His demeanor showed not the slightest hint of reluctance, nor did he display any sign of sorrow, but it was precisely this composure that most reassured Samuel Carter.

“Yan’er, you’ve grown up. As your father, I am truly gratified.”

Samuel Carter spoke softly, then silently closed his eyes.

Those once spirited eyes, which had once commanded storms and captivated countless young women, lost their luster a moment before closing, never to shine again.

Edward Carter's heart trembled, his soul quaked, and his entire body felt as if it was being crushed by a weight of ten thousand tons.

Yet he knelt there, unmoving, refusing to collapse.

……

Inside the secret chamber, there were several other people present.

The Carter Family Patriarch, Richard Carter, the Transmission Elder William Carter, Grand Elder Thomas Carter, Second Elder James Carter, as well as The Carter Family's Most Talented Young Lady, Lillian Carter and The Carter Family's Top Talent of Three Generations, Second in Giftedness: Lily Carter.

At this moment, all of them simply stood silently by, watching, saying nothing.

It was not until Samuel Carter was nearly ‘fallen’ that the family head Richard Carter finally sighed, walked over to Edward Carter, and reached out to pull him up.

“Grandfather…”

Edward Carter's voice was choked with emotion. Deep down, he vaguely suspected that this matter was not so simple.

“Don’t worry, your father is only in a temporary slumber. One day, he will recover.”

Richard Carter could hardly bear it as he spoke these words, but they sounded so much like mere comfort and perfunctory reassurance.

Edward Carter's whole body trembled. For the first time, he hated—hated himself for not being strong enough.

If he could shake the heavens and earth with a single move, like that master of Xingyi, possessing the power to shatter the void, who in this world would dare to bully his father so?

His tightly clenched fists grew even tighter, his fingers digging deeper into his palms, drawing blood, yet he felt nothing.

Richard Carter let out a long sigh and took out a special thumb-sized sword of light from his palm. As soon as this sword appeared, an indescribable sword intent seemed to envelop the entire Canglan City. In an instant, the whole city fell into dead silence.

At that moment, Lillian Carter and Lily Carter's faces turned almost instantly pale, but the Transmission Elder quickly surrounded them with an invisible energy, protecting them just in time.

At the same time, the protective energies of the Grand Elder and Second Elder also instantly fell upon Lillian Carter and Lily Carter.

As for Richard Carter, holding this spiritual sword of light, he himself felt nothing unusual.

Only Edward Carter was collectively forgotten by the three elders present.

Such a powerful and domineering sword intent did not make Edward Carter collapse.

Though his body trembled like a small boat in stormy seas, on the verge of capsizing at any moment, his back remained ramrod straight. He stood as if forged from steel—cruelty, hardship, sorrow, ruthlessness, despair—none of it could make him yield.

It seemed that nothing in this world could make him yield!

It was at this moment that the Transmission Elder finally noticed this stubborn youth had not been cared for.

His heart stirred slightly, and he saw that the youth’s face was calm, his gaze deep as an unfathomable pool, betraying no ripple within! His face was pale, with an unhealthy, sickly hue, bearing a resemblance to Samuel Carter in his younger days!

His thin lips were pressed tightly together, forming a straight line, with traces of crimson blood at the corners, staining that line a striking red.

His nose was slightly high and straight, making his pale face appear even more gaunt.

Such a face easily brought to mind the scene of Samuel Carter shaving his head in determination and causing a great stir in the family back then! At that time, Samuel Carter seemed just like this.

Whether then or now, it was undeniable—this was the most unforgettable handsome face William Carter had ever seen.

Perhaps the only difference was that back then, Samuel Carter was high-spirited, while now, Edward Carter was just a spent, useless man.

He sighed inwardly, his gaze tinged with sadness and regret, and looked at Edward Carter, saying, “Yan’er, come here. Don’t interfere with the family head’s divine art and the sealing process.”

His words were simple, but that last sentence left Edward Carter unable to refuse.

Edward Carter nodded silently, trembling as he moved his body, heavy as if burdened by a mountain, and walked over.

In an instant, a surge of energy swept over, pushing away the mountain-like pressure. Edward Carter suddenly felt light and weightless, as if he might float away. The relief from that pressure left a deep impression on him.

But he did not dwell on it, simply standing silently, watching as the small sword of light transformed into a sun, enveloping his father.

His father’s body was swallowed by the sword of light, as if entering a pitch-black void.

Then, with a “whoosh,” the sword of light pierced through the ceiling of the secret chamber, breaking through all obstacles, and shot into the endless night sky, vanishing like a streak of light.

The secret chamber remained silent, the atmosphere heavy.

“Cough, cough, cough.”