commander of the royal guard stubbornly refused to back down and even forced Theodore to dismount from his horse.Axel was confident that, with his Level 6 strength and a dozen elite Level 5 practitioners, it would be virtually impossible for a young man whose cultivation had stagnated for years to break through their defences.“Defying the throne’s orders means death!” roared Axel in a thunderous voice, drawing his long sword fully from its steel scabbard. “Squad One, apprehend this rebel at once! Break both his legs and drag him down from his saddle!”“ATTACK!”A fierce clash erupted instantly before the palace’s grand gates!Twelve elite Level 5 royal guards charged forward in unison in a devastating wedge formation. Their golden steel armour clanged loudly as they stamped their feet on the marble floor. Blazing orange spiritual energy enveloped the tips of their spears

Ignoring Raphael’s threat, Theodore wrenched his hand free, lifting Axel’s body higher into the air until the commander’s neck joints cracked painfully. Fresh blood seeped from the corners of Axel’s bruised, blue-tinged lips, dripping heavily and staining the white marble of the courtyard; Axel’s battered face gazed resignedly at Theodore.Hearing the accusation of treason hurled by Crown Prince Raphael from the top of the stairs, Theodore remained completely unperturbed. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, then with a single brutal shove hurled the limp body of the royal guard commander onto the marble floor directly beneath his feet.BAM!Axel’s chest slammed hard against the floor, spewing a mixture of red fluid and mucus. Before the man could crawl away, the toe of Theodore’s leather boot had landed squarely on the back of his neck, pinning the commander’s helpless body beneath a pool of his own soldiers’ blood.Theodore slowly raised his gaze, staring straight at Raphael with

The head of the Royal Guard Commander fell with a wet thud, just a few inches in front of Crown Prince Raphael’s boot tip. Axel’s severed eyes still stared blankly in eternal horror, whilst thick blood continued to spurt from his torn neck, splattering the hem of the prince’s red silk cloak.“Axel…!” Raphael whispered hoarsely, his pupils trembling wildly as he stared at the head of his trusted commander.In the next instant, that shock erupted into a wild, blind fury.“THEODORE CORDOVA!” Raphael roared frantically, his voice shrieking high and tearing through the silence of the palace courtyard. “YOU CURSED BASTARD!”The veins in the prince’s neck and temples bulged tautly. With eyes ablaze with intense hatred, he jutted his trembling finger straight at Theodore’s face.“How dare you kill the Commander of the Royal Guard right before my very eyes?!” Raphael shouted, spitting onto the marble floor. “Do you think the Northern Territories are immune to the laws of the imperial throne?

DUM! DUM! DUM!Theodore Cordova rode into the palace’s grand banquet hall on his black warhorse, advancing a few paces towards the main entrance before dismounting at his leisure. Theodore gently pulled on the reins, bringing his mount to a halt right in the centre of the hall, then swung his right leg over the saddle. Behind him, Captain Kael walked alongside Lily. The King’s illegitimate daughter walked listlessly by the side of the captain of the Cordova clan’s guard. Her face was haggard, her gaze cast down vacantly at the marble floor, and she said not a word. The lavish ball gown, embroidered with gold thread, that clung to her body stood in stark contrast to her gloomy and withered demeanour, as though her entire spirit and pride had been extinguished without a trace.The moment Theodore strode in, a cold, murderous aura instantly froze the laughter and the clinking of wine glasses at the King’s 60th birthday banquet.The strains of the royal harp and flute ceased abruptly.

The old man remained prostrate, his forehead bleeding, at the foot of the throne’s steps, whilst Crown Prince Raphael stood beside him, breathless, his trembling finger pointing at Theodore.Upon the nine-tiered golden throne, the old King’s eyes flashed coldly.To be honest, the King had long yearned for a pretext to crush the Northern Region’s military might, which had grown far too powerful. The paranoia that had gnawed at his mind for years had now found the perfect opening. Commander Axel’s death and Gerald’s mutilated state were the most valuable political ammunition that had fallen right into his lap.Without a moment’s hesitation, the King immediately seized this opportunity.With a feigned expression of fury, the King slammed his jade table with a thunderous blow!CRASH!The golden wine goblets and crystal plates on the jade table rattled loudly. The aged sovereign rose to his feet, his regal robes billowing majestically as an aura of power radiated throughout the room. His