Olivia White let out a displeased hum and turned her head away. Although they were both at the Innate Realm, there were still differences in strength among those at the same level. If it really came to a fight, even two of her might not be a match for Samuel Foster. The title of Sword Saint—who in today’s cultivation world would dare ignore it?

To avoid any unexpected incidents from further delay, the sword in Olivia White’s hand flashed with a cold light as she shouted, “Henry Clark, it seems you really intend to resist to the end. In that case, I’ll grant your wish.”

The surrounding cultivators clearly understood the dangers of dragging things out and immediately echoed her, shouting, “Miss Olivia, there’s no need to waste words with such a selfish scoundrel.”

“That’s right. Since none of us can obtain this treasure, don’t think you can keep it for yourself.”

“Still acting tough at death’s door. Miss Olivia, kill him!”

“Kill him, avenge my senior brother and the friends who died here!”

...

Olivia White nodded slightly, gripping her Moonshade Sword tightly. The aura of an Innate expert instantly locked onto the extremely weakened young man before her.

But just as she locked onto Henry Clark, the feeble aura within his body suddenly erupted in a reverse surge—a wave of bloodthirsty, violent ferocity crashed over Olivia White’s still-fragile form with overwhelming force.

“This...”

In the next moment, several vital meridians in Henry Clark’s body burst forth with streams of blood, like an immortal flower blooming, staining his already crimson clothes even further.

Sensing the extremely vicious, bloody aura emanating from the man before them, some of the more experienced cultivators seemed to realize something, their faces changing dramatically: “Severed Meridians... Demonic Disintegration...”

Amid their terrified cries, Henry Clark, whom they had thought was at their mercy, suddenly exploded with a combat power even more terrifying than at his peak. He became a whirlwind of slaughter, sweeping straight into the encirclement formed by the martial artists...

Terror!

The suffocating blood mist spread instantly...

...

“In the end... it still won’t work...”

“Miss... while these cultivators are buying us precious time, please give the order quickly.”

“An Innate Grandmaster... didn’t die at the hands of cultivators, but...”

“There’s no time, Miss, Samuel Foster and Olivia White have already escaped. With only this rabble left... Besides, this is a direct order from General Jiang Lin of TIC!”

“TIC... I understand... But are you sure this will work? Henry Clark is the most outstanding cultivator in decades—his strength is probably no less than that monster who dared attack the leader decades ago...”

“Please rest assured, Miss. The latest TMC-type warhead we’ve prepared this time is the nation’s newest weapon against martial cultivators. Its destructive power is in no way inferior to a small nuclear warhead!”

“...”

“Miss!!”

“...Do it!”

Volume One Chad Sullivan Chapter One: The Strange Fruit

Green Shade Mountain lies just over eight miles south of Shunhe City, the entire mountain wrapped in lush, verdant woods. A gentle breeze drifted through the forest, bringing a touch of refreshing coolness to the early summer weather.

“Hurry up, Little Chad, it’s just ahead.” A crisp, pleasant voice broke the silence of the woods.

On a leaf-strewn forest path appeared a little girl, delicate as if carved from jade, about eleven or twelve years old, dressed in a light blue skirt. She darted quickly through the trees, glancing back from time to time and calling to the boy behind her, her snow-white cheeks dimpling with two sweet dimples, making her look especially adorable.

“Emily, could you have been mistaken? We’ve searched almost half of Green Shade Mountain and still haven’t seen what you said you saw.”

As he spoke, a boy of about twelve or thirteen stepped quickly out from under the trees—it was Little Chad, or Chad Sullivan, as the little girl called him.

Chad Sullivan was the son of William Sullivan, the head of the prestigious Qin family in Shunhe City. Under his father’s careful guidance, he had reached the second level of Qi Refinement at just twelve years old—among all the youths in Shunhe City, none could compare.

The charming little girl was his fiancée by betrothal, a member of the Lin family named Emily Thompson, a year younger than him.

Since childhood, the two had been inseparable—studying, practicing swordsmanship, even eating and sleeping together. Their bond was deep and innocent.

Last night, Emily Thompson claimed to have seen a shooting star fall onto Green Shade Mountain and dragged him up the mountain, curious to see what a falling star from the sky really looked like. Chad Sullivan knew in his heart that although the meteor seemed to disappear over Green Shade Mountain, no one could really say where it had landed. Still, to make her happy, he accompanied her up the mountain.

“It was definitely this way. How could it be gone? I was sure of the direction last night.” Emily Thompson shook her cute little head in confusion, climbed onto a higher rock, and looked around, gesturing as she searched.