It seemed that Bruce truly had fallen in love with Elara.

Love at first sight—simple, direct, almost naïve.

He had not come with schemes layered upon schemes, nor with obvious calculation written on his face. From his trembling confession and unsteady voice, it was clear that he was deeply captivated by Elara's bearing and beauty.

That sincerity, however, did not soften Elara's heart.

She frowned slightly as she listened.

There had always been many who admired her. Talented cultivators, noble heirs, even Supremes from great clans. But Bruce… she truly had no memory of him.

And no matter how sincere his feelings might be, her heart remained unmoved.

Yet the problem was not emotion.

It was power.

Bruce was terrifyingly strong. He had passed the test fair and square. By all rules, he was fully qualified to become the Sky family's son-in-law.

For the first time, Elara found herself at a loss for words.

She instinctively turned her gaze toward the distance, seeking help from the two people she trusted the most.

"Mother, Father," Elara transmitted anxiously, "I already said that recruiting a son-in-law through martial competition was dangerous. Look at this now—the Heavenly Palace has forced its way in."

"What should I do?"

"Should I agree… or reject?"

The moment Max and Bella heard her message, their expressions changed.

When Tyler announced that his disciple would participate in the recruitment, they had already foreseen this exact scenario.

And they had prepared for it.

Agreeing was impossible.

Letting Elara marry Bruce was equivalent to opening the gates and inviting a tiger into their home. The Sky family would be slowly eroded, reduced piece by piece into a mere vassal of the Palace of the Four Cycles.

But rejecting him outright was equally dangerous.

Bruce was no impostor. He had truly passed the trial. If the Heavenly Palace became enraged, the Sky family would pay a terrible price.

Max glanced at Bella.

Bella gave a slight nod.

It was time to use the plan they had prepared.

Max turned his gaze toward Ethan.

"Mr. Ethan," Max transmitted solemnly, "there is something I must trouble you with."

"If this matter can be resolved, my Sky family is willing to share a Sage Token with you."

"In the past, those who entered the Training Trial Secret Realm with us had to hand over seventy percent of their gains. This time—my Sky family only wants fifty percent."

Ethan's lips curved slightly.

At last, they had come to the point.

However, fifty percent was far from enough.

"I can help the Sky family," Ethan replied calmly through transmission.

"But I want ninety percent."

"And I want Elara."

His words were light, almost casual.

Yet they struck Max like thunder.

For a moment, Max was stunned.

He had assumed Ethan was merely playing along—using this opportunity to extract benefits. He had not expected Ethan to openly demand his daughter.

After a brief moment of silence, Max suddenly laughed.

This… was not a bad thing.

If such a terrifyingly talented cultivator truly became the Sky family's son-in-law, the future of the Sky family would be immeasurably bright.

Perhaps they could even leave Blue-Wave City someday—leave this den of schemes and power struggles behind.

After weighing the pros and cons, Max made his decision.

"Hahaha!" Max replied readily.

"If you help my Sky family through this crisis, then you will naturally be my Sky family's son-in-law."

"Elara will be your wife. Of course, she will be yours."

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Good."

"But I'll repeat it once more," Ethan added calmly.

"I want ninety-one percent of the proceeds."

"And Elara must also be mine."

Max did not hesitate.

"Don't worry, Mr. Ethan. As long as you help my Sky family, I agree to all your conditions."

"Very well," Ethan replied indifferently.

"Then please wait for the good news."

His tone was steady, confident—so confident it made Max's heart settle unconsciously.

"Wait."

At that moment, Bella suddenly spoke.

She looked at Ethan intently, her eyes sharp and calm, befitting a woman who had managed the Sky family for countless years.

"Mr. Ethan," she asked slowly, "I want to know something."

"You said you want Elara. Is it because you truly like her?"

"Or do you have other intentions?"

Ethan squinted slightly as he looked at her.

Bella was beautiful—mature, elegant, composed. And more importantly, she was not a fool.

She had seen through the surface of the deal.

Naturally, Ethan did not want Elara out of romantic infatuation.

What he wanted was what stood behind her.

The Sky family's weapon-refining inheritance.

Their production capacity.

Their craftsmen.

The Palace of the Four Cycles valued the Sky family for a reason.

Ethan had multiple forces—the Azure Origin Dao Sect, the Blood Tavern, the Royal Beast Sect, the Stormjade family. What he lacked was a stable, top-tier source of high-grade spiritual weapons.

Elara was the key.

As the Sky family's third young lady, she possessed excellent martial talent and extraordinary weapon-refining aptitude. She was the perfect bridge—binding the Sky family to Ethan's forces.

If possible, Ethan even intended to relocate the Sky family entirely in the future.

But that depended on whether they were willing.

"Hahaha," Ethan laughed softly.

"Madam is truly perceptive."

"But you don't need to know what I require Miss Elara to do."

His laughter faded, and his voice turned solemn.

"You only need to know this—"

"I will never harm Miss Elara."

"I will never allow her to be bullied."

"And I will help her grow stronger—in cultivation, and in weapon refinement—far stronger than she is now."

His expression remained calm, unreadable.

There was always a faint smile on his lips, but no one could tell what he truly thought.

Max and Bella exchanged glances again.

Silence fell.

Max had been momentarily blinded by the benefits, but Bella's question had awakened him.

Ethan's demand for Elara was not purely emotional.

He had a deeper plan.

But at this point… did they still have a choice?

Bella sent a message to her husband.

"Husband, Ethan wants Elara for a reason. I'm worried."

Max replied after a brief pause.

"That's true. But right now, we can only rely on Ethan."

"He has human blood—he doesn't violate the rules."

"If he steps onto the stage, he will be far more suitable than Bruce."

"Tyler won't dare interfere. This is a public competition, and he cannot afford to lose face."

A/N:

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 1 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 2 Extra Chapters

Dragon - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

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