After sending this message, I copsed onto the bed and drifted into a thick, drowsy sleep.


    I''d barely gotten any rest during this stretch, so I slept incredibly deeply that night.


    ——


    But on the Martial Arts Forum, chaos had already broken loose.


    The message zed through the martial arts world in seconds.


    "Mason Raymond just called out all the Great Families."


    "Damn, the crazy part is he straight-up named the head of the Capital City Martial Arts Association."


    "Think he''s hit Martial Saint level? How else could he be this bold?"


    At the Capital City Martial Arts Association, Garcia Coleman spotted the message too.


    Fury twisted his face, veins popping on his forehead.


    "Son of a bitch!" Garcia Coleman hurled his phone at the ground, shattering it.


    "This Mason Raymond, throwing my name around, straight-up challenging me!"


    "I''m gonna kill him right now, tear him apart!"


    Watching Garcia Coleman rage, Barret shook like a leaf.


    "Young Master, better y it safe. If this guy really hit Martial Saint level, he''s way out of our league," Barret said.


    Once someone breaks into Martial Saint, forget Garcia Coleman—even the whole Second Secret Realm would think twice!


    "No way he''s reached Martial Saint," Garcia Coleman said through gritted teeth.


    Seeing he couldn''t talk Garcia Coleman down, Barret switched tactics. "Young Master, New Year''sing up. Time to head back to the Second Secret Realm."


    That stopped Garcia Coleman cold, and his rage seemed to cool off some.


    He dropped into a chair, voice dropping low. "Yeah, New Year''s almost here..."


    As a Pyro citizen, he still gave a damn about New Year''s.


    Especially Jensen Coleman, that old-school bastard who lived for traditional holidays.


    "Your father''s probably gonna call you back soon." Barret kept pushing.


    Garcia Coleman sucked in a breath. "Fine, let the bastard live a few more days."


    Barret breathed a little easier.


    Garcia Coleman''s face stayed cold. "But I can''t let him act this cocky. Go post a public response. Tell him he can enjoy thesest few days, but his bullshit has seriously pissed off the Capital City Martial Arts Association."


    Barret nodded fast. "Got it, I''ll respond right away."


    ...


    That night, heavy snow dumped from the sky.


    The snow buried almost the entire north.


    The world went dead quiet, and Mason Raymondy in bed, out like a rock.


    But tonight, the Martial Arts Forum was going nuts.


    Besides Mason Raymond''s public challenge and the Capital City Martial Arts Association''seback, another story broke.


    Someone calling themselves "The Prophet" dropped a prediction on the Martial Arts Forum:


    Next year, someone will break into Martial Saint level, flipping the whole scene upside down.


    This news made the already exploding Martial Arts Forum go even crazier.


    "Someone''s gonna hit Martial Saint? Who the hell could it be? Mason Raymond? Alberto Sean? Or Garcia Coleman from the Secret Realm?"


    "You guys forgetting the old-timer marquises, Ignacio Richard, Paul Randall, and Zora Solomon, are still kicking?"


    "Damn, next year the Martial Arts Forum''s gonna be insane."


    Meanwhile, Mason Raymond was still dead to the world, even having sweet dreams.


    ——


    The next morning.


    I rolled out of bed.


    I grabbed my phone and pulled up the Martial Arts Forum.


    Seeing all those messages, I couldn''t help feeling a bit shocked.


    Soon, I spotted Garcia Coleman''s response.


    "Your bullshit has seriously pissed off the Capital City Martial Arts Association. Enjoy what''s left of this year, but next year you''re dead. Course, you could use these few days to run like hell."


    Reading this message, I couldn''t help butugh.


    I thought for a second, then fired back: "Garcia Coleman, even if you don''te find me, I''ming for you."


    I put the phone away, my face turning ice-cold.


    I had zero ns for a peaceful New Year.


    For me, with no parents, these so-called traditional holidays were just regr days.


    I got up and walked out of the room, then left the Divine Alchemist Pavilion.


    I didn''t get back until dusk, covered in dirt.


    Snow had soaked through my clothes, but steam rose off me.


    "Where''d you go?" Seeing me return, the Pavilion Master looked surprised.


    I grinned. "Went shopping. Lord Pavilion Master, you nning to go back for New Year''s?"


    The Pavilion Master shook his head. "This is my home."


    I went quiet, staying silent as I pulled materials out of the Spatial Magic Artifact one by one.


    The materials looked pretty basic, but the sharp-eyed Pavilion Master immediately figured out what they were for.


    "These materials for building an array?" the Pavilion Master asked, confused.


    I nodded. "Yeah, I''m gonna set up a killing formation around the Divine Alchemist Pavilion."


    The Pavilion Master looked surprised. "You know how to build a killing formation?"


    I smiled. "Hell yeah."


    With that, I pulled out four Martial Saint Weapons total.


    I''d snagged all four of these Martial Saint Weapons!


    "You..." The Pavilion Master was so blown away he couldn''t speak.


    When did Martial Saint Weapons be this cheap?


    "I''m gonna use these four Martial Saint Weapons as death traps, build a killing formation with them."


    "When the timees, you''ll control it personally, and even a half-step Martial Sage will definitely die if they step inside," I said coldly.


    Looking at my thin but determined figure, the Pavilion Master was speechless for a moment.


    The kid who needed his protection a year ago had grown this much.


    I didn''t waste time. In the falling snow, I spent the whole nightying down a killing formation around the massive Divine Alchemist Pavilion.


    The next morning, I stood at the highest point of the Divine Alchemist Pavilion, checking something out.


    "Is the killing formation done?" The Pavilion Master walked up next to me.


    I shook my head. "To make the formation perfect, I need one more thing."


    "What?" the Pavilion Master asked.


    I squinted. "The Stone of Heaven and Earth."


    "The Stone of Heaven and Earth?" Hearing that name, the Pavilion Master looked shocked.


    The Stone of Heaven and Earth is crazy rare material, with the only known piece publicly owned by the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets.


    The Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets treated the Stone of Heaven and Earth like family treasure, so much that nobody was even allowed to look at it, let alone take it.


    "Where you gonna get the Stone of Heaven and Earth?" the Pavilion Master asked.


    I said coldly, "The Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets."


    "They won''t give it to you," the Pavilion Master shook his head.


    I sneered. "They will, whether they want to or not. They owe me!"


    "Owe you?" The Pavilion Master looked even more confused.


    I sneered. "They owe me a life, so they can pay me back with the Stone of Heaven and Earth."


    As I spoke, I coughed up blood again.


    The blood stained the snow on the ground red, looking pretty scary.