Chapter 624: Chapter 624 I Am Very Much Alive
Countless inner cores still lay beneath this island, and the Capital City Martial Arts Association wouldn’t let such treasures slip through their fingers.
They dispatched teams daily to collect these inner cores and transport them back to headquarters.
"So Mason Raymond really died here?" someone gestured toward the Immortal Slaying Sect’s entrance.
"That’s right. Word is Mr. Thompson finished him off with a single palm strike."
"Good riddance. That bastard caused us nothing but headaches."
Hearing their mocking comments, I couldn’t stop myself from sneering.
"Hand over all the inner cores," I called out from behind them.
The group spun around at the sound of my voice.
Seeing the scruffy-faced young man before them, they smirked. "Who the hell are you? What gives you the right to come here? How dare you speak to us like that?"
I kept my eyes half-closed and said coldly, "Give me every inner core you’ve collected."
"You got a death wish or something?" They were clearly pissed off by my demand.
They moved forward, energy crackling between them as they prepared to attack.
"Idiots," I muttered, opening my eyes slightly. In the next instant, I flicked my hand and completely shattered one man’s skull!
The others’ faces went white with terror!
"Who... who are you?" someone stammered.
I smiled and said, "I’m Mason Raymond. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m very much alive."
At the mention of my name, everyone’s faces drained of color!
One of them quickly pleaded, "Mr. Raymond, we were just following orders! Please spare us!"
I shook my head. "Sorry, but I can’t have the Capital City Martial Arts Association knowing I’m still breathing. So... you all have to die."
Before the words fully left my mouth, I stepped forward and unleashed a devastating wave of Qi Jin that crushed them all into bloody pulp!
After eliminating them, I searched their corpses for inner cores and stuffed them into my pockets.
Then the man with the mustache and I ventured deeper, beginning our systematic collection of the sea island’s inner cores.
We didn’t stop until our Spatial Magic Artifact was completely full.
I grabbed a hat from one of the dead bodies and pulled it low over my face to avoid any unwanted attention.
"Let’s get out of here," I told the man with the mustache.
We made our way back to the sea island’s surface.
"Where are you headed next?" I asked him.
The man with the mustache scratched his chin thoughtfully. "I’m thinking Capital City. Heard there’s going to be an auction."
"Auction?" I frowned. "What kind of auction?"
He explained, "The Capital City Martial Arts Association sells off batches of Dharma Treasures every few years."
"They call them treasures, but really they’re just the association’s cast-offs."
"If they’re just discarded items, is it worth going?" I asked skeptically.
The man with the mustache’s eyes lit up. "Hell yes! Their trash might be gold in my hands."
"Plus... people find real bargains at these auctions every year."
I leaned forward. "When?"
He counted on his fingers. "About a week from now."
I stayed quiet for a moment, then said, "I was planning to head to Capital City anyway. Let’s meet up there."
This was perfect timing. I needed to scope out the Capital City Martial Arts Association and learn more about their operations.
I still didn’t have a clear picture of just how powerful they really were.
My previous identity had been too high-profile, which meant I’d never had the chance to properly investigate them.
After saying goodbye to the man with the mustache, I decided to return to Green Moon Villa temporarily.
Having been gone for four or five months, I had no clue what had been happening in the outside world.
I left that place and headed toward Cango City.
By evening, I reached the entrance of Green Moon Villa.
But the first thing that caught my eye was a plaque reading "Great Saint Sect."
Seeing this, my eyebrows knitted together.
"Kira Doris?" I muttered under my breath, already suspecting what had happened.
I didn’t waste time thinking about it and strode into the villa.
Green Moon Villa was now even more prosperous than the Great Saint Sect had ever been, with nearly a thousand disciples!
The sight was truly impressive.
I stopped a random person and asked, "Where’s Patriarch Santos?"
"What Patriarch Santos? Are you new here? There’s only Patriarch Doris now, no Patriarch Santos!"
My jaw tightened.
Just as I’d suspected—Kira Doris had switched sides.
I didn’t say anything else. I extended my divine sense and quickly pinpointed Ximena Santos’s location.
Ximena was currently under house arrest in her own room. While her basic needs were being met, her movements were severely restricted.
I flashed forward and walked straight in.
Inside, I found Ximena slumped over a table, drunk and passed out.
I frowned slightly, approached her, and whispered gently, "Ximena, wake up."
Ximena cracked her eyes open groggily, saw me standing there, and weakly waved her hand. "Damn, I’m dreaming again."
With that, she collapsed back onto the table.
I couldn’t help but laugh despite the situation. I had no choice but to place my palm on her forehead and use my qi to force her awake.
Instantly, Ximena snapped to attention with a confused expression.
She rubbed her eyes and gasped, "Mason Raymond, you... "
"Shh." I quickly covered her mouth, then whispered, "Don’t shout."
Ximena nodded vigorously, and I released her.
"Mr. Raymond, you... you’re not dead?" Ximena was both shocked and thrilled.
I nodded, then asked, "What’s the situation here? How did Green Moon Villa become the Great Saint Sect?"
Ximena sighed heavily.
She filled me in on everything that had transpired.
From our conversation, I learned that the Capital City Martial Arts Association now controlled all the northern sects, large and small.
The ones in charge were the three experts they had personally trained.
"While you were gone, many young masters in Capital City broke through to mid-stage Military Marquis, and the Martial Arts Association has established a martial arts peak. You... you need to be careful," Ximena said, worry etched across her face.
My eyes narrowed slightly, but I didn’t show much surprise.
"Ximena, I’m afraid you’ll have to endure this a little longer," I told her.
Ximena looked puzzled. "What are you planning?"
I said coldly, "Once I get a clear picture of the Capital City Martial Arts Association’s true strength, I’ll take back Green Moon Villa."
With that, I immediately left Green Moon Villa and headed straight for Capital City.
——
The night was thick with darkness.
Phoebe Billy stumbled home, clearly intoxicated.
As vice president, his main job was maintaining good relationships with various aristocratic families. This meant he was drunk practically every day, and tonight was no different.
Phoebe Billy arrived home and pushed open his door, only to see a young man sitting on his sofa, staring at him with cold eyes.
The sight of the young man sobered Phoebe Billy up considerably.
