Chapter 1168

Ancient relic beasts like this Zarian were a once-in-a-lifetime sight. Just a glance was enough to be etched in memory forever. To ride one? That was the stuff of legends. Estelle was tempted. The thought of sitting atop such a magnificent creature stirred her imagination, but in the end, she declined. Raydon was an apprentice of Shade Order, while she was from Celestial Clouds. Their sects were rivals, and aligning with him could cause unnecessary trouble. "Are you rejecting me? Are you out of your mind?" Raydon's face darkened instantly at her refusal. His smug demeanor gave way to anger, his voice dripping with arrogance. "Let me tell you something. Having me take an interest in you is the greatest honor you'll ever get. Don't you dare act ungrateful." Estelle hadn't expected his response to be so crude. His pompous attitude made her want to draw her sword right then and there. But she couldn't afford to act recklessly. Separated from her sect companions, she was alone and vulnerable in this dangerous realm. Raydon's brother, the supposed warrior on the mountaintop, was likely strong enough to kill her with a single strike. "Mr. Rafael, I'm weak and would only slow you down," Estelle said calmly, forcing a polite smile as she turned to leave. She needed to get away from this despicable man. Her dismissal only enraged Raydon further. He stormed after her, grabbing her wrist roughly. "You little wench! Do you know how lucky you are that I even looked your way? And you dare turn me down? You must be out of your damn mind! "I'm telling you now, you're going to be my servant. Whether you agree or not doesn't matter—you don't have a choice!" Raydon growled, his grip tightening. "Let go of me!" Estelle snapped, glaring at him as she bit her lip in frustration. "I've always been this way—because I can. My brother, Jonas, is a peerless warrior! Who dares defy me?" Raydon declared arrogantly, his voice echoing with confidence as he refused to release her. The onlookers, a mix of human and beast-like creatures, watched with disdain but stayed silent. No one dared to intervene. "I'll have you know, Raydon, my senior is Ryatt, a saint of the human race!" Estelle fired back, desperation in her voice. "You'd better let me go and stop this nonsense!" "Ryatt?" Raydon sneered. "Who's that supposed to be? Some nobody? My brother is up there on that mountaintop, taking down a relic beast! If your so-called brother showed up here, he'd be crushed under my brother's finger!" He yanked on her wrist, trying to pull her into his arms. Estelle, now furious and frightened, acted instinctively. She slapped Raydon hard across the face. "You filthy bitch! You dare hit me?" Raydon's face twisted with rage, and he lunged at her like a wild animal. "I'm going to deal with you right now!" In his frenzy, he tore the fabric at her shoulder, revealing her smooth, fair skin. The gleam in his eyes turned animalistic as he leaned closer, ignoring the presence of others. His lackeys clapped and cheered, their faces twisted with vulgar amusement. They craned their necks, eager to watch the show. "You little wench! My brother is battling on the mountaintop, and we'll have our own 'battle' here at the base. A perfect match!" Raydon sneered, his tone dripping with malice. At that moment, a young martial artist with a crewcut stepped forward from the crowd. His name was Linus Doyle. He frowned at Raydon's behavior. "Mr. Rafael, this is too far. Forcing yourself on a woman in broad daylight? This is disgraceful." "Disgrace my ass!" Raydon spat, letting go of Estelle momentarily. He marched over to the crewcut man and slapped him hard across the face. The blow split the man's lip, blood trickling down his chin. Raydon glared at him with unbridled arrogance. "How dare you stick your nose in my business? Who the hell do you think you are?" Linus, visibly stronger than Raydon with a cultivation level at the peak of the Arcane Peak, clenched his fists. His blood boiled with anger, and for a brief moment, he considered fighting back. But then, his gaze shifted to the mountaintop. The warrior battling the relic beast was supposedly Raydon's brother. If Linus struck Raydon, he'd likely face a swift and brutal retaliation. "Mr. Rafael, let's not escalate things," Linus said, trying to de-escalate the situation. Raydon slapped him repeatedly, his face contorted with cruelty. "It's too late! You want to play the hero? I'll beat that stupid idea out of you!" By the time Raydon was done, Linus' face was swollen beyond recognition. Blood dripped from his mouth, but he kept his head down, refusing to retaliate.