“A Grandmaster Rank 7... peak stage. That’s your entire backing, isn’t it?”
No one had ever dared speak to Benedric in that tone, especially not a junior.
His fury surged.
“How dare you!”
Without warning, a violent wave of spiritual pressure burst from Benedric’s body, rolling through the hall like a tidal wave, targeting at Ronan.
The marble floor cracked under the weight of his aura.
Decorative banners lining the walls trembled.
Several Sable disciples staggered, barely keeping their balance.
If it had been anyone else, someone weaker, less trained, they would have dropped to their knees.
But Ronan stood firm.
His black coat flared in the storm, hair shifting slightly from the chaotic wind.
But not a single tremor passed through his body.
He didn’t even blink.
Benedric’s eyes glowed with faint green spiritual light as he glared down at the boy before him.
“Did your elders not teach you how to show respect to a Grandmaster?” he asked.
To Benedric, his current cultivation was enough to command respect across the capital.
Martial Saints were mere legends, spoken of but never seen. In the real world, a peak-stage Rank 7 Grandmaster was already king.
So this boy… standing so smugly before him, unaffected?
It was intolerable!
But Ronan answered without flinching.
“I do respect strength, Benedric. But let’s not pretend you have the right to look down on me,” he said flatly.
“What do you think gives you that authority? Your title as head of a first-tier noble house? Or your half-step toward Rank 8?”
Before he could finish, one of the Sable clan elders stepped forward in outrage.
“How dare you speak this way inside our estate!” the man barked. “Just because you're the Crowne heir doesn’t mean you can act without restraint in front of Lord Benedric!”
Another added quickly, “You came to end your engagement with Lady Calista. That means you’re still bound by the decorum of our house!”
A third scoffed, “With that kind of attitude, it’s no wonder Lady Calista rejected you. Arrogance doesn’t make you worthy.”
The Sables had initially held a degree of respect for Ronan.
After all, not only was he the heir of House Crowne, but he had also extended considerable resources and support to them for Calista’s sake, which had brought them tangible benefits.
However, over the years, as Ronan lowered his posture too much, the Sables had developed a mistaken impression—
That the young heir of House Crowne wasn’t all that impressive after all.
So even knowing Ronan had come to dissolve the engagement, they still maintained this inexplicable air of superiority.
Ronan watched coldly, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.
At last, seeing that Ronan remained silent, Lucien Cross stepped forward.
“You’ve shown disrespect not only to a Grandmaster,” Lucien said, “but to the father of the woman you once claimed to love.”
“With a personality like that, you’re unworthy of Calista, or any proper woman!”
Lucien Cross, who had clawed his way out of poverty and into Thalara Martial Academy through sheer grit, had always loathed men like Ronan Crowne.
Men who were born with everything, status, power, talent, and squandered it like it meant nothing.
He believed Ronan was just another spoiled heir clinging to his family name, undeserving of the world handed to him on a silver platter.
Ronan finally turned his gaze toward Lucien.
“I see… So this is the new dog barking for House Sable.”
Gasps erupted.
Lucien froze, his entire body going rigid. His fists clenched tight.
“You have no right to talk to Lucien like that!” Before Lucien could act, Calista stood up for him.
“He’s ten times the man you’ll ever be, Ronan! You—”
“So what?” Ronan said flatly, not even bothering to look her way.
“Believe whatever you want, I don’t care.”
Benedric was furious but now, he had begun to notice something was wrong.
Ronan wasn’t the same timid heir he had once belittled.
And this confrontation… might not end the way he expected.
However, Calista clearly lacked her father’s foresight.
“The Sable family agrees to the annulment,” she said coldly, forcing down her fury.
Then, without hesitation, she pulled a parchment from her robe, a ceremonial copy of their engagement contract, and tore it down the center with both hands.
“We’re done. Take your pathetic pride and get lost!”
But Ronan didn’t even look at her. It was as if she didn’t exist.
Instead, he turned his eyes toward Benedric Sable.
“Do you agree with her decision, Patriarch Sable?” he asked.
“Yes. That is our stance,” he answered.
Ronan offered a faint smile.
“Good. Then I assume House Sable is ready to return the engagement offerings,” he said.
“Which include—twenty pounds of Rank 8 Energy Essence.
A dozens of A-grade and B-grade extraordinary weapons.
Two territories totaling four hundred square kilometers.
Shares in over half a dozen key trade industries.
As well as various cultivation resources, with a total value exceeding the combined profits of a first-tier family over a decade.”

Latest Chapter
Strategies
The countdown blazed high above the arena.10… 9… 8…Still, Ronan Crowne was nowhere to be seen.Selene’s composure began to crack, a faint crease forming between her brows. Even Magnus and Garrick Crowne exchanged uneasy glances from their seats.Lucien folded his arms, a faint smirk curling on his lips.“He’s not coming,” he said coldly. “I know him. He’s a coward. Always has been.”“Don’t talk nonsense. You don’t know anything about him,” Selene said sharply.Calista seized the moment, her voice cutting through the tension like a blade.“Why are you defending him again, Selene?” she sneered. “It’s obvious you’ve always had something with him.”Gasps spread through the crowd.Whispers followed like wildfire:“Calista is right! She defends him too much. That’s not normal.”<
Challenge for Calista
Magnus Crowne leaned closer to Garrick, his voice low.“I’m worried about Ronan,” he said. “He should’ve been here by now.”Garrick’s expression remained calm, though his eyes narrowed. “He’ll come. He must. If he doesn’t, we all bear the shame.”Magnus frowned deeply. “Everyone can see these new rules are unfair. If he chooses not to appear, I wouldn’t blame him.”Garrick shook his head slowly. “No. If he doesn’t show, they’ll call him a coward. And that would stain the Crowne name forever.”Magnus fell silent. He hated to admit it, but Garrick was right. Still, unease gnawed at him. Ronan’s absence stretched longer by the minute.Then the announcer’s voice boomed across the arena.“If the Rank 1 contender fails to appear, the tournament will proceed without him. His name will be removed from the challenger list, and his points will automatically be transferred to Rank 2 — Lucien Cross.”A murmur rippled through the audience. The announcer continued,“Any students who wish to forfeit
The New Rules
Morning sunlight spilled over Thalara’s Grand Arena. Crowds poured in from every corner of the academy. Students, instructors, elders, and even guests from outside packed the stands.This year was different. The stakes were higher, the rewards greater.The competitors had already gathered. Lucien Cross stood in the front row as the current second place of the Genius Ranking List.Aveline Westmere watched from the faculty row, with Principal Hadrian Voss seated beside her.Calista Sable sat among the students, craning her neck to spot Lucien, her heart restless.High above, Dorrian Blackthorne, The Minister of Education, The Martial Saint, was present.Below him were his children: Tristan Blackthorne, thirsting for revenge after his defeat to Lucien, and Selene Blackthorne, hoping to defend her place in the top ten while anxiously awaiting Ronan Crowne’s arrival.Magnus Crowne and Garrick Crowne was there too, among the elders of other clans.The crowd buzzed louder, hushed only when t
Hidden Schemes
That night, in her quarters at the faculty dormitory, Aveline sat before a dim lamp.The Nine Souls Pill alone will not bring Ronan down. He has the Crowne resources at his back. By tomorrow, he could be even stronger than today.“I must find something! Something that can make him lose! That arrogant bastard!”Aveline slammed her fist into the wooden desk, splitting it in two.Moments later, an idea struck her. She leaned back, lips curling into a cold smile.“Even Crowne resources have limits. Ronan Crowne will lose.”***When darkness settled over the academy grounds, Lucien arrived at the training hall.Aveline studied him, examining his aura. The potion worked well.“Good. Your condition is stable again. Now we begin.”Lucien looked around, hoping that Aveline would give him something to help with his cultivation. Other mentors had provided their students with resources for that — even low-ranked ones were useful. But there was nothing.“Mentor, without valuable resources, it is i
Conspiracy
Meanwhile, a private training room, Aveline Westmere sat opposite Lucien Cross.“Lucien, you must defeat Ronan Crowne,” she said. “You must be number one. Tomorrow is your last chance to take back the number one spot.”“I know. I will. But I need help,” he replied.“That is why you are here.” Aveline reached into the folds of her robe and placed a small jade vial on the table.“The Nine Souls Pill,” she said.Lucien’s eyes widened. “That is forbidden in the Genius Ranking battles. If I use it, my strength will not be counted as my own. It only boosts power for a short time. It does not show true ability.”“Which is why you tell no one,” Aveline answered. “For a brief window, your strength will multiply a hundredfold. Enough to face Ronan.”Lucien shook his head. “I want to beat him with my own power, not with tricks.”“Look at yourself,” Aveline snapped, losing a little patience.“You are battered and bleeding. Healing alone will take weeks without the special potion. To cultivate eno
The Rewards
Once the two elders had departed, Ronan cast a casual glance toward Lucien and Aveline standing not far away.His eyes narrowed slightly, though a faint smile touched his lips.He turned back to Hadrian, bowing politely.“Principal Hadrian, if you’ll permit, I shall return to my training.”“Good. Focus on tomorrow’s challenge. Leave the rest to us.”Hadrian quickly nodded in agreement.At this point, he wished for nothing more than to avoid another eruption between Ronan and Aveline.With a light smile, Ronan saluted once more and strode away from the challenge arena.Yet behind him, unseen by most, two pairs of eyes followed every step he took.Their gazes burned with venomous hatred, heavy with resentment and a murderous chill.There was no need to guess.Ronan instantly knew who they belonged to.Lucien and Aveline.Ronan’s lips curled into a cold sneer as he turned his back on the arena.They still dared glaring at him?One had challenged him with a reckless strike and lost, the o
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