A Challenge Before the Storm

"I came today," Charvi Lockheart declared coldly, "to issue a challenge to the Tyson Family!"

The hall instantly fell silent.

Even the steam rising from the untouched tea cups seemed to freeze in the air.

Outside the Tyson Family estate, the sounds of martial artists training could still faintly be heard—wooden poles cracking, heavy footsteps pounding the earth, sharp exhales cutting through the morning wind—but inside the reception hall, an oppressive tension suddenly spread like dark clouds before a storm.

Yana Tyson’s bright orange eyes narrowed slightly.

The young woman stood tall in the center of the hall, her long black hair falling over her shoulders like flowing silk. Though her expression remained calm, the subtle tightening of her fingers behind her back revealed the pressure she was feeling.

"Challenge?"

Yana Tyson frowned and said, "What do you mean by challenge?"

Charvi Lockheart leaned back lazily against the sofa, crossing one leg over the other as he sneered.

His slightly overweight body looked relaxed, but his eyes carried a venomous sharpness.

Behind him, the other Lockheart Family martial artists all wore mocking expressions, clearly enjoying the atmosphere.

"It’s simple. At this Ancient Martial Arts Conference, our two families will inevitably face off. The losing side must obey the winner’s every command for the next ten years!"

His voice echoed through the hall with deliberate arrogance.

The Tyson Family members nearby instantly changed expressions.

Ten years.

For an Old Martial Arts household, ten years was enough to completely destroy an entire generation’s dignity.

If the Tyson Family lost, their reputation across Valemont would collapse overnight.

Yana’s gaze turned colder.

"By your logic, since your Lockheart family has lost so many times, shouldn’t you have been our Tyson family’s slaves for a hundred years by now?" Yana retorted.

The moment those words landed, the atmosphere exploded.

Several Lockheart Family members instantly stood up from their seats.

"You—!"

"How dare you!"

Their faces turned green with rage.

One young martial artist even slammed his palm against the tea table hard enough to crack it slightly.

But Yana remained completely unmoved.

Her expression was indifferent, almost mocking.

The Tyson Family had dominated Valemont’s Old Martial Arts world for decades. The Lockheart Family had challenged them repeatedly over the years and failed every single time.

Everyone present knew that truth.

Charvi Lockheart’s face darkened visibly.

The muscles near his jaw twitched faintly as he stared at Yana.

"What? Is the Tyson family only brave enough to talk now? No guts at all?"

His voice carried suppressed fury.

Yana laughed softly.

"If you had the guts, why didn’t you speak up at the previous Ancient Martial Arts Conferences?" Yana said disdainfully.

The Tyson Family members behind her immediately felt their spirits rise.

That single sentence struck directly at the Lockheart Family’s sore spot.

Charvi’s eyes flickered with hostility.

But strangely, instead of exploding in anger, he suddenly calmed down.

That calmness made Julian D’Aurelius narrow his golden eyes slightly.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

"What? Want to say I’m taking advantage of a crisis?" Charvi Lockheart said indifferently. "I heard your Tyson family has a master, someone with the surname Lu, right? That’s why I came to issue a challenge."

"The Tyson family can let him fight. No matter what kind of master he is, our Lockheart family will take him on."

"If you don’t dare, then let’s pretend I never said anything. Our Lockheart family isn’t interested in bullying a coward."

The moment Lucas’s name was mentioned, the atmosphere shifted again.

Xavier Tyson frowned deeply.

Even Yana’s eyes flashed with confusion.

How did the Lockheart Family know about Lucas?

Julian silently stood nearby, watching the situation unfold.

The morning sunlight streamed through the carved wooden windows beside him, casting fractured shadows across the floor. Dust floated lazily in the air, yet his mind was moving rapidly.

([What’s going on? Why is Lucas being targeted again?])

([Is the plot taking a strange turn?])

Julian was genuinely confused now.

In the original storyline, this entire matter should have revolved around Evan.

The Lockheart Family was supposed to provoke the Tyson Family during the Ancient Martial Arts Conference after inviting an external expert.

Then Evan would appear dramatically at the perfect moment, defeat the expert, and win Yana Tyson’s admiration.

But now?

Lucas had somehow become the target instead.

Everything was becoming increasingly chaotic.

The butterfly effect caused by changing the plot was clearly spiraling further and further away from the original story.

Julian rubbed his chin subtly.

Something about this smelled fishy.

"Shitty System, what’s going on with this plot?"

Seeing the plot fall apart like this, Julian called out to the system in his mind.

"Beep, spoiler failed. Please ensure the host’s safety."

The familiar mechanical response sounded again.

Julian’s mouth twitched slightly.

This garbage Tyrant System truly deserved to be cursed sometimes.

What was the point of asking if it always answered like an idiot?

([Damn it... this broken system upgraded and still acts useless.])

([At this rate, even the original author probably wouldn’t recognize the plot anymore.])

Yana’s lips almost twitched after hearing Julian’s inner complaints.

But she forcefully maintained her composure.

She couldn’t understand why hearing his thoughts always made situations feel strangely lighter.

Even now, in the middle of such tension, she almost wanted to laugh.

Thankfully, nobody noticed her subtle reaction.

Meanwhile, Julian’s gaze casually swept over Charvi Lockheart again.

Then—

His eyes suddenly narrowed.

Something was wrong with Charvi’s body.

Very wrong.

Julian quietly activated his observation ability.

In his vision, the flow of internal energy within Charvi’s body became visible.

Near the man’s heart...

Something was moving.

A strange black parasite-like creature was attached near the blood vessels around his chest area, pulsing faintly like a living thing.

It looked twisted and grotesque.

Almost like a leech fused into human flesh.

Julian’s expression immediately changed slightly.

([Is he cursed?])

The moment the thought appeared, Yana’s pupils contracted slightly.

Cursed?

Her gaze instantly shifted toward Charvi Lockheart again.

([Lucas was seriously injured not long ago, so this shouldn’t be his doing, and he has no reason to target himself.])

([If it’s not him, then it can only be Evan.])

Julian’s thoughts became clearer the more he analyzed the situation.

Everything suddenly started connecting together.

Evan wanted control of Valemont’s Old Martial Arts world.

Lucas wanted the position of Obsidian Kings.

The Tyson Family stood in the middle of it all.

And now the Lockheart Family was suddenly acting unusually confident despite being repeatedly crushed for years.

There was only one explanation.

Someone was manipulating them from behind the scenes.

([This guy probably wants to deal with Lucas and take down the Tyson Family in the process.])

([Is the stronger devore another stronger to become more stronger plot was about to start?])

Julian instantly figured it out.