“A powerful figure has been secretly helping us.” Rennes said in a deep, resolute voice.

“What kind of powerful figure?” A group of guards, including Anarion, looked at Rennes with confusion. Anarion was especially surprised and asked, “Mr Rennes, are you saying that a powerful figure is helping us?”

“Hmm.” Rennes nodded slightly and said solemnly, “There are three possibilities. First, the master is very fond of you and might have arranged for a super powerful figure to protect you in secret.”

This statement immediately caused the surrounding guards to nod slightly, and even Anarion himself was somewhat skeptical.

“Second, a mysterious powerful figure is helping us in the shadows.” Rennes continued. “Third, someone from the Ricardo family’s team is assisting us.”

“Mr Rennes, the first two make sense, but how could someone from Ricardo’s team be helping us? The Ricardo family is our sworn enemy!” Anarion exclaimed in shock.

“Captain, that’s impossible.” The guards said, unable to believe it.

“Didn’t you notice that among the dozens of people who followed Ricardo, there was a Level 8 powerful figure?” Rennes said seriously, looking off into the distance at the large troop that was still waiting. He continued, “This group has hundreds of people. Just a few dozen of them are already so strong. The remaining hundreds must have many powerful figures as well.

If it weren’t for something extremely important, the Ricardo family would never dispatch so many powerful figures. Perhaps the real leader of the entire team is among that large troop.”

“And when handling affairs, the last thing you want is complications.”

“Perhaps Ricardo came to stir up trouble, provoking that leader’s dissatisfaction, which led to the leader ordering them all to return.” Rennes speculated.

“Captain Rennes makes a good point.” The guards nodded in agreement.

“Mr Rennes, you’re so clever!” Anarion praised.

However, Rennes shook his head, frowning as he said, “But I’m puzzled. With so many powerful figures from the Ricardo family, some of whom might belong to other forces, what could such a powerful group want to accomplish? Even if the patriarch of the Ricardo family came out, he wouldn’t bring so many powerful figures.”

“Right, there must be something important at stake.” Anarion’s expression grew serious, his mood becoming less cheerful.

…

Meanwhile, Ricardo rushed back to the main troop with his men.

“Mr. Welbeck, who was the powerful figure secretly helping Anarion? Wasn’t even you a match for that figure?” Ricardo asked, looking at the lean man beside him. This lean man was Welbeck, one of the three strongest members of the Ricardo family, skilled with a long blade and a peak Level 8 fighter, known for his formidable combat ability.

Welbeck’s muscles twitched, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes.

He replied, “Young Master Ricardo, the one helping Anarion is incredibly powerful. If he hadn’t chosen to hold back and refrain from killing, we might all be dead by now.”

“What?!” Ricardo’s eyes widened in shock.

For Ricardo, who was only Level 6, feeling a sense of danger was understandable.

However, Mr. Welbeck was a Level 8 fighter, a rare existence even in Ambera City.

Now, he claimed that this mysterious powerful figure could easily kill him. This made the strength of the mysterious figure seem truly terrifying.

Filled with fear, Ricardo asked, “Is that mysterious figure a Level 9?”

Welbeck shook his head and said, “No, a Level 9 fighter’s spiritual power could never affect me like that. This mysterious figure is likely a true deity!”

“A deity!” Ricardo could hardly believe what he was hearing.

Ambera City spans millions of kilometers and has a population of over a hundred million.

The lord of Ambera City was only a junior deity, one who had become a deity through some special treasure and was not as powerful as a true deity. Yet, this junior deity was the most powerful being in all of Ambera City and someone the Ricardo family could not provoke.

With just a command, that lord could wipe the Ricardo family off the map.

Thinking of this, Ricardo felt an overwhelming jealousy and said, “Damn it, how could that guy Anarion have such a powerful figure protecting him? That’s absolutely impossible!”

Just then, another voice came from the large troop not far away.

“Ricardo, you and your group need to return to the main troop quickly. Don’t waste any more time!” An elderly voice rang out. The voice came from an old man with snow-white hair and beard, riding a massive mammoth. He turned to Welbeck and questioned, “Welbeck, we’ve gathered all our forces to retrieve that treasure. Do you not realize how important this is?

How could you follow Ricardo to cause trouble?”

“Commander Nades, I have something to report.” Welbeck replied.

“Speak.” Nades said, his expression still dark, clearly displeased with Ricardo and his group’s actions.

“Commander Nades, just now, Ricardo went to teach a lesson to Anarion, the young master of the Colombo family. However, I discovered something alarming: Anarion has the backing of a powerful figure who is a junior deity.”

“You’re saying it’s a junior deity?” Commander Nades’s calm, elderly voice was now tinged with shock.

“Yes.” Welbeck affirmed.

“How certain are you that it’s a junior deity?” Nades asked hesitantly, still in disbelief. “Could it be a mistake?”

Welbeck shook his head.

He said seriously, “I have studied mental spells and possess inherently strong spiritual power. Even a Level 9 fighter would find it difficult to affect me. But that mysterious figure merely leaked a bit of spiritual power, and I felt a sense of impending destruction. The only beings capable of such an effect must be high-ranking deities.”

“Do you know who it is?”

Commander Nades asked again.

The existence of a junior deity could completely change the power dynamics within a territory.

If it were a powerful junior deity, they could even eliminate the current lord and, with the approval of the Beast Temple, be directly elected as the new lord.

“I’m not sure.” Welbeck replied, shaking his head.

“It could be someone hidden within Anarion’s group or in some other place we can’t see. He’s far stronger than I am, so I can’t be certain.”

After Welbeck finished speaking, he looked at Commander Nades.

Nades fell into deep thought. After a moment, he sighed and said, “This matter must be kept confidential for now. We’ll return to Ambera City first, and after informing the patriarch, we’ll investigate further.”

“The presence of a junior deity poses a significant threat to the Ricardo family.” Commander Nades’s gaze turned icy.

Upon receiving the order, the Ricardo family’s group quickly moved forward.

…

One thousand kilometers away from Ambera City, a wide road sliced through a mountain, appearing as if it had split the mountain in two, forming a narrow passage. At that moment, on the cliffs above the canyon, figures stood, wielding weapons and emanating powerful auras. There were a total of forty-two individuals.

All of them wore specially designed armor, with their heads covered, leaving only their eyes exposed.

At that moment, one of the figures approached the imposing man in black and gold armor, his demeanor cold and heavy. He said, “Captain, the Ricardo family’s group has arrived.”

The muscular man in black and gold armor nodded, his blood-red eyes gazing down below.

A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes, and a sinister smile appeared on his lips as he addressed the others. “Everyone, listen to my orders. Prepare to act and reclaim that treasure!”

In an instant, all forty-two figures jumped off the cliff.

The immense force of their descent caused the ground to crater beneath them, sending vibrations through the earth. The forty-two individuals then charged towards the Ricardo family’s large troop, immediately catching Commander Nades’s attention. He raised his right hand high and commanded the other members of his group, “Stop!”

At that moment, the forty-two figures had already reached Nades and the others.

They appeared like forty-two Fierce Beasts, exuding a terrifying aura.

“The Forty-Two Bloodthirsty Thieves!” Commander Nades’s face turned pale in an instant.

“Forty-Two Thieves!” Both Welbeck and Ricardo also went pale, incredulous as they said, “How is this possible? How could they be here?”

Within Ambera City, there were many powerful experts, immensely strong.

The Ricardo family was merely a commercial family in Ambera City.

Although their wealth was greater than that of ordinary people, their strength paled in comparison to the powerful experts who had gathered together, especially the “Forty-Two Bloodthirsty Thieves.” This was a fearsome organization known for targeting commercial families, killing anyone in their way, and painting special patterns with the blood of their victims.

As a result, they earned the moniker “Bloodthirsty Thieves.”

“What do we do? We can’t afford to lose that cargo!”

The members of the Ricardo family were filled with terror.

Commander Nades felt anxious but forced himself to remain calm. He respectfully asked the imposing man in black and gold armor, “Respected warrior, whatever you command, if the Ricardo family can do it, we will not refuse.”

“The Ricardo family, ha ha…”

The figure in black and gold armor was cold and ominous. He looked at Commander Nades and said in a commanding tone, “Hand over the Crimson Flame Meteorite you obtained in the Blood Ruins, and I can spare your lives!”

Upon hearing this, Commander Nades’s expression turned extremely grim.

He suddenly turned to his team behind him, his face contorted with rage, and shouted, “Run!”

Boom!

It was as if the entire team had been prepared for this moment. In an instant, everyone frantically ran in all directions, riding their Fierce Beasts, which trampled the ground and kicked up clouds of dust.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep