Stephen had no intention of letting this go.
His father's voice echoed faintly in his mind—steady, unyielding.
A man who keeps stepping back will one day find himself with nowhere left to stand.
Yield once, and others would push again. Yield twice, and they would trample over you. Only those who knew when to stand firm—and when to bide their time—could walk far.
If he couldn't win now—
Then he would win later.
But he would not bow.
Gritting his teeth, Stephen forced himself upright. His body screamed in protest, blood still lingering at the corner of his lips, but his gaze burned cold as he fixed it on the newcomer.
He pointed toward Wilson's group, voice hoarse yet sharp.
"Where were you when he attacked me?"
A pause.
"Funny how you only showed up when I fought back."
His eyes narrowed.
"Or do the rules not apply to them? What, you owe that trash's family something?"
The air turned cold.
The man's expression froze over.
Behind him, Wilson let out a low chuckle, dripping with satisfaction.
"Heh… you're dead now," he sneered. "Talking like that to the Guardian Elder of the Scripture Repository… you've really got a death wish."
The Guardian Elder's gaze hardened.
"First, you attack a fellow disciple with intent to harm," he said, voice even but heavy. "Now you slander an elder and accuse him of corruption."
A faint pressure spread from him.
"You will be punished for such conduct."
Before Stephen could respond—
The sky shifted.
A figure descended, standing atop a flying sword.
Blood-red robes fluttered in the wind, and a suffocating killing intent rolled outward, thick and oppressive like a storm about to break. A burn scar twisted along the right side of his face, giving him a savage, merciless appearance.
"What the elder says is correct," the man said coldly. "Such behavior cannot be tolerated."
He raised a hand—
And pressed down.
The air solidified.
A crushing force slammed onto Stephen like a falling mountain.
His knees buckled.
For a moment, they dipped—
But did not touch the ground.
Muscles trembled. Bones creaked. Veins stood out along his arms as he forced himself upright, inch by inch, until he was standing straight once more.
He lifted his head and met the man's gaze.
His voice came out rough, but steady.
"A King Realm expert… bullying someone who hasn't even reached Grandmaster."
A bitter laugh slipped through.
"So this is the fairness of Great Sword Mountain?"
His eyes burned with defiance.
"You're no different from the rest of these bastards."
His gaze flicked briefly to the insignia on the man's chest.
"Enforcement Division… right?"
He spat blood to the side.
"If you think I'll kneel—"
The pressure surged.
His words were crushed as his body was lifted into the air, completely restrained.
The red-robed elder smiled.
Cruel. Thin.
"You'll change your tone soon enough," he said quietly. "I'll make sure of it, you insolent little bastard."
With a flick of his sleeve, Stephen was dragged through the air like a rag doll.
—
They hadn't gone far—
When a voice split the sky apart.
"You shithead—where the hell do you think you're taking my student?"
The air trembled.
The red-robed elder's face twisted instantly, fury igniting in his eyes. The scar along his cheek pulsed as his teeth ground together.
"Liam Maxwell…" he growled. "You dare show yourself before me?"
A figure appeared ahead.
Unhurried. Casual.
Flying straight toward them.
Stephen's eyes narrowed slightly.
The same man who had tormented them on the training field with a devil's grin.
Now—
He looked exactly the same.
Relaxed. Careless.
A smirk tugged at his lips as he looked the red-robed elder up and down.
"Well, well," Liam drawled. "Still breathing? Thought life might've taught you something by now."
He tilted his head.
"Or what… still wagging your tail for someone else?"
The air exploded.
A suffocating killing intent surged outward.
Stephen felt it slam into his chest like a warhammer. His vision blurred as he coughed up blood.
The red-robed elder's fists clenched until blood seeped from his palms.
But Liam—
Didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
"What?" Liam grinned. "Hit a nerve? Gonna bite me?"
Suspended in midair, Stephen could only stare.
This guy… really knows how to get under someone's skin.
The elder suddenly smiled.
A slow, venomous curl of the lips.
"You know," he said, voice almost casual, "Selena and I are having dinner tonight."
A pause.
"I plan to propose."
Something snapped.
Liam moved.
A blur—
Smack!
The crack echoed through the sky.
The red-robed elder's head whipped to the side as Liam's palm slammed across his face.
When Liam looked up again—
The laziness was gone.
What remained was something far colder.
The air trembled violently.
Below, disciples staggered under the pressure. Some collapsed outright, foam at their mouths as the clash of auras bore down on them like a storm.
And above—
The two collided.
No techniques.
No restraint.
Just raw, brutal violence.
Fists slammed. Kicks lashed out. Elbows drove in. Fingers clawed for eyes.
Like beasts tearing into each other.
Stephen hung suspended within a thin barrier, shielding him from the worst of it—likely placed by Liam before the fight began.
Even so, the shockwaves rattled his chest.
It was chaos.
A clash between monsters.
—
Then—
A sigh.
Soft.
Yet it cut through everything.
"Liam… you're all brawn and no brain."
A figure appeared.
A woman.
She looked young—barely in her teens—but the moment she stepped into the battlefield, the entire atmosphere shifted.
Before either man could react—
She moved.
A single roundhouse kick.
Boom!
Liam was sent crashing into the ground like a falling meteor, dust exploding outward on impact.
"Ugh—!" he groaned, pushing himself up. "Who the hell sneak attacks like that? Fight me properly!"
The woman raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
"Say that again."
Liam froze.
Like a beast abruptly leashed.
The anger drained from him instantly.
Stephen watched in disbelief as even the red-robed elder stiffened, his earlier fury collapsing into caution.
Liam coughed lightly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Heh… Elder Grace," he said, suddenly polite. "Weren't you in seclusion? Why bother with something like this?"
She scoffed.
"So I should've just watched you two tear the place apart?"
Her gaze swept outward.
Only then did they notice—
Buildings reduced to rubble.
Cracks spiderwebbing across the ground.
The aftermath of their clash.
"You'll both pay for the damages," she said calmly. "Using your own points. And you'll fix everything."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Any objections?"
Both men shook their heads immediately.
"Good."
She waved a hand.
"Then get lost. Both of you. Or do you want me to escort you myself?"
A pause.
"And if I see either of you wrecking the place again…"
Her smile was thin. Dangerous.
Neither of them spoke.
The red-robed elder vanished in an instant.
Eager. Almost desperate.
A moment later—
Elder Grace disappeared as well.
Silence settled over the ruins.
The storm had passed as quickly as it came.
And in its wake—
Only Stephen and Liam remained.