Eric Bolton was very satisfied with the reactions of the others. He pointed at Brian Grant and said, “That kid, don’t be so arrogant. Let him go already—do you really want to die?”

Brian Grant forced down the urge to talk back, shot a cold glance at Eric Bolton, and released Emily Thompson, who was nearly suffocating.

Freed from the restraint, Emily Thompson no longer cared about saving face. His legs gave out and he collapsed onto the grass, gulping in huge breaths of air. He had never realized that breathing freely could feel so wonderful.

Seeing Emily Thompson’s humiliating state, Olivia Bolton and the others felt both contempt and hatred. If it weren’t for the outsider Brian Grant, they probably wouldn’t have been able to resist going over and giving Emily Thompson a beating.

With Emily Thompson being so useless, even Eric Bolton felt deeply embarrassed, thinking to himself, “This coward is a disgrace. Once we get back, I’ll just kick him out…”

Not wanting to say more about the disgraceful Emily Thompson, Eric Bolton changed the subject: “Same rules as always—the first to reach the Wo Niu Stone at the summit of Guanyun Peak wins. Sword flight height must not exceed fifteen meters above the mountain surface. During the flight, no attacking or colliding with each other—any violation means disqualification. All six of us on our side will compete. You have no objections, right?”

Eric Bolton hadn’t planned to bring Emily Thompson along, but remembering that Emily Thompson’s family was also extremely wealthy, he decided to include him. At the very least, it gave him a legitimate excuse to squeeze money out of Emily Thompson.

Brian Grant’s purpose in coming was to use the sword-flying competition as a chance to separate the six people, so of course he had no objections.

The seven of them lined up in a row. Aside from Brian Grant, the other six’s sword lights were silver-white, emerald green, sea blue, bright yellow, deep purple, and blood red. Next to these six brilliant sword lights, Brian Grant’s Bi Lin Sword’s mottled, impure green light looked utterly inferior—it was obvious at a glance that it wasn’t on the same level as the others.

Olivia Bolton and the others looked at Brian Grant with mocking eyes. Emily Thompson also wore a face full of disdain, sweeping away his earlier dejection.

Eric Bolton sneered, “No matter how many times you switch, you still haven’t improved!” As he spoke, he flicked a silver coin from his hand. The spinning coin shot up more than ten meters before falling back down.

The moment the coin hit the ground was the signal to start.

Chapter Four: Seeking Light in the Darkness

“Whoosh…” The sword lights sliced through the air, emitting a piercing shriek.

Jagged rocks covered the mountain’s surface, and the towering spruces and golden pines were all dangerous obstacles not to be underestimated. The gloomy, dark night made sword flight even more difficult. Flying at high speed through such a complex environment tested not only sword-flying skills, but also one’s courage.

Sharp turns and sudden changes in direction at nearly 200 kilometers per hour put tremendous pressure on the sword light shields. Clusters of sword light wavered and shimmered in the night, leaving behind colorful trails. In their wake were clouds of dust and broken branches and leaves.

Right from the start, the blood-red sword light took the lead. Three minutes later, only Brian Grant, Eric Bolton, Olivia Bolton, and Little Helen could barely keep up with that blood-colored sword light. The one riding it was the man named William Smith.

William Smith had dark skin, rugged features, a tall and sturdy build, was taciturn, and moved with steady strength. His attire was simple and mature. Among Eric Bolton’s group, he actually seemed quite out of place. Brian Grant thought that someone like him wouldn’t be friends with someone like Eric Bolton; most likely, he was Eric Bolton’s bodyguard.

Although William Smith did his best to hide his cultivation, his sword-flying technique was practiced and skillful, handling the wild speed with ease. The way his sword light barely wavered showed William Smith’s profound cultivation.

“Qi Refining Level Five.” After two sword duels, Brian Grant had more or less figured out William Smith’s strength. If he wanted to kill Eric Bolton, William Smith was undoubtedly the biggest obstacle. With the same level of cultivation, although Brian Grant had experienced many brutal battles in the Illusion Demon Realm, he had no real combat experience in reality. Fighting a veteran like William Smith, it was unlikely he’d have the upper hand.

Brian Grant couldn’t afford any mistakes. After much deliberation, he couldn’t come up with a foolproof plan, and finally decided not to confront William Smith head-on. After making this decision, Brian Grant realized he was walking further and further down a dark path.

Ever since he had painstakingly tried to uphold justice and fairness, Brian Grant found that with his own strength, only by being more cunning and ruthless than his enemies could he hope to succeed.

A philosopher of the Empire once said: “Seeking light through dark means only leads to deeper darkness.” Brian Grant had always believed this to be true.

But faced with harsh reality, Brian Grant found he had only two choices: one was to confront Eric Bolton openly, as his good friend John Carter had already demonstrated; the other was to use every trick and calculation to achieve his goal, upholding justice while protecting himself.

After this painful choice, Brian Grant discovered he had a real talent for scheming—no one needed to teach him, and his ideas grew ever more cunning and devious. In plotting against Eric Bolton, Brian Grant’s initial tension and unease gradually turned into excitement, and in the end, he was able to calmly plan everything without a ripple in his heart.

Riding the Bi Lin Sword, Brian Grant put aside all distractions and focused on the competition at hand. Flying at such high speed through the gaps in the forested mountains, even the slightest carelessness could mean the destruction of his sword and his own death.