After receiving confirmation from Emma Sullivan, Lily couldn't help but shudder. This morning, she had actually come into close contact with such a terrifying demonic powerhouse? The distance between them at that time was less than two meters. Fortunately, she hadn't made any rash moves then; otherwise, with the cultivation of a demonic giant, killing her would have been no harder than swatting a fly.

“Wait, Emma, since this middle-aged man is a notorious demonic powerhouse and a grandmaster who has been famous for over a decade, why did he act this morning as if he was looking for William King...”

“Watch your words!”

Emma Sullivan gave a low shout.

If Lily could think of it, how could she not?

Right now, the only thing she wanted to know was whether the other party was after Grace Carter or William King.

If he was after Grace Carter, that would be normal, but if he was looking for William King...

As Emma Sullivan's thoughts raced, that demonic powerhouse Stephen Ward had already begun to board the train accompanied by the young man at his side. Throughout the process, the six martial arts powerhouses—Adam Cooper, Mark Evans, Benjamin Lee, Emily Brooks, Andrew Scott, Thomas Hill, and Master Morgan—all watched with solemn expressions, their nerves taut, as if ready for battle at any moment. If the other party made even the slightest move, they would absolutely unleash their fiercest attacks in an instant.

It was only after the six watched Stephen Ward board the train that they relaxed their guard a little. The relatively young Xuantian Finger Master Thomas Hill even let out a long sigh of relief.

In fact, it wasn't just him. Among the younger generation in the Martial Arts Association, many relieved their psychological pressure by exhaling deeply or patting their chests.

All along, Stephen Ward had just been sitting there, chatting idly with Adam Cooper, but the invisible aura of oppression emanating from this demonic powerhouse was like a cloud of death hanging over everyone in the Martial Arts Association. It was as if they were fat rats being watched by an eagle, not daring to breathe too loudly. That kind of presence... even now that Stephen Ward had left, it still left them deeply unsettled.

“So terrifying, truly worthy of being called a demonic powerhouse! Stephen Ward, the master of the Blood Hand Sect—I’ve heard the elders in my family talk about him. In the 1990s, he was a ruthless killer. Back then, technology wasn’t as advanced as it is now, and these demonic giants acted without restraint, easily stirring up bloody storms. It’s said that in the chaos of the six-year war two cycles ago, no fewer than three hundred martial artists died at his hands!”

A young man who seemed to have some inside information was breathing slightly heavily, his eyes still filled with lingering fear.

“Three hundred people! That... that’s practically a mass murderer! Didn’t the state arrest them?”

“Arrest? How? With the power of the Martial Arts Association? Before the last six-year war, the state did launch a massive crackdown. The orthodox martial artists were manageable, but those demonic grandmasters were like human tanks. It’s said that some even fought their way to the very core of the capital’s Purple Gold Pavilion... And with the orthodox martial artists worried about being discarded after the fight, they slacked off. How could ordinary troops deal with those elusive demonic figures? In the end, nothing came of it. As long as those demonic powerhouses don’t commit wanton slaughter, the state and the Martial Arts Association just turn a blind eye to their existence. Of course, this leniency is only for the truly powerful demonic giants.”

“When a martial artist reaches the grandmaster level, it’s truly terrifying. One person is almost like a modern army.”

The other martial artists nodded in agreement.

As long as they weren’t surrounded by hundreds of troops on open ground, a martial arts grandmaster could easily defeat a force of several hundred soldiers by taking advantage of dense forests and terrain.

During their conversation, the train carrying Stephen Ward finally accelerated, rumbling as it slowly left the station.

It wasn’t until the train had truly departed that President Adam Cooper finally relaxed.

Standing close by, Benjamin Lee keenly noticed that the president’s undershirt was completely soaked. Facing Stephen Ward, such a demonic powerhouse, and having to keep him calm, the pressure he endured was far greater than anyone else’s.

“All right, everyone can go back now.”

As Adam Cooper nodded to Mark Evans, Mark Evans immediately waved his hand.

As the crowd cheered quietly, Adam Cooper spoke up: “Lily, Emma Sullivan, stay behind.”

Chapter 5 Template

On the train.

Stephen Ward went straight to a seat near the front of the business class section.

On one side of him sat a woman with long black hair, wearing black sunglasses.

“Young Palace Master, he refused.”

Stephen Ward said in a low voice.

The long-haired woman’s expression instantly turned cold. “He doesn’t know what’s good for him.”

“Young Palace Master, an interesting thing is, in his room I found a sword—a sword that hasn’t been drawn for years.”

“Hm!? So the rumor that he was crippled by a big shot in the Kunwu Wonderland for defying them is true?”

“Otherwise, I can’t understand why someone known as the Sword God hasn’t practiced swordsmanship for years.”

The long-haired woman closed her eyes, her right index finger tapping the armrest slowly.

After a moment, her eyes opened again.