Chapter 125
Chapter 125 South Shire Reemerges
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Grayson threw his head back in wild laughter, the sound reverberating through the air like a thunderclap. Behind him, Raymond felt his head spin, his blood roiling as the laughter nearly overwhelmed him, almost causing him to pass out.
Grayson stopped his laughter abruptly, turning back with his hands behind his back. “Raymond, this Jeff Ashcroft–does he belong to the Ashcroft family from Highcliffe p>
Raymond quickly shook his head. “Jeff Ashcroft doesn’t seem to have any connection with the Ashcroft family, Master, but his strength has already fully entered the realm of a Martial Sovereign! Just a month ago, he killed Mason Tarlyn with a single punch at Mount Lurvale, and only a few days ago, he slayed Alek Peterson, the patriarch of the Peterson family, one of the Great Seven Martial Clans of Cloudveil. He’s already shaken the martial world of Astria p>
During his journey to Shire Peak, Raymond had gathered more news about Leander and was quietly astonished by what he had learned.
“Did he now? Kill Alek Peterson.” Grayson’s interest grew even stronger.
Mason had been nothing more than a Grandmaster–level fighter a decade ago, barely worthy of Grayson’s attention. But Alek was different. Ten years ago, Alek had already reached the level of Martial Sovereign, and Grayson had once crossed paths with him in battle, earning a measure of respect for his abilities.
“That’s right. It’s said that in their battle, Peterson unleashed the most powerful move from the Peterson family’s secret techniques, but even so, Ashcroft killed him with a single punch,” Raymond confirmed.
Grayson paced leisurely, gazing at the clouds below, his voice calm as he spoke. “Sixteen years ago, Peterson and I had a chance encounter on the Cloudveil plateau, where we fought. I defeated him in twenty moves. I saw potential in him and spared his life, thinking he would improve with time.
“Over the last ten years, he should’ve at least reached the intermediate Martial Sovereign level, but even so, Ashcroft killed him. This man is truly something p>
Although Grayson was praising Leander, his tone was indifferent, as if he were a renowned scholar acknowledging a top student’s achievement on an exam. His words carried the weight of a man who had long since surpassed such feats. He turned to Raymond and continued, “Earlier, I sensed an extremely pure and potent inner strength embedded deep in your core. That’s the source of your injury, which has been preventing your recovery. Follow current novᴇls on.net
“I used three strands of inner strength to expel it from your body. As far as I know, besides myself, only Gareth Ashcroft and Maximilian Morgan–Royce have the ability to implant such powerful inner strength that erodes vitality. Even Sean Judie, who dominates the West, lacks
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Raymond felt a moment of clarity. Grayson had once told him that among the Four Extremes, Sean’s reputation rested not solely on his martial prowess but also on the mystical techniques. passed down from his ancestor, Paul Judie. In terms of pure martial skill, Sean was not at the same level as Grayson, Gareth, and Maximilian.
Grayson continued, “But I never expected that, aside from myself, Gareth Ashcroft, and Maximilian Morgan–Royce, another like Jeff Ashcroft would emerge p>
Raymond was left speechless, his heart pounding with fear. Grayson was known for his calm, steady demeanor, yet that day, he had laughed twice–a reaction he only displayed when encountering a worthy opponent.
Raymond took a deep breath, astonished beyond belief. Grayson stood at the pinnacle of Astria’s martial world, with only Gareth surpassing him and Maximilian barely matching him. Grayson was a true living legend in the martial world. For him to react this way meant that he now considered Leander an equal–someone worthy of being his opponent.
Raymond could hardly fathom it. How could a boy of barely legal age be compared to the likes of Grayson and the other giants of Astria’s martial world?
“Raymond, how old is this Jeff Ashcroft?” Grayson pressed on.
Raymond hesitated for a moment before replying, “Master, Ashcroft is only seventeen or eighteen years old and is already known in the martial world as the ‘Young Martial Sovereign p>
“Is that so?” Grayson’s expression shifted again, this time with even more surprise and bewilderment. “Seventeen or eighteen? A Young Martial Sovereign p>
He stood still, staring into the distance for a long time before slowly turning around. “Back then, Gareth reached the Martial Sovereign level at 35, and he was already considered the greatest prodigy of his time. But this Jeff, becoming a Martial Sovereign at 17 or 18 and already rivaling us in strength–it’s unimaginable that Astria’s martial world has produced such an extraordinary genius. Excellent, excellent… truly excellent p>
Grayson repeated the word “excellent” three times, and even though Raymond was standing several feet away, he could feel the overwhelming aura emanating from Grayson’s body–an unmistakable sign that his battle spirit had been ignited. Raymond immediately dropped to his knees, trembling with fear.
After his battle with Gareth, Grayson had secluded himself atop Shire Peak for over a decade, not stepping foot into the martial world or engaging in any further duels. Each time Raymond had come to visit, Grayson had seemed like a monk in deep meditation, content with the life of a reclusive mountain dweller. But now, because of Jeff’s rise, Grayson’s fighting spirit had been reignited, reminding Raymond of the invincible warrior of the past. The sudden change left Raymond both awestruck and terrified.
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Grayson turned to Raymond, his voice now calm and steady. “Raymond, with Jeff Ashcroft’s power, he could have easily killed you with one strike. Since he spared you and left some inner strength within your body, he must have left a message. What did he say p>
Raymond remained kneeling, his forehead pressed to the ground. He dared not rise as he answered in a low voice, “Master, he said… he took the pendant you gave me. If you have any dissatisfaction, you can find him in Ravenridge p>
Grayson stood unmoving in the wind, his robes and hair remaining perfectly still, unaffected by the gusts swirling around him. “Very bold, Ashcroft p>
After a moment of silence, a flicker of emotion appeared in Grayson’s eyes, and he nodded. “I thought that after ten years of seclusion on Shire Peak, I would perfect my skills and descend the mountain to challenge Gareth Ashcroft once more. But I did not expect that, in the meantime, a Jeff Ashcroft would emerge from nowhere p>
Then, Grayson raised his hand. The clouds surrounding Shire Peak began to swirl rapidly, forming a visible vortex in the sky above. Raymond watched in horror, his heart pounding. Could such power even be wielded by a human?
Grayson’s fingers twisted into a claw–like shape, and with a swift motion, he pulled down. The vortex transformed into a massive net of clouds, covering the entire sky and enshrouding Shire Peak. Slowly, the cloud net began to contract inward. Several birds flying past the mountain were instantly sliced in half by the fine threads of the cloud net, unaware of the danger.
“This…” Raymond was utterly astonished, overwhelmed by the sheer display of power. He couldn’t begin to fathom what would happen to anyone caught beneath that net–how could they possibly survive?
When the cloud net finally shrank to its limit, Grayson lowered his hand, and the entire net dissipated into the sky, once again forming harmless white clouds as though the terrifying scene had never occurred. It was as if he wielded divine power.
“Raymond, recuperate here for the next two weeks. After that, you will follow me down the mountain p>
Grayson stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring toward the north of Mornwick. Raymond understood immediately–this powerful figure who had dominated Astria’s martial world for so long had decided to come out of seclusion.
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