An irrefutable expression settled on Blood's face as he strode toward the gates, accompanied by Ballock.
Several guards were stationed there, fully alert, their eyes were fixed upon the entrance.
Blood glanced up at the guard tower but found no sign of the Head Guard. A quiet sigh of relief escaped him, because tricking that man would not have been easy.
Just five meters from the gates, a guard hurried over. "Do you need help with something, Young Master?"
Blood forced a smile. "Ha! At ease, my friend. Open the gate. I'll be out for some time, understood?" He said, his tone drifting into worry beneath its casual veneer.
The guard hesitated. "But…"
"That's nothing of concern." Blood interrupted before he could finish.
"I've already broken through the Bronze Realm barrier. I now stand as a full-fledged Bronze Realm cultivator. Surely there is nothing preventing me from leaving this gate, is there?" He spread his arms wide, feigning ease, his smile reassuring.
He didn't dare to release his aura though; he was only at the peak of the Iron Realm.
The guard nearly sneered. He didn't dare to believe it. The Bronze Realm? Keep boasting.
No one could possibly cultivate at such a pace.
He looked ready to summon the others, he wasn't sure he could contain the young master by himself, but Blood quickly restrained him with a simple gesture, unwilling to draw more attention.
Already, a few guards had cast curious glances their way.
So, to silence further questions, Blood acted.
Near the wall which surrounded the Main Manor stood a training dummy, designed to withstand the strikes of cultivators below the Bronze Realm. The guards often gathered there to test their strength.
Blood narrowed his eyes, focused, and unleashed a precise burst of energy shaped like a nail.
The condensed energy darted from his fingertip like a sparrow, until it struck the dummy's head with brutal force, shattering it instantly and sending cracks racing down its body.
The attack was swift and resounding.
The noise jolted the seated guards to their feet. They raised their brows in surprise, scarcely believing what they had witnessed—especially from him.
Some even believed the strike had come from the Bronze Realm guard beside him, since only experts of that realm could shatter the dummy so effortlessly—but the truth was undeniable.
Though they had accepted Blood's miraculous rise in strength before, this display was impeccable.
Breaking through to the Bronze Realm in only a month was both extraordinary and suspicious, yet they were merely manor guards; their curiosity had to be swallowed.
Those of the Silver Realm—the third realm—were shaken. Their faces betrayed indescribable unease.
The young master couldn't possibly have cheated under their scrutiny.
Chatter suddenly erupted among them: something was undoubtedly happening within the Marble family, something hidden.
However, they dared not pry. Their commander might know something, so staying silent was safer.
They too belonged to the clan's direct line but remained as guards of the Marble family after the disbandment.
Without measuring Blood's cultivation base, they opened the gate at once and let him pass.
None below the Bronze Realm had the strength to pierce the dummy, much less break it apart.
Maria emerged from the sickroom just in time to witness the scene. She had expected her son's energy strike to be weak.
However, when the dummy shattered, she froze, dumbfounded. And by the time she gathered herself, Blood had already crossed the gates.
She could have called out but chose not to. Instead, she walked toward the guards.
The guards who were chattering in excitement, instantly fell silent as they saw the madam approach.
A chilling realization suddenly dawned upon them—they shouldn't have let the young master leave so easily.
___
Blood watched the gates slam shut with a resounding Gbam.
A delighted smile was spread across his face. "Didn't realize that would work so seamlessly." he murmured.
His performance had been nothing more than a distraction, meant to prevent anyone from probing whether he had truly crossed into the Bronze Realm.
Blood knew he had not.
The guard who confronted him was a low‑stage Bronze Realm expert, but his cultivation meant nothing in Blood's eyes. Blood felt as if he were an insect and could be easily crushed by him.
Still, the very attention he had sought to avoid had been drawn regardless.
"Yeah, they were so captivated by your display that they didn't even notice when the gate was opened. Hehe!" Ballock admitted with a laugh.
Even Ballock had to confess he hadn't seen that coming. The abruptness had stunned them all.
Satisfied, Blood dashed forward, unwilling to stay lest the guards reconsider.
However, his sprint halted abruptly when he saw some figures ahead.
A group of disciples in gray robes appeared in the distance. Blood recognized them as members of an alchemy clan whose territory was relatively close to the manor.
They were a smaller clan, far less prominent than the mighty Shaffa clan.
Blood frowned. What are they doing here, in this part of the manor?
The Marble manor was vast, larger than any territory in the city, and was steeped in interminable history. Even the mayor could not compare.
The Main Manor itself was only a fraction of its domain.
Entry into the surrounding lands required a permit issued by the manor's guards, since the territory was rich in heaven and earth energy coveted by cultivators. Even after the clan's downfall, none of their territory had been claimed.
Who allowed these gnats in?
At the front was a kid whose robes differed from the rest, a medallion could be seen gleaming upon his chest. He was the leader of the group.
The moment his eyes fell upon Blood, his pace quickened as if delighted.
Blood's complexion darkened.
He despised no one more than this pest—Carmos—who hounded him relentlessly.
Perhaps now was the time to teach him a lesson, with his new-found strength. He knew Carmos was in the mid stages of the Iron Realm.
Blood could already hear Carmos's sarcasm before they met.
"Hmm, he managed to raise his head today. Clear the way for him—he might stumble and fall any moment now." Carmos bellowed, his ugly smirk was followed by the laughter of his companions.
"I heard he wasn't educated." a robust disciple sneered. "Even the lessons he received was a disgrace. His parents were always meddling in city affairs, leaving him to rot. I wonder if he studies at all or simply digs holes all day."
The group erupted in laughter.
Blood pressed forward, silent as ever. Ballock was trailing behind him with clenched fists, fury burning in his eyes. Yet he obeyed Blood's command not to intervene.
"Homeschooling doesn't sound so good after all." another mocked. "He would have perished long ago if not for his parents' protection. I bet they even begged the beasts of the outer region to spare their pitiful child."
Blood's vein throbbed at his temple when he heard that, though he kept his composure.
"I'm surprised they released the sheep today." Carmos sneered. "Perhaps a day of grace. He wouldn't dare approach the outer boundary, as usual."
Blood and Ballock had already crossed a hundred meters, and yet the jeers still carried clearly to his ears. He cursed his sharp hearing, wishing for a technique that could silence such venomous noise.
"I heard he dreams of entering the Central Academy." one of them scoffed. "A fool's fantasy. Only someone like Master Carmos could achieve such feats—unless you sneak through the back door. He's even less privileged than those!"
Carmos's gaze remained on Blood's retreating figure, his eyes narrowing with a deadly stare. He wasn't certain if Blood had heard the last remark.
They dared not touch him openly—the Marble family was not to be trifled with; however small they appear.
This was the Marble family's territory, and here Carmos was powerless. His parents had also warned him strictly: the Marble family was beyond their reach.
But Carmos thought grimly, If Blood attacks first, then I'll teach him a lesson.
He would not be blamed if he were merely defending himself.