The Rise of David

Book 4

Previously on The Rise of David
David was declared the new Lord of Medicine God Sect, but Hayden and Declan refused to believe it and demanded revenge. To prevent bloodshed, David offered to fight alone. Despite concerns from the elders, he faced Declan in a duel atop the mountain, revealing his mastery of divine martial arts and Focus Technique.

Chapter 161: Money Can Buy Everything

David was completely shrouded in Declan’s spiritual sense, but he did not resist it at all. He simply let the latter test his capability.

After some time, Declan furrowed his brows slightly. David certainly has the power of a 'Senior Grandmaster'. But I noticed there was a hidden aura in him as well. Although I have no idea what it is, it’s probably safe to assume that that’s his trump card. That’s why he’s so confident in winning the battle.

“You’re only a Senior Grandmaster. How dare you challenge me to a fight? Are you seeking death or do you have some powerful backup?” Declan questioned and sneered.

He was trying to insinuate that he had found David’s secret.

Yet, David replied haughtily, “I don’t need any powerful backup to defeat you. Feel free to come at me with all you have.”

“Hah! How arrogant! I bet I can finish you off with just one hand.”

As he spoke, Declan’s sleeves puffed up. Then, countless specks of light gathered toward him. Before long, his entire body was enveloped by the lights, making him shine like the sun.

Seeing that, David immediately activated his spiritual energy. As his fingers began to move swiftly, a thunderstorm started to pick up before him. All the stones on the ground were blown away as the wind became stronger.

Declan smirked when he saw the storm in front of David.

“What an amateur…”

The next moment, he shot out two charms from his sleeves. The dazzling lights from his body gathered on the charm, and they instantly turned into two giant dragons which were glowing in a shade of gold.

Seeing that, Axton and several other elders were stunned.

“Magecraft is amazing…”

Boom!

With a wave of his hand, the golden dragons dashed toward David.

Despite so, David was not afraid at all. He waved his hand lightly and directed the storm in front of him toward the two golden dragons. Soon, the thunderstorm had completely swallowed the dragons, and the dragons started spinning inside the storm.

The dragons suddenly disappeared as they were spun rapidly within the thunderstorm, turning them into specks of light again. The thunderstorm also slowly disappeared after that.

After the dust had settled, only a total mess could be seen at the scene. There were no changes in David and Declan as if the battle had not even happened.

“Is that all you have?” David taunted.

Declan’s face completely darkened as he glared at David. He gnashed his teeth and spat, “I didn’t expect you to be so good in magecraft. Seems like I’ve underestimated you. Now, I’ll show you my Dragon Crushing Formation.”

After he finished speaking, he slowly stretched out his palms.

Then, he started mumbling the spell before his hands began to release magic seals. Those magic seals kept making sounds of explosions in the air.

Before long, the peak of the mountain started shaking. There were countless cracks appearing around David. Within the cracks, there were some chains with the thickness of an arm. Those black chains were exuding lethal intent.

There were a total of nine chains that resembled pythons baring their fangs. Knowing that those chains would attack him soon, David frowned.

Initially, David wanted to use Focus Technique to absorb the lethal intent from the Dragon Crushing Formation. However, he knew that before he could absorb all the lethal intent, Declan would kill him first. After all, he had noticed that Declan was much stronger than he had anticipated.

“Dragonslayer Sword.”

David splayed his right palm and the magic sword, which was engulfed in flame, appeared in his hand. Seeing the Dragonslayer Sword, Declan’s eyes widened in shock.

“So, this is your powerful backup…”

David did not reply to Declan and simply lifted his Dragonslayer Sword. After swinging it sideways, the Dragonslayer Sword burned even more brightly. As the blazing fire flared in all directions, a buzzing sound could be heard coming from the sword.

The Dragonslayer Sword and David had merged together. The flares that were raging wildly were all David’s spiritual energy. He sent out a total of nine flares toward the nine chains.

Hiss!

When the flares met the chains, the lethal intent on the chains burst into flames, followed by a cracking sound.

All the chains that had caught on fire fell to the ground like pythons that had been decapitated. The next moment, they turned into powder and instantly dissipated. The cracks on the floor quickly closed up as well.

Pointing the Dragonslayer Sword at Declan, David said coldly, “Is that the best technique you have? What else do you have? Bring it on!”

Declan’s face darkened completely when his best technique, Dragon Crushing Formation, was rendered useless by David.

Looking at David, Hayden’s eyes were filled with shock. He did not understand how David had greatly improved his capability in just a few days.

“Brat, I can’t do anything to you today because you have the magic sword. But don’t you worry, for I’ll come back to take revenge soon.”

With that, Declan stepped back and ran down the mountain.

Seeing that, Hayden almost cursed out loud at Declan. He could not believe that Declan had fled the scene without him. Is he trying to make me the scapegoat?

Without any hesitation, Hayden turned around and ran away as well. In fact, nothing was more important than saving his own life then.

Axton and the elders were shocked to see that Declan and Hayden had fled the scene in such a cowardly manner.

Just when Axton returned to his senses and wanted to give chase, David quickly stopped them. “Don’t go after them.”

He put the Dragonslayer Sword back as his face turned as pale as a sheet. “My Lord, are you all right?” Axton hurriedly asked.

David shook his head before coughing out a mouthful of blood.

It seemed that Declan’s magecraft was extremely strong. If David had not struggled to hold on and scare him away, the situation would have turned from bad to worse.

Soon, David managed to walk down the mountain with Axton’s and the others’ support. Initially, he had planned to set off that day, but it was clear that he would have to take a rest in Medicine God Sect for a day now.

The next day, David insisted to leave Medicine God Sect despite Axton persuading him to stay longer. He knew that if he did not leave, he would not make it to Nameless Island by July 15th.

After walking out of Medicine God Sect, David bought a flight ticket to Southernshire. He needed to take a boat there to get to Nameless Island.

By the time he arrived in Southernshire, it was already nighttime. He bought a boat ticket in advance before he found a hotel to stay in. His plan was to take the boat to Nameless Island the next morning.

Just when David was having dinner in the hotel, he noticed that the business of the hotel was better than expected. Customers kept pouring in, and those people were clearly martial artists judging from the aura they were exuding. Southernshire is not a popular city. So why are there so many martial artists gathered here?

Since the hotel rooms were all fully booked, David had no choice but to try and bribe personnel of the hotel to get him a room.

“Why is the hotel so packed?” David asked the personnel.

“I have no idea. There are so many customers today. I think they’re all going out to sea. But I don’t know what they are up to,” the personnel answered as he shook his head.

Looking at the personnel, David could tell that the man was only a commoner, so he certainly would not know what those customers were doing. Hence, David pulled out a stack of money and put them in the personnel’s hand.

“Help me look for a room. I’ll only stay for a night.”

David did not want to look for another hotel. He knew that since all the rooms were fully booked in this hotel, it would be the same for other hotels as well.

The personnel looked helpless as he replied, “We… We really are fully booked. I doubt even our manager can find an empty room.”

Even though he was saying that, his eyes were locked on the stack of money in David’s hand. Clearly, he really wanted to take the thousand that David was offering him.

Looking at his expression, David quickly took out another stack of money and put it into the personnel’s hand. The stack was probably worth several thousand.

“Come on, help a brother out, will you?” David said with a smile.

The personnel’s eyes widened when he saw the thick stack of money. He then gnashed his teeth and

replied, “Mister, we really don’t have any empty room. However, if you don’t mind, you can stay in our dorm. Don’t worry. You’ll stay alone in the dorm for the night. I’ll chase my other colleagues out of the room.”

“Sure. As long as I have a place to sleep in.”

David smiled and added, “By the way, do you have anything to eat? Could you get me some food?” “Of course. Please, take a seat. I’ll go get some food for you right away…”

With that, the personnel went to prepare some food.

Money can certainly buy everything. Looking at how delighted the personnel was, David went to sit down in a corner.

At the moment, many people were eating in the restaurant of the hotel. Soon, David noticed a familiar figure sitting at a table not far from him.

It was Sean from the Cooper family in Jadeborough. Ever since David took Xander’s life, he had not seen any of the Coopers anymore. None of them came to take revenge on him as well.

Sean was sitting at the table with a person who looked like him. At the same time, many servants of the Cooper family were standing guard behind them. All of them were Senior Grandmasters.

David slowly turned back in front so Sean would not see him. He did not want any trouble as he just wanted to get to Nameless Island safely.

He did, however, pricked up his ears and started eavesdropping on them. With David’s capability, he could hear their conversation even though those people were sitting a dozen meters away from him.

“Sylvester, is the island really so magical? Is there really a huge dragon there? I’ve never seen a real dragon before. Could it be only a myth?”

David could hear Sean’s voice clearly.

It was then that he realized Sean was sitting with his brother, Sylvester.

“I don’t know if there’s a real dragon, but I’m certain there are some strange beasts there. If we can get a beast core, it will be useful for my cultivation.”

Sylvester’s eyes were filled with anticipation as he spoke.

“Sylvester, tell me about the ancestral land of the Coopers. I heard that the people there are all

immortal. That they are able to do all sorts of wondrous feats. Have you become immortal as well?”

Sean looked like a curious student when he asked Sylvester about the ancestral land of the Coopers.

Yet, Sylvester froze when he heard his brother’s question. “How many times have I told you not to ask about this? Knowing about all this won’t benefit you at all!”

Seeing how Sylvester was getting mad, Sean nodded and replied, “Okay, okay. I got it.”

After a moment of silence, he said, “Anyway, are you going to Dragon Island so that you could get your hands on a beast core in order to kill David and avenge Xander?”

Sylvester snorted and answered, “I don’t need a beast core to take his life. The reason I’m going to the island is because of the old patriarch’s command. I have to complete the task before I avenge Xander’s death.”

It was obvious from his tone that he did not have any respect for David.

“Huh, that makes sense, I guess. After all, you’re an immortal now. David is no match for you. I’m sure you can easily take his life. That b*stard’s days are definitely numbered.” Sean was trying to butter Sylvester up.

Right at that moment, a group of people barged into the room. The person who was leading the group was a young man who was currently sweeping his gaze across the room with an arrogant look.

Then, a subordinate behind the young man stepped forward before he cleared his throat and announced, “Mr. Shalvis has arrived. I will need you all to leave right this instance. We’ve already reserved the entire place.”

He made it sound like the person’s arrival was akin to that of an emperor from the olden days.

Everyone else snorted when they heard the announcement. After all, the people who were eating at the restaurant were all martial artists. Since they were no ordinary people, and some of them had even come from prominent families, those words did not faze them.

Most of the people ignored the announcement, but that was not the case with Sylvester, as his expression suddenly changed.

“Let’s go,” he said.

“Sylvester, what are you afraid of? Who’s that guy?” Sean questioned in utter confusion.

After all, the Cooper family was a prominent family in Jadeborough. Moreover, Sylvester had entered the ancestral land of the Coopers and had even cultivated divine martial art. Why is he so afraid of this Mr. Shalvis?

In fact, Sean had never even heard of the Shalvis family. I don’t think there’s such a family in Jadeborough.

“Shut up.” Sylvester glared at Sean before he got to his feet and walked out of the room. Seeing that, Sean quickly followed after his brother with their subordinates in tow.

When Sylvester walked past the young man, the latter spared a glance at him.

Even though the Coopers had left, the other people did not move an inch. Clearly, they were not planning on leaving any time soon.

Seeing the situation, the young man’s expression turned cold. Just then, the subordinate who spoke earlier started emitting a terrifying aura. The atmosphere became so cold that people in the restaurant started shivering.

The customers’ expressions started to change before they stood up and left one by one. They could tell that the young man was strong and that he was not someone they could trifle with.

A Martial Arts Grandmaster?

When David sensed the young man’s subordinate’s aura, he was stunned. He could not believe that a mere subordinate was a Martial Arts Grandmaster.

In actuality, all the Martial Arts Grandmasters were overlords. As such, it was nigh impossible for them to become another person’s subordinates.

Soon, everyone in the restaurant had fled the scene. Only David was left sitting alone in the corner, waiting for his food to be served.

Seeing that David was not planning on leaving, the young man’s subordinate gave him a death stare. Within seconds, a wave of murderous aura headed toward David.

In response, David kept his head lowered. It was as if he did not notice that he was being attacked.

However, when the aura was within striking distance, a barrier appeared over David’s skin and blocked out the aura.

Whoosh!

The aura which was blocked out hit the table at the side and broke it to smithereens.

The subordinate was shocked at the sight. He stared at David in disbelief while his master, Kristoff Shalvis, was stunned.

“Mister, your food is here.”

Just then, the personnel who took David’s money earlier came to serve him a sumptuous dinner.

However, when he noticed that all other customers had left and only several people were left in the restaurant, he was startled.

“Place the food down, and you may go,” David said calmly to the personnel. “Huh? Oh, sure.”

The personnel glanced at the table and chair which were smashed to pieces before he quickly nodded.

Since he was working in the hotel, he was aware that there would be customers who would start a fight there frequently. Looking at the situation, he figured that a fight must have happened. He hurriedly put down the dishes and left the place to avoid getting into trouble.

David picked up his fork and started eating slowly, ignoring the group of people.

The man who attacked David earlier clenched his fists as his expression turned cold. Just when he was about to attack David again, Kristoff waved his hand to stop him.

After glancing at David, Kristoff sat down at a table and sent someone to prepare the food.

Several minutes later, David was done eating. He stood up and started toward the restaurant’s exit. All the while, he did not even spare a glance at the group of people before him.

“Mr. Shalvis…”

The guy who attacked David earlier turned to look at Kristoff with dissatisfaction written all over his face when he saw David walking out the door in a nonchalant manner.

Yet, Kristoff waved his hand. He glanced at David’s departing figure and simply kept quiet.

After walking out of the restaurant, David initially wanted to find the personnel to get him to the dorm as he wanted to get some rest.

However, he could not find the personnel no matter where he searched. He figured that the latter was probably hiding somewhere because he was terrified after seeing that there were customers fighting in the restaurant.

In the end, David left the hotel feeling helpless and went to take a stroll on the street of Southernshire.

Although Southernshire was not a big city, it was located by the sea. He could see the vast ocean as he stood on the street.

There were several rows of mansions by the seaside. Even though it was nighttime, there were still many people visiting the beach.

David slowly made his way toward the beach. It was the first time he had seen the ocean with his own eyes. Wow! Would you look at that! It’s such a vast ocean. It’s making all the humans look so tiny. No matter how strong they are, they’re but a speck of dust compared to the sea.

Looking at the lighthouses that shone brightly to guide the boats in the right direction, David suddenly felt lost. He did not know where he was going in life.

At the moment, he felt a little scared to know about his origins. Even if I find out about it, what should I do next?

David turned his gaze away and shook his head. He tried to stop himself from overthinking things. It’ll be fine. I just need to take one step at a time.

While taking a stroll on the beach, there were beautiful girls walking past David occasionally. Those girls had fair skin and sexy figures. Despite so, David would only take a glance at them before turning his attention elsewhere.

Although those girls were pretty, they could not be compared to Josephine. Josephine had a classy demeanor that those girls did not have.

After all, she grew up in a wealthy family. Hence, not all girls would have the elegance that she had.

Apart from that, it was also rare to find a girl as charming and gallant as Lizbeth. Being an investigator of the Department of Justice, Lizbeth looked amazing after she put her uniform on her perfect figure.

David found himself thinking about Josephine and Lizbeth unwittingly. Suddenly, the scene of Lizbeth being naked flashed across his mind. Although he was hugging her back then, he did not have any thoughts about her. Yet, thinking about the scene now, he found that he was having a reaction in his lower body.

After all, David was just a normal man with desires. It was only natural for him to have some reactions. Sighing, he murmured, “I wonder where Mr. Deragon brought them to…”

He missed Josephine and the rest of the girls after not talking to them for several days now.

Just when David was about to leave the beach, several figures in front of him caught his attention.

There were a few girls clad in swimsuits playing on the beach joyfully. Surrounding them were men that had their gazes locked on them.

Chapter 162: Bloodline

After gazing at the girls for several moments, David was completely stunned. The girls in front of him were none other than Josephine, Lizbeth, Melanie, and Renee.

They were dressed in swimsuits as they played around on the beach. They had divided themselves into two groups as they splashed seawater on each other.

David was completely dumbfounded. How come they’re here? And why is Renee here as well? “Hey, ladies. Would you like to take a speedboat with me and enjoy the sea breeze?”

A man who was dressed fashionably and wearing sunglasses started flirting with Josephine and the girls.

Josephine and the rest glanced at the man and ignored him. He was not the first man that had flirted with them that day.

Seeing how all the girls had ignored him, the man said again, “Ladies, my name is Sebastian Wulfenstein.

I’ll have you know that I’m the richest man in Southernshire. Robert Wulfenstein is my father. Do you see that row of speedboats over there? They’re all mine.”

Evidently, Sebastian thought that after introducing himself as the richest man’s son, even the most reserved girls would treat him passionately.

However, Josephine and the rest continued to ignore him as if they did not hear him at all. The situation put Sebastian in an awkward position.

“Mr. Wulfenstein, there’s no need for you to keep buttering them up since they’re ignoring you. Why don’t you let me and my friends keep you company instead?” a girl with a good figure said beside Sebastian.

Slap!

Sebastian instantly slapped the girl across the face. “F*ck off. You’re the one who’s buttering me up. Besides, no women in Southernshire can resist my charms.”

With that, he strode toward Josephine in a fury.

The girl who was slapped was so terrified that she dared not say a word. She simply held her cheek as tears welled in her eyes.

At the moment, Josephine looked stunning with her fair skin sparkling under the moonlight.

After approaching Josephine, Sebastian did not say a word and simply stretched out his hand to grab her arm.

Shocked, Josephine wanted to step back, but Sebastian tightened his grip. “D*mn. Your skin is so smooth,” Sebastian commented with a lecherous grin.

Seeing that Josephine was being harassed, Lizbeth and the rest quickly ran up to her. From a distance, David was so enraged that he instantly rushed toward them.

Before David could reach them, however, Josephine’s eyes turned cold and she grabbed Sebastian’s collar before flipping him over her shoulder. With a thud, Sebastian fell heavily to the ground.

Coughing violently, Sebastian struggled to catch his breath. “Mr. Wulfenstein!”

Three burly men who were not far away from the scene anxiously ran toward Sebastian to help him up.

Meanwhile, David, who was running toward the girls to help them, came to an abrupt halt. He could not believe that Josephine had learned martial arts within several days that he had not seen her. She even seems really good at it.

Standing still, David did not move forward. He wanted to watch how Josephine and the girls were going to handle the matter.

Right at that moment, Lizbeth and the rest had come to Josephine’s side. All of them were glaring at Sebastian and his subordinates.

Lizbeth’s eyes were filled with a murderous look as if she was prepared to end their lives right that instant.

“Lizbeth, Mr. Deragon told us not to cause trouble. So call down, okay? Let’s just wait for David to come back,” Josephine said quickly when she noticed the murderous aura Lizbeth was exuding.

Hearing that, the murderous aura in Lizbeth slowly dissipated.

Livid, Sebastian was glaring at Josephine as he spat, “F*ck. How dare you lay your hands on me? You’re a feisty one, huh? I’ll be sure to torture you tonight. Men, get her!”

He waved his hand to signal the three burly men to grab Josephine.

Watching from a distance, David knew that those burly men were only commoners. Hence, he did not make a move. He reckoned that Lizbeth could easily dispatch those men, so Josephine was certainly in safe hands.

“Hey, watch this. I’ll take this chance to use these men for practice,” Josephine said before she rushed toward the three men.

The next moment, she flung her fist at them, her movement as quick as lightning. Bam!

One of the burly men was sent hurtling several meters into the air before he crashed onto the beach.

Seeing this, the other two men were stunned. Sebastian could not believe his eyes as well. He did not expect that Josephine, a girl who looked so weak and skinny, was actually so strong.

David was startled as well. Josephine’s punch showed that she was a martial artist with internal energy. But several days ago, Josephine was still an ordinary girl. How did she get internal energy within a few days?

In fact, Josephine was startled by her own punch as well. Coming to her senses a few seconds later, she said to Lizbeth excitedly, “Lizbeth, did… did I just throw that punch? How am I so strong?”

Lizbeth smiled and replied, “You’re a martial artist with internal energy now, Josephine. It’s only natural that your punch can send these commoners flying away. That being said, you have to control your

power. Otherwise, you might end up killing them with a punch.”

Josephine nodded before she turned to look at the other two men, acting as if she was a beast that had sighted its prey.

When the men saw the murderous glint in her eyes, they immediately turned tail and ran, completely forgetting the fact that they had left their master behind.

Seeing that his bodyguards had fled the scene, Sebastian shivered in fear. He turned around and started running away as well.

Josephine had turned from a beautiful lady in a swimsuit to a terrifying beast to him.

“Geez. Why did they run? I haven’t had enough fun yet! How boring,” Josephine complained as she watched the bodyguards and Sebastian running away.

“Was it satisfying?” Lizbeth asked as she patted Josephine’s shoulder with a grin on her face.

“It was amazing! I feel like finding some other punk to teach him a lesson,” Josephine replied gleefully. Just then, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

The hand even started caressing her.

With a frown, she turned around swiftly and threw her fist in the pervert’s direction.

However, when she turned and got a good look at her supposed assailant, her fist froze in mid-air. Standing before her was David smiling happily at her.

“David!”

Josephine instantly threw herself into David’s arms. Then, the latter lifted her up.

Seeing how happy Josephine looked, David immediately twirled her around for a couple of rounds.

Since Josephine was wearing a swimsuit, David could feel her soft body pressing against his chest. Ah… how comfy…

Seeing David hugging Josephine, Lizbeth smiled awkwardly. She was feeling rather jealous, but she dared not show her emotions.

After a few moments, David put Josephine down before smiling at Lizbeth. “Lizbeth, you look good wearing a swimsuit. Do you want a hug and several twirls as well?”

“Pfft. Who would want a hug from you?” Lizbeth rolled her eyes at David.

Just then, Melanie and Renee came up to them, and they were both in bathing suits. Renee was the younger one out of the duo, but after months of not seeing her, it was obvious the young lady had grown a lot.

“David!” Renee was delighted to see David there.

“Renee? Why are you here? Where is Leonidas? I thought you were with him?” David found it weird. Back when the Lagrange Monastery was destroyed, Renee’s father, Erasmus, was killed. After David avenged him, Renee was taken away by Leonidas. So why is she here?

“Leonidas went into isolation, so…”

“All right, we can talk about this somewhere else. This is not a good place to speak.” Josephine tugged at David’s sleeve, and Renee swiftly zipped her mouth shut.

At the moment, everyone on the beach was glaring at David enviously, for he was surrounded by four gorgeous women. They would have killed to be in David’s place.

“Where’s my sister, David? I thought she was with you. Don’t tell me she’s still in Mapleton?” Melanie asked David while they were on the way back.

“Your sister has left Mapleton. Your parents were killed by Poison King, just as we suspected.” David told Melanie about the events that took place in Mapleton and explained all about the history between Poison King and Melanie’s parents.

All the while, Melanie listened quietly to David’s explanation. Even though she knew that Poison King had killed her parents, she didn’t seem to be too sad about it. After all, she had never seen her parents before, and she felt no love for them.

David and the ladies came to a hotel. It was the same one David had come across earlier, but since the ladies were one step ahead of him, they already had rooms reserved for them.

They led David upstairs, and Josephine knocked on one of the rooms’ doors. Rayleigh came to open it for them, and when David saw the other person who was in there, he was dumbfounded.

“D-Draco?” David’s eyes widened in disbelief. He never expected to see Draco in the hotel out of all places.

Ever since Draco got out of prison, David almost never saw him again. He tried to get into jail to see Draco, and he even tried to use his connections to bust Draco out of jail, only to learn that the elderly man was already gone when he tried to extract him. David was confused when he found out about the news back then.

He never thought that their reunion would happen in a hotel, nor did he expect Draco to be with Josephine and the others.

“Come in. We can talk later,” Rayleigh called out to him. David snapped out of his thoughts and hurried into the room.

He was surprised to see so many faces in the room, and he needed an explanation to catch him up to speed.

Draco turned around and told Renee, “Renee, take everyone to the room next door. I need to talk to David. Alone.”

Renee nodded before leading the ladies to the room next door, leaving David alone with Draco and Rayleigh. Right after the ladies were gone, Draco and Rayleigh went down and kneeled before David, much to his surprise.

David quickly pulled Draco and Rayleigh up. “What are you guys doing? What is the meaning of this?” He still didn’t understand what was going on.

“Mr. David, I think it’s time to tell you who you really are, and the legacy you have inherited.” Draco stared straight at David, and he started tearing up as he told David about his origins.

David listened quietly. He was already prepared for it, but the truth still shocked him nonetheless. It turned out David’s guess was spot on. He was a child of the Deragon family, and his mother was the second princess, Renalia. Draco was the Deragons’ butler, while Rayleigh was Renalia’s bodyguard.

The Deragon family was an aristocratic family hidden from the public eye, and most of the family was made up of martial artists. A lot of those martial artists had started spiritual energy cultivation as well. As the family’s princess, Renalia received the best education available, and thanks to her innate talent, Renalia’s strength grew at a blistering rate. Even the family head loved Renalia for her talent and strength.

However, eventually, Renalia grew to an age where she pursued love. She found someone in the outside world and fell in love before she was impregnated by that man.

Unexpectedly, the man disappeared after Renalia told him she was pregnant. Left with no choice, Renalia went through the whole pregnancy by herself and gave birth to David.

When Renalia’s father found out that his daughter had given birth to a child out of wedlock, and that the baby’s father had run away, he was livid. In fact, he was so angry that he sent someone to take Renalia back to the family by force.

Despite so, he couldn’t bring himself to punish his most beloved daughter, and he did find his grandson adorable. Nonetheless, his anger got the better of him in the end, and since then, he was bedridden.

While Renalia’s father was ill and bedridden, her brother, Ryker, poisoned his own father so that the old man would die and give the family over to him.

Although Renalia found out about her brother’s plan, it was already too late. The poison had worked its way through the old man’s body, but just before he died, he handed the Deragons over to Renalia.

Renalia took David and bade farewell to her father before she left the family. Ryker found out about her escape soon enough, and he accused her of poisoning their father. That was excuse enough for him to send the family’s troops after her.

Draco and Rayleigh were involved in that chase back then. It lasted for two days and two nights when finally, Renalia was surrounded near Horington. Renalia was taken back to the Deragons, but she managed to toss David aside before that. In the end, David was able to escape the fate of being captured.

After Renalia was captured, Ryker got his hands on the family seal, but he didn’t spare his own sister. In fact, he subjected her to daily torture, as if he still wanted to know something she was hiding.

Draco and Rayleigh knew nothing about the answer Ryker was looking for. They only knew that Ryker didn’t give up on that endeavor even after twenty years. He was still torturing Renalia even as they spoke.

Draco suddenly stopped talking when he brought up Renalia’s torture before he broke down crying. Rayleigh joined in as well, looking guilty.

“If we had just let Ms. Renalia go back then, she wouldn’t have to endure this kind of torture.” Draco was bawling his eyes out at that point.

David’s fists were clenched tightly, and they were turning white from the fury he was feeling. Although he had never seen his own mother, the news alone was enough to light the flames of rage within him. “How did you guys find me then?” David looked at Draco, his eyes filled with hatred.

It’s as they said, if Draco and Rayleigh had just allowed Renalia to escape, she wouldn’t have to be tortured.

Draco noticed the hatred that was burning in David’s eyes, and he let out a sigh. “A while after Ms. Renalia was taken back, I wondered why she would poison her own father. I didn’t think that to be true, so three years ago, I sneaked into Ms. Renalia’s holding cell, and she told me the truth. She told me about how her own traitorous brother killed his own father. And she told me where she left you. She wanted me to backtrack and see if you’re still alive.”

Draco let out another sigh and wiped the tears off his face before he continued, “The Focus Technique I gave you and the Dragon Ring you’re wearing don’t belong to me. According to Ms. Renalia, these two things were left by your father. It was his token of love to your mother.”

“Who is my father then? And why is my mother still locked up? What does Ryker want to know? What kind of secrets is she still hiding?” David gripped Draco’s shoulder in agitation.

He wanted to know the real identity of his irresponsible father who left him before he was even born. Just the thought of everything his mother had to endure because of this man’s unceremonious departure boiled his blood.

Draco shook his head. “I do not know, Mr. David. Not even Ms. Renalia knows who your father is. As for what Ms. Renalia is hiding, I have no idea as well. Your mother did not tell me anything. Not even the

slightest hint. After that, I traveled to Horington to find out where you are, and the rest is history.”

“But how are you so sure that I am the abandoned child? I might be someone else entirely.” David wondered why Draco was so sure that he was Renalia’s son.

“Because the blood of the Deragons flows within you. I can sense it, and my senses are never wrong when it comes to this.”

Draco started coughing violently all of a sudden, and his face was contorted with pain.

“Mr. Draco? Are you all right, sir?” Rayleigh quickly propped Draco up and patted his back.

“What’s going on, Draco? Are you all right? Maybe I should give you a checkup.” Although David hated Draco for what he did to Renalia, he was still concerned about the old man.

Draco waved him down and took a seat on the chair. In the next moment, Draco seemed to age ten years, and the light in his eyes dimmed.

David wondered what happened to Draco to trigger that kind of change. He looks like he’ll die at any given minute.

Seeing how Rayleigh seemed worried about Draco, David reckoned the man must know what was happening to the old man.

“Mr. David, now that you know the truth about your origins, my mission has come to an end. However, I did leak some hints about your existence so Ms. Renalia will cling on dearly to life. At the same time, the Deragons are prowling everywhere in search of you. Luckily, all they know of is your existence, not your identity. You are safe for now. But…”

Before Draco could finish, he moved on into another bout of violent coughs.

“Let me be the one to continue, Mr. Draco.” Rayleigh asked Draco to get some rest before turning to look at David. “Mr. David, you are safe for the time being, but the Deragons will eventually know who you are. The first order of business for you now is to claim the draconic essence on Dragon Island. Only then can you hope to go against the Deragons. You have asked me about the ways energy cultivators get the spiritual energy they need, and now I can tell you the answer. Even though this world’s spiritual energy is running thin, cultivators can still gain them through crystals. Some of the lucky ones manage to get their hands on draconic essence, and that’s practically an endless source of energy.

“All they have to do is consume it, and the essence will provide all the energy they need for cultivation. However, draconic essences are rare, and from what I know, only a handful of cultivators have managed to get their hands on one. Most cultivators rely on crystals for the energy they need. Crystals are similar to spiritual stones, though their energy content is a hundred times more than that of the stones.”

I see. So stuff like crystals and draconic essences exist in this world. David thought to himself and said, “I had no idea items like those exist. If what you say is true, then they’re far more valuable than any

spiritual stones or herbs.”

“There are many ways for a cultivator to gain the spiritual energy they need. Aside from draconic essences and crystals, they can also get some energy through beast cores. Countless beasts reside in remote places, and those beasts have manifested a core within them after being alive for so long. These cores are also important for cultivation,” Rayleigh continued.

“Hmm, in that case, a draconic essence is a dragon’s core, right?”

Rayleigh paused for a moment to ponder on that matter, then he nodded. “Technically, yes.”

Chapter 163: Decease

Rayleigh had never seen someone drawing parallels between a draconic essence and a dragon’s core, but after giving it some thought, Rayleigh knew that David’s guess was right. Draconic essences were found within a dragon’s body, and dragons were a kind of a beast, even though it was divine.

Technically, it would be counted as a beast core as well.

“Draco, I thought I was supposed to depart for the Nameless Island on July 15th? So why am I seeing you guys here today?” David asked Draco curiously.

Draco opened his mouth, but he couldn’t say anything. Rayleigh stepped in and explained, “There’s been a change of plans. We came back from the Nameless Island in order to stop you from going.”

“Change of plans? What kind of change?” David frowned.

“Let me explain. Mr. Draco wanted you to travel to Nameless Island on July 15th because that place is supposed to be a transit station of sorts. You were supposed to infiltrate Dragon Island and take the draconic essence, but the Deragons managed to piece the puzzle together and make out that plan of ours, so they made an announcement. On July 15th, the Deragons will open Dragon Island to everyone. Because of that, there are bound to be a lot of people on the island that day, and your plan to take the draconic essence in secret will fail. After all, someone’s bound to notice you.” Rayleigh seemed solemn.

David was quiet as well. No wonder Dante said a disaster is going to befall me on July 15th. I see now. Taking the essence sounds simple enough, but the execution’s going to be a b*tch. After all, someone else would have taken it if it was that simple.

Draco looked at David and let out a sigh. “You don’t have to worry too much, Mr. David. The Deragons do this precisely because they have no idea who you are. You can go to Dragon Island tomorrow with

everyone else. I’ve come up with another plan to take the essence. I have a map of the island here, and I’ve marked the most possible hiding place of the Twin Dragons.”

Draco took out a map from a pocket and handed it to David with trembling hands.

“Twin Dragons?” David was surprised to find out that there were two dragons on the island.

“Yes. There are two dragons on the island, namely Ice Dragon and Flame Dragon. Tomorrow is the day where they will meet up, making it the perfect day to tour the island. But it’s just a legend. Nobody has seen the dragons in the flesh. That said, there are still many beasts lurking about on the island, and they are dangerous. Mr. Draco got hurt in the process of making this map.” Rayleigh looked at Draco, worry filling his eyes.

“Rayleigh…” Draco shot a glare at Rayleigh. Obviously, he didn’t want Rayleigh to say that out.

David looked at Draco and quickly held the old man’s wrist. “Draco, why didn’t you tell me you’re hurt? I can help you.”

When David sent a sliver of his spiritual energy into Draco’s hand to check on the old man’s situation, his face fell. He could tell that Draco’s body was falling apart. Most of his organs had shut down, and his heart was only beating weakly.

David didn’t expect Draco’s injuries to be so grave, and the fact that the old man was in such a dire situation shocked him. He knew how to make the pills that could help, but there wasn’t enough time on their hands. Draco’s body would not be able to hold on for much longer.

Draco didn’t care about his own condition, however. The moment David touched him, he looked at David weirdly. “Mr. David, did you run into a magical encounter or something? There’s a power within you, but it does not belong to you,” he asked.

“Oh, that must be the Dragonslayer Sword.” David splayed his right hand, and the Dragonslayer Sword appeared in his hand. The crimson marks on the blade shone brightly as if they were blood coursing through veins.

“The sword has fused with you?” Rayleigh’s eyes widened in surprise.

Draco broke into a smile. “Ah, looks like even the gods are helping Mr. David. With this sword in hand, your chances of getting the essence have increased.” Draco laughed for a moment, but his laugh was cut short by another bout of violent cough. This time, he even coughed up blood.

“Draco!”

“Mr. Draco!”

David and Rayleigh propped Draco up, but the old man waved them down and smiled. “Rayleigh, summon the ladies. I have something I need to tell them.”

Rayleigh nodded and left, while David looked at the old man in silence. Draco’s presence was getting weaker with every passing second, and wrinkles were starting to fill his face. Soon, he would be facing the final moment of his life.

The ladies came back a moment later. When Renee saw what happened to Draco, she quickly held her mentor. “Master! What happened to you?”

Renee had been studying under Draco for a long while, and she loved her mentor dearly. However, Draco only took her under his wing in the first place because her frosty constituent could be of assistance to David.

Draco stared at Renee for what might be the last time in his life, and he patted the girl’s head. He felt guilty, for he knew he needed Renee to sacrifice herself for David eventually.

“I’m sorry, Renee. I am really sorry. Do you blame me for deciding your fate for you?” Draco apologized to Renee profusely. He had told Renee about the truth, for she had to be willing to sacrifice herself, or the plan would not work.

Renee shook her head. “This is my choice. I do not blame you, master.”

Draco looked at the other ladies before finally setting his gaze upon Josephine. “Do not forget about your promise. I hope you’ll hold up the end of your bargain.”

The ladies nodded, and Josephine had resolve flaring within her eyes. She knew Draco was directing that message to her specifically.

Josephine had a fiery constituent, and she could be a big help to David. If they were to run into the dragons on the island, David would find it difficult to retrieve the essence with his current power level. After all, one of the dragons controlled the powers of ice, while the other reigned over the power of flames.

However, with Josephine and Renee around, David’s chances of retrieving the essence would be greatly boosted. Of course, that was if they were willing to give up their lives for him.

Draco smiled for the last time in his life. “I’ve finally repaid my debt to Ms. Renalia. I can finally see Mr. Deragon with pride.” He then drew the last breath in his life, and he closed his eyes forever.

“Master!”

“Draco!”

“Mr. Draco!”

Sorrow filled the air of the room, and David’s hatred toward Draco had disappeared along with the old man’s death. He held the map in his hand tightly. Draco gave his life to make the map for him. He hadn’t seen Dragon Island just yet, but he could guess just how treacherous that place must be.

Draco painstakingly created this map on that dangerous island himself. A tear traveled down David’s cheek at the thought, but resolve flared within his eyes. “I will make you pay for what you did to my

mother, Deragons.” As David gazed upon the boundless sea below him, something changed within him.

Everyone came back to the hotel after they gave Draco the proper burial, but nobody spoke. The atmosphere was somber, and Renee’s eyes were puffy from all the crying.

“David, you’ll be on your own tomorrow. I cannot go with you, or the Deragons will be suspicious of who you are.” Rayleigh patted David’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry about me, Rayleigh. I’ll definitely retrieve the draconic essence and grow stronger. Then, I will force the Deragons to face me, and I’ll save my mother,” David answered adamantly.

Just when they were about to retire for the day, a big group of hooligans barged into the hotel with menacing looks on their faces.

The hooligans’ leader was Sebastian, and he looked furious. The moment he came in, he bellowed, “I want all of you to block all exits. These b*tches aren’t going anywhere! Nobody, and I mean nobody gets to escape after beating me up in Southernshire! Once we get our hands on them, you guys are gonna

f*ck their asses one by one!”

“Yes, boss!” Sebastian’s lackeys’ eyes shone, and they quickly blocked all entrances and exits.

Seeing how the situation was quickly spiraling out of control, the hotel manager quickly went up to Sebastian and handed a cigarette to him. “What seems to be the matter, Mr. Wulfenstein? What got you so worked up?”

“Piss off! Some b*tches beat me up, and they’re here in your hotel. I’m going to force them out of hiding no matter where they are!” Sebastian shoved the manager away, making the latter feel awkward that Sebastian had treated him so rudely.

However, since Sebastian was the son of the richest man in Southernshire, the manager knew that he would be dead if he crossed the man, so he forced a smile. “Someone actually did that to you in Southernshire? Why, they must be punished! Please tell me their names, Mr. Wulfenstein. I shall search them for you.”

Sebastian loved that his ego was stroked, and his anger was greatly assuaged. “How the f*ck should I know what their names are? Let me see your list of guests and get all the women staying in this hotel to gather here.”

The manager started sweating nervously. We have a few hundred guests here, and a hundred of them are women. It’s going to be chaos if I try to summon all of them here. Not only that, the hotel’s rep is going to take a hit if I do as told. But this is Sebastian. I can’t go against him.

Just when the manager was having an internal debate, Sebastian saw the ladies on the second floor, and his eyes shone. “There they are! Don’t let them get away!” Sebastian rushed to the second floor with his goons following in his wake.

Draco’s death had already depressed the ladies out, and Sebastian coming to ruin their day was the final straw for them. Josephine, Lizbeth, and especially Renee, were feeling murderous.

David’s skin crawled when he felt their intent for murder. He couldn’t figure out what happened the last few days. He wondered why Josephine and Lizbeth had suddenly acquired such immense power.

Even though Sebastian had dozens of lackeys, they were still no match for the ladies. They were in a league of their own.

Sebastian and his goons were charging toward them, and Josephine’s face fell. She said, “Go back to your room, David. Leave this to us. I need to vent. No, we need to vent.”

David hesitated for a moment, but he went back to his room in the end. He wasn’t worried about them since Renee was around to keep them safe. He reckoned that Renee was probably powerful enough to take on a Seventh Level Senior Grandmaster.

She alone was enough to beat the living daylights out of those goons, and with the other ladies helping her, the fight would only be a massacre.

Rayleigh took Melanie, and they went back to their room. After all, he wasn’t needed for a simple fight like this, and Melanie knew no martial arts. Her Seduction Technique was useless in this kind of situation, so she went back to her room.

Sebastian and his men came to the second floor, but to their surprise, the ladies didn’t run. They remained standing to their spot in silence as if they had been waiting for them.

Sebastian looked at them lecherously. “Well, well, well. Daring, aren’t you? You beat me up, but instead of running away, you stay in a hotel instead. What? Do you think I can’t do anything to you just because you know a bit of martial arts moves?”

The ladies were glaring at Sebastian with rage. If looks could kill, Sebastian would be long dead.

“Oh, don’t give me that look. You’re scaring me.” Sebastian leered at them and boldly walked up to Josephine. Then, he tried to hold her face as if he had forgotten all about being beaten up back at the beach.

“If you still want your hands attached to your arms, I suggest you piss off right now,” Josephine told Sebastian coldly.

Sebastian paused, and his hand hung in midair, then he smiled. “What a feisty woman you are. Hey, see these guys behind me? You’d better shut up now, or I’ll strip all of you naked and toss you out to the

streets. Let’s see how you like that.”

He waved his hand forward and backed off, worried that Josephine might actually hit him. As if on cue, his lackeys surrounded the ladies.

All the guests on the second floor opened their doors and watched as the show unfolded right before them. Most of the guests here were going to travel to Dragon Island the next day. There wasn’t anyone weaker than a Grandmaster among them, so none of them was scared of Sebastian at all.

“Hey, you need some help? Sleep with me for a night and I can kick these idiots’ a*ses for you. I can even do it with one hand tied behind my back.” A man with a thick beard came out and leered at the ladies.

“One hand? I can do the same with a single finger. All you have to do is have a few drinks with me,” a frail, mousey man added.

“Say the word and we’ll send these idiots on their way. Their way to hell, of course.” “Yeah, and all we ask is a bit of your time with us.”

Since someone was already making an offer, the other martial artists decided to join in on the fun as well. Obviously, they did not think of Sebastian as a threat.

The ladies weren’t angry that they were being hit on, but Sebastian was positively fuming. This is Southernshire. This is my turf! How dare they look down on me! I have a lot of men with me. Aren’t they scared?

“Shut the f*ck up and get back into your rooms! Do you have any f*cking idea who I am? My father’s the richest guy in Southernshire! Try challenging me again and I’ll cut all of you into pieces!” Sebastian angrily snatched a machete from his lackey and swung it around.

However, his threats didn’t work. The martial artists only roared in laughter, for the threats were nothing but a joke for them.

The title of ‘richest man in Southernshire’ was nothing to them. A Grandmaster alone could have more power than that if they so wanted to, and there were Senior Grandmasters as well as Martial Arts Grandmaster there as well.

The heads of the top families in Summerbank were only Grandmasters, but their families were far richer than the richest man in Southernshire. Sebastian thought he could make the martial artists submit to him, but unbeknownst to him, they only saw him as a joke.

The martial artists’ reaction infuriated Sebastian, and his face turned red with anger while the flames of fury flared within his eyes. “Just you wait! I’ll teach all of you a lesson once I’m done with these b*tches.” He gritted his teeth.

The moment he said that, a young man in a traditional outfit appeared. He was holding a paper fan with an elderly man following behind him.

David was watching the event from within his room as well. When he saw the young man, he recognized him as Kristoff, whom they met back at the restaurant. “I’m afraid you won’t be teaching these ladies any lesson today” Kristoff looked at Sebastian coldly.

Sebastian looked at Kristoff, and his face fell. “Are you going to defend them? If you are unaware, my father is—”

Before he could finish, the elderly man behind Kristoff suddenly waved his hand, and Sebastian was sent flying backward. He fell to the first floor before crashing onto the ground. Blood spurted out of every orifice of his body, and the ghost of his last growl remained on his face.

Sebastian’s lackeys were shocked by their boss’ death, and they scrambled to escape, lest they wound up dead as well.

Kristoff looked around, and the martial artists who were watching the show earlier quickly retreated into their rooms. Evidently, they were scared of the person before them.

“Hello, ladies. My name is Kristoff Shalvis.” Kristoff extended his hand, but all he gained in return was the ladies rolling their eyes at him.

It was understandable since they were about to vent their anger and sorrow on Sebastian and his lackeys only to have Kristoff suddenly showing up and taking that chance away from them.

After that, David came out of the room. He looked at Kristoff, then he held Josephine and Lizbeth’s hands. “Come on, let’s go back to our room.”

“Hmph!” Renee snorted at Kristoff before she followed David back into the room.

Kristoff paused for a moment. After David took the ladies into the room and closed the door, he narrowed his eyes.

“Mr. Kristoff,” the elderly man who was behind Kristoff came up and called out to his young master.

Kristoff waved him down. “None of my prey has ever escaped me before. It’s too late for now. We shall speak of this come tomorrow.” With that, he turned and left.

Back in the room, Lizbeth flung David’s hand away, but her face was red with embarrassment. When David suddenly held her and Josephine’s hand outside earlier, her heart almost leaped out from her chest from how nervous she was feeling.

“Sorry. I was just doing it instinctively. I didn’t mean it,” David quickly explained himself, lest Lizbeth took it the wrong way.

Lizbeth shook her head, but she stole a glance at Josephine, worried that she might get jealous. However, Josephine seemed like she was spacing out, and she didn’t look like she felt anything about it.

“What’s wrong, Josephine?” David noticed Josephine’s dazed look as well, and he was worried. “It’s nothing.” Josephine quickly shook her head.

“Oh yeah, Draco told you ladies something, didn’t he? What did he say?” David wondered what kind of deal Draco made with the ladies.

“It’s nothing. Anyway, it’s getting late now, so you should get to sleep. We need to hit the hay now too.” Josephine pushed David out of the room.

Just then, Melanie came back into the room as well, and once the ladies were gathered, the air was filled with a somber feeling. Nobody said anything to break the silence. The only sound in the room was their breathing.

A while later, Josephine said, “Lizbeth, if I can’t make it out safely, please take care of David in my place.” “You don’t have to be so pessimistic about it, Josephine. Draco said you guys don’t really have to

sacrifice yourselves. Maybe David can take the essence without your help.” Lizbeth tried to cheer Josephine up.

Josephine smiled. She knew her friend was just trying to comfort her. “Lizbeth, if this is what fate has in store for me, then I shall accept it. I never expected that I’d be blessed with a fiery constituent, but now that I know, I am willing to give my life up for David.”

The smile remained etched on her face as she spoke, but it looked forlorn.

The ladies stopped talking, while Melanie thought to herself, Why are these ladies so ready to give themselves up for David? Why do they like him so much?

Chapter 164: Departure

At the same time, David was pleading in his room. “Rayleigh, just tell me what did Draco want the girls to do? What did he mean when he said those words?” he asked Rayleigh.

“I’ll explain to you another time. For now, you need to get some sleep. You have a lot to do on Dragon

Island tomorrow. Remember, do not trust anyone that is not on your team when you’re on that island,” Rayleigh told David.

“Aren’t you coming with me?” David was surprised.

Rayleigh shook his head. “I’ve told you that the Deragons will find out who you really are if I were to go with you. You and the ladies will be enough for this mission. Melanie and I shall wait for your good news back here.”

Hearing that, David thought Rayleigh was making sense. Well, I doubt he’ll tell me anything else soon, so I guess I should just go to sleep. The men went to sleep shortly thereafter.

David and his team left the hotel and headed for the pier at daybreak the next morning. Even though they were early, the pier was already packed with people. A ferry that was five-stories high was docked at the pier. The ferry alone could take a thousand passengers, and that was proof that there were a lot of people heading to Dragon Island.

Although everyone knew that Dragon Island might be a one-way ticket to hell, they couldn’t resist the temptation of the reward. Everyone wanted to get their hands on the island’s treasure, and they decided to make the trip despite knowing its dangers.

The ticket inspector checked all the passengers for tickets. A lot of them had no tickets, and they tried to sneak past the inspector, though none made it through. The Deragons sponsored the ferry, so all the staff members were made up of the Deragon family members. As such, it was nigh impossible to ride on the ferry without a ticket.

“Did you see that? A Senior Grandmaster tried to sneak onto the ferry, but he got beaten up and tossed overboard. I wonder who the Deragons are.”

“It’s my first time hearing about them too. They’re probably a hidden clan. Even the ticket inspectors are Grandmasters. I think we should just play by the rules.”

Two martial artists were in a silent discussion not far away from David, though they weren’t silent enough to not let David overhear.

When David heard that all the staff members on the ferry were part of the Deragons, he felt like razing them down for torturing his mother. However, he kept his bloodlust in control. He knew he wasn’t powerful enough to go against the Deragons just yet.

All he could do was hold his fury down. Once he became powerful enough, he would charge toward the Deragons and save his mother. If that path was to be laid with murder, then so be it. David would do anything for his mother that he had never seen.

Just when everyone was waiting in line for their turn, a group of people barged in and told everyone to make way for them. David turned to see who it was, and to his surprise, he saw Kristoff and his lackeys taking the first spot in line.

Since it was Kristoff, nobody said anything and simply made way for them.

When Kristoff walked past David and the ladies, he shot David a look. Even though Kristoff and his men had broken the rules, the inspector didn’t say anything. Instead, he let them through.

Just when everyone was going to line up and wait for their turn again, another commotion happened, and another group of people cut through the line.

It was a group of men led by a young man with red hair and dressed in red clothes to match. When everyone saw the young man, they gasped.

“That’s Kenneth ‘Flashfire’ Carrall!”

Fear welled up in everyone’s eyes, and they hurriedly made way for him. “Even this guy is here too?” The man in front of David looked crestfallen. “Who is that guy, mister?” David looked at the man before him curiously.

David could feel that the young man was just a Senior Grandmaster. He could tell that even Kristoff was more powerful than the young man was, but everyone seemed to be scared of him more than they did Kristoff. That’s odd.

The man looked at David. He was about to say something, but realization struck him, and he became a little excited. “A-Are you David? David Chance?”

David was surprised that the man knew him. How did he know me?

The man knew David was starting to get suspicious, so he explained, “I watched your match with Xander, so I know you. You defeated a Martial Arts Grandmaster at such a young age. Not to mention you killed him as well. I must say, it was a spectacular sight to behold.”

David felt flattered about being praised. He smiled sheepishly and asked the man again, “Mister, what’s the deal with the guy with red hair? Why is everyone so scared of him?”

The man was much more willing to explain after he recognized David. “That man is Kenneth Carrall, the only son of Zeke Carrall, the head of the Thunderstorm Sect. He’s impulsive and cruel. No matter the era, there will always be conflicts in the martial arts world, though most of us won’t cross the line.

However, that rule does not apply to Kenneth. He always goes for the kill, and he has taken the lives of countless people now. You’d think someone would have killed that kid, but his old man is a veteran Martial Arts Grandmaster, so nobody would try to do anything like that.”

After Kenneth made his way to the forefront, he looked around, and the other martial artists hung their heads low, fearing that he might lock gazes with them. Some of them even gave up on the island and opted to leave. Nobody wanted to get noticed by Kenneth if they could help it.

Kenneth showed the inspector his ticket, and the inspector let him in without saying anything.

“Well, fancy seeing you here, Mr. Carrall. What brings the young master of the Thunderstorm Sect to this ship?”

Kristoff was already on the ferry. When he saw Kenneth making an appearance, he sneered. Obviously, he didn’t hold Kenneth in any regard at all.

“If you can be here, why can’t I?” Kenneth grinned. “The Deragons aren’t saying anything, so shut your trap, fool.”

Kristoff’s face fell. “You’re just going to kill yourself if you think you are powerful enough to make this trip.”

Kristoff was disdainful, though he was powerful enough to be so. He might be the same age as Kenneth, but Kristoff was already a Top-Level Senior Grandmaster, while Kenneth was only a Fifth Level Grandmaster, and that was only thanks to his father giving him plenty of herbs and pills.

“Hey, you never know. Lady Luck might smile on me.” Kenneth scoffed.

They weren’t even on the island yet, but the two men were already gearing up for a fight.

“Hey, if you guys are gonna fight, mind if I join?” A young, arrogant man appeared on the deck, and a group of powerful martial artists stood behind him.

All the martial artists around gasped in surprise when they saw the newcomer. “D*mn. The three troublemakers are here. I should back off now.”

The sight of the third young man scared the man standing before David, and he was about to leave as well.

“Wait, mister. Who is this guy?” David held the man before he could leave.

“That’s the young master of Shadow Estate, Colin Zare. Seems like this trip is going to be an eventful one, and that’s an understatement. Heed my advice and leave, or you might end up dead.”

The man left in a hurry after that. David noticed that a lot of martial artists were leaving as well. They tossed their tickets aside and gave up on the trip to Dragon Island. Half of the visitors left just because of the three young men alone.

Their families must be really powerful, huh? David used spiritual sense to scan Colin to gauge his

strength, but he frowned when he noticed Colin’s power level. A newbie Grandmaster? Someone like him is actually going to the island? Any random guy here is more powerful than he is.

“Colin?” Kenneth and Kristoff frowned.

“You think you can achieve anything here? The beasts might eat you for lunch,” Kenneth joked. “You might die before you even get to the island.” Kristoff smiled as well.

Instead of getting angry, Colin retorted, “Now that’s going too far. You can’t curse me like that. I might be weaker than you guys, but I have more women than you two.”

“Ah, shut up. That’s not even an achievement you should be proud about.” Kenneth rolled his eyes at Colin.

Colin grinned. “I’m not like you, Kenneth. You’re an infamous killer, while I’m a womanizer.”

“So I take it that you had enough of women now? What’s your new hobby? Is it dying?” Kristoff shot Colin a look of disdain.

“Of course not, Kristoff. I will never get tired of women. I’m just here for some fun, that’s all. I’m not going to fight with any of you. In fact, I need you guys to protect me,” Colin joked again.

Would you look at that, this guy knows his way around people, David thought. Looks like he’s friends with Kenneth and Kristoff.

“Fine. Then you’d better follow me and don’t run around.”

They wouldn’t snap at someone who was trying to be friendly. Not to mention that Colin was the young master of the Shadow Estate. Kenneth and Kristoff wouldn’t antagonize him if they could help it.

The three of them went to the lobby, while everyone else went back in line to get their tickets checked.

A young man in traditional clothes and short hair was standing in a cabin on the fifth floor, overseeing everything on the ferry.

That man was Godrick of the Deragons. He might be young, but he was already a Martial Arts Grandmaster. Godrick came from a branch family, though he was still a valuable member for being a Martial Arts Grandmaster at his age.

He would have the chance of getting his body cleansed after some time, and if he was successful, he could become a cultivator and get invited into the inner circle of the family.

“Mr. Deragon, we have no visual of Rayleigh or Draco among the martial artists,” a servant came to Godrick and reported quietly.

“Rayleigh is no fool. He would never come here for fear that we will find out who the missing child is. As for Draco? He came to the island by force and paid a heavy price. He’s probably dead by now.” Godrick was still overseeing the ferry as if he wanted to see through all the passengers.

“Another thing, sir,” the servant said. “The Shalvis family, the Thunderstorm Sect, and the Shadow Estate have sent their young masters as well. Should we go on with our plan then?”

“Yes. We’ll just send someone to tell them about this when the time comes. I want to make sure this plan is a success no matter what.” A hint of cruelty appeared within Godrick’s eyes. He was a ruthless man who would do anything to get what he wanted.

…

Everyone boarded the ferry not long after. As the horn sounded, the ferry took off and was headed to Dragon Island.

David was about to go to the reception and reserve a room. There were a few hours left before they would arrive at the island, and they couldn’t go without a room. On top of that, getting a room would mean that David could stay away from the crowd. After all, if the Coopers were to see him, it would be trouble.

Just when he was heading to the reception, a man in a black suit, black hat, and a pair of black sunglasses passed by David. The man’s hand was ghostly pale, and after he went past David, he headed straight for the reception.

A Demonic Cultivator? David could sense that the man was a Demonic Cultivator the moment he passed by him. After all, the man’s aura reeked of lethal intent.

When David’s gaze fell upon the man, he stopped and looked at David for a moment before he went back to his business.

David ignored him and went to the reception as well. It wasn’t the time to stir up an event and attract unwanted attention.

“Give me a room.” “Give me a room.”

The man in black and David made the request at the same time.

The receptionist slowly took out a card. “I’m very sorry, sirs, but there is only one room left.

David and the man in black looked at each other, then the man took the card when the receptionist was distracted. He left right away and refused to spend any more time with David. It was obvious that he didn’t want to attract any attention to himself either.

After all, Demonic Cultivators were hated by everyone in the martial arts world. If they knew he was a Demonic Cultivator, they would kill him. The man didn’t want to attract that kind of attention to himself before he even landed on the island.

“Hold it right there!” Suddenly, Josephine and the ladies stopped him before he could leave.

They saw what happened at the reception. This guy just took the card and tried to leave without even saying a word? That is just plain rude. If he could have just negotiated with us, we would have given the room to him. The man’s attitude rubbed the ladies the wrong way, so they went and stopped him.

“What do you want?” The man in black looked at the ladies.

“What you did just now was rude! You can’t just take the card like that! Give that back!” Lizbeth pointed at the man angrily.

The man looked at David for a moment. He knew that the ladies were David’s friend, so he didn’t argue with them. Instead, he simply tried to get past the ladies.

“Hey, you’re just being unreasonable now! You can’t just leave like that!” Josephine stopped the man again.

“Step away, or this won’t end well for you,” the man threatened coldly.

“Oh yeah? I’d like to see you try.” Josephine wasn’t scared of the man at all. Renee alone could face a lot of regular martial artists, and the three of them could take on some powerful foes themselves. On top of that, they had David backing them up as well.

The people started surrounding them when they realized something was going on. When they saw Josephine and the ladies, they got even more excited about what was going to happen.

After all, the trip to the island was going to be a boring one, so they wouldn’t mind a little entertainment.

Colin was already in his cabin, but when he heard the commotion, he got up curiously and tried to see what was happening. When he saw the ladies confronting the man in black, his attention was gripped.

Colin quickly got up and went downstairs, and his men followed.

David noticed the crowd that was starting to form. He didn’t want anything to affect their trip to the island, so he was about to tell the ladies to forget about it.

However, just when David was about to stop them, he saw Colin and his men quickly coming over to the scene, and the crowd made way for them.

“Hey, you! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size! Men like you who pick on women disgust me!” Colin insulted the man in black without even knowing the full situation. Then, he grinned at the ladies, though it looked more like a leer. “Don’t worry, ladies. I’ll help you out.”

Josephine and the ladies felt like puking when Colin grinned at them, but they held it down. “That card belongs to us, but he took it away.”

Colin looked at the card held by the man in black, and he smiled. “Don’t worry, ladies. I’ll get it back for you.”

He gave his men a look, and they nodded. One of them went over to the man in black arrogantly. “Hey, give me that card.”

“I reserved a room, so this card belongs to me,” the man in black answered calmly.

“Stop yammering and just give me that card, you hear?” Colin’s lackey demanded arrogantly.

The man in black looked at Colin’s lackey before glancing at Colin for a moment. Instead of getting into an argument, the man tried to leave. If the crowd kept on gathering, the man knew it would be a matter of time before someone realized he was a Demonic Cultivator.

Colin’s lackey was annoyed that the man in black was ignoring him. He frowned and went over to get in the man’s way. “I said give me the card! Are you deaf or something?”

“Out of my way.” The man in black was starting to get angry.

What the hell? How dare he talk to me like that? I’m from the Shadow Estate! How dare he deny me? I am a Fifth Level Senior Grandmaster! Nobody can talk to me like that!

The man in black’s attitude made Colin frown, and his face fell. How dare he go against my orders! D*mn him!

Colin’s lackey noticed his young master’s sour mood, and he knew that he had embarrassed Colin. If he failed the task, he knew Colin would punish him once they went back. In a fit of desperation and rage, he roared at the man in black and tried to grab him.

He was a Fifth Level Senior Grandmaster, and his strength was not to be underestimated.