Mrs. and Mr. Smith

The information the young man mentioned was something Kylan had only recently learned.

Yet never would he have imagined that this news could have spread to the Capital City Martial Arts Association.

“Booker, show some tact.” Davy Barnett said gravely from one side.

The young man referred to as Booker backed off two steps, no longer speaking out of turn.

And then Davy Barnett stood and said, “Mr. Taylor, if you wish to hire bodyguards, that’s quite alright. What are your requirements?”

Kylan Taylor snorted lightly, and said, “The stronger, the better.”

Davy Barnett smiled, “Then follow me.”

The two stood and proceeded directly to the deeper confines of the Martial Arts Association’s prison.

Soon, they passed the cell where Emily Taylor was being held.

Gazing upon Emily Taylor’s pallid complexion, Kylan Taylor’s own complexion shifted ever so slightly.

And Emily Taylor, who was locked in the prison cell, sharply recoiled in surprise.

It was as if she wanted to say something, yet seemed to lack the strength, and was unable to utter even a word.

“What happened here?” demanded Kylan Taylor coldly.

Davy Barnett seemed undeterred by Kylan’s presence, and responded casually, “Mr. Taylor, do you still care about these things?”

Kylan Taylor retorted dismissively, “Emily Taylor is my niece after all.”

“Ha ha ha ha ha!” Davy Barnett erupted into laughter.

“Mr. Taylor, if Emily were to get out, wouldn’t you be afraid of not holding onto your position as the Taylor Family Master?” spouted Davy Barnett, seemingly in jest.

Kylan Taylor’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, a flicker of conflict passing across his face.

Of course, he was worried, especially after finding out that Mike Taylor had been secretly nurturing a group of Marquis-level fighters.

To secure the position of Family Master, he could even kill his own father, let alone his niece.

“Let’s move.” Kylan Taylor finally said, not addressing Emily any further.

A cold smile tugged at the corners of Davy Barnett’s mouth, and the two proceeded directly to another cell within the Martial Arts Association.

In this cell, a skinny man was being held captive.

The man sat cross-legged on the ground, emanating a profound and chilling presence.

“What do you think of him?” Davy Barnett pointed at the man and inquired.

Kylan Taylor evaluated him briefly and asked, “What is his strength level?”

“Marquis, peak-level.” Davy Barnett slowly uttered these words.

Upon hearing this, even Kylan Taylor was utterly taken aback.

“Alright, he’s the one!” Kylan Taylor extinguished his cigar and let out a cold chuckle.

…

There were still three days remaining till Monday.

During these few days, Ethan Smith had not been focused on his cultivation.

Common cultivation methods were ineffective for him unless he had access to thousand-year-old herbs, golden cores, Demonic Beast Cores, spiritual veins, and the like.

Therefore, he had spent these few days receiving updates on the Capital City Martial Arts Association from contacts.

“Man with the mustache, you’re worldly-wise, do you know of a material called Black Gold Stone?” Ethan Smith asked.

Hearing of the Black Gold Stone, the man with the mustache immediately rushed over.

“What, you have Black Gold Stone? Where is it? Take me there right away!” He exclaimed eagerly.

Ethan shook his head, “No, I’ve just heard of this Black Gold Stone, but I don’t really know much about it.”

A hint of disappointment flashed across the man with the mustache’s face, and he mumbled beside Ethan, “And here I was getting my hopes up.”

“So, what exactly is this Black Gold Stone?” Ethan Smith asked.

The man with the mustache slowly said, “Black Gold Stone is claimed to be the hardest material in the world, it’s even said to be able to withstand attacks from a Martial Saint.”

At these words, Ethan Smith couldn’t help but gasp.

To withstand the attack of a Martial Saint? Wasn’t that a little exaggerated?

“The prison of the Capital City Martial Arts Association is made of Black Gold Stone, isn’t it?” Ethan Smith frowned.

Thinking of this, he turned to the man with the mustache and asked, “If it can resist the attacks of a Martial Saint, then doesn’t that mean no one can break through the defense of the Black Gold Stone?”

“Not quite,” the man with the mustache shook his head.

“Where there is the sturdiest shield, there will always be the sharpest spear.”

“I have heard of a material called Golden Feather Stone, this stone is the nemesis of Black Gold Stone, but I have never seen it.”

Ethan Smith’s brow furrowed even tighter.

Whether it was the Martial Saint or the Golden Feather Stone, they were both out of Ethan Smith’s reach.

Was he to let Emily Taylor suffer in the prison until he found the Golden Feather Stone or reached the level of Martial Saint?

“So, there’s no other way?” Ethan Smith asked solemnly.

The man with the mustache shrugged: “That’s all I know.”

Ethan Smith fell silent.

“Don’t rush certain things, impatience won’t get you anywhere,” the man with the mustache patted Ethan’s shoulder and stopped talking.

Time flew by, and there was only one day left until Monday.

Capital City Martial Arts Association.

In front of Davy Barnett, stood a man cloaked in a black and gold robe.

That man was Jordan Richards.

“President Barnett, are you sure that Ethan Smith will participate in this trial?” Jordan Richards said coldly.

“Knowing full well that we at the Capital City Martial Arts Association won’t let him off, why would he come to die?”

Davy Barnett chuckled, “Old Richards, you don’t understand people who have crawled up from the bottom.”

“For people like us, we will only consider gain once risks are manageable.”

“But for people like them, as long as the incentive is big enough, no matter how high the risk is, they will still try.”

Playing with two black beads in his hands, Jordan Richards sneered, “As long as he dares to come, I will never let him go.”

Every time he thought about being outwitted by Ethan Smith, Jordan Richards was filled with anger.

Davy Barnett calmly said, “Many people want him dead. As long as he dares to participate, he’s as good as dead!”

Just then, Emerson Holmes arrived with two people.

“President Barnett, Mr. Blair is here,” said Emerson Holmes.

Looking up, the newcomers were none other than Reilly Blair and Dexter Blair.

These days, Dexter’s Blair had mostly recovered, but his strength had stagnated. He couldn’t even make it into the top ten of the leaderboard.

“Mr. Blair, why have you come?” Davy Barnett indifferently asked.

Davy Barnett treated Reilly Blair and Kylan Taylor differently. In front of Reilly Blair, Davy Barnett always seemed superior.

Reilly Blair bowed and said, “President Barnett, for this trial, my son Dexter also wishes to participate.”

Davy Barnett stroked his chin, “Mr. Blair, that doesn’t seem to follow the rules.”

Reilly Blair gritted his teeth, “President Barnett, consider it a favor owed to you by the Blair family.”

Davy Barnett rose to his feet, smiling: “It’s not difficult to sneak in another participant, but… Ethan Smith is also going to participate in this trial.”

Mention of Ethan Smith made Dexter Blair’s eyes bulge and his fists clench!

Reilly Blair noticed Dexter’s reaction, and took a deep breath, “President Barnett, that is exactly why I am here.”

“Ever since my son lost, Ethan Smith seems to have become his inner demon, causing a lot of hindrance to his future cultivation.”

“So… I hope you could use this trial as an opportunity to kill Ethan Smith! In front of my son, do away with Ethan Smith!”