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…
Being bluntly questioned in public by Katz, Fredrik Dunn was embarrassed. He wanted to deal with him in private, but apparently he was having different thoughts.
Being pushed hard, Fredrick had to reply loudly, “Mr. Katz, Kurt died long time ago. I also don’t know who killed him.”
Eren Katz stood proudly against the railing of the stone tower, and thus his figure could be easily seen once the warriors at the bottom of the tower raised their heads.
“Dead?”
He sneered and said sarcastically, “Dunn Family Head really has his methods! Knowing that my despicable student stole my treasure map, you invited him to visit the Merchant Union and killed him half way, and so you got the map. Now you pretend to know nothing! What a family head you are! Well, did you earn all the Dunn family properties this way?”
“Haha, the whole Merchant union knows Dunn Family Head’s methods.” On the tower of the Lenoir family, Eren Lenoir laughed loudly and gloated, “Many of the our family properties were snatched under the Dunn Family Head’s tactics.”
“Eren Lenoir!” Two hundred meters away, Fredrick stared at him angrily, “This is none of your family’s business! Stop spouting nonsense!”
Ignoring him, Eren Lenoir continued, “Of course it’s none of our business. I was just stating the truth, don’t be overly emotional, Fredrick Dunn.”
Standing aside Eren, Leylin sat unbothered as if their confrontation meant nothing to him.
‘Since Eren Katz has arrived putting Dunn family under pressure, It’s time to send ‘red rose’ to direct Ordell Omega towards the Dunn Family for now and make their conflict rises, their chaos would help me reap much benefits and the lack of Devour Qi would also be solved.’ Leylin looked at the Dunn family especially their many ministers and descendants as he imagined their profound qi flowing through his meridians soon.
Leylin has secretly nurtured a few spies who are Lenoir family’s, he just borrowed his Young Master status, as well as his hypnotic charm to manipulate them. The five families have spies everywhere including the Misty Pavillion where Ordell Omega is staying with the other half of the Sky Gate.
Not being able to do anything about Eren Lenoir or be mad at him, Fredrick could only smile to Katz modestly and explained, “I didn’t know Kurt had stolen your treasure map when we invited him to our home. And considering he is YOUR student, we sent people to pick him up. We really didn’t know that! Mr. Katz, don’t blame the Dunn family.”
“Mistake?” Katz’s face turned gloomier, and he sneered, “Your Dunn family would have sent people to pick him up if you hadn’t known that he stole my treasure map? The Medicine Valley is thousands of miles away from the Merchant Union. Who would believe that you traveled so far just for Kurt’s second rate refining skill, but not for the treasure map? Humph!”
Fredrick was helpless, as he explained, “Well, it was for his skill.”
“Fredrick Dunn, I don’t need any more excuses from you. I don’t care if Kurt died or not. Just return to me my treasure map and I will leave at once. I’m not interested in stirring up any trouble.” Katz became impatient.
“The treasure map is really not in my hands.”
“Since you, the Dunn Family Head, don’t want to return that map, I have got nothing else to say.” Eren Katz grunted and walked out, as he said coldly, “Though we, the Medicine Valley, don’t get involved in the power struggles in various countries, we won’t be bullied as you like. Dunn Family Head, you’d better conduct yourself well.”
At once, Eren Katz walked down the tower directly with his people.
“Grandfather, aren’t you going to invite him. After all you both have the same first name.” Leylin smiled mysteriously as he spoke softly to Eren.
Eren who was thinking to open his mouth looked at him in surprise and smiled.
“I was going to do just that.”
“Mr. Katz, you are welcome to visit the Lenoir family anytime! We understand everything you talked about.” Eren Lenoir’s voice came from his tower, the overtone of which could be understood by everyone.
Walking down the Dunn family building, Katz looked over at Eren Lenoir and nodded, “I believe we will have the opportunity to cooperate. Please don’t turn me down if I ask for some help from the Lenoir family.”
“It would be an honor to work for Mr. Katz.” Eren laughed loudly and saluted with cupped hands.
“Thank you, Lenoir Family Head.” Katz nodded and glanced up coldly at Fredrick, who had an ugly face, and left the God Stone Square with his people.
On the God Stone Square, the competitions had paused for a long while. Only after Katz left did they continued.
The competition this day became more interesting after his unexpected visit.
Soon after he left, people started discussing noisily and soon learnt the whole story.
As a result, a hint of scorn and loathing could be seen amongst the crowd whenever the Dunn family was mentioned.
Many of those who had planned to associate with the family changed their mind, and thus the Dunn family lost numerous potential experts.
Gabriel, the manager of the Misty Pavilion, was also in the competition arena. He saw the conflict between Dunn family and Eren Katz.
Before the competition ended, he secretly left for the Misty Pavilion, which was not far from the God Stone Square.
—
At dusk.
In a secluded room in the Misty Pavilion, Gabriel bowed and elaborated the whole story to Ordell Omega.
After he finished his speech, Ordell frowned and thought for a while, then said, “If it is as Katz says, then the other piece of the fragmented map must be in Fredrick Dunn’s hands. I came here for the Sky Gate, so I don’t care who I have to cooperate with. Gabriel go to the Dunn family tonight, and tell them we can share the map with them and work together to explore the Sky Gate.”
“I understand.” Gabriel nodded.
“Shura King Yamaduti will arrive in half a month, and you still haven’t found the right guy. Hurry up.” She said casually.
“I will try my best!” Gabriel replied, “I’ve sent people to other cities to search. I believe we will find him soon.”
“Good. Off now.” She waved her hand casually.
Gabriel bowed away.
That night, Gabriel visited Dunn family for cooperation but in vain with no fruition, leaving on a bad term and a sense of conflict arose between the two parties, meanwhile in the secret rooms of the five families, many were discussing about what had happened in the daytime.
In a secret room of the Lenoir family.
Holding an envelope, Eren showed a weird smile as he said to Paul Wrogan, who was beside him, “Katz is so quick that he sends a letter in one day. Hehe, now that he’s is to take action against the Dunn family, we need to do something to help him secretly, if not publicly.”
“What does he plan to do?”
“He wants to kidnap some people of the Dunn family and threaten him. Hehe, his targets are just whom we want to give a lesson to.” Eren was very joyful, “Brother Paul, assign someone to follow them and spill their trails to Katz. Haha, I’m excited to watch how Fredrick will react.”
[Paul Wrogan is a Nirvana Realm Warrior of the Lenoir family and also Leylin follower Harris’s big brother.]
It was now the fourth day of the martial competition.
This day, all the warriors who came to participate were fiercely fighting for the top three places.
Every rank’s first three places would have a certain Martial Skill, secret treasure, or cultivation material as prizes. As long as you can place in the first three, there’s no way you would go home empty-handed.
The five families were never stingy in giving prizes. They had prepared many Profound level Martial Skills and secret treasures as well as pills and cultivation materials that enhanced one’s Profound Qi.
On the morning of the fourth day, these lavish prizes were displayed on a round table in the middle of the arena, watched by specialized staff.
The warriors were ecstatic upon seeing the prizes being displayed and were in full vigor to fight in the upcoming battles.
By noon time, there were already two Nascent Realm warriors killed in the arena, and one at the Human Realm was crippled.
According to the rules of the Martial Competition, when one side surrenders, the opposing party cannot continue the fight.
Which was why as long as one wasn’t too greedy, took what could be managed, and give up when the situation wasn’t favourable, one would definitely live.
The few warriors who were heavily injured or killed were all thinking that they could still keep fighting. They tried to turn the situation around when they were obviously at a disadvantage, that was why they had such miserable outcomes.
On the Lenoir family’s stone tower.
There was a smile at the corner of Leylin’s lips as he looked down on the arenas from high above, occasionally glancing at the Dunn family’s tower.
In the past three days, many important figures in the Dunn family had all mysteriously disappeared one by one.
Fredrick was full of anger, but due to the critical time of Martial Competition, he couldn’t act arbitrarily. He knew exactly who’s been doing this, but there was nothing he could do.
The experts of the Dunn family could only secretly try to find traces of Katz’s group, but unfortunately, they couldn’t even find his shadow. And Katz didn’t send messengers either, so there was no way to negotiate.
“Kid, tomorrow is the Martial Competition for the five families. After watching for four days have you gained anything?” Eren who was in a great mood because of Dunn family predicament, peered at Leylin, who was at his side, and spoke casually.
Leylin looked indifferent and nodded, “Well obviously it’s been rather enlightening but witnessing is in the end, just watching! There is only so much one can gain because, without stepping through mountains of corpses no great warrior has been born.”
Eren was dazed. He stared at Leylin, and after quite a while he finally asked in astonishment, “You little brat! You cultivated to the Human Realm in such a short time, shouldn’t you be lacking in battle experience? Why do I feel that you’re already highly experienced?”
“Feelings are a strange thing grandfather, sometimes you must trust them blindly and sometimes you must disregard them in front of logic. Different situation asks for different approach, as for your feelings regarding my battle experience I really can’t say, it’s for the future to tell.”
Leylin said as he crossed his hands and closed his eyes, not explaining his words.
“Oh?”
Eren suddenly exclaimed, his expression strange. He looked at the far away tower of the Dunn family.
Two hundred meters away, in the tower of the Dunn family.
Someone quietly whispered into Fredrick’s ear, his face suddenly darkened to the extreme. Shockingly he walked down the stone tower of the Dunn family and walked straight towards the Lenoir family.
On the Crystal family’s stone tower, Elrod Crystal also shortly received the news. He also walked down his stone tower and came towards the Lenoir family.
In a short moment, the angry-looking Fredrick got to the Lenoir family’s tower first.
Right after he climbed up the tower, he immediately sprung up and screamed: “Eren Lenoir! Where is Katz?”
Eren’s expression darkened, and he sneered: “How would I know where he is? Fredrick, you are asking the wrong person.”
“Don’t even try to pretend!”
Fredrick’s expression was of resentment, “Katz is an outsider. Unless you and the Lenoir family secretly provided help, how could it be that our Dunn family is unable to track him? Katz is probably hiding in some manor of the Lenoir family. You better tell me exactly where he’s hiding!”
“Our family’s business has nothing to do with you!” Eren snorted rudely.
“My son Alfred disappeared last night, and hasn’t been seen since. It has to be Katz! If it’s someone else I might let it pass, but if Katz dares to take Alfred, I won’t take it easy!” Fredrick shouted in rage.
After hearing that, everyone on the stone tower had a weird expression on their faces. They finally knew why Fredrick was so furious.
Alfred Dunn was the strongest figure in the second generation of the Dunn family. Not only did he have extraordinary capabilities, he was also very intelligent. Most of the machinations that the Mo family came up with were from this mastermind.
The Lenoir family also had many people who suffered losses because of him.
Alfred could be described as the most capable person in the second generation of the Dunn family. Now that such an important figure had also gone missing, Fredrick couldn’t sit still anymore. He finally came to start the fight.
‘I really wish I got my hands on Alfred first, he would have been a great specimen and a great source of nutrition for me, sadly Katz was much more capable. Well with the Lenoir family spy system as well as his own Medicine valley’s, it’s not possible for me to match his information channel and means. Especially when I severely lack capable followers.’ Leylin who was standing on the corner looking at the commotion shook his head regretfully.
“I don’t know where Katz is, go spend some time and find him yourself. You’re not welcome here.” Eren said indifferently. He was secretly happy inside, but he didn’t stop insisting.
“Head of the Crystal family!” Thomas exclaimed.
Right at this moment, Elrod Crystal slowly walked up the Lenoir family’s stone tower.
“The Marital Competition is held by us five families. I hope everyone can keep calm, and not make trouble during the Martial Competition. Others will ridicule us.”
“My son is gone!” Fredrick yelled.
Elrod’s expression froze for a second, then he said to Eren, “Master Lenoir, that Katz is, after all, an outsider. Although we should treat him well on his visit to the Merchant Union, there is a limit. His approach of taking away Alfred is truly too extreme. Master Lenoir, on this matter you should restrain yourself a little, don’t go overboard.”
Eren’s lips curled into a sneer, and his eyes coldly locked on Elrod. He knew that the reason why he verbally spoke out for the Dunn family was because the Dunn family and he secretly had an agreement, with the common motive of exploring the ‘Gate of Heaven’.
It looked like he stepped out to be the peacemaker, but he was actually supporting the Dunn’s.
Leylin looked at the commotion with a detached expression, Fredrick kept blaming Eren and also threatening him, all the while Elrod showed his passive support, trying to supress the Lenoir family.
“So boring.” Leylim muttered as his eye lips dropped for a moment and he almost yawned.
“I needed to wait for tomorrow for some fun to begin, I really wish the Shura King would come soon.. Afterwards it would be much more exciting.”
“Boom!”
Suddenly Eren punched the balcony of the stone tower, the rigid Green Iron receiving a huge fist-shaped imprint from his punch. Even the whole stone tower, which was several meters tall, was shaking violently from the impact.
Everyone from the Lenoir family who was standing on the tower clearly felt his rage.
“They’re going too far!” Eren growled. No one knew if he’s talking about Fredrick or Elrod.
Because of this little episode, Eren’s face was scary the whole day. At the end of that day of the Martial Competition, when he had to present the gifts to the winners, his expression was still ugly.
That night.
In the secret room, Paul bowed towards Eren, and said, “Master, are both Fredrick or Elrod giving us pressure now, what should we do?”
“Don’t worry about them.”
“Master, we can let Fredrick slide, but Elrod Crystal…” Paul said hesitantly.
“Ben Parks (Neelam’s Sky Realm Teacher) has arrived in the city, if Elrod dares to mess with us, I’d go ahead and shamelessly ask him to help me. I do not think Elrod would launch an attack on our family for that shitty Dunn family.” Eren snorted.
“Understood.”
The next day, God Stone Square.
In the early morning while the sky was still dimly lit, a number of different warriors in Temion City had already gathered in the arenas of the Martial Competition.
In the center of the God Stone Square, on one side of the arena, which was a hundred square meters across, were large blocks of Green Stone. These Green Stones were stacked higher as they moved away from the center of the arena, so it would be more convenient to watch the fighting in the arena.
Before the five families even got here, the Green Stones around that one arena especially made for the battle of the five families were already filled with crowds.
Just as the sun rose, the warriors the five families started to arrive from all around Temion City. God Stone Square could already see the massive crowds.
These people were nearly all warriors, mostly in the Elementary, Nascent, or Human Realms, but there were some at the Disaster or Earth Realms as well.
These Disaster and Earth Realm warriors might not have been interested in the Martial Competition, but the head-on fighting among the five families was enough to grab their attention.
On the blocks of Green Stone around the arena, you could see many warriors whispering to each other.
A lot of these warriors carried sturdy looking heavy swords and battle axes. They could have been mercenaries who came from the Dark Forest. None of them showed up in the previous days but today, they came bright and early.
After the five families had taken their seats, Elrod Crystal said nonchalantly, “The rules are the same every year and I’m not going to say much. The Martial Competition is only a way to communicate and learn from each other. I hope everyone can restrain themselves as much as possible. Hopefully no one gets killed.”
The heads of the other four families all lightly nodded.
Elrod looked around, his eyes gazed deeply at both Fredrick Dunn and Eren Lenoir, and said, “Like always, battle invitations are allowed, and you can also add more bets if you please, now who’s going first?”
“Mary!” Fredrick shouted.
Mary Dunn, who was standing in the group of Dunn family members, walked down first. Her eyes cold and chilling. Looking towards the direction of the Lenoir family, her eyes wandered for a split second she matched eyes with a pair of terrifying abyssal eyes which made her body stay rooted for a second and feel an intense scenes of lethal crisis.
This feeling as sudden as it came went by as well, as she returned to normal seemingly forgetting about her previous predicament.
Then, she said, “Dunn family, Mary Dunn, Nascent Realm, Second Sky. Who is willing to enlighten me?”
“Snow Fall City, a silver sand mine, here is the land title deed.” Fredrick scowled, and snorted.
A dedicated warrior of the Dunn family took the deed from his hand, and put it on a round table in the arena next to the Crystal family. The round table was made for placing bets.
“Sunset City, the franchise of Duet Cast Street.” Eren also snorted, he took three yellow sheets from his brocade pocket, and passed it to the director next to him.
When the three pages of yellow paper was also on the round table, Eren said coldly, “Ethan, go.”
Ethan Lenoir shook for a moment, then he also walked to the arena, and said with distinction, “Lenoir family Ethan Lenoir Nascent Realm, Second Sky, please enlighten me.”
“Young Master, aren’t you going to watch? ” Harris who was standing behind the sitting Leylin suddenly asked as he was reclining comfortably with his eyes closed.
Leylin after hearing him didn’t open his eyes and said nonchalantly, “There is nothing to see, he’s gonna lose.”
“What!? How can you be so sure?” Harris asked while furrowing his brows even doubting Leylin words, for him to be so sure of the results before the match started is very disrespectful to the proud Lenoir family, especially when both are at same realm and as a loyal servant he cannot take it lying down but he also hesitated because he has a feeling that Leylin can see what others can’t.
“Just watch.”
..
Harris turned his attention to the match and after a few seconds of dueling sure enough, Leylin prophecy came true.
Just when Ethan stormed to Mary’s side, before he could strike any vigorous attacks, Mary unleashed waves of [Verdant Crescent Slash].
Each [Verdant Crescent Slash] was as big as a full circle. It was over three times stronger than back when she shot it towards Leylin back in the Dark Forest!
Together seven waves of [Verdant Crescent Slash] burst from her other hand, so fast that Ethan had no time to dodge at all.
“Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!”
Seven waves of [Verdant Crescent Slash], all directly hit straight onto his chest, and blasted him off into the air!
The undeniable power of these seven waves of [Verdant Crescent Slash] was not something that the first stage of the Petrification Martial Spirit could handle.
When Ethan was still in mid-air, he was already bloody from head to toe.
“Thump!”
Ethan’s body landed three meters in front of where Eren was. Blood was gushing out his chest and his eyes were dilated, clearly he was badly hurt.
“Go help him!”
