Chapter 44 A New Mission Triggers! Annihilate the Aldercrest Order!

Chapter 44: Chapter 44: A New Mission Triggers! Annihilate the Aldercrest Order!

Under immense psychological pressure, Darius Fenwick wore a miserable expression. His entire body trembled as he spoke.

"Patriarch... Patriarch Mercer, this has nothing to do with me!"

Julian Mercer glanced at him coldly.

He had no interest in wasting his time on such a clown.

"If you’ve done something wrong, you should admit it. Slap yourself ninety times."

Hearing this, Darius felt a heavy weight lift from his heart.

With Cedric Whitmore’s fate still fresh in his mind, he didn’t dare refuse or negotiate. Almost immediately, he raised his hand and began slapping himself.

Fearing that Julian might consider his punishment insufficient, Darius used his full strength with every blow.

Slap!

Slap!

Slap!

After ninety consecutive slaps, even a cultivator at the Purple Mansion Realm like Darius could barely endure the punishment.

His face had swollen horribly, turning a frightening shade of red. Two of his teeth had been knocked out, and cold sweat streamed down his cheeks as tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.

Enduring the pain, Darius looked up at Julian.

His face resembled an overripe tomato, yet he forced himself to produce an awkward smile.

"Th-thank you, Patriarch Mercer, for sparing my life."

Julian looked down at him, his expression cold.

"This is your third warning. If there is a next time, you’d better prepare a coffin for yourself in advance."

His icy voice carried a clear threat.

Darius felt as though he had fallen into a frozen abyss. Panic flooded his heart, and he hurriedly dropped to his knees and bowed repeatedly.

"Please rest assured, Patriarch Mercer! Something like this will never happen again!"

He continued hastily, "As long as I remain the City Lord of Wexford City, I swear that I will never interfere in the affairs of the Mercer Family or take action against your clan on my own initiative."

"If you have any instructions for me, even if I must risk my life to carry them out, I will do everything in my power to fulfill them!"

After witnessing Julian’s strength, Darius had completely abandoned any thoughts of revenge.

He strongly suspected that Julian possessed combat power comparable to an Origin Sea Realm cultivator.

Moreover, Julian had offended both the Aldercrest Order and the Silvercrest Order without showing the slightest hesitation.

Would such a man really be intimidated by the Provincial Governor of Crownspire Province?

What a ridiculous thought!

If Darius continued provoking him, there was little doubt that Julian would kill him with a single sword strike.

Besides, distant reinforcements couldn’t save someone who was already dead.

Even if Darius appealed to the Provincial Governor, any assistance from Crownspire Province would take time to arrive. If he provoked Julian again, he could easily lose his life before help ever reached Wexford City.

Under these circumstances, there was only one sensible choice.

He had to lower his head, demonstrate his sincerity, and preserve his position as City Lord.

After all, Cedric could leave Wexford City and return to the Silvercrest Order, where he would have a powerful organization to support him.

Darius was different.

His entire foundation lay in Wexford City. He couldn’t simply abandon his position and leave whenever he pleased.

He had no choice but to coexist peacefully with the powerful Mercer Family.

"Hmph. I hope you’re a sensible person. Don’t make the same mistake again."

Seeing that Darius was genuinely frightened, Julian decided not to make things more difficult for him.

"Now get out."

The moment those words fell, Darius felt as though he had received a pardon.

He hurriedly rose and fled the reception hall without daring to linger.

Only after Darius had completely disappeared from sight did Julian settle down to consider his next move.

Now that he had successfully established his Origin Sea, it was time to settle the old and new grievances between the Mercer Family and the Aldercrest Order.

He recalled how Adrian Mercer had suffered humiliation at the hands of the Order after his Dantian was shattered.

He also remembered how Kieran Locke had died at Ethan Mercer’s hands after the confrontation in Briarford City.

The Aldercrest Order had already become entangled in the Mercer Family’s affairs several times.

It was time to settle the score once and for all.

A trace of killing intent flashed through Julian’s eyes.

Just then, the familiar sound of the System notification rang in his mind.

[Ding~ Clan Mission triggered: Annihilate the Aldercrest Order]

[Mission Rewards: Three Purple Mansion Realm Flying Spirit Beasts, one Sword Dao Crystal, two hundred Profound Rank Top Grade Dharma Treasures, ten Earth Rank Top Grade Cultivation Techniques, and one Heaven Rank Top Grade Cultivation Technique]

Julian’s eyes flickered as he examined the reward.

The System had certainly offered an impressive collection of treasures.

Three flying spirit beasts at the Purple Mansion Realm would provide the Mercer Family with valuable aerial transportation and powerful additional combatants.

The Sword Dao Crystal was especially intriguing. Anything capable of directly assisting his Sword Dao cultivation deserved his attention.

As for the Dharma Treasures and cultivation techniques, they would provide a substantial boost to the family’s overall foundation.

Before Julian could consider the rewards further, another System notification sounded.

[Ding~ Clan Mission triggered: Lead two Sons of Destiny to participate in a live combat exercise]

[Mission Rewards: ???]

[Depending on the performance rating of the two Sons of Destiny, different valuable rewards will be granted according to their final evaluation]

___________________________________

Thank You, Readers! ??

Hello everyone,

First, a heartfelt thank you for reading my novel and giving it your time. Every Chapter you open, every comment you leave, and every bit of encouragement keeps me writing. You are the reason this story keeps growing.

If you’re enjoying the journey, I’d love your support in these ways:

? Golden Tickets – If you have any, please vote them for my novel. They help it climb the rankings and reach new readers.

?? Power Stones – Your daily Power Stones make a real difference in getting the story noticed.

?? Gifts – If you’d like to go further, gifts are a wonderful way to show your love for the story, and they truly motivate me to write more.

Also, please add the book to your library, leave a review, and share it with friends who enjoy this genre.

Don’t worry if you can’t give anything. Simply reading and being part of this story means the world to me.

Thank you for believing in me. The best is yet to come!

With gratitude,

VincenzoVV