Chapter 555: Chapter 555 A Calculated Gamble
Klein Johansson spoke with gravity, "That’s correct."
At the mention of Dalia Yann’s name, Vance Johansson’s expression twisted into a sneer.
"With Mr. Yann in action, Mason Raymond is already dead!" Vance Johansson declared icily.
Dalia Yann possessed mysterious strength and was incredibly sly.
Rumors suggested that decades earlier, he could have competed with figures like Paul Randall, but for unknown reasons, he suddenly vanished into hiding.
Now, he had emerged from seclusion because of Mason Raymond!
——
I had been waiting in Cango City for three whole days, but Atkinson Samson never stepped outside the Great Saint Sect.
This caused me to lose another chance to visit the Spiritual Spring.
"Looks like there’s no more opportunity to tap into the Spiritual Spring," I thought to myself.
With this realization, I decided to abandon the plan for now.
After all, the Spiritual Spring wasn’t going anywhere, and nobody could steal it.
"I need to figure out how to crack that gap quickly," I thought privately.
Once I could break through that gap, I was completely confident about reaching the Military Marquis Realm!
That day, I departed to head straight back to Green Moon Villa.
At the same time, I contacted Ximena Santos and summoned all Green Moon Villa members to return.
Not only that, but I also published an announcement on the Martial Arts Forum, revealing Green Moon Villa’s location!
"If you possess strength, Green Moon Villa will provide you with a dignified life!"
"Every Green Moon Villa member receives a premium Elixir!"
Numerous banners appeared across the Martial Arts Forum.
"Mr. Raymond, won’t the Great Saint Sect people track us down again?" Ximena Santos asked hesitantly.
I glanced at Ximena Santos and replied, "They will."
"Then... aren’t we asking for trouble by returning?" Ximena Santos wrinkled her brow with concern.
I let out a sigh but remained silent.
The Great Saint Sect had already targeted Iceheart Lake, and they would arrive eventually.
I had no intention of fleeing this time; I wanted to face Atkinson Samson head-on.
Only this way could Ximena Santos sense the danger and willingly share the method to unlock the gap with me.
Over the following days, the long-abandoned Green Moon Villa welcomed waves of newcomers.
These people arrived drawn by our reputation, and within just a few days, Green Moon Villa’s membership nearly reached one hundred!
Such explosive growth left everyone stunned!
Even I never anticipated my influence would be this powerful!
"Mr. Raymond, I tallied the numbers, and at least fifty people registered today!" Ximena Santos announced enthusiastically.
I took a drink of tea and smiled slightly, "This is only the start."
Ximena Santos appeared thrilled; she never imagined her Chilton Tower would see such success.
That evening, I didn’t get any sleep.
I spent the entire night creating a batch of pills.
These pills were named Divine Energy Pills, and their effects were incredibly potent, enabling any martial artist below Military Marquis level to advance one small stage directly!
The next morning, I presented the Divine Energy Pills to Ximena Santos, my eyes red from exhaustion.
"Mr. Raymond, what’s wrong with you? Why do you look so terrible?" Ximena Santos gasped.
I ignored her question and passed a large pouch of Divine Energy Pills to Ximena Santos.
"Hand these out, one per person, and let them know there’ll be steady pill supplies ahead," I instructed.
Ximena Santos took the pills, feeling somewhat pained.
"Mr. Raymond, you’ve pushed yourself too hard. You... you should rest," Ximena Santos said.
I waved dismissively but chose not to rest. Instead, I headed directly to Iceheart Lake, diving back to the lake bottom to draw qi from the gap once more.
After the pill distribution, Green Moon Villa exploded with enthusiasm!
"Mr. Raymond really kept his word!"
"Divine Energy Pill! I never dreamed that even I, just a Grandmaster, would get a Divine Energy Pill!"
"Mr. Raymond is incredible!"
The crowd cheered together. Beyond that, I also invited them to train at Iceheart Lake.
Such resources were truly remarkable.
You had to understand that Iceheart Lake matched the Great Saint Sect’s Spiritual Spring in quality!
But the Great Saint Sect’s Spiritual Spring was reserved for martial artists with exceptional talent. Average people had zero access!
At Green Moon Villa, though, everyone stood equal, and everyone could benefit from Iceheart Lake!
Right then, the Martial Arts Forum buzzed with discussions about this topic.
Many martial artists who had been undecided also started making their way to Green Moon Villa!
Some even chose to abandon the Great Saint Sect and join Green Moon Villa!
In just one week, Green Moon Villa had flourished tremendously, boasting over three hundred members!
While their individual abilities weren’t elite, their collective strength was formidable!
Some celebrated, while others worried.
——
At this moment, Atkinson Samson wore a dark expression, his fury evident.
"Green Moon Villa..." Atkinson Samson muttered the name.
In the next instant, he turned to Kira Doris and said coldly, "Go gather all the half-step Martial Marquises in the Great Saint Sect, plus the Peak Grandmasters."
"Send word; give Green Moon Villa three days to dissolve. If not, the Great Saint Sect will mount a complete assault and destroy Green Moon Villa!"
Kira Doris didn’t dare argue and quickly nodded, "Yes, master."
The Great Saint Sect’s announcement came out that same day.
——
As I emerged from Iceheart Lake, Ximena Santos ran toward me, panic written across her face.
Clutching her phone, she stammered, "Mr. Raymond, th-this is bad!"
"What happened?" I looked at her.
Ximena Santos thrust her phone at me, saying, "The Great Saint Sect gave us three days to dissolve, or else... They’ll destroy Green Moon Villa!"
My face showed no major reaction. Everything was proceeding according to my plan.
"Right now everyone in Green Moon Villa is panicking. After hearing this news, many want to abandon Green Moon Villa..." Ximena Santos bit her lip hard, speaking quietly.
I shrugged, "What choice do we have? The Great Saint Sect has a Military Marquis leading them. We can’t compete."
"Th-then what do we do?" Ximena Santos was completely lost.
I sighed, "I’m not sure. We’ll have to handle things as they come."
"If it comes down to it... we can only dissolve Green Moon Villa. We can’t let so many innocent people perish." I said.
"Plus... The Great Saint Sect has always coveted Iceheart Lake."
As I spoke, I looked at Ximena Santos and asked, "By the way, don’t you have any heirs?"
Ximena Santos frowned, "I’m still unmarried. How would I have heirs..."
"Well, when you’re gone, Iceheart Lake will definitely end up in the Great Saint Sect’s hands." I sighed softly.
After saying this, I turned and walked away.
——
Ximena Santos’s face turned extremely grim.
These recent days, she had been caught up in the excitement of Green Moon Villa’s rise. She naturally couldn’t stand the thought of disbanding now.
Moreover... Mason Raymond was correct.
If she died, Iceheart Lake would become ownerless property. Would her years of protecting the inheritance be destroyed by her own actions?
Thinking about this, Ximena Santos’s expression grew even darker.
She bit her lip so hard that blood began to trickle out.
"Rather than letting Iceheart Lake fall to the Great Saint Sect, it’s better to trust it to Mr. Raymond." Ximena Santos seemed to reach a painful decision.
