Chapter 138: Who Is Next To Die?

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Who Is Next To Die?

"Oh my goodness! Fourth Uncle, you died so tragically! Clan Chief, you must avenge Fourth Uncle!"

Looking at the vast ruins and the wailing and angry clansmen, Reginald Lindsay’s heart was filled with boundless rage.

When had the prestigious Lindsay family of Valemont ever suffered such a loss?

Moreover, Graham Cole had not even run away after killing Garrett; instead, he had arrogantly provoked them, showing that he completely disregarded the family.

"Graham Cole," Reginald growled.

"Nicely played! I was originally planning to let you off the hook for now, but you’ve come to my door to die, so the Lindsay family will grant your wish!" He turned to his attendants.

"Notify the Second Elder, Third Elder, and the four guest elders of the Star Sea Realm to assemble with us at the main gate. We must capture this audacious scoundrel! My family has been out of the limelight for so long that people are bullying us right at our doorstep! If that’s the case, then let his life be the testament to the power and prestige of the Lindsay family!"

Reginald loudly issued the order.

Although he was extremely angry, he did not lose his mind.

Graham Cole had already demonstrated his terrifying strength through his battle record.

With such an enemy, one could never be too cautious.

Soon after, under his orders, all the martial artists in the Lindsay family who had reached the Star Sea Realm, except for the Grand Elder who was still in seclusion, gathered there.

The lowest strength was Star Sea Realm 1st-Star, and the highest strength was Star Sea Realm 8th-Star.

With such a powerful lineup, Reginald was confident that even if Victoria Quill came, he could hold his own for a few moves.

He simply refused to believe that Graham Cole, who had appeared out of nowhere, could be a match for the entire Lindsay family.

With that in mind, Reginald led his group toward the main gate with great momentum.

"Graham Cole, you bastard! Today, you’ll pay for your arrogance with your life!"

The moment Reginald Lindsay and his men arrived at the main entrance, the atmosphere became charged with hostility.

There was no attempt to negotiate, nor did anyone bother exchanging threats.

At a subtle signal from Reginald, one of the Lindsay family’s guest elders immediately stepped forward and charged at Xavier.

The decision had been made during their journey to the entrance.

The Lindsay family had very little reliable information about Graham Cole.

Although they knew he had killed Damon Veil and demonstrated frightening strength, they lacked a clear understanding of his cultivation, combat techniques, and special abilities.

Sending everyone forward without knowing what they were up against would be reckless. They needed to determine the extent of his strength before committing their entire force to battle.

Their chosen vanguard was Lincoln Hale, a guest elder who had reached the second star level of the Star Sea Realm.

Lincoln possessed two awakened supernatural abilities: Metal Manipulation and Self-Healing. His metal type ability allowed him to harden his entire body until it became as tough as forged steel.

Ordinary weapons could barely scratch him, and most attacks that would seriously injure another martial artist were unlikely to do much damage.

His second ability made him even more troublesome to deal with.

Combined with his already powerful physique, his regenerative capacity allowed him to endure injuries that would incapacitate many martial artists whose cultivation surpassed his own.

In terms of raw durability, Lincoln could rival martial artists at the 5th-Star level of the Star Sea Realm.

Although his offensive abilities were relatively unimpressive compared with those of the other guest elders, his extraordinary defenses made him an ideal candidate to test an unknown opponent.

Besides, the Lindsay family’s strongest fighters were standing right behind him.

Even if something unexpected happened, they believed they could intervene before the situation became uncontrollable.

Unfortunately, they had severely underestimated Xavier.

"So you want to find out what I can do?" he said. "Fine. I’ll give you a demonstration."

Xavier tightened his grip on the Dragon Slayer Sword and strode toward the Lindsay family’s chosen opponent.

A spacious plaza lay directly in front of the estate’s main entrance.

The authorities had already cleared away the ordinary citizens who had been strolling through the area, leaving the surroundings almost completely deserted.

There was no need for Xavier to worry about accidentally involving innocent bystanders.

He had come to kill, but that did not mean he intended to waste an opportunity to test his strength.

His cultivation had advanced at an extraordinary pace, and his combat power had increased dramatically in a relatively short period.

Although he had fought several powerful opponents, he still lacked the practical experience that came from facing different fighting styles.

Since Lincoln had volunteered to serve as his opponent, Xavier decided to make the most of the encounter.

The two men soon stood opposite each other. Lincoln looked to be around forty, with a thick beard, broad shoulders, and muscles that strained against his clothes.

He carried a heavy metal staff roughly two meters long, its surface reflecting the light whenever he shifted his grip.

Without wasting another second, he launched his attack.

"Die!" the bearded man roared, swinging his staff down toward Xavier’s head.

The weapon tore through the air with such force that it produced a series of explosive cracks.

Judging by the power behind the blow, an ordinary martial artist would have struggled to withstand it directly.

But Xavier was not an ordinary martial artist. To him, Lincoln’s movements were painfully slow.

He shifted sideways with a casual step, allowing the massive staff to pass through the space where he had been standing.

Before Lincoln could recover, Xavier had already moved to his flank and thrust the Dragon Slayer Sword toward his chest.

Lincoln’s staff crashed into the ground. The impact shook the plaza, blasting apart the earth beneath him. A crater more than ten meters across appeared in the ground as dust and broken stone erupted into the air.

Yet amid the deafening impact, another sound rang out. A blade piercing flesh. Xavier’s sword had passed straight through Lincoln’s chest.

The bearded man’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"How... how can this be?" he gasped.

He had expected Xavier to evade his attack.

After all, speed had never been his strong point, and he had relied on his exceptional defense to compensate for that weakness.

What he had not anticipated was that his supposedly impenetrable body would offer almost no resistance to the Dragon Slayer Sword.

His metal type ability, which had protected him against countless powerful attacks, had been pierced as though it were nothing more than ordinary flesh.

Lincoln could not understand it. What he failed to realize was that several advantages had worked against him simultaneously.

Xavier wielded an 8th-Grade sword, possessed the formidable Wind and Thunder Sword Technique, and had a Chaos Body whose destructive energy made ordinary defensive abilities far less effective.

Under those circumstances, Lincoln’s metal hardened body was little more than a fragile obstacle.

Of course, the difference in their actual strength was the greatest factor.

Even the same supernatural ability could produce vastly different results depending on the person wielding it.

An ability that made one martial artist nearly invulnerable could become almost useless against someone operating on an entirely different level.

"Again!" Despite the terrible wound in his chest, Lincoln refused to give up.

His Self-Healing ability was already working to repair the damage.

He believed he could survive long enough to turn the fight around.

Rather than retreating, he reached toward Xavier’s sword hand, intending to seize his wrist and prevent him from attacking again.

Unfortunately, Xavier had already learned everything he needed to know.

The gap between them was simply too great. Lincoln’s attacks were too slow to threaten him, and his impressive durability could not withstand his sword.

Continuing the fight would accomplish nothing except wasting more of Xavier’s time.

His interest in testing the man’s abilities disappeared. Xavier withdrew the Dragon Slayer Sword and immediately extended his free hand.

A terrifying surge of chaotic energy gathered in his palm before erupting toward Lincoln.

Chaos Divine Palm!

The attack struck the bearded man squarely in the chest. Lincoln was hurled backward like a broken kite caught in a violent storm.

Unlike Garrett, he was not instantly reduced to a bloody mass. Nevertheless, the force of the attack was devastating.

Blood poured from his eyes, nose, ears, and mouth as his body crashed to the ground. His limbs lay motionless, and his consciousness had already faded.

Whether he would ever wake up again was uncertain.

Xavier had no intention of leaving the matter to chance.

He moved the moment he unleashed his palm strike, closing the distance before Lincoln’s body had even finished falling.

As soon as the bearded man struck the ground, Xavier appeared beside him and drove the Dragon Slayer Sword through his right eye, piercing directly into his brain.

Lincoln’s life ended instantly.

Xavier pulled the blade free, removed the spatial ring from the dead man’s finger, and turned toward the Lindsay family’s assembled experts.

A faint smile spread across his face.

"Who’s next?" he asked.