Chapter 585: Chapter 585 A Trap Is Set
Rage burned through Logan Sean’s chest like wildfire.
The details this young man had shared were things Logan had discovered only recently.
He never could have predicted that such news would reach the Capital City Martial Arts Association.
"Booker, watch your tongue," Sybil Cooper warned sternly from the side.
The young man called Booker retreated two steps, keeping quiet.
Sybil Cooper then rose and declared, "Mr. Sean, hiring bodyguards is perfectly acceptable. What specifications do you need?"
Logan Sean let out a dismissive snort. "The more powerful, the better."
Sybil Cooper grinned. "Come with me then."
Both men stood and walked straight into the Martial Arts Association’s deeper prison areas.
Before long, they reached Mabel Sean’s holding cell.
Looking at Mabel Sean’s ashen face, Logan Sean’s expression shifted subtly.
Mabel Sean, confined behind bars, jerked back in shock.
She appeared ready to speak but seemed too weak, unable to voice a single word.
"What’s going on here?" Logan Sean demanded icily.
Sybil Cooper appeared unaffected by Logan’s tone, answering nonchalantly, "Mr. Sean, do these matters still concern you?"
Logan Sean replied with indifference, "Mabel Sean remains my niece, after all."
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Sybil Cooper burst into laughter.
"Mr. Sean, if Mabel were freed, wouldn’t you fear losing your grip on the Sean Family Master position?" Sybil Cooper taunted playfully.
Logan Sean’s brows creased slightly, internal struggle flickering across his features.
Naturally, he worried, particularly after discovering that Jerry Sean had been secretly training a group of Marquis-level warriors.
To maintain his Family Master status, he would even eliminate his own father, much less his niece.
"Let’s continue," Logan Sean said at last, ignoring Mabel completely.
A cruel smile crossed Sybil Cooper’s lips as they headed directly to another Martial Arts Association cell.
Inside this cell sat a gaunt man in captivity.
The man remained cross-legged on the floor, radiating an intense, bone-chilling aura.
"Your thoughts on him?" Sybil Cooper gestured toward the man.
Logan Sean studied him briefly before asking, "What’s his power level?"
"Peak Marquis level," Sybil Cooper stated slowly.
Even Logan Sean was completely stunned by this revelation.
"Perfect, he’s my choice!" Logan Sean crushed his cigar and released a cold laugh.
——
Three days remained until Monday.
Throughout these days, I hadn’t concentrated on training.
Regular cultivation techniques proved useless for me without access to thousand-year herbs, golden cores, Demonic Beast Cores, spiritual veins, and similar resources.
So I’d spent this time gathering intelligence about the Capital City Martial Arts Association through my contacts.
"Man with the mustache, you’ve been around—do you know about something called Black Gold Stone?" I asked.
Upon hearing about Black Gold Stone, the man with the mustache hurried over immediately.
"What, you possess Black Gold Stone? Where is it? Lead me there now!" he said excitedly.
I shook my head. "No, I’ve only heard about this Black Gold Stone, but I don’t understand much about it."
Disappointment crossed the man with the mustache’s face as he muttered near me, "And I got excited for nothing."
"So what exactly is this Black Gold Stone?" I inquired.
The man with the mustache spoke deliberately, "Black Gold Stone is supposedly the world’s hardest material—it’s even rumored to resist Martial Saint attacks."
At this revelation, I couldn’t help but inhale sharply.
Resist a Martial Saint’s attack? Wasn’t that somewhat far-fetched?
"The Capital City Martial Arts Association’s prison is constructed from Black Gold Stone, correct?" I frowned.
With this thought, I turned to the man with the mustache and asked, "If it can block Martial Saint attacks, doesn’t that mean nobody can breach Black Gold Stone’s defense?"
"Not exactly," the man with the mustache disagreed.
"Where the strongest shield exists, there’s always the sharpest spear."
"I’ve heard about a material called Golden Feather Stone—this stone counters Black Gold Stone, though I’ve never encountered it."
My frown deepened further.
Both the Martial Saint level and Golden Feather Stone remained beyond my current reach.
Should I allow Mabel Sean to remain imprisoned until I located Golden Feather Stone or achieved Martial Saint level?
"So there’s no alternative method?" I asked seriously.
The man with the mustache shrugged. "That’s everything I know."
I remained quiet.
"Don’t rush some things—being impatient won’t help you," the man with the mustache patted my shoulder and said nothing more.
Time passed swiftly, leaving only one day before Monday.
——
Capital City Martial Arts Association.
Before Sybil Cooper stood a figure wrapped in a black and gold robe.
That figure was Hawk Thompson.
"President Cooper, are you certain Mason Raymond will join this trial?" Hawk Thompson said coldly.
"Knowing full well that the Capital City Martial Arts Association won’t spare him, why would he come to his death?"
Sybil Cooper chuckled. "Old Thompson, you don’t grasp people who’ve clawed their way up from nothing."
"People like us only consider profit when risks are controllable."
"But people like them—as long as the reward is substantial enough, regardless of how dangerous it gets, they’ll still attempt it."
Manipulating two black spheres in his palms, Hawk Thompson sneered, "If he dares show up, I’ll never release him."
Whenever he recalled being outsmarted by Mason Raymond, Hawk Thompson seethed with fury.
Sybil Cooper stated calmly, "Numerous people want him eliminated. If he dares participate, he’s already dead!"
At that moment, Phoebe Billy approached with two companions.
"President Cooper, Mr. Johansson has arrived," Phoebe Billy announced.
Looking up, the visitors were Klein Johansson and Vance Johansson.
Recently, Vance Johansson had largely recovered, but his abilities had plateaued. He couldn’t even secure a top ten ranking position.
"Mr. Johansson, what brings you here?" Sybil Cooper asked dispassionately.
Sybil Cooper’s treatment of Klein Johansson differed from his approach with Logan Sean. Around Klein Johansson, Sybil Cooper always maintained a superior attitude.
Klein Johansson bowed respectfully. "President Cooper, for this trial, my son Vance wishes to participate as well."
Sybil Cooper rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Mr. Johansson, that doesn’t align with our regulations."
Klein Johansson clenched his teeth. "President Cooper, consider it a debt the Johansson family owes you."
Sybil Cooper stood up, grinning. "Adding another participant isn’t challenging, but... Mason Raymond will also compete in this trial."
At Mason Raymond’s mention, Vance Johansson’s eyes widened and his fists tightened!
Klein Johansson observed Vance’s response and inhaled deeply. "President Cooper, that’s precisely why I’m here."
"Since my son’s defeat, Mason Raymond has become his psychological barrier, significantly impeding his future training progress."
"Therefore... I hope you’ll use this trial as a chance to eliminate Mason Raymond! Before my son’s eyes, destroy Mason Raymond!"
