Aftermath

The battle at Red Rock Ridge spread at an astonishing speed through the word-of-mouth of millions, and Leian's name once again resounded across the continent. He even became the most dazzling genius in the entire Youquan Continent, to the point that even Stefan of the Beni Empire paled in comparison for a time.

As for Robert, although he lost the battle, no one dared to mock him.

A dual practitioner of magic and martial arts, both at the ninth level—he was a true genius, perhaps even more gifted than his teacher, the Magic Sword Saint Cavila.

Yes, the moment Cavila appeared that day, many recognized him. Although those present did not hear the conversation between Cavila and Leian, just from the act of Cavila saving Robert, one could guess the master-disciple relationship between the two.

One must know that Cavila only broke through to the Saint Realm when he was nearly two hundred years old, yet less than half a year after the battle at Red Rock Ridge, news spread that Robert had broken through to the ninth level and become a Saint Realm powerhouse.

With such talent and such strength, who would dare to mock him, and how many were even qualified to do so?

In fact, following Robert's breakthrough, a new wave of interest in dual magic and martial arts cultivation swept across the Youquan Continent.

Of course, that is a story for another time, and we shall not dwell on it for now.

Back to Leian.

Southwest Province, Hashan County, Qingshi Town.

When the news reached this place, Lady Tina, Commander Wilson, and the others were once again stunned by Leian.

First, he inexplicably became a ninth-level powerhouse and was named a Duke by the Emperor, and then, less than a month later, he defeated another ninth-level powerhouse—a top-tier dual practitioner at that. All of this had happened in just three short years since Leian left.

Such a Leian made them feel incredibly estranged, yet there was a thread of familiarity about him.

The estrangement came from the fact that they felt they had never truly seen through Leian, while the familiarity stemmed from his diligence; today, when they recalled Leian's past bitter training, they suddenly felt that everything was only natural.

At the same time, in the Southwest Provincial City, within the secret grounds of the Rachel Family, a middle-aged man leaned casually in a rattan chair, listening to the reports of several people before him.

If Leian were here, he would certainly recognize the person speaking as Toby, the man who had come to Qingshi Town years ago to investigate the cause of Baron Laman's death.

The content of Toby's report was precisely Leian's experiences in Qingshi Town.

For Toby to have traveled all the way from Hashan County to the Provincial City and to be staying in the family's secret grounds, the identity of this middle-aged man was self-evident: he was undoubtedly the Saint Realm powerhouse, Rachel.

At this moment, after hearing Toby's report, Rachel said with some surprise:

"You mean to say that when Leian was bidding farewell to that Commander Wilson, he had only just broken through to the seventh level?"

Upon hearing this, Toby immediately nodded, bowing his body as he replied:

"Yes, Patriarch. Before I came, I went to Qingshi Town to ask Wilson, and he said that Leian had just broken through at that time; his aura was very distinct, and he could not have been mistaken."

Having said this, he paused, his expression hesitant, but he soon made a decision and added:

"Patriarch, it has been less than three years since Leian left Qingshi Town, and he has gone from a fresh seventh-level to a ninth-level peak. I fear, I fear he must have consumed some heaven-sent treasures."

As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of those around Toby lit up, and they all looked toward Rachel, their eyes filled with intense anticipation.

Generally speaking, no matter how high a person's talent is, relying solely on bitter cultivation, it takes at least ten years to go from the seventh level to the ninth level. Leian had only used three years, which truly seemed abnormal.

As for the situation Toby mentioned—consuming heaven-sent treasures to cause a surge in battle qi—it had indeed occurred in history, and some had even reached the Saint Realm in their twenties because of it.

From this point of view, Toby's speculation was highly likely to be true, which made it impossible for them not to be tempted.

However, to the shock of the group, Rachel did not show any interest. Instead, he backhanded Toby across the face, sending him flying while spitting blood.

He then warned: "I will only say this once: no one in the family is allowed to offend Leian. Whoever dares to violate this, I will kill them myself!"

"Get out!"

"Yes!"

"Yes, Patriarch!"

Seeing their ancestor fly into a rage, the people present felt incredibly terrified. One by one, they bowed their bodies and scrambled out of the secret grounds in a panic.

Rachel watched their retreating backs and shook his head in deep disappointment. He had been a Saint Realm powerhouse for thousands of years and had seen all kinds of storms; the moment they opened their mouths, he knew what they were planning.

Although he had not personally watched the battle at Red Rock Ridge, just from the fact that Leian could defeat the dual-practicing Robert, he knew that his battle qi was incredibly refined and must have been gained through his own bitter cultivation.

After all, if one consumed heaven-sent treasures, their battle qi would be unstable and flimsy. Within the same level, they would basically be at the bottom of the barrel; it would be impossible to win that battle, let alone receive the Goddess Token.

Thinking of this, Rachel sighed and muttered with a hint of admiration:

"This Leian, to be able to endure and cultivate until the ninth level before going out to venture into the world—this temperament is truly remarkable!"

Since the strength was gained through bitter cultivation, Rachel was certain that when Leian left Qingshi Town, he was definitely not at the seventh level, but at the ninth.

At the same time, he recalled the mysterious powerhouse who killed Elvis, as mentioned by Toby. In his view, this so-called mysterious powerhouse was likely Leian himself.

As for why Leian had the strength but did not save Laman, Rachel did not care at all. A descendant separated by who knows how many generations—if he died, he died, especially since he was a person of crooked character.

It was the missing son of Elvis that bothered him; according to Toby's account, he had never been found, which was utterly incompetent.

This was not to say that Rachel was worried about this person's future revenge, but rather that the unscrupulous behavior of the family's descendants left him extremely disappointed.

Especially in recent years, the descendants in the family had become increasingly content with pleasure and had abandoned bitter cultivation, to the point where ninth-level powerhouses were becoming fewer and fewer. If he were to die one day, the Rachel Family would likely vanish into smoke.

Thinking of this, Rachel sighed helplessly.

However, just as Rachel was lamenting, outside the Youquan Mountain Range, in Natan City, inside a dim and noisy tavern, a young man with a scar on his face huddled in a corner. He drank his wine while thinking silently, a cold murderous intent flashing in his icy eyes from time to time.

"Since this Leian came from Qingshi Town, my father's death must have something to do with him. He was able to cultivate to the ninth level at thirty; perhaps it was because he obtained my father's belongings."

"Damn it, this guy must not be let off! And the Rachel Family, they all deserve to die!"

Leian knew nothing of what had happened in the Southwest Provincial City and Natan City. Since the battle at Red Rock Ridge, he had declined all visitors and retreated into the training chamber of the East Suburb Manor, beginning a long period of closed-door cultivation.

Attempting to deduce the profound mysteries of the laws was extremely taxing on mental energy and battle qi. Therefore, whenever he felt physically and mentally exhausted, Leian would switch to meditation to cultivate his mental energy, and when his battle qi was depleted, he would practice his techniques to accumulate it.

Day after day, this life was incredibly dull, but every step forward brought Leian a great sense of accomplishment. It was like leveling up in a game; although it was hard work, Leian enjoyed it immensely.