The Roadblock

"If a tide of magical beasts really breaks out, it won't be a small matter. Think it over carefully."

"Got it." Collette smiled. "By the way, your nemesis, Linley Baruch, has become the court mage of the Fenlai Kingdom and has also been made a marquis. What do you think about that?"

Jonathan laughed helplessly. "What nemesis? I don't think anything of it!"

"Tch, you're no fun. You can't even take a joke!"

After chatting for a while, they headed back to Ulada Magic Academy together.

As Jonathan saw them out, he noticed someone secretly watching his mansion. After a moment's thought, he decided it was probably someone from the Dark Church.

"As expected, they're still suspicious."

He turned and went back inside. Not long afterward, he ordered Hilton to begin liquidating the Bred Family's assets.

Hilton was a little surprised, but he obediently went to carry out the order.

Even if the Dark Church noticed he was pulling his funds together and planning to leave the Dark Alliance, they wouldn't come to arrest him until the very last moment.

After all, there were plenty of excuses for liquidating assets. He could say he needed the money for another big deal.

If they angered Jonathan, it would only create a rift between them.

Jonathan was certain the Dark Church wouldn't send a Saint Realm powerhouse after him. Sanders would probably make a move, along with the Black Phoenix City army and several gray-robed priests.

Perhaps Sanders would even have the only Level 9 powerhouse in Black Phoenix City besides Prell accompany him.

But as long as they didn't send someone from the Saint Realm, leaving the Dark Alliance would be easy.

Under a twentyfold Gravity Field, they'd all die without exception!

A few days later, he went to visit Xue Yan and told him he was about to leave the Dark Alliance.

"Where are you planning to go?"

"I haven't decided. Maybe the O'Brien Empire, maybe the Yulan Empire. I cultivate both magic and martial arts, so I can go anywhere."

"Take care of yourself, then."

"Brother Xue Yan, you too. Neither the Dark Alliance nor the Light Alliance is a place to stay for long. You'd better leave as well."

Jonathan didn't tell him about the Magical Beast Mountain Range. With Xue Yan's strength and assassination skills, he could protect himself even during a beast tide, as long as he didn't attract the attention of a Saint Realm powerhouse.

He didn't stay long and left soon afterward.

Cross asked in confusion, "Lord Xue Yan, you're just letting him leave?"

"Before the Old Instructor left last time, he told me that whatever decision Jonathan made, I wasn't to interfere. Even if he wanted to leave the Saber, I was to let him."

"The Old Instructor dotes on him far too much. Is it just because of his talent?"

Xue Yan glanced at Cross. "You think you can casually criticize the Old Instructor? He has his reasons. We only need to follow his orders."

"Still, though Jonathan has made up his mind to leave, the Dark Church won't let him go easily. What means does he have to guarantee he can escape from the Dark Church's experts?"

"If they catch him on the spot, he'll truly have burned his bridges with the Dark Church."

No one knew that Jonathan's trump card was his own strength. Even Cesar would have hesitated had he been there.

He could see through Jonathan's concealment, but the strength Jonathan was hiding could at most hold off one Level 9 powerhouse.

An ordinary Level 9 powerhouse had no hope of escaping the Dark Church.

The Bred Family's movements soon caught the attention of the other nobles in Black Phoenix City, but Jonathan didn't care in the slightest. During this time, he stayed home in seclusion and refused to see anyone.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. The Bred Family had accumulated wealth over a thousand years, and dealing with it was troublesome. Much of it had to be sold below market value.

After liquidating the assets, Jonathan had fifty to sixty million gold coins in hand.

That day, he dismissed all the guards and maids at Bred Mansion, including Hilton.

"Please let me keep following you, Young Master. I can take care of your daily needs and handle odd jobs along the way."

Jonathan shook his head. "If you follow me, you'll only die. Hilton, you should leave. With the Magic Weapon I gave you, your strength is enough to rival a Level 7 warrior. You could even make a good living as a mercenary."

Seeing how resolute he was, Hilton sighed softly to himself. "I understand, Young Master. I wish you a safe journey!"

This journey was sure to bring bloodshed and turmoil!

With his Space Ring and all his gold coins stored on Magic Crystal Cards, Jonathan traveled light as he set out for the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Going anywhere else would only bring him into a series of blockades.

Sanders had been keeping a close eye on Jonathan's movements, so he naturally knew Jonathan was heading for the Magical Beast Mountain Range. He had already been waiting for him up ahead.

A sizable force stood before him. Level 9 Great Mage Sanders had brought ten gray-robed priests, while behind Dalta, the Bandas Kingdom's marshal and a Level 9 warrior, stood more than thirty knights.

Most of these knights were Level 7, elite warriors from the army.

Jonathan stopped and smiled as he faced them, completely undaunted by their imposing presence. "Lord Sanders, what's the occasion? Are you trying to apprehend someone?"

Sanders didn't answer. With a cold expression, he said, "Jonathan, where are you going?"

"To the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I'm going to get some experience."

"Hmph. Do you think I believe that? You sold off the Bred Family's entire estate because you're planning to leave, aren't you? What has the Dark Church ever done to wrong you?"

"Nothing so far. But I haven't officially joined the Dark Church, so I'm still a free man. Do I need the Dark Church's permission to go wherever I want?"

"Does being born in the Dark Alliance mean I have to stay here until I die? Lord Sanders, don't you think that's a little overbearing?"

"Silver-tongued as ever!" Sanders said darkly. "I don't care about anyone else, but you're not going anywhere. Did you think the Dark Church gave you all that without expecting anything in return?"

"Is that so? But once something's in my pocket, getting me to hand it back won't be so easy."

Jonathan remained completely calm. Looking toward the other side, he warned, "And you, Dalta. I advise you to take your men and leave. If these knights die here, Prell will be heartbroken."

"You think you can?"

"I admit you're one of the rare magical talents on the Yulan Continent, but you're not qualified to speak to me like that yet!"

Dalta's eyes filled with anger. He had met Jonathan once or twice before. So all that respect he'd shown him had been an act.

"You're quite the actor!"

"Not bad. Acting is an art. Judging by the way you look, it's one you'll never learn."

"I've said all I have to say. Since you still want to stop me, you'll have to bear the consequences."

As he spoke, he looked at Sanders. "You started suspecting me after what I told you when I came back last time, didn't you? But do you know which parts of what I said were true and which were lies?"

Sanders fell into thought, but Jonathan gave him no chance. In full view of everyone, a beam of light appeared around him, and he slowly rose into the air.

Sanders' eyes widened in disbelief. Then, recalling what Jonathan had just said, he exclaimed, "Could you be the masked man who killed Gilmer?!"

"Correct!"

"And for your reward, you can experience what Gilmer and the others went through!"

At that moment, in everyone's eyes, the curve of Jonathan's lips looked unbearably arrogant and wicked.

With a "vumm," a Gravity Field spanning several hundred meters suddenly descended!