The Clark Family residence remained unusually quiet beneath the night sky.

Unlike the noisy outer courtyards filled with disciples and elders preparing for the Golden Heir Tournament, the inner ancestral region felt calm and isolated.

Spirit fish moved quietly beneath the crystal pond while moonlight reflected across the water surface gently.

Supreme Ancestor Lucy Clark silently observed Tony from across the stone table.

Her silver eyes remained sharp despite her relaxed posture.

Tony himself sat calmly opposite her.

Neither spoke for several moments.

Finally, Lucy slowly placed fish food into the pond again before speaking casually.

"What exactly are you planning?"

Tony quietly smiled afterward.

"I need help entering a restricted region."

Lucy immediately narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Restricted?"

Tony nodded calmly.

Lucy slowly stared at him afterward.

"You came personally to ask me."

"That means this matter involves either the ocean..."

"...or Supreme-level attention."

Tony didn’t deny it.

Lucy immediately understood afterward.

Her expression slowly became more serious.

"The World Tree?"

Tony remained silent briefly afterward.

Then he finally nodded once.

Lucy slowly leaned backward afterward while staring toward the pond quietly.

The atmosphere around her became heavier instantly.

Even the nearby spirit fish stopped moving.

After several moments, she calmly asked:

"What are you trying to obtain there?"

Tony immediately replied afterward. "I can’t reveal a few things."

Lucy’s eyes instantly became dangerous afterward. "You dare hide things from me while asking for help?"

BOOOOOOM!!!

A terrifying invisible pressure instantly descended across the courtyard.

The pond water exploded upward violently.

Even the surrounding spirit trees bent heavily beneath the Supreme aura.

Tony himself felt enormous pressure crashing against his body afterward.

Still...

He didn’t lower his head.

Instead, Tony calmly spoke again. "I know the danger. But I also know there’s opportunity there."

Lucy silently stared at him afterward.

Tony continued seriously:

"I’m not acting recklessly. I already made preparations. I simply need your help reaching close enough."

Silence spread across the courtyard afterward.

Lucy quietly observed Tony’s eyes carefully.

No hesitation.

No panic.

No fear.

Only confidence.

Finally...

The terrifying pressure slowly disappeared afterward.

Lucy suddenly laughed softly.

"You really changed..."

Tony smiled slightly afterward.

Lucy slowly stood up afterward while shaking her head.

"You little bastard..."

"If something happens to you..."

"...I’ll personally skin you alive before your father even gets the chance."

Tony immediately grinned afterward.

"So you agree?"

Lucy snorted coldly.

"I agreed because of your confidence."

"Not because I support your madness."

Then she calmly turned around afterward.

"Follow me."

Without another word, Lucy directly walked deeper into the ancestral region.

Tony immediately followed quietly behind her.

Neither informed the other elders.

Neither alerted the family guards.

Everything happened silently beneath the night sky.

Meanwhile...

Tony couldn’t help smiling inwardly afterward.

Hehhee... This is the advantage of big families. Connections... Influence... Hidden paths ordinary people could never touch.

That was the true terrifying point of Supreme families.

Soon afterward, Lucy led Tony toward a hidden underground transport chamber beneath the Clark residence.

Ancient formations glowed faintly across the floor while several hidden martial vehicles remained sealed nearby.

Lucy calmly activated one communication crystal afterward.

"This is Lucy Clark... I need contact with Sea Route Handler Thirty-Seven."

The crystal remained silent briefly. Then a female voice answered respectfully.

"Yes, Supreme Lucy."

Lucy calmly continued afterward.

"I require discreet transport assistance near the Pacific restricted region."

The voice paused briefly afterward.

Then replied carefully: "Understood."

"But movement near the World Tree perimeter became heavily monitored recently."

Lucy coldly replied afterward.

"That’s not your concern."

The voice immediately became respectful again.

"Yes, Supreme Lucy."

Tony silently observed everything afterward.

No negotiations.

No explanations.

Just authority.

That alone showed the terrifying influence Lucy possessed across hidden ocean routes.

Soon afterward, Lucy ended the communication crystal connection calmly.

Then she turned toward Tony afterward.

"You leave tomorrow night. Until then... don’t die before your own stupid plan even begins."

Tony immediately laughed afterward.

"I’ll try my best."

Lucy directly smacked the back of his head afterward.

"Try harder."

***

Day 3 before the Golden Heir Tournament.

Fear had finally started spreading.

Because the first confirmed murder happened publicly.

A Peak Grandmaster participant from the Southern Mountain village was found dead near one of the temporary participant residences outside Nine Lotus Academy.

His throat had been sliced open cleanly. No valuables stolen... No personal grudge discovered. Only one thing missing... His participant registration token.

The martial networks instantly exploded afterward.

"Someone already started eliminating participants?!"

"This is insane!"

"It’s only Day 3!"

"They’re killing before the tournament even begins?!"

The atmosphere throughout Nine Lotus Academy immediately became tense afterward.

Many participants stopped moving alone entirely. Several hidden sects directly formed temporary defensive groups. Others hired mercenaries for protection.

The Octopus Organization finally reacted seriously.

BOOOOOOM!!!

Dozens of Supreme-grade security formations activated across the academy region overnight.

Large floating surveillance arrays appeared above the academy skies continuously.

Hundreds of Octopus Organization enforcers entered the academy grounds publicly.

Then an official announcement spread worldwide.

[Unauthorized combat near tournament grounds strictly prohibited.]

[Participants involved in murder, crippling, or sabotage before the tournament may face permanent disqualification.]

[Octopus Organization security authority temporarily expanded.]

This time...

The martial world truly felt pressure.

Because the Octopus Organization rarely intervened directly unless situations became serious.

Inside Nine Lotus Academy... Several disciples directly panicked afterward.

"I heard someone got poisoned yesterday too!"

"They say hidden assassins already entered the academy!"

"No one is safe anymore..."

Fear spread rapidly.

Even ordinary conversations became cautious now.

Inside the Imperial Family camp...

Jamie Smith calmly folded the official murder report afterward.

One elder nearby spoke carefully.

"The Octopus Organization increased security heavily."

Jamie slowly smiled afterward.

"Good."

"The weaker ones will become even more afraid now."

His expression slowly became colder afterward.

"And fear creates mistakes."

Meanwhile...

Tony finally reached the pacific sea... in the distance he saw crystal like pods. That’s the village of demonic sea tribe!

"Ancestor...!" Tony turned with a look of astonishment.

"Don’t worry, we have some allies here... they will help us. You stay silent, understand?" Lucy asked with a serious look.

Tony nodded his head like a chicken.