Chapter 175: Chapter 175 - Steel Body
I watched as Tristin Schroeder’s pupils contracted while murderous intent radiated from him.
"Mason Raymond, how dare you!" he roared, glaring at me with unbridled fury.
I responded with a casual sneer. "You can try and see if I dare."
Before Tristin could continue, Anton desperately cried out, "Brother, I beg you, don’t provoke him anymore..."
The pitiful state of his brother only fueled Tristin’s rage.
"No one has ever treated my Schroeder Family like this!" Tristin fixed me with an icy stare. "Do you understand what happens to people who harm members of the Schroeder Family?"
I shrugged indifferently. "Get drunk today and worry about tomorrow’s problems tomorrow."
"Fine, fine!" Tristin exploded, his body suddenly emanating a terrifying inner strength. A subtle glow surrounded his form.
My eyebrows lifted in surprise. This guy was actually at the same level as Turner Keira—both Second-rank Inner Strength Greatmasters.
"What? Looking for a fight?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Brother, don’t!" Anton shouted desperately, his face contorted with fear.
Tristin stared at me intensely, as if wishing he could devour me whole. Despite his obvious rage, he held back, clearly concerned about his brother still being in my grasp.
"Kid, let me tell you—even if you flee to the ends of the earth, I will dismember your body," he growled coldly.
After delivering this threat, Tristin turned and started walking away.
"Oh yeah," he added after a few steps, stopping briefly. "If my brother loses even a single hair, I will not let you go." He snorted before climbing into his car and driving away.
I remained perfectly calm, showing no concern whatsoever about his threats. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, I waited patiently for Tristin to return with the herbs.
----
Upon returning to the Schroeder Family home, Tristin was immediately surrounded by household staff.
"Mr. Tenny, where is Younger Lord Anton?" the Steward anxiously inquired.
Tristin’s face was a mask of rage, and he refused to answer immediately.
Once in the living room, he finally exploded, "This Mason Raymond is completely lawless! He shows absolutely no respect for the Schroeder Family!"
The Steward asked with confusion, "Mr. Tenny, what happened exactly?"
Tristin waved dismissively. "Enough talk. Prepare a Hundred-year Ginseng immediately."
The Steward stood frozen in shock before frowning deeply. "Mr. Tenny, if this gets out, our family’s reputation will be severely compromised..."
Tristin shot him a cold glance. "What about my brother? Is the Schroeder Family’s reputation more important than my brother’s life?"
The Steward fell silent, having no counter-argument, and promptly ordered someone to prepare the ginseng.
Tristin took a deep breath, his expression turning sinister. "This Mason Raymond... I will personally dismember him."
With the Schroeder Family’s resources, procuring herbs wasn’t difficult. Within an hour, the Steward returned with a Hundred-year Ginseng, which Tristin immediately took before departing.
----
At the graveyard, I sat cross-legged, maintaining my composure while Anton gritted his teeth in pain, nearly passing out multiple times.
"He’s coming," I announced, my eyes suddenly snapping open.
I looked toward the approaching vehicle in the distance. Soon enough, Tristin approached and thrust the herb toward my face.
"Here it is. Now release my brother." He handed the ginseng to me.
I inhaled deeply, confirming it was indeed a genuine Hundred-year Panax Ginseng.
"As expected of the Schroeder Family—able to find a Hundred-year Ginseng so quickly," I remarked with a hint of admiration.
Tristin snapped back coldly, "Enough with the pleasantries. You’ve got what you wanted, now let him go!"
I glanced at Anton and nodded. "Go ahead."
Upon hearing my permission, Anton scrambled away as fast as he could. Due to his injured leg, however, he could only crawl and roll pathetically across the ground.
Watching this pitiful display, Tristin’s face darkened with fury and embarrassment. The proud heir of the Schroeder Family reduced to crawling like an animal!
"Useless fool, you’ve disgraced the Schroeder Family!" Tristin snarled through clenched teeth.
Anton didn’t dare respond, keeping his head lowered in fear.
"Get in the car!" Tristin commanded harshly.
After Anton had climbed into the vehicle, I rose from the ground, preparing to leave. Before I could take more than a step, however, Tristin moved to block my path.
"What, you think you can just walk away after taking something from the Schroeder Family?" he sneered.
"Your Schroeder Family’s things? This ginseng was originally mine," I replied with a shake of my head.
Tristin’s expression twisted with contempt. "Don’t waste my time with nonsense. I only know one thing—those who offend the Schroeder Family have only one fate: death!"
As his words hung in the air, a terrifying inner strength ignited within him, matching what I’d witnessed from Turner Keira previously.
"Younger Lord of Schroeder Family, save your energy. You’re not my opponent," I stated calmly.
Tristin laughed loudly. "Not your opponent? Kid, do you think defeating Turner Keira makes you invincible?"
"You’re not much stronger than Turner Keira. More importantly, I’m not the same Mason Raymond as before," I responded with a slight smile, keeping my hands behind my back.
Indeed, when I fought Turner Keira, I was still at Foundation Building Stage 1. Now, I had advanced to Stage 2. Although the difference seemed minimal, my strength had transformed significantly. My potential had further unlocked, making my body several times stronger than before.
That’s why I faced Tristin without fear. That’s why I felt so confident.
Tristin sneered, "Mason Raymond, do you understand what family power truly means?"
I shook my head. "Please enlighten me."
He narrowed his eyes. "When strengths are equal, do you know what the deciding factor is? Cultivation techniques! The Schroeder Family has accumulated countless years of inheritance with unmatched cultivation skills. How could a small fry like Turner Keira possibly compare?"
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but feel amused. No matter how impressive the Schroeder Family’s heritage might be, could it possibly surpass my father’s teachings? Could a martial cultivator’s foundation exceed that of an immortal cultivator?
"Your so-called inheritance means nothing to me," I remarked with a smile.
"Ignorant fool! Let me show you the natural gap between us!" Tristin roared, his inner strength erupting violently.
The energy wrapped around his fist as he drove it ferociously toward my chest. To his obvious surprise, I made no attempt to dodge, allowing his punch to connect directly.
"Got you!" Tristin’s expression briefly showed triumph.
With that punch, he clearly expected me to die instantly.
"Clang!"
A loud noise rang out, and Tristin’s face transformed with shock. His fist had struck what felt like solid steel, not only failing to harm me but causing his own wrist to throb with pain.
I glanced down at my chest and shook my head. "If that’s all you’ve got, you should conserve your energy."
