Adams faced his uncle, Frank Albert, with a confident grin. "Finally, you came. I was wondering how long I was going to have to continue this charade, Uncle." As he spoke, he started to remove his disguise, leaving everyone around him shocked. "Did you miss me, Uncle?"
The entire battleground fell silent. The Sect Master and the Grand Elder looked at Adams with wide eyes, realizing that the face they had seen before was nothing but a disguise.
Frank Albert, on the other hand, was having a mental breakdown. His nephew, whom he believed to be dead, was alive and well. Moreover, Adams seemed powerful enough to subdue Frank's son with just his aura alone.
Frank Albert stood with an imposing presence, a man whose aura exuded power and authority. His sharp features were accentuated by a neatly trimmed beard, and his eyes, cold and calculating, glinted with a mixture of anger and confusion as he took in the sight before him. Dressed in regal, dark robes that signified his high status within the Empire, every inch of him commanded respect and fear. His broad shoulders and tall stature made him an intimidating figure, and the air around him seemed to thrum with the latent power of a peak great sage cultivator. Despite his composed exterior, a vein throbbed at his temple, betraying the fury boiling beneath the surface as he stared at his nephew, who stood defiantly on the battle stage.
Mabel, too, was taken aback. The man she had been searching for all this time stood before her, more mysterious and even more handsome than she remembered. Adams had always kept his charm in check, not wanting to attract undue attention. But now, he had unknowingly unleashed his full charm, making him appear like a celestial being to the onlookers. Both men and women were dumbfounded by his appearance. They wondered how a man could be this handsome and if he was even human.
Jack and Janice, seeing Adams's new appearance, wondered if it was just an illusion. When he had appeared to them, he looked handsome but not to this extreme. Adams, noticing their gazes, sighed. This was why he always adjusted his charm. He then lowered his charm stats to continue the conversation normally. He looked at his uncle and continued, "Uncle, how have you been all this time without your favorite nephew?" A playful smile adorned his face as he spoke.
Frank, trying to regain his composure, responded, "What happened to you? You look different from before. And will you release my son?"
"Ah, Uncle," Adams replied, "after all this time, you didn't even come to hug your long-lost nephew. So, that means you didn't miss me."
Jack and Janice watched Adams play with his uncle and sighed. They decided to go meet their parents and wait for Adams to fulfill his promise to them. As they turned to leave, they were stopped by Mabel, who had questions.
"What is happening and how do you know Adams?" Mabel demanded.
"You know him?" Jack asked, surprised and wary.
"Yeah, we met when we were little."
Jack nodded and looked at Janice to continue. Janice told Mabel to follow them, not knowing where to start. Just then, she heard Adams's voice in her head: *[Take the lazy prince with you. I have a proposition for him.]* She did as he instructed and told Awar to follow them, which he gladly did, wanting to escape the noise.
Back at the battleground, the Lockhart and Baston families were furious seeing Dave and Hilary lying on the floor, deprived of their ability to cultivate. They turned to Adams, demanding an explanation.
Dave's father shouted, "What is the meaning of this nonsense? If you have a family problem, why did you involve my son?"
Hilary's father echoed, "I agree with him. Why did you involve our children in your family matter? We need an explanation from you this instant!"
Adams didn't even look at them. He continued his staring contest with his uncle, infuriating the two fathers further. They tried to attack Adams but found themselves unable to move. They realized Adams was looking at them, his words sending chills down their spines. "Old men, stay away unless you want to end up like your children. As you said, this is a family matter."
The fathers, both middle great sage cultivators, were terrified. Adams had immobilized them without paying them any attention, and his threat to make them like their children, who he had just deprived of cultivation, made them fear for their own powers, which they had cultivated for over 500 years.
Frank looked at his nephew, trying to gauge his strength. "Let go of my son and we can talk," he said.
Adams shrugged. "Nah, we can talk just fine. Your son is fun to play with."
Veins bulged on Frank's forehead in anger. "Boy, don't test my patience. Release my son right now or face the consequences."
Adams laughed at his uncle's bravado. "You still don't know your situation, do you? You are the one who should be begging me, not the other way around. Who are you to tell me about consequences when you should be the one preparing for what's about to befall you?"
The temperature around them dropped. The Sect Master, sensing the change, asked, "Duke Frank, what happened between you and the young man?"
Frank dismissed him. "This is a family matter and it does not concern you."
Adams looked at Alec, who was still alive and gasping for air. Adams considered killing him then and there but decided against it. He wanted Alec to witness his father's death, just as he had witnessed his parents die at his uncle's hands.
The Sect Master, realizing the gravity of the situation, knew that death was imminent.