"Ms. Jian." The man's expression was respectful.

He did not hide himself in front of the woman because he knew it was futile.

Those eyes, having witnessed a century of change, could easily see through everything about him.

His counterpart was a member of the Blood Spirit Race who had lived for over a hundred years. Theoretically, as long as she was willing, she could attain eternal youth and endless life through the blood spirit transformation ceremony.

This wasn't difficult for them; the ceremony required some rare herbs, the pure blood of their kind, and the souls of a few unlucky individuals.

Letting herself grow old and decrepit plainly showed that the woman before him had long ago transcended the most basic of interests—primal desires.

"Heh, you and I are now both members of the board, there's no need to lower yourself before me like this," the woman said kindly.

Yain didn't speak, merely stepping forward to open the mahogany door for her.

The Cosmic Heavy Industries family had two seats on the board, represented by the Withered Flower and Lindong families.

As a diplomat for his family, he certainly wasn't foolish or arrogant enough to believe that he held the same status as a Blood Spirit who had lived for over a century. She was one of the original pioneers of the Star of Art and a contemporary of Belvedere. Her century-long life meant her connections, resources, and social status far surpassed his.

His position was nominally the same as the woman's; both belonged to the elder class, but in truth, he merely represented the Lindong Family. The seat belonged to the Lindong Family, not to him, while the woman before him was a true elder, a rule maker of the Star of Art.

In other words, his every action represented his family's face and interests. A single misstep in this whirlpool of power could lead to his replacement, dragged into an abyss of no return.

The two of them ventured deeper into the room, the sound of boots striking the ground echoing around them.

A giant tree grew at the far end of the room, pale light spilled from the ceiling, slanting onto the tree. Branches sprouted and sprawled over the entire room, mysterious ancient runes flowed over the surface of the tree.

Five branches represented five seats, each with a family crest behind it.

They were Lindong, Withered Flower, Hamlet, Sonnet, and... positioned at the very center, Divine Comedy.

Yain looked up, a man with deep-set eyes sat solemnly in front of the Divine Comedy crest, half of his face obscured by darkness; his already pale skin appeared ghastly under the light. He did not speak nor move, yet the aura he exuded was oppressive.

Belvedere, Master of the Starry Gallery, Principal of the School of Art, one of the initial pioneers, the true master of this Ice and Snow World.

Yain diverted his gaze, refraining from making eye contact with the man, maintaining a humble posture.

"It seems everyone is here."

"Then, let us begin."

Belvedere waved his hand, and the giant tree grew thick branches akin to a slowly unfurling hand, extending to Yain's front.

"Yain, I didn't expect Lindong Family to send you to attend the board seat after Diesel. I thought the Lindong Family had already been shamed enough by your actions."

"I wonder, what kind of magic power does a woman who has given birth have to enchant you so completely, making you utterly loyal to her, willing to even renounce the fight for the family patriarch's succession."

In front of the Withered Flower crest, a gaunt man bathed in darkness, ridiculing coldly.

"The issue of the inheritance isn't about her; it is my personal choice. I can't bring myself to betray former friends and family for power, to the extent of killing my siblings, to poison my own brother," Yain said, having taken his seat, his tone steady.

"You!" The gaunt man widened his eyes, yet before he could retort, a voice full of authority resounded through the room.

"Silence."

A pressure like an unseen wall suddenly appeared and bore down upon them!

Both men closed their mouths, turning their attention to the Hamlet crest seat, which was vacant.

A towering figure had appeared behind the principal at an unknown time, clad in heavy armor. The vertical slits in the knight's helmet emitted a powerful deterrent, the Meteor Hammer held in both hands touched the ground, waves like water spread out, seemingly calm yet carrying destructive energy.

The paintings on the walls shook, the giant tree groaned in sorrow.

"Self-Destructor..." Yain and the man from the Withered Flower family said simultaneously.

Benson Hamlet, what they knew about this patriarch was exceedingly little, only knowing he was also from the old era, his soul imprisoned within the undying armor. The Meteor Hammer, representing destruction, could shatter everything, being the original Tuner, mastering survival and annihilation.

No one knew his true strength, nor had anyone ever seen him take action. Perhaps those who had seen the Meteor Hammer fall had been obliterated by its power.

"Why so serious, young people should be energetic and lively, isn't it more interesting to let them exchange witty banter?" Jian chuckled.

She squinted, setting her gaze on the figure at the center, under the pale light, the dark red in the man's eyes grew even deeper.

The man did not speak, only turning a page in his book.

The man within the armor withdrew his gaze, and the oppressive atmosphere in the room lightened somewhat.

"Diesel is dead," Belvedere said.

The grim tone made Yain hold his breath.

"Does the family have anything to say?"

He did not look up, continuing to flip through the pages, but everyone's eyes were now on Yain.

The pressure on Yain suddenly increased. Remembering the family's orders, he forced himself to speak:

"The family hopes the academy will thoroughly investigate this matter, and at least find out the mastermind behind this incident. As for the man who initiated the attack, named Von Jie, the family wants him."

"He's already dead," Belvedere replied.

"The Tuner on site confirmed that he had planted a bomb in his body, and chose to self-destruct when cornered."

Yain hesitated, his throat moved slightly.

He knew very well there was something amiss. The academy had sealed off the scene before the Lindong family arrived, as though deliberately hiding something.

By the time the family reached the scene, the academy had tidied it up, preventing any information from being gathered. Von Jie dead with no testimony.

However, Lancelot had inspected the scene. He remembered very clearly, Lancelot personally told him that Von Jie was definitely not dead. No human remains had been collected at the scene, meaning the self-destruction was just a means of escape, and at the scene, someone had certainly helped him cover this fact up!

This represented someone from the academy being in cahoots with people from the Ascetic Sect; it was a deliberate assassination aimed at the Lindong Family.

Due to the gaze from the figure in the armor, he swallowed all his words.

Now was not the time to provoke disputes; he couldn't reveal the key information that 'no human remains of Von Jie were found at the scene', as doing so would push Lancelot into the spotlight.

Present at the scene were forces from the Cleaner Association, Life Daylight, and the academy.

In such chaos, the only ones focusing on investigating Von Jie's whereabouts were those the academy had specifically sent to seal the scene, people loyal to Belvedere. Following the clues could easily lead to Lancelot.

The academy absolutely couldn't tolerate its Student Council President being secretly connected to the family; this battle had already begun, and it was yet unknown to what degree it would escalate. He had to keep a firm hold on Lancelot, his trump card.

He said, "What does the academy plan to tell the family?"

"Diesel held considerable prestige in the Lindong Family. Is the matter going to be brushed off so simply?"

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