Chapter 285: Chapter 277: The Competition, a Sudden Incident

Master Aerion gripped Ethan Lowell’s wrist and found a familiar Power flowing through his meridians. He instinctively glanced over at Aurora Sinclair.

’What did this kid do to deserve my silly disciple opening up all his meridians for him?’

He then glanced at a certain figure in the crowd. ’Could those two have had a fight?’

At that moment, the Lowell Family was watching him nervously. Owen Lowell even asked, “Master, did he take a forbidden drug?”

Master Aerion shook his head, released Ethan Lowell’s wrist, and once again picked up the teacup beside him. He carefully shielded his face with his sleeve as he took a sip.

At the same time, Aurora Sinclair on the opposite side also released Edmund Lowell.

The two returned to the center, ready to continue the match.

Ethan Lowell was now a Third Rank martial master, the same as Edmund Lowell. One had just had a breakthrough, while the other had previously sustained some internal injuries; they were evenly matched.

Seeing that neither could gain the upper hand, Edmund Lowell grew anxious and suddenly feigned a stumble. As Ethan Lowell’s palm chopped straight toward a vital point, Edmund immediately retracted his Power and twisted his body away. But at that very moment, he seized the opportunity to land a vicious blow on Ethan’s chest.

Ethan Lowell was instantly knocked back five or six steps, a metallic taste flooding his throat.

But he swallowed it down. His throat bobbed, and his gaze hardened. Clenching his fists, he charged forward again.

A cruel smile appeared on Edmund Lowell’s lips as he targeted the injured area with every move.

Ethan Lowell didn’t last long before a kick to the chest sent him sprawling to the ground.

“Ethan—”

But Edmund Lowell wasn’t finished. Channeling all his Power, he clenched his fist, preparing to smash it into Ethan’s Energy Sea Acupoint.

“How dare you—” Stephen Lowell’s eyes went wide with fury, and he started to rush the stage.

But at that moment, two black-clad figures shot from their seats. One blocked Edmund Lowell’s fist while the other grabbed his arm.

Aurora Sinclair froze. Her eyes locked onto a figure in the distance, and her pupils constricted.

’Such a familiar aura…’

Just as she tried to get a better look, the figure had already thrown Edmund Lowell from the stage back to where the collateral branch members were sitting. He then swiftly returned to his own seat.

Aurora Sinclair glanced down at Ethan Lowell, who was coughing up blood. She raised a hand and quickly pressed several major acupoints on his body.

Then she stood up, clasped her hands behind her back, and returned, announcing coolly, “Edmund Lowell of the Lowell Family’s collateral branch is the winner.”

A disciple from the Lowell Family’s Core Lineage, who was helping Ethan Lowell up, said angrily, “Edmund Lowell cheated! How can this round count?”

But Aurora Sinclair didn’t reply. Below the stage, Stephen Lowell’s face darkened, and he snapped, “Stand down. Who can you blame for being less skilled?”

Owen Lowell felt his stomach twist into knots. He kept glancing at Master Aerion. His original excuse for inviting him was to prevent the Core Lineage from cheating; he never imagined his own collateral branch would be the first to play dirty.

’Will he think our collateral branch has no integrity?’

So, Owen Lowell made a show of scolding Edmund Lowell and magnanimously declared the match a draw instead of a win.

“There’s no need. A loss is a loss…” Ethan Lowell said, clutching his chest and looking at the distant figure.

He slowly climbed to his feet, wiped the blood from his mouth, and forced his body to walk out of the competition area.

’The kid’s got some guts!’

Master Aerion watched Ethan Lowell’s retreating back with a measure of satisfaction.

After that, the Core Lineage members were challenged by the collateral branch again. Surprisingly, the results for the Core Lineage were one loss and one draw.

This left Owen Lowell deeply dissatisfied. He hadn’t expected the Core Lineage disciples to be so resilient, especially the one who had fought to a draw.

There was a two-Level difference in their strength, yet the Core Lineage disciple had relied on sheer willpower and a fearless spirit to fight one of Owen’s own disciples to a mutual, debilitating standstill.

Now, if the collateral branch wanted to win, the only way was for him to defeat Stephen Lowell.

“Family Head, I, Owen Lowell of the collateral branch, wish to learn from your esteemed techniques.”

Stephen Lowell slowly rose to his feet.

The two were about equal in strength; the odds of winning were fifty-fifty.

As the members of the Lowell Family watched with anticipation, the two men stood in the center of the dueling grounds.

Aurora Sinclair and Master Aerion simultaneously raised a domain of Power to shield the spectators on both sides.

“Forgive me, Family Head!”

The Power from Owen Lowell’s body suddenly erupted, revealing he was a full Level higher than Stephen Lowell.

But Stephen Lowell practiced the complete Ancient Martial Inheritance of the Lowell Family, and so he held his ground.

The two were locked in a fierce battle, and every move and stance made the spectators’ blood boil with excitement.

Master Aerion couldn’t help but nod. The Lowell Family was truly a rare clan in the Martial World, their research into Martial Arts truly exquisite.

’If they weren’t so ambitious, they could have held their position as the Premier Family in Veridia’s Martial World forever.’

Just as everyone’s attention was focused on the two fighters, a figure quietly slipped away.

Although Aurora Sinclair and Master Aerion noticed him leave, they didn’t react, assuming he was just going to the restroom.

But unexpectedly, just moments later, the auras of numerous High Rank Martial Cultivators began to press in on the Lowell estate from outside.

The expressions of both of them changed instantly, and they shot to their feet.

“Stop—” Aurora Sinclair shouted, her gaze sharp and vigilant as she scanned the surroundings.

The people on both sides were still bewildered.

But within minutes, dozens of people in black clothes and silver masks appeared outside the compound walls.

Stephen Lowell and Owen Lowell instantly grew tense. They quickly separated and returned to their respective clansmen.

Stephen Lowell stood in front of Sylvia Linton and said softly, “Neve, stay by the old master’s side.”

A strange smile suddenly appeared on Sylvia Linton’s terrified face.

A moment later, a silver light flashed, and a sharp dagger was buried in the small of the man’s back.

“Of course… my dear husband…”

“You…”

Stephen Lowell turned to look at her in disbelief and spat out a mouthful of black blood. The dagger was coated in poison.

“Family Head—”

“Dad—”

It all happened so fast that no one nearby could react. By the time they did, Stephen Lowell had already collapsed to the ground.

Having succeeded, Sylvia Linton launched a wave of Power at Hugo Lowell, then shaped her hand into a claw to strike at Alvin Morgan, who was behind him.

“Watch out—”

Aurora Sinclair struck in a flash. The domain of Power that had been shielding Alvin Morgan slammed directly into Sylvia Linton, allowing Alvin to narrowly dodge the attack.

With extreme speed, Aurora Sinclair attacked Sylvia Linton’s back.

Sylvia Linton turned to parry.

Gradually, her hair turned silver, and the color of her irises slowly faded.

Aurora Sinclair’s gaze tightened, and her Punch Speed grew faster.

The Lowell Family was stunned by this sudden turn of events, frozen in place until the assassins charged, forcing them into a chaotic battle.

The assassins’ Combat Power was extremely high. Nearly all of them were Grandmasters. The Lowell disciples were completely outmatched and quickly suffered heavy casualties.

At this point, Master Aerion could no longer worry about exposing his identity. He rushed to Alvin Morgan and Ethan Lowell’s side and dispatched the assassins around them.

“Dad—Grandpa—”

Ethan Lowell screamed with bloodshot eyes, struggling to run back into the fray. But Master Aerion delivered a swift chop to his neck and tossed his unconscious body to Alvin Morgan.

His voice projected, “Get out of here—”

He then turned and blocked the pursuing assassins.

Alvin Morgan’s gaze hardened. He heaved Ethan Lowell onto his back and ran for the courtyard exit.

He had already sent a distress signal. The Morgan Family’s elite forces would arrive soon.

***

「Meanwhile.」

Sylvia Linton was kicked in the face by Aurora Sinclair.

She tumbled to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

The skin on her face actually split open, revealing her original skin tone underneath.

Aurora Sinclair’s pupils dilated. In that moment of shock, Sylvia Linton threw two miniature bombs at her.

She immediately struck out with her palm, knocking the miniature bombs aside. Accompanied by a massive explosion, Sylvia Linton had already fled a great distance.

Aurora Sinclair gave chase again, but her path was blocked by a dozen or so Grandmasters.

“Hahaha…” The woman’s brazen laughter faded into the distance.

At that moment, a dark figure appeared before Aurora Sinclair. Speaking with a thick accent, he said, “Young lady, go on and chase her. I’ll take care of things here…”

Aurora Sinclair paused for a second, glanced at him, and without a second thought, immediately pursued the fleeing figure.

The woman was cunning, leading her directly into a forest with complex terrain.

But Aurora Sinclair had an excellent memory, and with the watch Alvin Morgan had given her for navigation, she quickly cornered the woman near a cliff.

The woman was panting heavily, clutching her injured arm, and watching Aurora Sinclair warily.

’She never expected this girl to be so powerful!’

’Although her master had told her to avoid a direct confrontation, she couldn’t resist the urge to test her skills against her personally.’

“Are you the silver-haired woman who committed murder at the Martial Affairs Bureau?” Aurora Sinclair asked calmly, clenching her fists.

The woman spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, wiped the corner of her mouth, and replied with a smile, “That’s right. It was me…”

The Power emanating from Aurora Sinclair gradually enveloped the woman as she continued to ask:

“Were you also the masked person at Maple Leaf Valley?”

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