He glanced down at his arm.

A bright red, bloody cut had appeared on his forearm! Sword intent still wreaked havoc within it, tearing his flesh and making him experience a long-forgotten sense of pain.

"Who?!" the Moonfall Clan Ancestor demanded loudly.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Countless shadows of swords lit up the night sky, dispersing the luminous mist entirely.

Everyone's gazes simultaneously looked upward.

Two people floated in the air.

One was naturally Ethan. The other was a tall, handsome man wearing a green robe, his single ponytail fluttering in the wind.

He stood with two fingers held together before him. Divine power converged around them, faintly forming the shape of a longsword. His other hand gripped Ethan's shoulder.

It was this man who had suddenly appeared and rescued Ethan from the Moonfall Clan Ancestor's hands.

Because of this, Ethan managed to preserve his two final trump cards.

"Many thanks to Senior for the rescue. May I ask Senior's honorable name?" Ethan hastily cupped his hands in gratitude.

"My name is Aaron. There is no need to thank me; just thank my disciple."

The man gently patted Ethan's shoulder, appraising the young man from head to toe before nodding with a smile. His voice and manner were incredibly gentle, making one feel like they were bathing in a spring breeze.

"Senior's disciple...?"

Ethan muttered, then looked toward Liora.

At this moment, the siblings Liora and Zeon flew over from not far away, landing beside the man. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Uncle Aaron, why did you come too?" Zeon asked, surprise on his face.

"You siblings came to such a distant place. His Majesty was worried, so he had me follow you. He just didn't tell you, that's all," the man replied calmly.

"I see." Zeon nodded. He flashed to Ethan's side, looking him up and down.

"Brother Ethan, are you alright?"

"I have thick skin and tough flesh. What could possibly happen to me?" Ethan laughed.

"As long as you're fine! You scared me to death just now!"

"But Brother Ethan, you're really something else."

"To actually take an attack from an Emperor Realm expert and nearly kill the Moonfall Clan's Holy Son... you've achieved fame in a single battle! It won't be long before your name spreads across the entire continent," Zeon said.

"Brother Zeon jests. It was all just luck," Ethan replied modestly.

He then walked over to Liora and cupped his hands. "Many thanks to the Eldest Princess for intervening. Great kindness requires no words of thanks. I, Ethan, owe you a favor. If you ever need my help with anything in the future, please do not hesitate to ask."

"Young Master Ethan is treating me like an outsider. You are a dear friend to my brother, a friend who has shared life and death with him."

"You also helped him quite a few times in the past. Seeing you in danger today, if I didn't intervene, it would be an act of gross injustice and unkindness," Liora smiled.

"This Venerable is asking you a question! Just who are you, and why do you interfere in my Moonfall Clan's affairs?!"

Seeing Ethan and the others ignoring him and chatting amongst themselves, the Moonfall Clan Ancestor felt insulted and demanded coldly.

"I am Aaron Verdant of the Great Verdant!"

With just two steps, the man crossed dozens of feet, arriving right in front of the Ancestor.

Aaron stood with his hands clasped behind his back, quietly watching the old man.

Aaron of the Great Verdant?!

Hearing this name, everyone present exchanged shocked glances.

To them, the name Aaron Verdant was like thunder piercing the ears. In the Great Verdant Lantern Empire, the Emperor wasn't the only Emperor Realm expert. There were also two other peerless masters known as the Twin Jade Pillars of the Great Verdant.

And the name of one of these Twin Pillars... was Aaron Verdant!

Aaron Verdant, Imperial Teacher of the Great Verdant. A peerless genius of the way of the Sword. An expert proficient in divination and prophecy. An Emperor Realm expert.

His strength was terrifying to the extreme.

It was likely impossible to find anyone on the entire continent stronger than Aaron Verdant.

Moreover, unlike the Moonfall Ancestor, Aaron Verdant was a veteran Emperor Realm expert who had already stepped into the late stage of the Emperor Realm.

The Moonfall Clan Ancestor, having only broken through recently, was at best in the early stage, and his realm wasn't even completely stable yet due to the short time since his ascension.

"The Great Verdant's Imperial Teacher, Aaron Verdant!"

The Ancestor clenched his fists, his expression turning exceptionally grave.

Glacien and the others had stopped fighting too. They stared fixedly at Aaron Verdant, hands clenched tightly, eyes full of unwillingness. They hadn't expected the Great Verdant's Eldest Princess to be valued so highly, actually having Aaron Verdant protect her when she went out.

"Clan Head, what do we do?" Wilford asked.

"..." Glacien shook his head. He had no ideas left.

In the face of absolute power, what did they amount to? They couldn't even get a word in edgewise.

"Listen to the Ancestor's instructions," Helena sighed.

"Aaron!"

Lucien opened his eyes, staring at Aaron Verdant, his body trembling with anger. He naturally knew who Aaron Verdant was. The Imperial Teacher of the Great Verdant Lantern. A veteran Emperor Realm expert. And also Liora's master!

The woman he liked had actually asked her master to step in for the sake of an unknown kid with no background whatsoever.

Just what was the relationship between those two?! Lucien panted heavily, his lungs practically bursting with rage.

"If I remember correctly, your name should be Silvon, having stepped into the Emperor Realm a little over a year ago." Aaron Verdant looked at the Moonfall Clan Ancestor and spoke calmly.

Silvon wasn't surprised that Aaron Verdant knew his name. The Great Verdant's intelligence network was arguably the most massive and well-informed on the continent. It was completely normal for them to know of his breakthrough into the Emperor Realm.

"Correct, I am indeed Silvon."

"I truly didn't expect to meet the legendary Imperial Teacher of the Great Verdant in the Far North Ice Field."

"What Imperial Teacher of the Great Verdant? I'm just an old Daoist who likes to swing swords and tell fortunes," Aaron Verdant smiled.

"Since you recognize me, why not do me, Aaron Verdant, a favor? Turn swords into plowshares and leave it at that."

Aaron Verdant got straight to the point.

"..."