With each item spoken, the tension in the room climbed.
Benedric’s eye twitched.
Several elders nearby exchanged wary glances.
Just hearing Ronan list the first few items, they already knew the value far exceeded the total wealth House Sable had accumulated over the past century.
If they really had to return all that, House Sable’s power would shrink by eighty percent or more!
Even Lucien’s expression shifted slightly. The list was far more substantial than he’d expected.
“What’s the matter? You sever the bond, and now hesitate to return what came with it? Or does House Sable intend to breach its honor?”
The words struck like stones.
But before Benedric could speak, Calista stepped forward, arms crossed.
“It was a relationship, not a business contract. Don’t be ridiculous. No woman would return such gifts after ten years of engagement.”
Lucien immediately followed. “Calista’s right. No real man would ask for those things back. It’s petty and disgraceful.”
Just the thought of returning that much was painful—even if it wasn’t his.
And he still hadn’t received the B-grade extraordinary weapon Benedric had promised him. How could he possibly accept that.
“So you really mean to keep what was never yours to begin with?”
Benedric’s patience snapped.
“That’s enough!” he barked. “You’ve said your piece. Now get out. You won’t be getting anything back. And consider yourself lucky I’m letting you leave after the way you humiliated my daughter and me.”
“Be gone, Ronan Crowne. Before I lose my temper.”
Return all that wealth? Impossible!
He had no intention of giving it back, and what could Ronan possibly do—force him?
No, Ronan wouldn’t, right?
Benedric truly believed that Ronan—the timid boy who once groveled at Calista’s feet—would do as told.
He was sorely mistaken.
Ronan laughed.
A quiet chuckle at first, then louder, cutting through the tension in the room like a crack of thunder.
The elders of House Sable frowned, confused and uncomfortable.
What was so laughable?!
Calista looked startled. Lucien narrowed his eyes.
Benedric’s fist slammed down on the arm of his chair.
“Enough!” he shouted. “Silence, you insolent brat!”
But Ronan simply raised a hand.
In a flash, a chair of shadow-forged energy appeared beside him.
He sat down with elegance and calm, crossing one leg over the other, as if he were in his own estate and not surrounded by a hostile clan.
He rested his arm on the chair’s edge and tilted his head slightly.
“You speak to the heir of House Crowne like a tavern drunk lecturing a merchant’s apprentice,” he said softly.
“So let me ask again—who are you, Benedric Sable, to speak this way to me?”
Gasps rose from the side hall.
Benedric shot to his feet, “You insolent fool! You forget your place!”
“I don’t,” Ronan replied evenly. “But I wonder if you’ve forgotten yours.”
Benedric’s aura exploded.
Red and gold spiritual energy crackled around his body like lightning preparing to strike.
“I’ll drag you back to your father myself!” he roared. “Let’s see what he has to say about the son he raised!”
And with that, he vanished.
One blink—he was gone.
Then, a shockwave.
The air howled. The floor cracked. Benedric’s silhouette burst forward, Rank 7 might blazing.
The younger members of House Sable couldn’t even track his movement. The elders braced for impact.
But Ronan?
He didn’t move.
He didn’t blink.
He merely whispered, “Slap.”
From thin air, a ghostly hand appeared—translucent yet radiant with terrifying might.
It descended with divine speed and unrelenting force.
SMACK!
A violent crack echoed through the chamber.
Benedric’s body slammed into the marble tiles with bone-shaking force.
The floor beneath him shattered into a spiderweb of fissures. Blood splattered across his robes.
A set of teeth clattered across the floor.
A bright red handprint burned across his cheek.
Gasps. Silence. Then utter disbelief.
Ronan remained seated. Unmoved.
And then, above them all, a glowing figure slowly descended—shrouded in golden energy.
A true Rank 8 Gold Master had arrived!
Cloaked in a power so ancient and overwhelming that even the air seemed to bow in reverence.
Everyone stared, frozen in awe.
And Ronan... merely smiled.
In an instant, chaos erupted across the main hall of House Sable.
Calista Sable staggered backward, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Lucien Cross clenched his fists beside her, staring in shock at the towering figure that now stood calmly beside Ronan Crowne—a man exuding the terrifying aura of a true Rank 8 Gold Master.
A Master of such caliber, appearing here?
How come?!
Panic rippled through the room.
Benedric Sable, still reeling from the brutal strike, groaned and tried to rise.
His once-imposing form looked pitiful as he struggled to gather spiritual energy from the air, clawing his way out of the cracked floor.
Benedric finally lifted his head and looked up, dread heavy in his eyes as he addressed the elder.
“Who... who are you? Why are you interfering in Sable family matters?”

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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