A flame of anger blazed within Kylan Taylor, filling his chest.
The information the young man mentioned was something Kylan had only recently learned.
Yet never would he have imagined that this news could have spread to the Capital City Martial Arts Association.
âBooker, show some tact.â Davy Barnett said gravely from one side.
The young man referred to as Booker backed off two steps, no longer speaking out of turn.
And then Davy Barnett stood and said, âMr. Taylor, if you wish to hire bodyguards, thatâs quite alright. What are your requirements?â
Kylan Taylor snorted lightly, and said, âThe stronger, the better.â
Davy Barnett smiled, âThen follow me.â
The two stood and proceeded directly to the deeper confines of the Martial Arts Associationâs prison.
Soon, they passed the cell where Emily Taylor was being held.
Gazing upon Emily Taylorâs pallid complexion, Kylan Taylorâs own complexion shifted ever so slightly.
And Emily Taylor, who was locked in the prison cell, sharply recoiled in surprise.
It was as if she wanted to say something, yet seemed to lack the strength, and was unable to utter even a word.
âWhat happened here?â demanded Kylan Taylor coldly.
Davy Barnett seemed undeterred by Kylanâs presence, and responded casually, âMr. Taylor, do you still care about these things?â
Kylan Taylor retorted dismissively, âEmily Taylor is my niece after all.â
âHa ha ha ha ha!â Davy Barnett erupted into laughter.
âMr. Taylor, if Emily were to get out, wouldnât you be afraid of not holding onto your position as the Taylor Family Master?â spouted Davy Barnett, seemingly in jest.
Kylan Taylorâs eyebrows furrowed slightly, a flicker of conflict passing across his face.
Of course, he was worried, especially after finding out that Mike Taylor had been secretly nurturing a group of Marquis-level fighters.
To secure the position of Family Master, he could even kill his own father, let alone his niece.
âLetâs move.â Kylan Taylor finally said, not addressing Emily any further.
A cold smile tugged at the corners of Davy Barnettâs mouth, and the two proceeded directly to another cell within the Martial Arts Association.
In this cell, a skinny man was being held captive.
The man sat cross-legged on the ground, emanating a profound and chilling presence.
âWhat do you think of him?â Davy Barnett pointed at the man and inquired.
Kylan Taylor evaluated him briefly and asked, âWhat is his strength level?â
âMarquis, peak-level.â Davy Barnett slowly uttered these words.
Upon hearing this, even Kylan Taylor was utterly taken aback.
âAlright, heâs the one!â Kylan Taylor extinguished his cigar and let out a cold chuckle.
â¦
There were still three days remaining till Monday.
During these few days, Ethan Smith had not been focused on his cultivation.
Common cultivation methods were ineffective for him unless he had access to thousand-year-old herbs, golden cores, Demonic Beast Cores, spiritual veins, and the like.
Therefore, he had spent these few days receiving updates on the Capital City Martial Arts Association from contacts.
âMan with the mustache, youâre worldly-wise, do you know of a material called Black Gold Stone?â Ethan Smith asked.
Hearing of the Black Gold Stone, the man with the mustache immediately rushed over.
âWhat, you have Black Gold Stone? Where is it? Take me there right away!â He exclaimed eagerly.
Ethan shook his head, âNo, Iâve just heard of this Black Gold Stone, but I donât really know much about it.â
A hint of disappointment flashed across the man with the mustacheâs face, and he mumbled beside Ethan, âAnd here I was getting my hopes up.â
âSo, what exactly is this Black Gold Stone?â Ethan Smith asked.
The man with the mustache slowly said, âBlack Gold Stone is claimed to be the hardest material in the world, itâs even said to be able to withstand attacks from a Martial Saint.â
At these words, Ethan Smith couldnât help but gasp.
To withstand the attack of a Martial Saint? Wasnât that a little exaggerated?
âThe prison of the Capital City Martial Arts Association is made of Black Gold Stone, isnât it?â Ethan Smith frowned.
Thinking of this, he turned to the man with the mustache and asked, âIf it can resist the attacks of a Martial Saint, then doesnât that mean no one can break through the defense of the Black Gold Stone?â
âNot quite,â the man with the mustache shook his head.
âWhere there is the sturdiest shield, there will always be the sharpest spear.â
âI have heard of a material called Golden Feather Stone, this stone is the nemesis of Black Gold Stone, but I have never seen it.â
Ethan Smithâs brow furrowed even tighter.
Whether it was the Martial Saint or the Golden Feather Stone, they were both out of Ethan Smithâs reach.
Was he to let Emily Taylor suffer in the prison until he found the Golden Feather Stone or reached the level of Martial Saint?
âSo, thereâs no other way?â Ethan Smith asked solemnly.
The man with the mustache shrugged: âThatâs all I know.â
Ethan Smith fell silent.
âDonât rush certain things, impatience wonât get you anywhere,â the man with the mustache patted Ethanâs shoulder and stopped talking.
Time flew by, and there was only one day left until Monday.
Capital City Martial Arts Association.
In front of Davy Barnett, stood a man cloaked in a black and gold robe.
That man was Jordan Richards.
âPresident Barnett, are you sure that Ethan Smith will participate in this trial?â Jordan Richards said coldly.
âKnowing full well that we at the Capital City Martial Arts Association wonât let him off, why would he come to die?â
Davy Barnett chuckled, âOld Richards, you donât understand people who have crawled up from the bottom.â
âFor people like us, we will only consider gain once risks are manageable.ân/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âBut for people like them, as long as the incentive is big enough, no matter how high the risk is, they will still try.â
Playing with two black beads in his hands, Jordan Richards sneered, âAs long as he dares to come, I will never let him go.â
Every time he thought about being outwitted by Ethan Smith, Jordan Richards was filled with anger.
Davy Barnett calmly said, âMany people want him dead. As long as he dares to participate, heâs as good as dead!â
Just then, Emerson Holmes arrived with two people.
âPresident Barnett, Mr. Blair is here,â said Emerson Holmes.
Looking up, the newcomers were none other than Reilly Blair and Dexter Blair.
These days, Dexterâs Blair had mostly recovered, but his strength had stagnated. He couldnât even make it into the top ten of the leaderboard.
âMr. Blair, why have you come?â Davy Barnett indifferently asked.
Davy Barnett treated Reilly Blair and Kylan Taylor differently. In front of Reilly Blair, Davy Barnett always seemed superior.
Reilly Blair bowed and said, âPresident Barnett, for this trial, my son Dexter also wishes to participate.â
Davy Barnett stroked his chin, âMr. Blair, that doesnât seem to follow the rules.â
Reilly Blair gritted his teeth, âPresident Barnett, consider it a favor owed to you by the Blair family.â
Davy Barnett rose to his feet, smiling: âItâs not difficult to sneak in another participant, but⦠Ethan Smith is also going to participate in this trial.â
Mention of Ethan Smith made Dexter Blairâs eyes bulge and his fists clench!
Reilly Blair noticed Dexterâs reaction, and took a deep breath, âPresident Barnett, that is exactly why I am here.â
âEver since my son lost, Ethan Smith seems to have become his inner demon, causing a lot of hindrance to his future cultivation.â
âSo⦠I hope you could use this trial as an opportunity to kill Ethan Smith! In front of my son, do away with Ethan Smith!â