Challenge

Lady Wade was, after all, a woman who had weathered many storms. She quickly recovered from her initial shock, composed herself, and stepped forward with a firm gait, radiating elegance and warmth.

"Lambert, are these two Jenny and Keane, the siblings? They've changed so much, I almost didn't recognize them. I have been looking forward to—"

Lady Wade's pleasantries were cut short when she saw the Golden Sun Eagle above them shrink rapidly and return to the shoulder of the man standing nearby.

Lady Wade and the group of nobles from Chier County City who had followed her all had their pupils dilate in shock.

"A Saint Realm Magical Beast!"

Previously, the mere suspicion that it was a level nine magical beast had made her deeply wary. Now that she realized it was a Saint Realm magical beast, who exactly was this stranger before her?

"Is this Chier County City?"

Garen asked directly, his tone extremely cold.

"Yes... yes, this is the place."

Lady Wade replied, feeling somewhat nervous.

"Good. Mackenzie invited me to be a guest some time ago, but I was in seclusion then. I happened to run into his descendants while passing through the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and they mentioned they were coming to Chier County City to take over as the city lord, so I brought them along."

"Keane, come here."

Garen beckoned to the back.

"Brother Garen, is something the matter?"

Keane asked curiously.

"Alright, I've brought you here. This will be your territory from now on. I'll come to see you again after I finish visiting your great-grandfather."

Garen patted Keane on the head.

He then turned to Jenny.

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

"Brother Garen, are you leaving so soon?"

"Yes, I have other matters to attend to. I'll come visit you both again in a while."

After speaking, Garen stared at Lady Wade.

"You heard what I said. You had best not do anything foolish."

With that, Garen and Linley left the city wall once more, boarding the Golden Sun Eagle to depart.

High in the sky, Linley asked, puzzled.

"When did you ever meet this Mackenzie of the Northwest Province? Didn't we only hear of this person together from the mercenaries?"

"Uh..."

Garen didn't know how to explain it. Since nothing had actually happened, how could he explain?

"Think about it. If you were the actual controller of Chier County City and two children suddenly arrived to seize your power, what would you do?"

Linley immediately grasped the key point.

"You wanted to protect them? You were afraid they might be harmed, so you deliberately brought up Mackenzie?"

"Exactly. After all, this entire Northwest Province is Mackenzie's territory. He is the king of this land, and Lady Wade fears him above all else. Even as a Saint Realm expert, I cannot do anything too outrageous within the O'Brien Empire, so I had no choice but to invoke Mackenzie's name."

"Aren't you afraid of being exposed?"

Linley asked again.

"Do you really think a woman with a different surname could ever get close to Mackenzie? Besides, I'm heading to the provincial capital of the Northwest Province right now to pay Mackenzie a visit. Since we are both Saint Realm experts, if I arrive on a Saint Realm magical beast to pay my respects, he surely wouldn't be so rude as to refuse me."

Garen said confidently.

"That's true, I suppose."

"How about it, Linley? Are you interested in sparring with a Saint Realm powerhouse? Now that you've just entered the threshold of Profound Truths, a spar with a Saint Realm expert should help you comprehend quite a lot."

Garen tempted him.

"I'll see when the time comes. I've only just entered the threshold of Profound Truths, and it seems Mackenzie has been in the Saint Realm for over fifty years. I'm afraid he won't be easy to deal with."

Linley analyzed reasonably.

"Don't belittle yourself. Do you think every Saint Realm expert has mastered the threshold of Profound Truths? It's possible they are still stuck at the stage of comprehending 'Momentum' and simply have a larger pool of battle qi than you. You must have confidence."

The two discussed matters along the way and soon arrived at the provincial capital, Basil.

High in the air, Garen had Xiao Pa release its Saint Realm aura.

Soon, many experts within the provincial capital of Basil discovered the massive magical beast above.

At that moment, an elderly man with white hair flew over at high speed. It wasn't until he reached the Golden Sun Eagle and sensed the strength of the auras from Garen and Linley that he grew puzzled.

"Why is it a level nine warrior and a level eight warrior?"

Although he had many doubts in his heart, he still spoke up.

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

"Garen, of the Tiger-Striped Warrior clan."

"Linley Baruch, of the Dragonblood Warrior family."

The two introduced themselves respectively.

"Hiss."

Although the two appeared to have limited strength on the surface, the reputation of the Four Ultimate Warriors was known to all, and Mackenzie was still taken aback.

"Patriarch Mackenzie, my brother Linley and I have come to pay a visit, and if you have the time, we would like to spar and exchange pointers."

Garen got straight to the point.

"So you two are of the Four Ultimate Warriors. A pleasure, truly a pleasure. Come, let us head to my humble abode to rest first. Let me host you properly before we discuss any sparring or exchanges."

The fact that the Four Ultimate Warriors could transform was no secret to those in the Saint Realm. A human-form rank nine who could transform was effectively a Saint, and as long as they grew smoothly, they were guaranteed to reach the peak of the Saint Realm within decades. Mackenzie dared not slight them.

The three of them traveled together to a massive mansion below.

Upon entering a vast garden, Mackenzie immediately ordered his servants to prepare a banquet of the highest standard.

Mackenzie was not only obsessively dedicated to cultivation but also a lover of fine food.

Consequently, the dishes in his household were all unique, boasting excellent color, aroma, and taste that made one's mouth water.

To satisfy his passion for gastronomy, Mackenzie did not just strive for perfection in his cultivation; he also spent a great deal of time and energy researching various culinary techniques. He was extremely particular about his choice of ingredients, using only fresh, high-quality produce, and placed great emphasis on the pairing of ingredients and innovation in cooking methods.

During the banquet, Garen and Linley were very satisfied, and the three chatted happily, agreeing to meet at a small hill outside the city the following noon to spar and exchange pointers.

That evening, Mackenzie also provided the two with excellent guest quarters.

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

While chatting, Garen "casually" mentioned their chance encounter with the younger generation of the Jax Family, Jenny and Keane, and the assassination attempt they faced on the road, orchestrated by Lady Wade.

Mackenzie immediately guessed Garen's intent. Upon learning that an outsider woman dared to assassinate the younger members of the Jax Family and was secretly controlling a city, he immediately stated that he would look into the matter.

Someone of Lady Wade's level was not even worth mentioning to Mackenzie. Regardless of whether Garen's words were true or false, to save face for him, Lady Wade would not have an easy time.

Moreover, he believed that Garen, as a Saint Realm expert, would not make baseless accusations to slander a minor city lord. By not killing her outright and instead bringing it up in such a tactful manner, Garen had already given him plenty of face.

In truth, even if Jenny and Keane had perished, the Jax Family would never have allowed an outsider to manage a county city for long. Lady Wade's delusion of controlling Chier County City alongside her brothers was nothing but a pipe dream.

In time, the Jax Family would certainly have appointed a family member to inherit the position of city lord.

Otherwise, after Lady Wade's son died, the Jax Family would not have needed to have the young Keane succeed the position; a family is a family precisely because of bloodline inheritance.

This topic was merely a casual mention by Garen, and the three soon returned to chatting about food and cultivation.

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

At the foot of a barren hill outside the provincial city.

"Linley, of the younger generation of the Dragonblood Warrior family, requests guidance from a senior."

Linley transformed into a Dragonblood Warrior, gripping the Violetblood Soft Sword.

Mackenzie was, after all, an elder of several hundred years and a Saint Realm expert; Linley remained quite respectful.

"The Four Ultimate Warriors are truly miraculous."

Watching Linley, who had only the strength of a rank eight warrior a moment ago, transform instantly into a peak rank nine, Mackenzie nodded. He stood several dozen meters away from Linley, and the two stared at each other.

Thanks to Ye, Qiliang for the tips, and to book friends 2020081810302977, Zhao Yi J, Zhou Chenxuan, book friend 20200403221248459, Yulang 1992, Longmen XX Yi, Yuanzu Dayu, book friend 20230101064022571, book friend 20230312202309353, book friend 20200630223021892, Wanfeng Buxu Jiuzhou, book friend 20200408101232266, Chen o Yangguang Zhenghao, book friend 20221212233723854, book friend 202211301240455785, and book friend 20210301105267313570 for the monthly tickets.

Thanks to Suifeng Qu Gan, 10long, book friend 811157, Mingxuan Zhai, book friend 73472, Yulemi 123456, Huan Shao Zhi Zhu, 52084 Hai Shuchong, Zhanhun Gongzi, Sanliang Lucai Fen... and others for their recommendation votes.

(End of chapter)

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