Chapter 130: The Unexpected Discovery At Silverlake

Chapter 130: Chapter 130: The Unexpected Discovery At Silverlake

No one answered. Victoria Quill’s reputation was enough to silence even the most aggressive members of the family.

She was not merely a peak Star Sea Realm martial artist. She was an exceptionally formidable fighter who had once faced a 5th-Tier Demon General and escaped without suffering a decisive defeat.

Her strength placed her among the most dangerous people in their region.

Even if the Lindsay family’s Ancestor emerged from seclusion, it was not certain he could overpower her.

Under those circumstances, talking about killing Mira in front of Victoria was little more than wishful thinking.

Seeing that nobody had an answer, Harold Lindsay clenched his fists in frustration.

"Patriarch, are we really going to sit back and watch that woman grow stronger?" he demanded.

"Are we supposed to do nothing while she becomes a threat to our entire family?"

Harold had been especially fond of Collins Lindsay.

His affection for the younger man had been so great that he had personally prepared to travel to Valemont when Reginald first requested his assistance.

Now that Collins was dead, he naturally wanted revenge.

But Reginald had little patience for his complaints.

"If we refuse to accept the situation, what exactly do you propose we do?" he said, his voice sharp with irritation.

"Tell me, who among us can get past Victoria Quill? If you have a workable plan, speak up. Otherwise, stop wasting everyone’s time!"

Harold fell silent. He was unwilling to accept the outcome, but he had no practical solution to offer.

Reginald surveyed the room.

"Since nobody has a better idea, listen carefully," he said.

"We will handle this matter according to my instructions." He leaned back slightly, his expression darkening.

"Things haven’t reached the point where we have no options. There is still room for us to maneuver."

The elders listened closely.

"Collins is dead, and Damon Veil is dead as well," Reginald continued.

"At present, nobody can prove that our family was behind the previous attempts to hunt Mira. As long as we keep our involvement secret, she won’t have a clear reason to come after the Lindsay family." He paused before continuing.

"As for the two useless men we hired, the Bloodthirsty Monk and Ruthless Blade, my instructions to them were to capture Mira and use her to force Graham Cole into revealing himself." His eyes narrowed.

"Even if Mira eventually discovers that we were involved, she won’t necessarily launch a full scale attack against our family. At worst, she may cause us some trouble. After all, Graham Cole was the one who killed my son first."

The statement revealed the extent of Reginald’s determination to protect the family, even if it meant justifying their actions with a carefully constructed version of events.

"Our family has survived countless crises," he said.

"We didn’t reach our current position by acting recklessly whenever someone threatened us. We need patience. Sooner or later, another opportunity will present itself."

The other elders exchanged glances but said nothing. Reginald had made his position clear.

They would not pursue Mira for the time being.

He was not finished, however.

"Besides, I don’t believe the strength she displayed in that video represents her normal abilities," he said.

"There must have been some special circumstance involved." He began considering the possibilities aloud.

"Perhaps she used a Divine Descent Pill, or perhaps her second personality awakened under extreme pressure. Whatever the explanation, she hasn’t suddenly become a genuine powerhouse capable of crushing the Lindsay family." His tone grew more confident.

"Don’t let one extraordinary battle frighten you into making a foolish decision. She may be talented, but she still needs time to grow. Until then, we have no reason to rush into a confrontation with Victoria Quill."

Compared with Adrian Sinclair, Reginald was considerably more composed. He had carefully assessed the situation and even managed to identify some plausible explanations for Mira’s sudden display of power. For the moment, his decision to remain inactive was the sensible one.

Unfortunately, Reginald and the other elders had overlooked a crucial detail.

While they were busy discussing how to avoid provoking Mira and her protectors, Xavier had already begun considering a different approach.

He had no intention of waiting patiently for the Lindsay family to make its next move.

He was preparing to take the initiative himself.

"Driver, take me to Silver Lake City!"

The taxi driver glanced at Xavier through the rearview mirror.

"Silver Lake? That’s a long trip, at least six hours," he said.

"And you’ll have to cover my return journey, too, even though I’ll be driving back empty."

Xavier casually tossed a thick bundle of cash toward him.

"Is ten thousand enough?"

The driver’s eyes widened as he caught the money. His attitude changed instantly.

"Brother, sit tight! I’ll get you there at a hundred eighty miles per hour!"

It was already late at night when the taxi sped out of the city.

Xavier settled into the back seat, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

After dinner, Victoria Quill had taken Mira to stay at the Extraordinary Division.

Xavier had not objected. With Victoria personally looking after his wife, there was little reason to worry about her safety.

Before Mira left, the couple had spoken privately.

During their conversation, Xavier learned what had happened when Lydia took control of Mira’s body and fought in her place.

True to his promise, he had replenished Lydia’s energy by feeding her the resources she needed.

He had also made sure that Snow, the little white beast, received a generous meal.

Now, with those matters settled, he could finally deal with another problem that had been hanging over him.

The Lindsay family.

They had repeatedly plotted against him and Mira, yet he had not retaliated. It was time to make them pay.

Although Xavier had never interrogated Damon Veil, the former leader of the Bloodshadow Cult, he still did not know whether the attack on Arcadia Academy had been Damon’s own decision or an order from the Lindsay family.

However, the Lindsay family had a special relationship with the Bloodshadow Cult. That alone was enough to make Xavier suspicious.

Perhaps he was blaming them without sufficient evidence.

So what? The Lindsay family’s upper ranks were hardly innocent, and Xavier had no intention of letting their previous schemes go unanswered simply because he could not prove who had issued the final order.

According to the information he had obtained from Samuel Bush, the Lindsay family possessed considerable strength.

Seven senior members of the younger generation had reached the Star Sea Realm, making them a formidable force in the Valemont region.

The family also had four elders, each of whom had attained at least the 6th-Level of the Star Sea Realm.

Then there was the mysterious Grand Elder.

Four years earlier, the old man had already reached the peak of the Star Sea Realm.

He had subsequently entered seclusion and remained there ever since.

Xavier had no idea whether he had successfully broken through into the Divine Power Realm during that time. If he had, the Lindsay family’s strength would be even more troublesome.

Nevertheless, Xavier was not particularly worried.

His cultivation might have only just entered the Star Sea Realm, but his Chaos Body, powerful martial arts, 8th-Grade armor and weapons, rune fragments, rune stones, and Six-Sided Destiny Die gave him a formidable collection of advantages.

Even if he could not defeat the Lindsay family’s strongest fighters, he was confident that he could escape without suffering serious injuries.

After weighing his options, Xavier settled on three possible outcomes for the night’s operation.

His minimum objective was to confront the Lindsay family’s senior experts while using his identity as Graham Cole.

That alone should be enough to send a message.

The Lindsay family needed to understand that Mira had powerful protectors behind her.

If they continued targeting her, they would have to consider the consequences.

Xavier wanted them to think twice before attempting anything against his wife again.

Even if he could not eliminate the Lindsay family’s leaders, there were still plenty of younger members he could deal with to make his warning impossible to ignore.

His second objective was more direct: kill several members of the senior generation and force the Lindsay family to pay a heavy price in blood.

As for his ultimate goal, he intended to eliminate every person who held real power within the family, including the Grand Elder currently in seclusion.

Only by removing the people responsible for the Lindsay family’s strength could he permanently resolve the threat.

Naturally, Xavier would prioritize speed and his own survival.

He was not foolish enough to risk his life just to kill every last person bearing the Lindsay surname.

As for the ordinary members of the family, their fate did not concern him much.

Once the leaders and core descendants were gone, the Lindsay family would lose the strength that had allowed it to dominate the region.

The family had accumulated plenty of enemies over the years, and those enemies would hardly miss the opportunity to strike.

Without powerful figures to protect them, the remaining members would be like a wounded animal surrounded by hungry wolves.

They would have to face the consequences of their family’s downfall themselves.

"That’s the plan, then," he murmured.

Having made his decision, Xavier put the matter aside for the moment.

He leaned back against his seat, relaxed his body, and allowed himself to fall asleep. He would need all his energy when the time came.

* * *

Six hours passed in the blink of an eye.

By the time Xavier awoke, the first light of dawn was spreading across the sky.

The driver informed him that they had arrived in Silver Lake City, with the Lindsay family’s compound still about twenty kilometers away.

Xavier paid the driver and got out.

Making a move in broad daylight would be inconvenient, so he decided to spend the day cultivating before heading to the Lindsay family’s residence after dark.

He found a secluded spot in a barren mountain and settled down to practice.

As usual, he took a Creation Pill and continued cultivating the Star Tempering Body Technique.

Unfortunately, after reaching the Star Sea Realm, he discovered that the 5th-Grade Creation Pills were no longer particularly effective.

It took him roughly half an hour to absorb one elixir, yet the result was barely enough to increase the chaotic energy within his tenth star space by one percent.

And that was with the assistance of the Star Tempering Body Technique.

At this rate, he would need approximately a week of dedicated cultivation just to ignite the tenth star within his body.

The efficiency was abysmal.

After all, Xavier possessed a total of 999 stars within his body. He would need to ignite ninety nine of them before advancing to the second star level of the Star Sea Realm.

If every star required this much time and effort, reaching the next level through ordinary cultivation would take far too long.

Xavier swallowed another Creation Pill but soon abandoned the idea of continuing to cultivate his realm.

Instead, he took out several Lesser Enlightenment Pills and focused on mastering the Heaven Piercing Sixfold Finger.

It was a 9th-Grade martial art, and he wanted to raise his proficiency to the next level of minor mastery as quickly as possible.

As for his cultivation, he could deal with it later. If he acquired some Primordial Chaos Pills or other resources capable of accelerating the growth of his Chaos Body, his progress would improve considerably.

With his investment system at his disposal, obtaining such resources should not be too difficult.

Xavier soon became completely absorbed in his training. The hours slipped away as he refined his understanding of the Heaven Piercing Sixfold Finger.

Morning gave way to afternoon, and afternoon gradually faded into evening.

By the time darkness settled over the barren mountain, Xavier finally stopped cultivating.

His progress with the martial art was not as dramatic as he had hoped, but he had still gained more from a day of practicing it than he would have gained by continuing to cultivate the Star Tempering Body Technique.

He rose to his feet, brushed the dust from his clothes, and began making his way toward the Lindsay family’s compound.

However, as he passed a hotel, something unexpected happened. A system notification suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Unawakened Calamity Toxin detected. Investment eligible!]