“However, I can tell you this in absolute confidence—none of the martial arts the black-robed people practice are good. This includes that good friend of yours, Shelvin. I guarantee he’s hiding something from you. I’ve had my eye on him since he first showed up in Almiron City, and the type of martial art he’s displayed is innocuous enough. He told you he’s been practicing that since he was a child, but that’s impossible. He lied to you, perhaps to leave you with a good impression. Still, I don’t know what happened to him, but he’s definitely different from how he used to be in their secret base. You’re going to have to dig deeper on your own, though.”Isabella smiled after that, then continued, “Now, your last question was about meditation.” She sighed softly and looked at Darius. “Based on the emotions I sensed from you as I spoke, I can tell you honestly know nothing about meditation. It doesn’t matter—I’ll tell you everything you need to know.” She paused, then said, “The art of

“I chose to return to my former life to protect my child and secretly absorbed the lives of my blood relatives. Then, I’d return to my husband’s side as if nothing had happened. I thought I’d done a good job of hiding the truth, but I forgot how sensitive my husband was. He noticed the blood on my clothes and its scent all over me, but he didn’t say a word. We stayed like this until I was in labor. There were some complications, and I almost died in childbirth. However, as I lay there, Sierra came in with our baby. He asked the medical personnel to leave and told them he’d given up on me. I was filled with despair, but when we were alone, all he did was silently put our baby beside me.”“Then, he said something I’ll never forget—he told me he knew I could keep myself alive by absorbing the lives of my blood relatives. Since we were alone, I could do whatever I had to do, and he’d cover for me. He also told me I was the most important thing to him in the world. You have no idea how sho

“The key to his fortune is hidden in the Moore Group’s symbol of wealth. Find a way to open it with your life force, then head to Drake’s room in the Moore Group’s building. There’s a wall behind his desk that can be broken down, and you’ll find everything there. Drake’s the one who told me this so I could take all his money if something were to happen to him one day. I don’t know what his fortune covers, but I know it’s more than just money and jewelry.” Isabella fell silent after saying this. She’d talked for a long time and was parched, and she looked at Darius expectantly. She’d told him everything she knew, and if he weren’t satisfied, she’d leave this world with regrets. To her surprise, Darius doubted her words in a spot she hadn’t expected.He gave her a doubtful look as he said, “If Drake had to knock down that wall every time he wanted to put in or take out something, I doubt his fortune would be much of a secret.”Isabella smiled. “I don’t know how he put them in, but I do

Darius shook his head. “No, they won’t. You’re underestimating the Sierra Group’s influence if you’re truly concerned about that. It may not be as infamous as the Moore Group, but no thief in Almiron City would dare steal anything from it.”He continued walking, and Edward followed him. Soon, he saw Darius stop, and he naturally hurried over to stop before him. Darius’ lips twitched, but he still grabbed Edward’s collar. As they zipped through the night, Darius said, “When we get back, I want you to go to Bridget and have her find a way to spread the video of Drake’s death over the Internet, but do it inconspicuously. At the same time, spread the word about us dealing with the Sierra Group after taking care of the Moore Group. Also, tell them I’m going to deal with another of the illicit businesses that didn’t submit to me.”Edward nodded. “That’s a great idea, sir! This will incite enough fear in them for them to dissolve their organizations—if even Drake Moore and Sierra Stevens So

“You’re hilarious. How could you believe that woman? She already knows dying is her only option now, so why would she tell you the truth?” Darious’ eyes curved ever so slightly in amusement, but his gaze remained cold throughout.It made Edward shiver instinctively, his heart racing beyond a regular pace. Now that he had advanced, he assumed he would at least get one shot to land an attack on Darius should they battle it out. Yet, reality proved he was too naive—there was no chance of winning even if he fought against Darius in that instant.Seeing the former’s eyes widen, Darius curled his lips upwards. “Do you want to know what Isabella Brightstone claims is behind our wall?”“I don’t think that’s necessary, sir.” Edward’s lips twitched as he shook his head determinedly. With that, he retreated a few steps back without hesitation.Placing both hands behind his back, Darius chuckled and shook his head. “Regardless, we must demolish that wall. Otherwise, the Moore Group’s heir may so

“—tell him to bring as many of his men as possible. We have many golden bricks that require moving.”Bridget’s eyes lit up once she heard the words “golden bricks,” but it quickly turned into a frown, and she quietly asked, “Why Pierce? We haven’t even tested him yet.”Edward glanced at Darius for a split second before lowering his head and murmuring, “Mr. Reid specifically asked for him.”Silence ensued between the two. It took a few seconds before Edward heard some beeps, signaling the call had ended. He then put away his phone and looked at Darius, stating, “Sir, everything’s ready.”Darius nodded and simultaneously waved. “You may leave for now.”Nodding, Edward took a few steps backward but did not leave.As Darius heard the former’s feet shuffling only for a short while against the ground, he frowned. His gaze shot toward Edward, who instinctively recoiled and paid him the utmost attention. “Sir, is there anything else you need?”“No, nothing.” Darius sighed while shaking his he

Darius felt his breathing ease now that his golden dome separated him from the dark, sinister aura. There was a steady but grave look in his eyes, as he could already tell how ominous the aura behind the wall was through a crack. His heart beat faster, feeling unsure about what he would see. While Darius thought about those things, the wall kept fracturing and eventually broke down. All at once, Darius lost his vision; it was as though a black fog had covered his eyes. Even his ears, nose, and mouth felt blocked off by something. That was the first time he had lost his senses after becoming an enlightened martial artist, so it set off a wave of dread in his heart. Nevertheless, his warm, buzzing life force soon pulsated throughout his body, allowing him to pull himself together quickly. His life force seemed to fight hard to escape Darius’ body and battle against the dark aura, but it first needed to recover all of Darius’ five senses. His heart pounded beneath his chest, feeling

Darius bore a pale complexion as he desperately needed the two domes to stop colliding with each other. Only then could he turn the black dome fully gold. Each time a collision occurred, various colored gasses would burst out. Some struck Darius’ body, while others crashed into the barrier. Meanwhile, the second black dome conjured by the figure kept attacking the barrier so much that several loud thumps sounded. It did not help that the barrier also tremored after each impact. The blows would slam into the barrier, bounce off, then crash into the ground with a thunderous thud. All those noises set off a continual vibration in Darius’ ears, causing him to frown and call upon some life force to form blocks around his ears. Then, he let out a long exhale, relaxing slightly now that his ears did not hurt. That was when his hands extended sideways, turning his dome into a golden net and making it engulf the first black dome. Immediately after, a violent boom came from inside. Although

Held captive by the dark figure’s enlarged hand, Darius tried to move his arms but realized there was not enough room to move, so his arms stuck close to his body. Sighing deeply, he summoned his gaseous, warm, buzzing life force and sank it deep into his pores. He figured that, since the black gases and his golden gases affected one another earlier, he could apply that theory to his current situation. It seemed like a terrific opportunity to weaken his opponent.He narrowed his eyes at the man behind the black fog, wondering how the latter did not even budge despite his many attacks earlier. Everything seemed abnormal to Darius, who felt the only reason the dark figure could stay unharmed was that he had not found the dark figure’s Achilles heel. “But what would the Achilles heel of a man strong enough to hold me captive be?” Darius wondered, but it was to no avail as the dark figure had grown impatient.The figure tightened his grip around Darius again, letting out a monstrous but

However, Darius could vaguely sense movement from the figure hiding behind the black fog. The latter appeared to struggle, which meant things were looking up for Darius, who could finally fight the man on a level playing field. “Here’s your last chance to fight me fairly. Otherwise, I’ll kill you.”“No one can have my life.” The man finally spoke, but his voice still sounded like a series of grumbles. “As a child, I was ordered to kill a hundred thousand people. Only then could I end mine. However, I’m content with my current life and don’t feel the need to end my life yet.” A scowl crept up his face as he stared at Darius and added, “I will say this—you’re the chattiest person I’ve ever met.”That was when his black gaseous life force began to fluctuate rapidly. Watching from afar, Darius noticed little ripples forming in the air and gradually returning to the black fog surrounding the man. He narrowed his eyes as he knew the battle was about to start. He extended his arms, loosen