An Understated Dominance by Marina Vittori

"Are you threatening me?" Grace asked calmly.

"You could consider it... a friendly advice." Bran's chuckle carried a meaningful tone.

"Ms. Linsor, you're an intelligent woman. I'm sure you understand the right decision to make in this

situation."

In the Southwest, numerous factions existed, but only three major sects held supreme authority.

Among them, the Drakes Dominion Order was universally acknowledged as the most powerful,

followed by the Frostwing Sect, and then the Embersteel Order.

The Frostwing Sect was already dominating the region with their influence, adding to that their alliance

with the Drakes Dominion Order, their combined strength was unstoppable.

Who would dare confront them head-on in the entirety of Southwest?

"Sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to be disappointed. My stance remains the same. We either share it all

or there's nothing else to talk about." Grace was unfazed.

"Hmm?"

Bran's face darkened, and he spoke sternly, "You bitch! I'm being kind here. Don't be ungrateful!"

"How dare you!" Grace's chief guard was furious at his words, drawing his sword and facing him

aggressively. How dare he disrespect Grace?

As the chief guard made his move, dozens of elite guards behind him followed suit, unsheathing their

blades and getting ready to strike.

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"Mr. Kingsley, it would be wise to choose your words carefully. My subordinates are capable of anything

once provoked." Grace's gaze grew cold.

"Ha! Absolutely fabulous!"

Bran gritted his teeth and spoke ominously, "It seems like you haven't realized the gravity of the

situation.

"Do you know what happens to those who offend the Frostwing Sect and the Drakes Dominion Order?"

"Don't mess with me, and I won't mess with you. But if you do, you can bet I'll fight back." Grace

remained unfazed.

"Hmph! You need to be taught a lesson!" Bran was furious and about to lose his temper when Yonah

raised his hand to stop him.

"Bran, calm down. Let me handle this."

Yonah stepped forward, his gaze proud as he stared at Grace. He said calmly, "Ms. Linsor, I'll be

honest. Our elite fighters are on their way to join us. They will probably be arriving soon.

"If you choose to work with us, not only will you be safe, but you'll also gain a share of the treasures.

However, if you insist on being our enemy, then you'll be digging your own grave!

"You should know your limitations. There's no need to invite trouble to yourself for the sake of irrelevant

parties."

"You're the irrelevant party to me. Why would I abandon my friends to cooperate with a group of

irrelevant people like you?" Grace countered.

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"Did you really think that you would still be able to obtain the treasures without working with us?" Yonah

squinted slightly.

"That'll depend on our ability," Grace replied calmly.

"So, you're refusing to cooperate?" Yonah's expression grew cold.

He shifted his attention to Aidan, who appeared to be dozing off on a tree branch, and called out, "Mr.

Ridge, what's your take on this?"

Yonah might disregard everyone present, but Aidan is the exception. As a grandmaster and one of the

five strongest martial artists in Southwest, Aidan's strength and prestige placed him at the forefront.

Unless absolutely necessary, even the Drakes Dominion Order would avoid a conflict with him.

"I'm not interested in your past conflicts. My only concern is being the first to choose three items from

the treasures. The rest is up to you to sort out.

"It's none of my business." Aidan reclined on the tree trunk with his hands behind his head, appearing

indifferent.

"That's good to hear!" Yonah nodded, already forming a plan.

He turned back to Grace and said, "Ms. Linsor, did you hear that? Without Aidan's support, how do you

plan to contend with us?"

As long as Aidan didn't get involved, the elites from the Drakes Dominion Order and the Frostwing Sect

were more than enough to deal with the rest of them.

Of course, there might be casualties, but Yonah was ready.

"Even without Mr. Ridge's intervention, you won't gain any advantage against us," Grace said calmly.

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"That's right!" Jackson brandished his sword and took a few steps forward.

He shouted, "With the Embersteel Order and Harmony Sect here, we won't allow you to act recklessly!"

Several disciples from the Embersteel Order also stepped forward with determination. Although their

numbers were small, their presence remained formidable.

Grace's act of loyalty had earned their respect. For the sake of their interests, she had bravely

confronted the Drakes Dominion Order and the Frostwing Sect head-on.

Her courage was truly admirable and something that Sophia could never compare to.

"Yonah, it seems like negotiations are impossible now. Let's just take them down!"

Bran whispered, "Jackson is already injured and not much of a threat. We will just need to join forces

and focus on dealing with that Dustin guy first. The rest of them are not even worth mentioning!"

Yonah licked his lips when he heard Bran, an ominous glint flickering across his eyes.

Since Aidan had made it clear he wouldn't interfere, the only significant threat left was Dustin, who had

defeated him before. But as long as he teamed up with Bran, dealing with Dustin shouldn't be a

problem.

At that moment, the sky gradually darkened. The tension between the two sides reached its peak, and

a fight seemed inevitable.

Yonah's expression was grim as he slowly unsheathed his sword. Just as he was about to give the

order to attack, something unexpected occurred.

Water splashes suddenly began emerging from the depths of the lake. They emitted loud gurgles as

they surged continuously.

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Right at the center, ripples spread rapidly in all directions, gradually converging into waves.

Then, a loud buzz rang out, followed by a dazzling white light that shot up from the depths of the lake,

piercing through the sky.

That white light shone brilliantly, like a pillar connecting heaven and earth, illuminating the entire lake

and making it as bright as daylight.

After the appearance of the white light, the area where the water splashes surged eventually formed a

huge vortex that expanded continuously.

The vortex spun faster and grew larger, drawing a large amount of lake water into it.

Under everyone's astonished gazes, the water in the lake began to recede at a visible speed. In just a

few minutes, it had retracted over a range of more than 30 feet.

"Look! The water is receding! The treasures beneath the lake are about to be revealed!" Sophia

pointed to the center of the lake in delight.

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