He didn't notify anyone; firstly, to avoid arousing suspicion, and secondly, because he desired sole credit for the great achievement.

The moment the door opened, his eyes widened abruptly, sharp as a hawk's. As he saw the person emerging clearly, his entire being became utterly dumbfounded.

That youth... Shuro of the York family? How could it be him!

Wasn't he imprisoned in the secondary mansion after having his Qi Pill abolished?

Pang Guan... Could it be that he killed Pang Guan? Impossible! Even if his cultivation is intact, he's just in the Small Pill Realm!

Staring at the young man striding out, Leonard's heart pounded, and his hairs stood on end. A hint of panic surged from the depths of his heart. What frightened Leonard wasn't Shuro but the unknown presence beyond his comprehension.

All along, Leonard admired the intelligence of John, the Third Young Master. In John's chessboard, the secondary son, Shuro, was just an insignificant pawn, a discarded waste. Even the usually cautious Third Young Master paid little attention.

However, at this moment, the abandoned son, who should be languishing in the secondary mansion, walked out of the lady's room arrogantly.

Bizarre! Extremely bizarre!

Biting his tongue sharply! After confirming he wasn't dreaming, Leonard's emotions were complex. He suddenly felt as if he had lived more than forty years for nothing.

In Caelius Capital, there's Blanche in Caelius Capital, the moonlit beauty from the Moon.

Two years ago, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the entire country celebrated, and people gathered along both banks of the Rouge River to admire the moon. Blanche, clad in a simple robe, stood in a light boat, traveling upstream along the river. Dancing in the moonlight, she crossed the waves, resembling a fairy in the moon. This sight astonished the people of the Tera Dynasty on both sides of the river. That night, Blanche became renowned in Caelius Capital, earning the title of the most beautiful woman in Caelius Capital

Not to mention Leonard, which man in Caelius Capital hadn't fantasized about this mysterious and beautiful lady from the York family? Others envied him, the York family's guest who was close to the source, but who knew the pain of being able to see yet unable to touch, only able to watch in agony.

Such an exalted figure, possessing both purity and captivating charm, was actually won over by a fifteen-year-old youth.

Never expected that Blanche was also a flirtatious woman!

Feeling defeated, as lust rose within Leonard, the sense of panic diminished slightly. Unable to contain himself, he cursed, "Damn it! The good stuff has been devoured by a dog!"

Though he muttered in a low voice, it didn't escape Shuro's ears. After establishing the foundational stage, Shuro's five senses were far superior to before.

Without hesitation, Shuro sprang up, moving like a startled swan, and was soon near the courtyard wall.

"It turns out to be only in the Small Void Spirit Realm."

Identifying Shuro's level, Leonard's shock turned to joy.

"Where are you escaping to!"

Suppressing his laughter, Leonard shot out. His body transformed into a gust of black wind in mid-air, surpassing Shuro in speed, and in the blink of an eye, reached the courtyard wall, pouncing towards Shuro.

Blanche had observed this scene from the window.

"Could it be that he really killed Pang Guan!"

The power displayed by Shuro surprised the lady in white. However, when Leonard employed the Seven Laws Escape Art, Blanche's heart tightened.

In the Tera Dynasty, almost every expert in alchemy and martial arts could perform the Seven Laws Escape Art, making it a national technique. Blanche's grandfather had commented that although the Tera Dynasty's alchemy and martial arts couldn't lead to immortal cultivation, they boasted extraordinary arts. Among them, the Seven Laws Escape Art seemed divine yet not divine, seeming like a law yet not a law, making it difficult to fathom.

Blanche also studied the Seven Laws Escape Art and, seeing Leonard use the Wind Escape, her heart sank. Among the Seven Laws Escape Art, the speed of the Wind Escape was second only to the Thunder Escape, covering ten steps in the blink of an eye, effortlessly.

In the blink of an eye, Shuro and Leonard leaped over the wall one after another, leaving only half an arm's distance.

"Boom!"

The sound of their clash reached Blanche, her face turning pale.

After waiting for a long time without any movement, Blanche lightly floated out of the small building. Looking around, she saw ripples in the canal on the other side of the courtyard wall, bloodstains glaring in the moonlit night. The distant woods echoed with the sounds of the wind.

The canal was about two horse lengths wide and three men deep. In the dim night, the bottom was difficult to discern.

"Escaped, huh..." Blanche's heart relaxed at first, then she gritted her teeth. "Fool! This canal leads to the reservoir of the Rouge River. What's the point of escaping there?"

In a mixture of anger and urgency, Blanche's breathing quickened. With each breath, her two round and alluring peaks, which Shuro had touched, throbbed with a hidden pain.

Like Blanche, Leonard initially found Shuro extremely foolish. However, as he dashed five miles away, his complexion became increasingly unpleasant.

"Show yourself if you dare!"

"Hiding your head and revealing your tail! What kind of hero are you?"

"Kid, don't let me catch you! Otherwise, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Hmph, if you don't come out, I'll expose the scandal between you and the lady..."

Regardless of how Leonard cursed and taunted, Shuro remained unmoved. He possessed the technique of fetal breath, and staying underwater for as long as needed was effortless for him. On the contrary, Leonard, who couldn't swim, feared Shuro's aquatic skills and dared not enter the water, growing increasingly impatient.

Deep in the woods, where the snow was pristine, night birds were disturbed, occasionally flying out from the branches, obstructing the half-moon's radiance.

Shuro stealthily moved beneath the water's surface, his face ashen, and a faint pain in his chest.

Leonard's palm contained over forty years of accumulated strength, a force of thousands of pounds. Even the bronze lion statues two people high in front of the secondary mansion couldn't withstand this palm.

For the previous Shuro, he would have long met his demise. Fortunately, having just entered the foundational stage, his physical body underwent initial tempering, blocking four-fifths of the force. With the true fire and true water operating at full capacity, he resisted another four-fifths, leaving only two-fifths penetrating his internal organs. Even so, facing nearly two thousand pounds of force, Shuro suffered a considerable setback, with his internal organs on the brink of collapse.

The water was bone-chilling, with piercing coldness. Combined with the upstream flow, Shuro distinctly felt his injuries worsening, urgently needing a place to use his techniques for healing.

However, Leonard, who stuck to him like a shadow, would be a deadly threat once he surfaced. Thinking of Leonard's rumored perverse behaviors, Shuro couldn't help but shiver.

The canal led to the reservoir of the Rouge River, situated in the eastern outskirts of the city, specifically providing water for the courtiers and cultivating flowers and plants. The dam occupied a vast area, resembling a city from afar and a vast abyss up close. Under the moonlight and white snow, it looked like a fierce beast lurking in the wild, coveting cities and territories.

Bathed in moonlight, Leonard spotted the figure falling into the reservoir and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"When the reservoir is drained at dawn, let's see where you can hide! I hope you're still alive by then. Although I'm not picky, I have no interest in playing with the dead."

A sinister smile appeared on Leonard's face, envisioning the scene of capturing Shuro and indulging in unrestrained play.

Leisurely walking towards the reservoir, Leonard was in high spirits, completely oblivious to others along the reservoir shore.

Lee, huddled behind a massive rock on the west side of the vast reservoir, displayed ever-changing expressions.

As soon as Shuro left the secondary mansion, Lee followed suit. Although he initially lost track, Lee quickly guessed Shuro's destination. When Lee arrived at the main mansion's backyard, he coincidentally witnessed Shuro entering the water to escape. Fortunately, Shuro's underwater speed wasn't fast, allowing Lee to catch up.

At this moment, Lee's emotions were particularly complex. He worried about Shuro's safety but resented Shuro's reckless actions. How could Lee not discern Leonard's intentions? When daylight arrived and the reservoir released water, it would be Shuro's time of demise.

At that time, where should he go? Staying in the York family would inevitably entangle him in this disaster, making leaving the best choice!

Unfortunately, it was a pity. He was just a step away from becoming an immortal!

Regret flashed across Lee's face as he stood up, preparing to leave this place of trouble.

Just as he took a couple of steps, he halted.

"Enough! Only two hours remain until dawn. I might as well wait a little longer!"

Whether it was Leonard's smugness or Lee's distress, it all fell into the eyes of the man on the high hill to the north of the reservoir. Standing beneath the moonlight after the snow, his facial features were obscured by shadows, revealing only chiseled cheeks and a tall figure.

He stood straight on the high hill, surveying the surroundings. It seemed as if he were searching for something. Neither Lee nor Leonard could detect the man's presence.

With a resounding "splash," Shuro fell into the reservoir, his entire body cold and stiff, limbs feeble, and his head spinning.

Having traversed about ten miles in the icy water, Shuro depleted all his strength. His internal organs dulled, losing their luster, and both the innate true fire and true water slowed down, leaving him on the verge of exhaustion. Shortly after, Shuro sank into the water, burdened by the heavy pressure as if carrying a small mountain, struggling to endure.

While his body lacked sensation, Shuro's consciousness remained remarkably clear.

"I've faced the brink of death before; what is this bit of pain!" Shuro fiercely opened his eyes, shouting within.

As if in response, the previously sluggish innate true fire and true water gradually regained vitality, accelerating and reforming into a vortex of water and fire.

"A resounding boom!"

Thunderous echoes emanated from the water and fire vortex as streams of vitality flowed from obscure corners within Shuro's body, revitalizing his desiccated internal organs. Simultaneously, warm breaths rose from under Shuro, penetrating every pore, nurturing his flesh, skin, and membranes.

The rotation of water and fire became increasingly rapid, driving the enhancement of his powers. Shuro vaguely sensed something brewing within the vortex of water and fire; at this rate, in three or four days, he could condense true qi.

Joy filled Shuro's heart.

Only by condensing true qi could he genuinely enter the first stage of the foundational realm. The strength Shuro currently possessed was already comparable to the early Core Formation stage. Once he condensed true qi, his power would undoubtedly advance further.

However, that awaited three or four days later. The pressing matter was right before him; in a few more hours, the water level in the reservoir would decrease, leaving him with nowhere to hide.

Intuition told Shuro that Leonard was waiting for him on the shore.

The thought of falling into Leonard's hands sent shivers down Shuro's spine, a chilling realization.

Waiting passively was not an option!

A sense of urgency enveloped Shuro; he gritted his teeth and, searching through the memories of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign, found no technique or martial skill suitable for immediate cultivation. While the Nine-Dragon Sovereign's memories contained numerous lethal techniques, most required profound spiritual cultivation.

Pondering desperately for an escape plan, Shuro failed to notice that, as the warm breath emanated from him, the soil beneath him began to loosen and crumble.

The sandy soil sank inward, revealing a large pit.

Under the immense water pressure, Shuro plummeted into the muddy crater.