On the plaza.
The white marble tiles suddenly began to tremble.
From beneath the ground, came the grinding sounds of stone tiles rubbing against each other.
Soon, starting from the center, the ground slid outward to both sides, revealing a staircase hidden beneath the marble tiles.
"The gate is open."
Master Darren Ward looked at Evan Lin: "Do you dare to enter the Ma Family with me?"
He made a welcoming gesture toward Evan Lin, but didn't force him to go in together.
After all, he was afraid of getting slapped.
Gavin Ma was the type who, if he got slapped, so be it.
But Master Darren Ward was different.
As a disciple under the Pill King, Master Darren Ward had always been proud.
And the rarity of alchemists far exceeded that of ordinary martial artists.
The higher the status, the more one cared about saving face.
"Let's go."
Evan Lin spoke to Yuna Young, then walked ahead, following the staircase. He moved slowly, hands clasped behind his back, never sparing Master Darren Ward a single glance.
Master Darren Ward's gaze turned cold, but he managed to restrain himself.
"Get up. Still lying there? Planning to play dead?"
Master Darren Ward watched Evan Lin and Yuna Young's backs as they walked away, but his words were directed at Gavin Ma: "You, a dignified member of the Ancient-Martial Ma Family, got beaten so easily. Before you became my disciple, you claimed you were in the Vajra Realm."
"Now, it just looks like a joke."
A few words from Master Darren Ward made Gavin Ma's face turn pale, then green.
He gritted his teeth and shakily got up from the ground, his whole body aching, especially his mouth, which now felt oddly empty and uncomfortable.
"I really am in the Vajra Realm... I just don't know what kind of trick that kid used, he..."
Gavin Ma started to speak, but seeing Master Darren Ward's cold expression, he quickly changed his tone: "Don't worry, Master!"
"That brat actually dares to step into the Ma Family's gate! Never mind that our ancestor is still in seclusion and hasn't come out yet—even just a few Ma Family elders, plus the patriarch and others, if they simply stand there and let their aura out, they'll scare that kid so badly he'll piss his pants.
He has no clue how terrifying our Ancient-Martial Ma Family really is! He's just some wild kid who popped up from nowhere, probably bewitched by Yuna Young's face, thinking he can play hero here.
Gavin Ma's face twisted with rage: "I'll make sure he fails as a hero—he'd be better off as a coward!"
Gavin Ma clenched his fists tightly. He spoke with a lisp, words unclear, and his twisted face looked so ugly that Master Darren Ward standing nearby kept frowning.
Master Darren Ward was already considering what excuse he could use to kick Gavin Ma out as his disciple. Gavin used to seem decent, but now he just made Darren feel disgusted.
"Let's go. May your wish come true."
Master Darren Ward strode forward toward the Ma Family. Gavin Ma forced himself up, enduring the pain, and hurried to follow.
Evan Lin and Yuna Young walked in front, the staircase sinking down into a long stone corridor built from marble tiles.
"This stone corridor is about a kilometer long. Once we're through it, we'll reach the Ancient-Martial Ma Family's domain."
Yuna Young spoke softly. She was clearly trying to steady her emotions; as they walked, Evan Lin could feel her whole body tense up.
Many years ago, when Yuna Young was still a child, she held her mother's hand and walked into this very corridor.
She'd thought that at the end of the corridor, she'd find something interesting.
But instead, what awaited her and her mother was the humiliation of kneeling—and the crack of whips raining down.
The sound of those whips left a deep mark in Yuna Young's mind.
From that day on, Yuna Young became cold and distant. Whenever a man praised her looks, she would only show contempt and mockery.
This path left an indelible shadow on Yuna Young's childhood.
"No one in the Ma Family will see tomorrow's sun. You can rest easy."