Chapter 191
"Mm, you too."
The two exchanged a few casual pleasantries, turned around, and were just about to leave.
Only to come face to face with the highly amicable smiles of Tobias and Lara.
Tobias and Lara, each leading half of the Hale family disciples, blocked their path.
Facing these Hale family prodigies whose overall cultivation was a cut above theirs, the disciples of the Sol and Blackwood families no longer looked as arrogant as before. They shivered. Looking weak and helpless.
"Elder Lazlo, where is your family’s Saint Lord?" Tobias stood with his hands behind his back, Smiling cheerfully.
"This poor Daoist can hardly wait to pay his respects to Saint Lord Alistair."
"Uh... this..." The corner of Lazlo’s eye twitched wildly. He laughed awkwardly.
"Our Saint Lord Alistair went to busy himself with some matters."
"If Elder Tobias wants to pay his respects, wait until the Secret Realm ends, and I will introduce you."
"I won’t disturb you any longer. I’ll be going now."
Biting the bullet, Lazlo lowered his head and tried to walk past Tobias. Tobias directly, without any politeness, kicked him viciously in the chest.
"Go fuck your mother!"
This kick was heavy and powerful. Directly kicking Lazlo to the ground. Leaving him unable to even stand up.
Tobias cursed loudly. "Telling me that I’m bringing humiliation on myself. Bullied us because our Saint Lord didn’t come, right?"
"Without your Saint Lord, your Blackwood family ain’t shit!"
"Boys, beat them up for me!"
Julian, Lucas, and the others rushed forward, pinned the Blackwood family crowd to the ground, and gave them a thorough, glorious beatdown.
Opposite them, facing the cold and stern aura radiating from Lara, Byron couldn’t help but shiver as well.
"Elder Lara, actually... I have admired you for a long time." Byron smiled sheepishly.
"To have the privilege of meeting your esteemed self today is truly an immense honor!"
"Hehe, I am also very honored." Lara smiled faintly.
"If I could make Elder Byron shed a bit of blood, I would be even more honored."
"...Ah?" Before Byron could react, Lara swung a slap through the air. It directly knocked Byron to the ground, making him spit out a large mouthful of fresh blood.
"Beat them!" Lara narrowed her eyes.
"If the Sol family people dare to fight back, I will annihilate them!"
With all three family Saint Lords absent, Lara was the only Supreme Realm expert present. Therefore, her words naturally carried absolute deterrence.
Facing the punches and kicks from the Hale family disciples, despite also being hot-blooded youths, the Sol family disciples fundamentally had no desire to fight back.
As long as they dared to retaliate, they would only end up crushed to death by Lara.
The crowd gave them a thorough beatdown for a while. Finally venting the foul anger in their hearts.
Tobias and Lara stood with their arms crossed. Looking at Lazlo and Byron, who had been beaten black and blue with swollen faces.
"You two, are you convinced now?"
"Con... convinced, we are convinced!" Lazlo and Byron, two old geezers whose combined age was over a thousand years, looked as if they were about to cry, hurriedly nodding their heads heavily.
"We shouldn’t have relied on our lords’ power like dogs to be so rude to the Hale family."
"We beg the Third Elder to be magnanimous and spare us!"
"Heh, of course we can spare you." Tobias sneered coldly.
"For this three-day and three-night Secret Realm, we will use your two families as my Hale family’s left and right guardian enforcers."
"Whether it’s fighting for fortuitous encounters or encountering other families, you will obediently charge at the front lines."
"Ultimately, for all the fortuitous encounters obtained, my Hale family will take ninety percent. The remaining ten percent will be split between your two families."
"If you dare refuse, this poor Daoist will continue beating you!"
These words were completely an overarching tyrant clause. Even an indentured servitude contract had slightly more conscience than this.
However, forced by the Hale family’s formidable martial power and Alex’s illustrious reputation, how could Lazlo and Byron dare to refuse?
They hurriedly nodded repeatedly, submitting to Tobias’s despotic power.
"We agree, we agree, we will agree to it all..."
...
In every previous year, while the Heavenly Flame Secret Realm was open, Aurelia would constantly observe the situation within to prevent any accidents.
But this year, because she was suffering from a severe illness, Aurelia couldn’t hold on after opening the Secret Realm. She was supported back by Lily and Selene to rest.
Therefore, Aurelia naturally didn’t know. Shortly after she left, the major families that entered the Secret Realm descended into massive commotion.
The major families were teleported to different starting points and began their exploration on the spot.
But after walking for a while, they found that the various fortuitous encounters along the way had already been thoroughly ravaged, leaving behind a complete mess.
Originally, they thought other families had beaten them to it and scoured this area.
As a result, after roaming through more than half the Secret Realm, no matter where they went, it was exactly the same damn situation.
Some families accidentally bumped into each other. Exchanged information. Learned that everyone was facing the exact same circumstances. Instantly, the families in the entire Secret Realm exploded in an uproar.
"Motherfucker! Before we came, rumors said this year was the most abundant Treasure Hunt in hundreds of years."
"Yet after coming in, it’s just a bunch of trash?!"
"It must be that Aurelia relying on her bloodline to open the Secret Realm one step ahead of us. Scouring away all the good stuff inside!"
"Heavenly Flame Empress, you are greedy enough, but why must you play us for fools?!"
"No, I definitely must find that woman and demand an explanation!"
Facing these worthless leftovers and scraps, the major families gained absolutely nothing. For a time, the entire Secret Realm was filled with voices of discontent and endless cursing.
Including the allied Hale, Blackwood, and Sol families. Who hit a wall everywhere they went and frowned in deep worry.
Within the entire Secret Realm, there was only one three-person squad acting entirely alone. Walking on small, hidden paths completely different from the large main forces. Reaping a bountiful harvest along the way.
It was none other than Knox. Along with the two women, Brina and Leona.
Brina summoned over a dozen spirit hounds to clear the path five hundred meters ahead of them.