The entire room was dead silent.

Everyone present was shocked by the sudden reversal. Just moments ago, they had been calmly talking... and now, Alex had been violently thrown across the room like a ragdoll.

Elyria Voss stood a few steps away, her silver-white hair slightly disheveled from the burst of power she had just released. Her eyes were burning with pure rage, her chest rising and falling heavily.

"You filthy bastard!"

Her voice exploded through the room like thunder, filled with raw fury and pain.

"How dare you lay your dirty hands on my niece?! How dare you humiliate her in this disgusting manner?!"

The temperature in the room seemed to drop as her killing intent flooded the space, making everyone present shiver under the overwhelming pressure.

Heena’s eyes widened in horror as she stared at the scene, completely unable to process what had just happened. She quickly tried to get up, her voice trembling with panic.

"A-Aunt... please... wait—!"

Elyria finally looked down at her niece.

The moment her eyes fell on Heena’s pitiful state... her body covered in marks, fluids, and humiliation... something inside Elyria snapped. Her rage didn’t lessen. It only grew stronger, turning into something much darker and more painful.

Without saying a word, she suddenly picked up the robe lying on the couch and gently wrapped it around Heena’s trembling body.

"Please forgive me, darling..." Elyria whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "Your aunt is useless... I couldn’t protect you in time. But don’t worry... I’m here now."

She pulled Heena into a protective embrace, her arms tightening around her as she gently stroked Heena’s hair, her heart heavy with a mix of pain and confusion.

She couldn’t understand how her niece had ended up in such a state.

On the side, Howard remained lying on the floor, watching everything unfold with wide eyes. His face was filled with shock and confusion. He hadn’t clearly seen what had happened, but the result made him fearfully pleased.

He could feel Elyria’s bloodshot rage filling the room.

’Did that bastard just die?’

A twisted sense of satisfaction crept across his face as he stared at the scene.

’That old woman...’ he thought, recognition finally flashing in his eyes. ’Isn’t she a friend of Heena’s late mother?’

He only realized it after she called Heena her niece. Cold sweat ran down his back as the truth hit him... if Elyria found out about his affairs, his neglect, and everything he had done, he would meet the same fate as Alex... or worse. He just hoped he wouldn’t get noticed.

Elyria gently let go of Heena and looked at her with concern.

"Tell me what happened, darling," she asked softly. "How did you end up like this?"

Heena’s lips trembled, but no proper words came out. She was shaking too much, her mind clouded with fear and shame. The thought that Alex might have died because of her made her chest tighten with unbearable guilt.

Seeing this, Elyria gently patted Heena’s head with a soft, comforting touch. Then she slowly turned her head toward Howard, her eyes sharp and commanding.

"Come here and tell me how it happened," she ordered, her voice cold and firm.

Howard froze. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a believable lie.

He quickly crawled toward Elyria and knelt in front of her, his head bowed low.

"Please... please punish me, ma’am," Howard said desperately, his voice shaking. "I failed to protect my wife from that monster. It’s all my fault. Please... don’t blame her. Punish me instead!"

Howard swallowed hard but continued, trying to sound sincere.

"That man... Alex... he kidnapped us. He forced us here and... and did all this to my wife. I tried to stop him, but I couldn’t. Please... I beg you. Punish me for my failure."

"Hah," Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound echoed through the room as the broken wall shifted.

Everyone turned their heads in shock.

From the rubble, Alex slowly emerged. His hair was disheveled and covered in dust, his bathrobe torn in several places with visible blood stains on it.

A thin trail of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth, but his expression remained calm... almost unnervingly so. He wiped the blood with the back of his hand and stepped forward, his eyes locked directly on Elyria.

"You’re one hell of a strong old woman," Alex said with a smirk, wiping the blood from his mouth. "I almost died back there."

The entire room fell into stunned silence.

Mrs. Blackwell’s eyes widened in pure shock. Her mouth slightly opened as she stared at Alex in disbelief.

The younger woman’s face turned pale. She took an unconscious step back, her hands trembling slightly.

’How... how did he survive that full attack from Master?’ they thought as they looked at each other in disbelief.

That attack had enough power to kill most cultivators at their level, yet Alex was standing there, speaking as if nothing serious had happened.

Elyria’s eyes narrowed dangerously as she stared at him, her rage flaring up once again.

She too was genuinely shocked that he had survived her attack without any serious injury.

’But let’s see how many times he can survive,’ she thought coldly. Her eyes burned with renewed fury as she prepared to move and finish him once and for all.

But before she could take a step, Alex raised his hand calmly and spoke.

"Nah... nah... Don’t be so impatient," he said with a lazy smirk. "Look behind you."

Elyria froze. Something in his tone made her pause. Slowly, she turned around.

Her blood ran cold.

A tall man stood behind her, gripping the necks of both her students with one hand each. Their faces were pale with fear, and they struggled to breathe as the man held them tightly. He greeted her with a smile, but his grip never loosened.

"Hello Elyria... It’s been long."

Elyria’s expression darkened the moment she saw his face.

"Viktor."