Chapter 5 A Thrilling Victory

• The blue-robed youth quickly responded, drawing his long sword and swiftly attacking Caleb Keynes.
• Faced with the sword thrusting towards his chest, Caleb Keynes faced numerous close calls. His face turned even paler, and the struggle became more challenging, but he persisted with great effort.
• After thirty rounds, the blue-robed youth's legs suddenly went weak. Seizing this opportunity, Caleb Keynes exchanged injuries for injuries, spewing a mouthful of blood and forcefully throwing the blue-robed youth off the stage.
• The referee approached the blue-robed youth, carefully examining his body. He was puzzled; during this battle, he clearly saw the blue-robed youth's legs suddenly weaken, which was abnormal!
• However, when he discovered the reason, he looked at the blue-robed youth with a strong sense of disgust.
• "Excessive indulgence!"
• Although the referee's voice was low, nearby individuals heard it. The news quickly spread, causing a commotion.
• The young dandy at the seventh level of the Origin Realm twitched at the corner of his mouth. His face felt scorching hot. His little brother's indulgence meant his elder brother was not much better.
• Meanwhile, Caleb Keynes was half-kneeling on the ground, spitting blood, trembling uncontrollably due to the sword and knife wounds on his body, appearing on the verge of collapse.
• The spectators were silent, deeply moved by Caleb Keynes' resilience. They clenched their fists, silently cheering for him.
• "Spare my brother, please! Come down quickly, or you'll die!"
• Tina cried out in sadness, tears flowing uncontrollably. She tightly clutched her mother's arm, urging her to rush up and save her brother.
• "Tina, don't be foolish!"
• Elsa Melville knew her son was acting weak. It was a plan they had discussed beforehand!
• Since her son was playing a role, it was time for her, the mother, to make an appearance!
• Elsa Melville quickly took Tina's hand, tears streaming down her eyes, and staggered towards the edge of the stage.
• "Caleb, let's not compete anymore. Let's go home!"
• "Isn't it because of your sister that you offended the Pound family? Let her come and kill us! Our Keynes family is almost wiped out by the Pound family!"
• Elsa Melville cried heartbreakingly, and Tina, seeing her mother cry, became even more distressed.
• "Brother, run quickly, get up! If you die, I'll be bullied by bad people!"
• "Boom!"
• With Elsa Melville and Tina's cries, the entire viewing area erupted again.
• The major families turned their heads to look at the Pound family's box, especially those from other cities, showing undisguised hostility towards the Pound family.
• Blake Pound sat in the nearby box, observing the families from other cities. Seeing their mocking expressions, he angrily punched the box door.
• "Mother, little sister, don't mind me. Quickly go!"
• Caleb Keynes shouted as he saw his mother and sister being blocked by a row of warriors. He shouted with a torn heart.
• It was at this moment that Caleb Keynes suddenly regained some strength, stood up abruptly, and charged towards the seventh-level Origin Realm warrior coming at him.
• "Interesting! What an interesting mother and daughter trio!"
• In a viewing box, an old man in a gray robe with white hair said with great interest.
• After saying that, he touched the beard in front of his chest, watching Caleb Keynes who was fighting again, his eyes gleaming!
• "Interesting, although this kid's cultivation is low, his strength is quite formidable!"
• "Formidable? Sir, how strong is he exactly? Can he beat the young master?"
• A black-robed old steward, around fifty years old, suddenly asked.
• "Young master, a forty percent chance of winning!"
• "A forty percent chance!"
• The old steward was shocked in his heart. Cosmo Fielding was the young master's teacher. His words couldn't be false. If that were the case, the marriage between the young master and the county princess would be in trouble!
• "Boom! Boom! Boom!"
• The battle reached its climax, and after a hundred moves!
• Caleb Keynes, with a pale face, narrowly secured victory!
• "Brother, brother, you're the best!"
• Tina joyfully rushed down from the stage, tightly hugging Caleb Keynes.
• Caleb Keynes also fainted at this moment!
• Seeing this, Elsa Melville quickly picked up Caleb Keynes, apologized to the referee, took the final token he handed over, and quickly disappeared.
• "Son, are you okay? Just now, I saw you fall quite hard. Could you have injured your muscles and bones?"
• Elsa Melville looked around, seeing no one nearby, whispered to Caleb Keynes.
• "I'm fine, Mother. You continue to pretend a bit more, and it's better to cry a bit louder. It's safer that way."
• Caleb Keynes quickly replied, then continued to squint his eyes.
• "Oh my dear son, you must be fine. You're the only seedling left in our Keynes family. Daughter, shout louder!"
• Elsa Melville cried out with difficulty, and after shouting, she whispered a sentence to Tina.
• Tina, hearing her mother and brother's conversation, originally wanted to clap joyfully, but upon hearing her mother's words, she instinctively wrinkled her small nose, her beautiful big eyes immediately filled with mist.
• "Brother, oh no, I mean, sorry, Caleb, you mustn't scare me. I'll give you some meat to eat, sobbing..."
• Caleb Keynes was heavily injured, and Elsa Melville hurriedly carried her son to the Keynes family for treatment.
• This news quickly spread throughout Sun City!
• Caleb Keynes, like a shooting star, rapidly became known in every corner of Sun City.
• What the people of Sun City didn't know was that, at this moment, Caleb Keynes was safe and sound, quietly recuperating within the Keynes family.
• "Son, tomorrow is the final match. Those who can reach the finals are extraordinary individuals. You are the last batch, and the first group that entered the finals has been recovering for almost three months. It's not favorable for you."
• "Mother, as I said before, if I can win, I'll fight. If not, I'll surrender. Facing enemies and being hunted down by them is nothing new to us. I've packed our belongings."
• Elsa Melville opened the door, watching Caleb Keynes perform peculiar breathing exercises, and placed the food on the table.
• Caleb Keynes had successfully passed the preliminaries, and tomorrow would be the final.
• For Elsa Melville, it was a mixed blessing.
• If not for the brief exchange between her and Caleb Keynes this morning, she would have already taken Caleb Keynes and started running away.
• Tomorrow was the final, and Elsa Melville thought about those geniuses who had been constantly advancing in the past three months.
• Some prodigies had even reached the Qi Movement Realm, surpassing the older generation of Sun City. This made Elsa Melville consider escaping once again.
• The matters of a county princess choosing a husband and the Pound family were nothing compared to her son's life.
• Caleb Keynes took a deep breath, looking at the worry in his mother's eyes. He naturally knew what she was thinking, and his heart was deeply moved. Still, he smiled and shook his head.
• "Mother, in tomorrow's final, I will use some of my trump cards. Please rest assured; I will use the improved Keynes family martial arts and footwork. I won't attract the attention of major figures."
• "As for whether I can win tomorrow, although I have confidence, if an extremely formidable opponent appears, I will consider it carefully."
• Caleb Keynes spoke with a smile, not wanting to make his mother worry. He could only tell this kind of lie.
• In the current situation, only by becoming the fiancé of the county princess could he have peaceful time to cultivate.
• Moreover, this was not the main point. Only by becoming the fiancé could he obtain some resources. The urgent matter was to save his little sister, and Caleb Keynes couldn't wait any longer.
• The second reason was the Heart of Martial Dao. Caleb Keynes, having lived two lives, had a profound understanding of the concept of martial dao.
• After reaching the Emperor Realm, cultivators would condense the Heart of Martial Dao.
• If Caleb Keynes retreated when facing an opponent he could fight, his Martial Dao Heart would crack. Over time, it would become a devil in his heart, affecting his martial path.
• Cultivators went against the heavens, their thoughts should be clear, and they should fear nothing!
• In his previous life, Caleb Keynes was already the supreme emperor of the heavens, and this kind of spirit was deeply engraved in his bones.
• "Brother, open the door quickly. We have guests at home."
• At this moment, Tina's voice suddenly came from outside the door.
• Caleb Keynes raised his eyebrows, glanced at Elsa Melville, and quickly went out.
• Inside the Keynes family residence.
• A black-robed old steward stood quietly, and behind him were eight warriors wearing golden armor.
• Just as Caleb Keynes entered the courtyard, upon seeing the old steward and the eight warriors in golden armor, his heart trembled.
• They were in the Dual Realm!
• Above the Qi Movement Realm!
• Unlike the Mirror of Yuan Qi that required accumulation of energy, the Dual Realm was a transformation of the Qi Movement Realm. Their dantian would begin absorbing true qi.
• During this process, as they still possessed yuan qi, the exchange between these two types of qi would interfere with their state of mind. It could lead them to extremes.
• "Elder, I am Caleb Keynes. May I ask what brings the elder here?"
• Caleb Keynes took a deep breath, bowed to the old steward, and quickly thought about their intentions.
• "Elder, I am Elsa Melville, Caleb Keynes' mother. May I ask what brings the elder here?"
• Elsa Melville also bowed at this moment. She couldn't feel the other party's cultivation, but she knew the elder's strength must be above hers.
• Moreover, this black-robed old man must be looking for Caleb Keynes!
• It must be related to today's noon duel!
• Either he wanted Caleb Keynes to go easy or he wanted to harm him!
• Thinking to this point, Elsa Melville wanted to step forward to block Caleb Keynes.
• However, Caleb Keynes smiled and shook his head at this moment, stopping his mother's actions.
• If the other party wanted to take action, they would have done so already, so why bother staring at him like this?
• "Old man won't harm your son. I just want to talk to him alone."
• The old steward's voice was calm. Watching Caleb Keynes, who showed no fear, he felt somewhat surprised.
• After saying this, he pointed to a nearby guest room and walked away indifferently.
• "Mother, I'll be back in a moment. Don't worry!"
• Caleb Keynes took a deep breath, reassuring his worried mother, and followed the old steward.
• "Son, a hero doesn't suffer immediate losses!"
• Elsa Melville quickly shouted, wanting to step forward, but was stopped by the guards in the courtyard.
• "Well, Mother, I understand the meaning of your words."
• Caleb Keynes stopped his steps, waved his hand to his concerned mother, and walked into the guest room.
• Inside the guest room.
• The old steward looked at Caleb Keynes with a probing gaze. He came here for the young master's matter.
• On the way here, he considered many ways to handle it. For example, kidnapping Caleb Keynes' mother and sister to force him to compromise.
• However, such methods had significant risks. Caleb Keynes, as shown in today's duel, was a thoughtful person.
• Faced with someone like him, Caleb Keynes might agree on the surface but then capture the young master during the finals, causing unimaginable consequences.
• After considering many options, the old steward quickly dismissed the idea of using force. He also thought of injuring or capturing Caleb Keynes to prevent him from participating.
• But such actions were risky. If this matter reached the knowledge of the county princess, the young master wouldn't be able to wash away this misunderstanding.
• The old steward thought a lot. Since he couldn't use any strong-arm tactics, he could only, like the previous visitors, reluctantly offer some benefits to make Caleb Keynes withdraw voluntarily.
• At this moment, Caleb Keynes was also trying to understand the old steward's thoughts. He knew the old steward couldn't act against him and could only be forced into negotiations.
• The old steward surely wanted him to go easy on someone!
• The old steward surely wanted to offer him some benefits!
• But how could Caleb Keynes agree to such a thing?
• Caleb Keynes wanted to evade the pursuit of the Pound family, he wanted to cure his sister, and he also wanted to uphold his Heart of Martial Dao!
• Caleb Keynes had a strong aversion to such major families!
• Resorting to these sinister and underhanded methods when unable to win in a fair fight!
• People like this wouldn't go far on the path of martial arts!
• "Caleb Keynes, I'm here not to speak nonsense. We're from Central City, and your cultivation poses a threat to our young master. So, I'm here to discuss some matters with you."
• "I know you care deeply about your family. Your sister is in an extremely rare condition, but it's not unheard of. Our family had someone with a similar condition a few years ago."
• "I came to give you this pill. In return, you know what you need to do."
• As the old steward spoke, he took out a pitch-black pill.
• When Caleb Keynes saw this pill, his heart trembled. It was the Soul-Calming Pill, the medicine needed to treat his sister!
• Caleb Keynes hesitated. His sister's condition was urgent, and if he refused the Victor family, he couldn't guarantee that he could refine the Soul-Calming Pill within the next year.
• But if he accepted the request from the old steward, his family would face endless pursuit from the Pound family.
• Moreover, it would be detrimental to his Heart of Martial Dao.
• "Our young master's name is Rile Victor. Don't question the integrity of our Victor family. We've existed in Central City for over a thousand years, and we value our reputation."
• "Tomorrow, if you lose, no matter who you lose to, I'll be waiting for you in a small room northwest of the arena."
• "Of course, you can choose to refuse me. But after that, the Victor family will issue an assassination order against you. Even if you become the county princess's husband, what then? Can the county princess protect you at all times?"
• The old steward watched Caleb Keynes with a playful smile on his lips. After delivering this final warning, he opened the door and left.
• "Get lost!"
• Caleb Keynes pounded the wall heavily with his fist. He felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. The sooner he could resolve his sister's situation, the better. However, he had no certainty about evading the relentless pursuit of the Pound family.
• Putting aside the Heart of Martial Dao, Caleb Keynes was also a martial enthusiast. The passion for battle was engraved in his bones, and how could he give it up?
• But if he chose to accept the challenge, what about his little sister? Tina was so cute and kind; in her heart, her mother and brother were everything. How could Caleb Keynes give up this opportunity?
• The dilemma weighed heavily on Caleb Keynes. His desire for martial prowess clashed with his responsibility to protect his family. It was a tough decision, and the consequences of either choice seemed to lead to significant sacrifices.
• Taking a deep breath, Caleb Keynes steadied his emotions. The room felt suffocating, but he couldn't let his frustration consume him. He needed to find a solution that would allow him to navigate through this challenging situation.
• His mind raced as he considered various options, evaluating the potential outcomes and the impact on his family. Did he know that his next decision would shape not only his fate but also the fate of those closest to him.