Ethan Carter steadied himself, immediately walked over, cupped his hands, and said sincerely:

“Senior brothers of the Lieyang Sect, I am Ethan Carter, the young master of the Five Thunder Sect. I request an audience with the Saintess of Lieyang. May I trouble you both to pass on my request?”

“Hmm?”

The two glanced at Ethan Carter, their eyes showing disdain, as if a lion was looking at a lamb beneath its paw. Naturally, they recognized this Ethan Carter.

The Five Thunder Sect was already inferior to the Lieyang Sect, and someone like Ethan Carter was even more beneath their notice. However, as Ethan Carter said, he was still the young master of the Five Thunder Sect. No matter how much they looked down on him, they had to give the Five Thunder Sect some respect.

“So it’s you.”

One of the guards flashed a look of contempt in his eyes:

“Wait here, I’ll go report. But whether the Saintess will see you or not, that’s not certain.”

“The Saintess will definitely see me.” Ethan Carter’s attitude became even more earnest. “Just tell her when you see her that I’ve come regarding the matter from last time, and I hope to apologize to her in person. I also have a gift for her as compensation. As long as you pass on these words when you see the Saintess, that will be enough.”

Ethan Carter said with full confidence.

The two guards exchanged glances, both seeing the doubt in each other’s eyes, but still nodded and said, “Alright then, wait here. We’ll be back soon.”

With that, one of the guards quickly went inside.

……

Inside the small palace, corridors wound one after another. In the very center was a grand hall, the place where the Saintess of Lieyang resided. The hall was spacious and tidy, with gleaming stone slabs and exquisitely carved beams, all exuding an air of grandeur.

Along the way, layers of white curtains hung down from the beams above, each embroidered with golden Lieyang patterns, radiating a sense of sacredness and nobility.

The hall was filled with a lingering fragrance. Five elderly women with wrinkled skin and white hair sat cross-legged on the floor. Opposite them, a stunningly beautiful young woman, as if she had stepped out of a painting, lounged lazily on a sandalwood chaise.

This girl was about eighteen or nineteen, at the peak of her youth. Her hair was jet-black and glossy, pinned with a long purple hairpin, then softly cascading over her chest. Her jade-like cheeks, delicate snow-white bosom, and long, slender legs all revealed her proud, natural beauty.

This young woman was the Saintess of Lieyang, Olivia Clark.

She wore a white silk gown, with a golden blazing sun—the symbol of the Lieyang Sect—on her chest, making her peerless beauty appear even more noble and sacred. Every gesture exuded an irresistible charm.

“Miss, that Ethan Carter is nothing but an ant, not worth wasting your time on. The elders of the sect have already given orders for us to return quickly and join the hunt in the Savage Beast Mountains. The sect has discovered several beasts that have already formed inner cores, which are greatly beneficial for cultivation. If we’re late, the other Saintesses might get them first. There’s no need to waste time on that little nobody.”

One of the old women spoke up. Though advanced in years, these women were all vigorous, their eyes sharp enough to seem as if they could cut flesh with a glance.

“Indeed, Miss’s status is far above his. Even if you wanted to teach that boy a lesson, we could do it for you. There’s no need to lower yourself for such trash. — As for ‘presenting a treasure,’ it’s just an excuse. What could such a lowly boy possibly offer? In my opinion, there’s no need to see him. Just have the guards send him away.”

Another old woman echoed, her face cold and her voice hissing like a snake slithering.

“No need to say more, I have my own plans. That ant-like boy, timid and spineless, is certainly not worth my attention. What interests me is his aunt, the Third Elder of the Five Thunder Sect.”

Olivia Clark’s jade-like fingers held a jade pendant, gently tapping it, her beautiful eyes glinting with calculation:

“The sect master of the Five Thunder Sect, William Carter, once by chance became acquainted with the Princess Yangyang of the Great Liang Dynasty, and the two became husband and wife. Later, when the Great Liang Dynasty was destroyed, it was rumored that the Emperor of Liang gave that supreme treasure as dowry to Princess Yangyang. This time, my cooperation with the Second Elder of the Five Thunder Sect, David Foster, to frame that boy was not only to gain control over the Five Thunder Sect and strengthen my position in the sect’s power struggles, but mainly for that supreme treasure.”

“Miss, if I may speak frankly. The current royal family does have some powerful martial arts, but compared to our sects, there’s still a gap—they can’t be called supreme treasures. I really don’t understand why you would go to such lengths for a so-called royal martial art.”

The old woman sitting in the center spoke, a green jade thumb ring on her left thumb, marking her as someone of status.

“The current royal family is indeed lacking, but the ancient one was different.”

A sharp gleam flashed in Olivia Clark’s beautiful eyes.

The old women, along with the serving maids, were all startled. The current royal family was indeed in decline, but in ancient times, the imperial dynasty was far beyond what today’s sects could hope to match. Legend had it that the mightiest dynasty once unified all sects and schools. The emperor of that dynasty called himself the Holy Emperor, worshipped by heaven, earth, ghosts, and gods.