The scene was so sudden, so shocking, that the crowd was still processing when Tig was dead.
And the power of that Flame Blade was truly immense!
Only a peak level 4 elementalist could unleash such a forceful strike.
Though it was clear that a scroll was used, it did not diminish the intimidation it caused. Everyone fell into silence.
Even the second-generation elementalist of the Clark family narrowed his eyes, extremely cautious.
The power of the Flame Blade released from the scroll far exceeded the one he had spent years mastering.
Seeing his swift and decisive action, Nathan picked up the document from the ground, tore it without a glance, and then bellowed,
"Tig falsely conveyed orders, obstructed justice, and dared to threaten me. His death is well-deserved."
As the armored guards recovered from their shock, Nathan, riding on the wave of intimidation, waved his hand authoritatively, "Men, tear down this pavilion!"
With the situation reaching this point, the armored guards no longer hesitated.
They drew their weapons and began to hack at the small pavilion.
Debris flew everywhere, kicking up clouds of dust.
In the blink of an eye, half of the wall was unrecognizable!
Witnessing this, many direct members of the family also roared in anger. "Nathan, this is outrageous!"
Alex's heart bled at the sight.
This pavilion was a heritage passed down through generations of his family.
Seeing it being destroyed like this was unbearable.
But with the situation as it was, he had no choice but to watch helplessly.
He had already received the news: at today's court meeting, the Sacred Emperor had ordered the removal of Nathan from his position as Chief of the Intelligence Bureau, effective immediately.
Something must have gone wrong.
Was it really pushing their Golden House towards rebellion?
Alex felt bitter. His father indeed had contacts with some agents from the Tempest, but it was limited to some magical slave trades.
As one of the five great houses of Dracoria, the Golden House could continue its legacy as long as Dracoria remained stable.
Though each generation participated in the two-nation foothill battles in the Tempest Mountains, losing many ancestors, it had never been enough to severely weaken the family.
But now, with the destruction of this heritage barrier, it would severely impact the arcane magic inheritance of the core descendants.
If one generation was interrupted, it was manageable with the support of the elders.
However, if two consecutive generations failed to inherit the family's arcane magic, then the Golden House would become a laughingstock.
Alex watched large chunks of the pavilion's outer wall being chopped off, some places even revealing the eerie white bones inside.
His eyes twitched slightly, and he cast a deep look at Nathan, exchanging glances with a few direct members behind him.
At this moment, there was no way Wales could remain hidden.
The moment he showed himself, he would be accused of harboring a fugitive.
That was the lesser issue; the real danger was that if the secrets within the family's arcane magic barrier were exposed, the Golden House would be finished.
In recent generations, the Golden House had been declining in talent.
To sustain the arcane magic lineage, they had resorted to using the blood of living humans for sacrifices...
Such practices were intolerable in Dracoria.
Alex now desperately wished someone would stop Nathan.
He had only recently become the clan leader and had yet to enjoy the privileges of his position, yet now his entire family faced ruin.
He was truly unwilling to accept this!
He recalled the first time Nathan demonstrated his talent in fire magic, defiant and unruly, even challenging the direct descendants.
To discipline Nathan, he had only beaten him severely.
He now regretted not eliminating the problem at its root, leading to the current uncontrollable situation.
His expression somber, heart filled with bitterness and a touch of desolation, he slowly approached the man standing before him.
Nathan, feeling the Hostility Index on his system panel rising again, couldn't help but marvel at the gains from this encounter.
Suddenly, he felt like a snake was eyeing him, and he quickly turned around to see Alex Clark, stepping towards him.
Aaron, standing nearby on guard duty, saw Alex approaching and quickly stepped in front.
"Nathan! What do you want?" Alex, head lowered, continued towards Nathan, ignoring Aaron's interference.
"Nathan, I can marry my sister to you, even offer you the position of clan leader," Alex kept walking.
"I know our Clark family wronged you, you've suffered injustice and grievance, but you can't blame the entire Clark family for this."
"Most of our clan members, they know nothing, they never lifted a finger against you, never harbored any malice towards you." Alex lifted the blood coral scepter in his hand, extending one hand towards Nathan.
"Let's end this here, you will have everything the Clark family has to offer!"
As this scene unfolded, everyone around turned their attention towards them.
Upon hearing Alex's offer to relinquish the position of clan leader to Nathan, the members of the Clark family were stunned into silence.
The direct descendants of the family, meanwhile, began to subtly move backwards.
Nathan stood by the pond, his head lowered, seemingly deep in thought as he looked at the blood coral scepter extended towards him by Alex.
Homer, witnessing this scene, felt something amiss and hastily ordered everyone to disperse.
At that moment, a sudden and unexpected change occurred.
As Nathan's fingers touched the blood coral scepter, countless white flames burst forth from Alex's body.
At such close range, Nathan's body was instantly engulfed in the white flames.
"Blazing Flames!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.
Almost simultaneously, a stream of dark red molten lava gushed from a cracked wall of the small pavilion.
It instantly transformed into two fiery tongues; one swept towards the nearby armored guards, and the other aimed directly at the back of Nathan's head!
The air twisted momentarily, rumbling thunderously.
The white flames and the dark red fiery tongue collided thunderously, intertwining and exploding in a brief, intense moment.
Nearby armored guards cried out in pain as they retreated.
A few unlucky ones were grazed by the white flames, immediately screaming in agony.
Alex knelt on one knee, a burst of red light emanating from the tip of his blood coral scepter, absorbing all the flames aimed at him.
Being near the pond, this action caused a massive amount of mist to rise.
As everything settled, Nathan's afterimage slowly faded.
"It's a mirror image!" someone cried out in shock.
Following the explosion, the already nearly demolished pavilion collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Countless white bones surged out from within, and dark brown blood plasma flowed into the pond, immediately emitting thick, black smoke.
And with the collapse of the outer wall, the magic array etched inside was fully exposed!
Wales, with bloodshot eyes, bolted from the collapsing pavilion, letting out a roar as he dashed in a certain direction.
But everyone was too shocked by the sight of Wales to pay him any mind.
Their attention was captured by the sight of the piles of bones spilling from the ruins of the small building, their minds buzzing in disbelief.
They had never imagined that such a macabre secret lay hidden within their family's sacred grounds.
Almost without asking, the sight of the magic array and the bloodstains on the ground led many to the grim conclusion of its purpose.
And some among the crowd, upon witnessing this, seemed to connect it to other things, their faces twisting in horror.
Lord Homer's eyes widened, cursing under his breath.
He quickly gathered his men, sending some to relay the news while weighing the consequences...
The situation seemed to have escalated significantly.
In Dracoria, committing such an atrocity was akin to the gravest of treasons.
The Clark family was finished!
Alex, pale-faced, slowly stood up, took a deep breath, and shouted,
"All members of the Clark family, hear my command, find Nathan! Kill him at all costs! No rest until he's dead!"
The crowd dispersed in a tumult.
Like ants on a hot pan, they scattered in panic.
Most of the clan members ran aimlessly, but the direct descendants and a few elite members revealed their ferocity.
Some chased in the direction Wales had fled, while others gathered around Alex.
"Lord Homer, you've seen quite a spectacle!" Alex said with a bitter smile, "I will remember your kindness today."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Homer smiled awkwardly, his expression changing continuously as if weighing his options.
Around him were two groups of armored guards and two squads of City Guard led by Aaron.
Such a development was something he, as a sheriff, had hoped to avoid.
Offending either side previously would have brought no benefits.
But now, he saw an opportunity and gritted his teeth. "All units, listen up! Protect Lord Nathan!"