Challenge

Lady Wade had weathered her share of storms. She quickly recovered from her initial shock and composed herself, then strode forward with confidence, warmly displaying her elegance and affability.

"Lambert, these two must be Jenny and Keane, right? They've changed so much, I almost didn't recognize them. I've been looking forward to..."

Lady Wade was halfway through her pleasantries when she saw the Golden Sun Eagle above them shrink rapidly and return to the shoulder of the man nearby.

Lady Wade and the group of nobles from Chier County City who had followed her were all utterly stunned.

"A Saint Realm magical beast!"

She had already been wary when she thought it was a Level Nine Magical Beast. Now that she realized it was a Saint Realm magical beast, she couldn't help wondering who the unfamiliar man before her was.

"Is this Chier County City?"

Garen asked, his tone cool.

"Y-yes... this is the place."

Lady Wade replied nervously.

"Good. Mackenzie invited me to visit some time ago, but I was in seclusion then. This time, while passing through the Magical Beast Mountain Range, I ran into his descendants. They said they were coming to Chier County City to take over as its lord, so I brought them along."

"Keane, come here."

Garen beckoned to the boy behind him.

"Big Brother Garen, what is it?"

Keane asked curiously.

"All right, I've brought you here. This will be your territory from now on. After I visit your great-grandfather, I'll come see you."

Garen patted Keane's head.

Then he turned to Jenny.

"Jenny, take good care of your brother. I'll leave you two here."

"Big Brother Garen, are you leaving already?"

"Yes, I have other things to do. I'll come see you again in a while."

With that, Garen fixed his eyes on Lady Wade.

"You heard what I said. You'd better not do anything foolish."

Garen and Linley then left the city wall again, mounting the Golden Sun Eagle and flying away.

High above the city, Linley asked in confusion, "When did you get to know Mackenzie of the Northwest Province? Didn't we only hear about him from those mercenaries?"

"Uh..."

Garen had no idea how to explain. Nothing had happened, so how could he explain it?

"Think about it. If you were the one really in control of Chier County City, and two children suddenly showed up to take your power, what would you do?"

Linley immediately realized the key point.

"You're trying to protect them, afraid they'll be harmed? That's why you deliberately mentioned Mackenzie."

"Right. The whole Northwest Province is Mackenzie's territory. He's the king of this land. Lady Wade fears him most. Even as a Saint Realm expert, I can't act recklessly in the O'Brien Empire, so I had to invoke Mackenzie's name."

"Aren't you worried you'll be found out?"

Linley asked.

"Do you think a woman from outside the family like her could get in touch with Mackenzie? Besides, I'm going to the provincial capital of the Northwest Province now. I can pay Mackenzie a visit. We're both in the Saint Realm, and I'm going to see him on a Saint Realm magical beast. He won't refuse to meet me, will he?"

Garen replied confidently.

"That's true."

"Well, Linley, would you be interested in sparring with a Saint Realm expert? You've just begun to grasp the Laws and Mysteries. Sparring with one should help you understand a lot."

Garen tried to entice him.

"We'll see. I've only just begun to grasp the Laws and Mysteries, and Mackenzie seems to have been in the Saint Realm for more than fifty years. He probably won't be easy to deal with."

Linley's assessment was reasonable.

"Don't sell yourself short. Do you think every Saint Realm expert has begun to grasp the Laws and Mysteries? They might still be at the stage of comprehending Momentum, with only a bit more battle-qi than you. Have some confidence."

The two discussed the matter as they traveled, and soon reached the provincial capital, Basil.

High above the city, Garen had Xiao Pa release the aura of a Saint Realm magical beast.

Before long, many powerful people in Basil noticed the enormous magical beast overhead.

Just then, a white-haired old man flew rapidly toward them. When he reached the Golden Sun Eagle and sensed the strength of Garen and Linley's auras, he looked puzzled.

"Why is one of them a Level Nine Warrior and the other an Eighth-level Warrior?"

Despite his many questions, he spoke up.

"I am Mackenzie of the Jax Family in the Northwest Province. May I ask who you are?"

"Of the Tiger-Striped Warrior Clan, Garen."

"Of the Dragonblood Warrior Clan, Linley Baruch."

The two introduced themselves in turn.

"Hiss!"

Although their apparent strength seemed unimpressive, everyone knew the name of the Ultimate Warriors. Mackenzie was still taken aback.

"Clan Leader Mackenzie, my brother Linley and I came to pay you a visit. If time permits, we'd also like to spar and exchange pointers."

Garen got straight to the point.

"So you two are among the Four Ultimate Warriors. A pleasure to meet you! Come, let's go to my humble home and rest. I'll make sure you're well received, and then we can discuss sparring."

The Four Ultimate Warriors could transform; this was no secret to Saint Realm experts. A transformed human-shaped warrior with Level Nine strength was a Saint Realm expert, and, given time to grow, they were sure to reach the peak of the Saint Realm by the time they were in their fifties. Mackenzie would never dare slight them.

The three of them went to a grand estate below.

After they entered a huge garden, Mackenzie hurriedly instructed his servants to prepare a feast fit for the most distinguished guests.

Mackenzie was not only devoted to cultivation but also loved good food.

The dishes in his home were therefore all distinctive, with delightful colors, aromas, and flavors that made the mouth water.

To indulge his love of food, Mackenzie had devoted a great deal of time and effort to perfecting his cultivation and studying all kinds of cooking techniques. He was particular about his ingredients, choosing only the freshest and finest, and paid close attention to how they were paired and prepared, always looking for new ways to cook them.

Garen and Linley thoroughly enjoyed the feast. The three of them talked amiably and agreed to spar and exchange pointers on a hill outside the city at noon the next day.

That evening, Mackenzie also prepared excellent guest rooms for them.

Early the next morning, Mackenzie enthusiastically took Garen and Linley to sample the local delicacies.

While chatting, Garen casually mentioned that he had run into the Jax Family siblings, Jenny and Keane, and that Lady Wade had sent assassins after them along the way.

Mackenzie immediately understood what Garen was getting at. When he learned that a woman from outside the family had dared to assassinate young members of the Jax Family and seize control of a city, he promised to look into the matter.

Someone at Lady Wade's level was beneath Mackenzie's notice. Whether or not Garen's account was true, Lady Wade would suffer for the sake of showing Garen respect.

Besides, he believed that Garen, as a Saint Realm expert, wouldn't make baseless accusations against a mere city lord. The fact that Garen had raised the matter so tactfully instead of killing anyone meant he had already shown Mackenzie great consideration.

Even if Jenny and Keane had died, the Jax Family could never have allowed an outsider to rule a county city indefinitely. Lady Wade had been deluding herself if she thought she and her brothers could keep control of Chier County City forever.

Given enough time, the Jax Family would certainly appoint one of its own to inherit the position of city lord.

Otherwise, after Lady Wade's son died, the Jax Family wouldn't have let the young Keane succeed him. A family was a family because its bloodline was passed down through generations.

Garen had only brought up the matter in passing. The three then went back to talking about food and cultivation.

At noon, the sky was clear, with the sun high overhead and not a cloud in sight.

At the foot of a barren mountain outside the provincial capital.

"I am Linley of the Dragonblood Warrior Clan. I humbly ask you to instruct me, senior."

Linley transformed into a Dragonblood Warrior, Violetblood Soft Sword in hand.

Mackenzie was a several-hundred-year-old man and a Saint Realm expert, so Linley showed him considerable respect.

"The Four Ultimate Warriors truly are extraordinary."

Watching Linley, who had previously possessed the strength of an Eighth-level Warrior, transform in an instant into a peak Level Nine Warrior, Mackenzie nodded. He stood several dozen meters away from Linley, and the two faced each other.

Thanks to Ye Desolate Night for the reward, and to book friends 2020081810302977, Zhao Yi J, Zhou Chenxuan, 20200403221248459, Yulang1992, LongmenXX, Yuanzu Dayu, 20230101064022571, 20230312202309353, 20200630223021892, Evening Breeze Disdains Jiuzhou, 20200408101232266, Justo, Just the Sun Is Shining, 20221212233723854, 202211301240455785, and 20210301105267313570 for the monthly votes.

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