NOVPUB
Chapter 323: Finally Meeting Grand Duke Larson
"What is this? There are only two at the Marquess stage here. I thought more would come," one of the Duke-stage cultivators said. He was a platoon commander in the Larson family, his aura overbearing as if he was ready for action.
"Just kill them and move on to help the others," the other Duke-stage cultivator replied.
While they were speaking, their goons had already begun attacking Carol and her guardian. However, the assault was suddenly engulfed by shadows and lightning as, one by one, the Marquess-stage cultivators of the Larson family were slain by a shadowy figure that had appeared without warning.
"Assassins!" one of the Grand Duke-stage cultivators shouted, but before he could react further, an assassin had already appeared in front of him and slashed at him with a dagger. He tried to block the attack with his sword, but the dagger unleashed a bolt of lightning that struck him directly. The lightning shattered the middle-heaven-grade sword in his hand, leaving him defenseless.
The Grand Duke-stage cultivator was momentarily stunned and attempted to retreat, but it was already too late. With swift and precise movements, the assassin stabbed him in the head, killing him instantly.
By the time anyone could respond, the rest of the group was already dead. Another assassin stood silently beside one of the corpses. Without saying a word, they vanished into the shadows as if they had never been there, leaving only the lifeless bodies behind.
Carol watched the swift battle in amazement. Even though she had witnessed this kind of scene many times before, she was still impressed by the assassins’ effectiveness. She already knew of the renowned Thunderous Shadow Pavilion and felt fortunate to have their assistance. It was a relief that the pavilion was under Aldrian’s command, allowing him to aid her through this ordeal.
With the obstacles taken care of, Carol and her guardian continued toward the room where Grand Duke Larson was likely located. Each time cultivators from the Larson family attempted to stop them, the assassins swiftly eliminated them with surprise attacks. However, the maids and butlers who posed no threat were spared and left unharmed.
As they neared their destination, they encountered four elders at the high and peak King stage cultivation. The assassins lurking in the shadows seemed to hold back from attacking. These were King-stage cultivators—formidable opponents not easily subdued, even with the advantage of surprise. Moreover, the elders appeared aware of the assassins’ presence and refrained from attacking recklessly.
The assassins accompanying Carol suddenly stopped. After a brief pause, they retreated from the mansion, heading outside to assist in the ongoing battle.
"Hmm? They’re gone? Were they afraid?" one of the elders remarked.
"What a letdown. But what would you expect? They’re assassins—their advantage is gone once the element of surprise is lost," another elder said with a sigh. "We’ve been waiting here, but we won’t be the ones to act first." He then turned his gaze toward Carol.
"You sure are brave, attacking the Larson family with your meager strength. I’ll make sure to skin you alive for disturbing the peace of the Larson family, you damned Duclans," another elder at the peak King-stage elder sneered.
With a mere wave of his hand, he unleashed a casual wind-element attack aimed at Carol. The attack targeted her legs, intending to amputate her. Their objective was to keep the one of them alive, as one of them seems to be the leader and mastermind behind the recent mayhem within the Larson Grand Duchy.
Judging by her appearance, they assumed the young woman seems to be the Duclan family’s young miss. As for the man accompanying her, they dismissed him as an insignificant existence.
But before the attack could reach their legs, her guardian stomped his foot, and the wind dispersed like a gust. The elders were shocked, as they hadn’t expected a Marquess-stage cultivator to block a casual attack from a King-stage cultivator—an attack powerful enough to kill them a thousand times over.
Their shock didn’t end there. Suddenly, her guardian appeared in front of one of the peak King-stage elders and stabbed him with his sword. The peak King-stage cultivator dodged in the split second, but the strike still pierced his chest, and that was enough for the guardian to finish the job. With a swift slash, he created a massive wound that nearly severed the peak King-stage cultivator’s body.
The other three elders didn’t remain silent either. They attacked the guardian with their elemental powers. A burst of fire shot toward him from their palms, turning the situation catastrophic as the combined attacks of the three King-stage cultivators instantly obliterated the area within the mansion.
The three elders believed they had him when the fire split into two, revealing the blue eyes behind the guardian’s mask, still gazing at them with calm composure.
They were shocked to realize that something was protecting the guardian. The fire blazed his surroundings but didn’t touch him. Their flames, capable of even burning through space, seemed powerless against him as if the very fabric of space itself was shielding him.
Then, with a swift slash of his sword, the three elders felt the full might of the strike and scrambled to evade it.
However, suddenly, they felt an overwhelming heaviness in their bodies, making their movements sluggish. The sudden difficulty in moving left them unable to defend themselves in time, and the slash’s energy instantly decapitated them with a clean cut, killing them in an instant.
The guardian then sheathed his sword and glanced at Carol, giving her a nod. She responded with a nod of her own, and they continued toward Grand Duke Larson’s location.
After a few turns, they finally arrived at the double doors. Carol didn’t hesitate to open them. As she did, she saw three figures inside—one of them seated in the leader’s chair. The one sitting in the leader’s seat was someone she knew all too well, having met him many times in the past.
Grand Duke Larson looked at the two figures in white masks. He had sensed their arrival even before they entered the main mansion building. He was truly surprised by the guardian’s strength, especially since the woman, whom he believed to be the young miss of the Duclan family, in no way had someone as capable as him by her side. How could a Marquess-stage cultivator so easily kill King-stage cultivators? Had this man concealed his true cultivation level? He then looked at Carol again.
"You, child of the Duclan family, I know it’s you," Grand Duke Larson said. "You don’t have to hide your face anymore. Whatever the case, I will ensure that you are captured after this and the situation of the Larson family is restored. You will pay for your crimes against my family."
With a swift movement of his will, his domain immediately enveloped the entire mansion complex.
Everyone inside the mansion complex could feel the domain, which was far stronger than any domain activated by cultivators engaged in battle. The temperature seemed much hotter within the domain, causing the fighting to pause for a moment.
Carol, still a Marquess-stage cultivator, felt as though her body were inside a raging fire. She suffocated, struggling to breathe. But then, her guardian waved his hand, and the effects of the domain on Carol disappeared. She could feel a foreign energy soothing her body, realizing that her guardian beside her was helping her.
Feeling relief from the domain’s effects, Carol then removed her mask, revealing Carol’s true face—a cold expression, filled with killing intent directed at the Grand Duke.
"You are the one who will go down!" she said with a hateful tone. "I will make sure your family feels the same way my family did."
Grand Duke Larson frowned, staring at her. She was truly still alive. It seemed the devils had been keeping her alive all this time, and somehow she had escaped from them, causing all this trouble for his family. Before he could say anything further, a figure suddenly appeared beside the guardian. It was a young man, covered in wounds and blood, seemingly dead with no movement, though he was still breathing—albeit shallowly. Her guardian grabbed him by the collar as if he were a worthless bag.
When Grand Duke Larson saw the young man, who was actually his son, Clark Larson, he instantly lost his patience. His aura blared with intensity, sweeping outside the mansion’s complex. Her guardian waved his hand, creating a barrier to protect Carol from the overwhelming aura that threatened to slam her against the wall.
"You bastard! I’ll make the rest of your life worse than death!" Grand Duke Larson roared. After saying this, the man beside him, also an Emperor-stage cultivator, used his technique to seal off all exits from the mansion. Suddenly, a wall of fire appeared around the mansion, blocking any view from the outside.
Many took a step back from the fire, its heat intense, as expected from an Emperor-stage cultivator’s technique.
"Get ready for—" Grand Duke Larson stopped mid-sentence when he saw the guardian beside Carol remove his mask, revealing a handsome face. His expression was emotionless as he looked directly at Larson, seemingly with little regard, which only irritated him further.
"Kill him," Grand Duke Larson ordered.
Following the command, the Emperor-stage Grand Elder attacked the guardian with the intent to kill, unleashing a blazing flame. However, he was stunned when the fire was suddenly swallowed by a crack in space that appeared out of nowhere. Another crack then appeared beside the three figures of the Larson family.
"I return it to you," the guardian said.
Whoooz!
