Heavenly Sword Sect is a sixth-rank sect, one of the most prominent within a radius of several thousand li, with immense power. Only those who reach the Innate Realm can become inner sect disciples; those at the tenth level of the Martial Path are all outer sect disciples.

At the seventh level of the Martial Path, one's internal energy is already quite profound, capable of injuring others with sword qi, and within the Martial Path realm, such a person is considered an expert.

Therefore, Heavenly Sword Sect pays much more attention to disciples at the seventh level of the Martial Path compared to ordinary outer sect disciples, providing them with more pills and more opportunities to listen to the outer sect elders impart martial experience.

Within Heavenly Sword Sect, outer sect disciples above the seventh level of the Martial Path all consider themselves superior. To distinguish themselves from ordinary outer sect disciples, they are called elite outer sect disciples.

Elites are those who have hope of reaching the Innate Realm before the age of twenty and have the potential to become inner sect disciples.

Among the dozen or so people in front of Edward Grant, there are five elite disciples at the seventh level of the Martial Path, including Robert Cooper, who is likely the strongest among them, with all the other disciples centering around him.

The rest are at the sixth or fifth level of the Martial Path.

When James Bolton learned that his younger brother had been thoroughly beaten by Edward Grant, he was furious. However, as one of the top three outer sect disciples, and with hopes of winning first place in this year's outer sect ranking competition, he valued his status and did not personally trouble Edward Grant. Instead, he sent some of his followers to deal with Edward Grant.

James Bolton is only seventeen this year, but his cultivation has already reached the tenth level of the Martial Path. He is someone with hopes of stepping into the Innate Realm and becoming an inner sect disciple. Inner sect disciples can learn profound-level martial arts and techniques, making them much stronger and more powerful than outer sect disciples, and allowing them to become figures that many outer sect disciples can only look up to.

Therefore, in order to secure such a powerful backer for the future, many outer sect disciples are willing to follow James Bolton and serve him.

Edward Grant has already reached the sixth level of the Martial Path, and thanks to Samuel Carter's publicity, this news has spread widely, causing a small stir among the outer sect disciples. To be safe, James Bolton sent elite outer sect disciples at the seventh level of the Martial Path.

In Beimo County, the Cooper, Miller, and Bolton families monopolize over seventy percent of all resources and businesses. The remaining thirty percent is mostly controlled by forces attached to these three families.

For The Carter Family to take root in Beimo County and develop its family business, a lot of silver is needed. Only with a large business can they afford the best spiritual pills and medicines to gradually heal their injuries.

The Carter Family was originally a fifth-rank family, a giant even within the Divine Blade Dynasty. The ruler of the Divine Blade Dynasty, Divine Blade Sect, is only a powerful sixth-rank sect.

However, after disaster struck The Carter Family, most of its members perished. The main bloodline fled to Beimo County, all gravely injured, with the strongest among them having regressed to the third level of the Innate Realm.

Especially Charles Grant, who fought bitterly time and again, his meridians long since ruptured, surviving only by sheer willpower to protect the main bloodline of The Carter Family and escape. Once The Carter Family settled in Beimo County and he relaxed, his meridians broke layer by layer, leaving him almost a cripple, with strength only equivalent to a sixth-level Martial Path practitioner, not even as strong as a seventh-level Martial Path practitioner who can unleash sword qi.

To recover from these injuries, spiritual pills and medicines are needed. To obtain them, a large amount of silver is required. To get that silver, the family business must be developed.

To develop the family business means coming into direct conflict with the interests of the three major families in Beimo County. The Cooper, Miller, and Bolton families do not allow any other force to share their profits.

Thus, as soon as The Carter Family settled in Beimo County, conflicts arose with the Cooper, Miller, and Bolton families. The Carter Family's efforts to expand its business further threatened their interests, turning the conflict into an irreconcilable one.

Unless The Carter Family's strength surpasses that of the Cooper, Miller, and Bolton families and can use force to maintain its position, it will inevitably be suppressed by them.

The Cooper, Miller, and Bolton families are all ninth-rank families, each led by a patriarch at the third level of the Innate Realm. Compared to the combined strength of these three families, the former fifth-rank The Carter Family is now clearly weaker, which is why they have sent their younger generation to the major sects of the Divine Blade Dynasty.

The The Grant Family is a second-rank family, a superpower dominating all of Shenzhou. Neither Charles Grant nor The Carter Family dares to pass down their family's martial arts and techniques to the younger generation, for fear of leaking them to Arthur Grant and bringing disaster upon the family. They can only let the younger generation slowly grow within the sects.

Now, The Carter Family has been established in Beimo County for over three years. Through letters from his father Charles Grant, Edward Grant knows that The Carter Family has gained a foothold in Beimo County and its business is growing. They have now recruited over a hundred people from the martial world, including some Innate Realm warriors who have grudges against the Cooper, Miller, and Bolton families.

However, the bigger The Carter Family's business grows, the more intense its conflict with the Cooper, Miller, and Bolton families becomes. Recently, it has reached a fever pitch, with the two sides completely at odds. That is why William Bolton has been causing trouble for Edward Grant and Samuel Carter lately.

“No matter how great the difficulties the family faces, we can bear them for now. You must study well and train diligently in Heavenly Sword Sect. For The Carter Family to truly establish itself in Beimo County, it will depend on the efforts of you younger generations. If you wish to take revenge and restore our honor, gaining a foothold in Beimo County is only the beginning. Tian'er, do not let your father down!”