Chapter 240: Apologies

"What on earth are you blabbering about? He is undeniably an Ex-Rank entity... It’s just that his spiritual core possesses a density and purity that far outstrips any normal Ex-Rank." Draven muttered, snapping his head sideways to correct Talitha.

?’Pure? You actually label this terrifying sea of energy as merely pure?!’ Talitha thought, her mind spinning as cold sweat broke across her neck:

’Aether stones are treated as precious lifeblood among Ex-Rank Awakened precisely because we rely on them to refine our internal spirit energy and scrub impurities from it. Yet the purity radiating from this man... it completely eclipses anything I have ever sensed. Even the patriarchs of the four great Ancient Families don’t have such pure energy.’

?She tore her gaze away from Draven, her eyes darting back toward the tall, black haired man standing in the distance:

?’Is he even human? How can a man possess features this breathtaking? I always assumed My Lord was the absolute pinnacle of perfection, but standing beside this person, My Lord doesn’t even register as a candle next to the sun.’ She thought, then violently shook her head to clear the fog, yet her traitorous eyes stubbornly remained locked onto Asher’s profile:

?’Have you completely lost your mind?! That man is literally our enemy! Your loyalty, your body, and your mind belong exclusively to the Lord... But gods above, I find myself wondering what he feels like beneath those clothes... What am I even imagining right now? Huh?’

?Talitha abruptly choked on her thoughts, her expression souring as she noticed the two stunning women flanking Asher glaring at her with unadulterated hostility.

?"....?!"

?"I had no idea the self-proclaimed ’Chosen Knight’ of an ancient family possessed such a staggering lack of basic shame." Juliana hissed, her voice dripping with lethal, knife-edged killing intent.

?"Shamelessly ogling our husband for this long... Would you prefer I pluck those wandering eyes right out of your skull?" Kelly chimed in, a dark, menacing undertone lacing her words.

?"...?!"

?Talitha stood entirely frozen, her brain short-circuiting under the sudden public humiliation.

?"You! Were you seriously standing there drooling and staring at him?!" Draven roared from behind her, his voice cracking with sudden, white-hot anger.

?"What?! Absolutely not, My Lord—never!" Talitha shrieked, practically tripping over her own boots as she whipped around to face Draven:

?"My Lord is the sole master of my heart! My mind, my devotion, and my flesh belong to you and you alone!" She babbled frantically, bowing her head so low her forehead nearly brushed his chest.

?"Good. Step behind me where you belong." Draven commanded, his jaw tight.

?Talitha nodded obediently, scurrying backward to plant herself dutifully in Draven’s shadow, keeping her gaze firmly glued to the dirt and not daring to flick her eyes upward toward Asher again.

?"If this junior’s companion caused an offense, you shouldn’t mind her—had my household been aware of your presence within these borders, we never would have accepted the task." Draven offered smoothly, pasting a carefully measured smile across his face as he addressed Asher directly.

?Asher didn’t bother entertaining the diplomatic posturing. He landed lightly on the scorched pavement, his expression remaining completely flat, with Juliana and Kelly smoothly settling into position on either side of him.

?"I have zero patience to sit here and listen to your hollow excuses... Offer a sincere apology to my wife right this instant, and we can draw a clean line under this entire farce." Asher stated quietly, his eyes locked onto Draven.

At the city wall, the Awakened were struggling to process the scene unfolding before them.

?"Wait... Is that actually Asher?" Tyson muttered, his jaw dropping as he recognized the black-haired figure.

?"When in the world did he break through to the Ex-Rank?!" Marianne whispered, her eyes wide and unblinking in sheer astonishment.

?"It has barely been a single week since we last crossed paths... Since when is ascending ranks as simple as taking a casual stroll?" Katherine rasped, utterly speechless.

?Owen furrowed his brow deeply, his memory flashing back to Katherine’s mother’s warnings. He clenched his fists so tightly his fingernails dug into his palms: ’Can Aaron defeat a monstrous enemy like this? And when did he cure his wives?!!’ He thought grimly.

?’He might genuinely possess the raw destructive strength required to permanently resolve this world’s problems.’ Daniel calculated quietly, crossing his brawny arms over his chest as he observed the standoff.

?Then, Asher’s next sentence dropped like an anvil, freezing every single spectator mid-breath.

?’What the actual hell?! Did that man seriously just demand that the third legitimate heir of an Ancient Family bow his head and apology?!!’

?Draven glanced across Asher’s shoulder, checking the expressions of the dumbfounded onlookers, before slowly turning his disbelieving gaze back to the young man:

?"I refuse to comply with that demand... Besides, she was the one who insulted me first!!" Draven barked, his voice rising defensively on the final words.

?"Receiving an insult from us is quite literally a lifelong blessing—a rare privilege you could only ever secure after accumulating oceans of merit across multiple past incarnations. You ought to be weeping tears of gratitude." Juliana retorted coolly, tilting her chin up.

?".....?!"

?The entire battlefield plunged into a stunned silence. Could any Human genuinely operate on such an unprecedented tier of shameless arrogance? Not only did they refuse to deny Draven’s accusation, but Juliana had casually twisted a raw insult into a divine honor.

?"You—!" Draven stammered, his composure cracking entirely as blood rushed to his ears.

?"Make your choice." Asher cut him off flatly, his patience evaporating.

?The ancient bloodlines were universally known for breeding ruthless, arrogant tyrants who never extended mercy to outsiders; teaching this arrogant young master a severe physical lesson felt entirely overdue.

?"There is an immutable, foundational law carved into the blood oath of all four ancient families." Draven declared, his voice trembling with suppressed rage as arcs of violent, crimson-red lightning began crackling wildly across his skin, scorching the earth around his boots.

?{Warning, Master.}

{A Ex-Rank entity manifesting a Red-Tier god blessing has been detected.}

{Crucial Note: If the target is terminated on this field, Master will be permanently branded by the Lightning God, marking you as a sworn enemy.}

?’So gods actually exist... That settles that lingering curiosity.’ Asher thought internally, his eyes narrowing as he watched the destructive red currents wrap around Draven’s frame.

?’This lightning elemental carries a lethal density... If this pampered noble goes all out, his strength could easily spike past eight hundred million, or push right toward the billion mark. The ancient bloodlines truly aren’t a parlor trick to be dismissed lightly. I can’t even begin to fathom his father’s strength.’ Asher calculated swiftly, stepping half a step forward to place himself squarely between Draven and his wives.

?"This law dictates that anyone standing outside the prestige of an Ancient Family possesses zero value—they aren’t worth a single copper coin of notice! How dare a low-born like you command me to issue an apology?!" Draven shrieked at the top of his lungs, a massive shockwave of crimson lightning erupting outward and fracturing the stone foundation beneath his feet.

?’Wait... Does this brat also have the Lightning Physique...?’ Asher was genuinely surprised for a microsecond, though his external expression remained as smooth as glass.

?"I will personally eradicate—"

?"--Calm your temper immediately, Draven, unless you wish to ignite a full-scale war between two Ancient Families!"

?".....?!"

?Draven and every single combatant across the wilderness froze instantly. Every head whipped upward toward the sky, paralyzed by sheer shock as a crisp, authoritative voice echoed across the open air:

?’That voice... Don’t tell me she managed to bridge the distance this fast...’ Draven whipped his head around, casting a frantic glance back toward the horizon.

?There, cutting through the upper clouds, came the gleaming white warhorse, carrying the silver-armored knight across the sky.

’Aurora Bladecrest.’