Brian Young's expression softened, but he did not let down his guard.

  “Heh, of course not.”

  Mr. Brooks did not immediately answer Brian Young's question. His gaze swept over Uncle Eight, who was kneeling on the ground, as well as those few thugs.

  “These people are of little use here. Why not let me take care of this little trouble for you?”

  Mr. Brooks smiled calmly and suddenly unfolded the folding fan in his hand.

  As the fan opened, spiritual light burst forth, and a powerful spiritual pressure descended, making it hard for anyone in the entire courtyard to breathe.

  Brian Young's mind trembled, barely managing to withstand the pressure.

  Whoosh!

  As the fan unfolded, a wave of icy blue mist shot out.

  In an instant, the temperature in the courtyard dropped several degrees. Not far away, a few maids shivered from the cold.

  Swish!

  The brilliant blue icy mist formed several serpentine streams of fog, sweeping past Uncle Eight and three or four others.

  Whoosh!

  When the blue light passed, four “human-shaped popsicles” covered in blue frost appeared in the courtyard.

  Crack!

  Mr. Brooks closed his folding fan and looked at Brian Young with a beaming smile.

  “This man's magic is terrifying... The folding fan in his hand must at least be a high-grade spiritual artifact!”

  Brian Young was shocked. Beneath Mr. Brooks's smile, he sensed a faint killing intent.

  Among the magical tools and treasures of the Eastern Victory Continent, the lowest grade is the “magical tool,” a bit higher is the “spiritual artifact,” and above that is the true “magical treasure.”

  Whether magical tool, spiritual artifact, or magical treasure, each is divided into: low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, and supreme-grade.

  Glancing at the four human-shaped popsicles, Brian Young gasped. He had already determined that the four people, including Uncle Eight, had all their vitality completely frozen.

  With Uncle Eight's early-stage Qi Refining cultivation, he could barely hold on for a few breaths, while the other three thugs were instantly frozen to death.

  With a single wave of the fan, three or four lives were ended, so effortlessly.

  What level of expert was Mr. Brooks really?

  Brian Young felt that the other's cultivation was probably even above that of his own master, Elder Clark.

  In the entire Yang Family Fortress, perhaps only the reclusive Yang family patriarch could rival him.

  “Ah—”

  Two maids not far away were so terrified that they collapsed to the ground.

  “Mr. Brooks's ice magic is truly the most impressive I've ever seen.”

  Brian Young let out a breath, speaking his true feelings.

  On this vast Eastern Victory Continent, there are countless nations, and even lands of wild beasts. The Yuyang Kingdom is just an inconspicuous small country, and the southern neighbor, the Yang family, is merely a minor cultivation clan. What Brian Young had seen and heard so far was extremely limited.

  “You flatter me, nephew...” Mr. Brooks looked directly at Brian Young, asking calmly, “How does my cultivation compare to your master’s?”

  “This...” Brian Young hadn’t expected the other to mention his master. It seemed Mr. Brooks might know Elder Clark.

  “In terms of strength, my master should not be your equal.”

  Brian Young replied frankly.

  Mr. Brooks smiled noncommittally. “Your master, William Clark, why did he leave the Yang Family Fortress before the ‘Wen Tian Assembly’?”

  “This...” Brian Young didn’t know how to answer.

  “And, did your master seal your magic power before the ‘Wen Tian Assembly’?”

  A sharp gleam flashed in Mr. Brooks's eyes, and an invisible pressure bore down.

  Whoosh!

  In a flash, Mr. Brooks appeared in front of Brian Young, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder.

  Brian Young's body stiffened, unable to move, only feeling a bone-chilling cold force invade his body.

  A moment later, Mr. Brooks pushed Brian Young away with a palm, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

  “How odd. Your body feels empty inside—could it be you really suffered a backlash and lost your magic power?”

  Mr. Brooks was puzzled. He had thought Brian Young's master, Elder Clark, had sealed his disciple’s power, but now it seemed that was not the case.

  Bang!

  The courtyard door was kicked open. A young man in white rushed in and said to Mr. Brooks, “Sir, you’d better spare this boy’s life. Three years from now, I’ll return to the Yang Family Fortress to meet the two brothers.”

  Brian Young glanced over. Wasn’t this young man in white the very same Yang family young master, Samuel Young, who had acted so arrogantly on the ‘Wen Tian Platform’ just now?

  Samuel Young barged in domineeringly, giving only a cold glance at the “useless” Brian Young.

  Mr. Brooks smiled and said, “Brian Young is the son of an old friend of mine. How could I harm him? But you—why aren’t you watching the ‘Wen Tian Assembly’ of the southern neighbor, the Yang family?”

  “Hmph, a bunch of Qi Refining ants—hardly worth mentioning.”

  Samuel Young said arrogantly.

  Mr. Brooks kept smiling as expected, glanced at Brian Young across from him, and said, “If your father returns one day, please give him my regards.”

  With that, Mr. Brooks gave Samuel Young a look, and the two of them left the courtyard.

  “Trash, don’t forget to attend the Wen Tian Assembly three years from now. When the time comes, watch how I cripple both you and your brother.”

  As he left, Samuel Young shot Brian Young a cold glance.

  Brian Young shrugged, walked into the courtyard, and began packing his belongings.

  Mr. Brooks and Samuel Young made their way to a secluded corner of the Yang Family Fortress.