At the Edgemontale, in the Knoxs' Ranch.Edgemontale's stretch of land held the Knoxs Ranch, a place everyone in the region knew by name. It was a massive spread, close to three thousand head of cattle and sheep roaming its pastures. One ranch alone kept nearly a fifth of the entire Northwest's meat supply.The Knoxs had always been the open-door sort. Labron Knox, the man running the place, carried himself with an old-school swagger, the kind people associated with legends and wanderers. He'd built an enormous canvas camp on the edge of his property. Anyone passing through could count on a fire, good liquor, and roasted meat, as well as a place to rest and feel human again.Folks started calling the Knoxs' Ranch the Hero's Homestead. The name stuck, spreading far past Edgemontale until it became known throughout all of Astria.Right now, a middle-aged man in a purple-gold coat stood just outside the ranch fence. Hands clasped behind his back. Calm as a mountain. That man was Labron himself. In the last half month, he'd taken down Atlas of the Leynthall Family with his signature technique known as the Knoxs' Thirteen Shots. The victory shoved his name straight onto Astria's power rankings.His sleeves drifted with the wind as he watched an off-roader rumble toward him.The vehicle carried a military plate. Three middle-aged men stepped out once it stopped. Each one moved with the posture of someone who had spent a lifetime sharpening their body. Their steps were steady. Their eyes hid a dangerous light.The moment the three men touched the ground, Labron stepped forward. Then, without warning, he cupped his fists, dropped to one knee, and bowed to the black- haired man leading the trio. "I, a successor scholar, greet Master Seth."A man ranked among Astria's strongest actually lowered his head. The look on his expression held nothing but reverence.Dozens of ranch hands froze in place. Not one of them understood what they were seeing. Three strangers arrived out of nowhere and somehow made the man who ruled Edgemontale's fields kneel on sight."Little Labron, I only gave you a few pointers back then. I'm nowhere near worthy of being called your master. Stand up."The man looked about the same age as Labron, but there was a weight behind his voice that made the years between them feel wide. Calling him little Labron stunned everyone within earshot.Labron stayed exactly as he was, fists pressed together. "No. Maybe it was only a few words to you, but to me it changed everything. Without what you said that day, I would still be stumbling around with no direction. I never would have reached Astria's strong list. Now that you and the two seniors have come all the way to Edgemontale, I have to show my respect."He rose, then motioned for the three to follow him. No pretension. No empty polite talk. Everything he said came straight from his chest.Labron might have earned his place on Astria's power rankings. People called him a martial arts master everywhere he went. But he knew the truth. In front of these three men, all of that meant nothing.These three were the real thing-true Transcendent Realm experts.The first figure, Seth Warner, had a name in Astria's martial world that barely carried weight, but his skill? That was a whole other story-deep, unfathomable, and impossible to measure.Seth rarely showed up inside Astria itself. Every time news of him surfaced, it was from battles against top-tier fighters overseas. His power was immense. Back then, he ruled the scene with his 'Twin Scythes,' earning the nickname Sky Mantis among the elite of Eastern and Westeria.Twenty years ago, Labron had run into Seth once. At the time, he was just a young martial novice. Seth, though, had thrown him a few words of guidance, enough to send him skyrocketing through the ranks and eventually standing at the very peak of Edgemontale.It wasn't until later that Labron realized Seth wasn't just a practitioner with extraordinary skill. He was also a core member of Astria's most powerful martial organization, the Shadow Division.With Seth's level of mastery, the two men walking behind him could only be peers— fighters of equal standing.After hearing Labron speak so earnestly, Seth just shook his head with a smile. "Kid, you're stubborn as hell."He gestured toward the two men behind him. "Let me introduce them. These are my colleagues. This is Kenneth Baker, and that's Keith Baker. Together, they're called the Armored Duo. Their skills? On par with mine, no doubt about it."Labron's expression shifted. He bowed deeply to both men in respect.Kenneth and Keith, however, only gave a cool reply, "Hmm." Their air dripped with arrogance.Labron didn't mind. He immediately ushered the three into his private tent, which was already set up with fine wine, roasted meat, and a few exotic women performing seductive dances.The three of them didn't flinch. Their expressions stayed calm, and their eyes were straight ahead.Seth took a sip of wine, swallowed slowly, then finally spoke. "Little Labron, the reason we're here in Edgemontale? We need you to handle something for us." Labron's expression grew serious. He waved at the singers, letting them leave first. With just the four of them inside, Seth continued, "This is official business." Labron's look hardened slightly, and his demeanor grew heavier. "Official business?" I know full well that all three of them are core members of the Shadow Division. Usually, even one of them showing up is enough to shake things to the core. And now, all three of them are here together—just how important must this be?Seth drained his cup and said, voice low and steady. "Little Labron, we need you to do something. The Aorinth Peaks, that's your territory. Over the next week, I want you to lock it down completely. No one gets in. Anyone who tries, stop them."Labron hesitated for a moment, then nodded.Aorinth Peaks wasn't small, but Labron had more than a thousand people under him. Posting a guard every fifty meters, he could shut the place down completely without a doubt.He paused for a few seconds, then remembered something. "Master Seth, your visit... is it because of the anomaly showing up in Aorinth Peaks?"Seth didn't hold back. He nodded."This time, an anomaly has appeared in Edgemontale. It's a sign that a Supreme Treasure has manifested. Judging from the intel on this anomaly, this treasure isn't just any relic. It's so extraordinary that even the Transcendent Realm might go insane trying to claim it. Historically, this has only happened four times. Every single time a Supreme Treasure showed up Countless masters from Eastern and Westeria swarmed in. The scene turned chaotic, triggering a massive upheaval. And now... this is the fifth time!" Seth's voice flickered with intensity. "That's why we were sent here-to keep an eye on this area. The goal is to get the treasure before it fully manifests, so we can prevent Edgemontale from plunging info chaos. Word is, there's unusual activity in the Transcendent Realm all over the world. At least a dozen Transcendent Realm figures are moving this way. On top of that, quite a few International Combat Units experts seem to have shown up. One wrong move and it could erupt into a full-blown multi-front battle. By then, Edgemontale itself would turn into a battlefield!" Labron's jaw dropped. He realized the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.A single Transcendent Realm warrior already packs terrifying, destructive power. One punch, one strike, can slice a hundred-meter-tall building clean in half. Now imagine a dozen of them going at it-what kind of cataclysm would that unleash? Edgemontale is mostly desert and wasteland. If these dozen Transcendent Realms start tearing each other apart, will any of the remaining green oases even survive? As the four of them were talking, the expressions of Seth, Keith, and Kenneth suddenly shifted.Whoosh!A fierce wind sliced across the ranch, whipping up clouds of dust. Cattle and sheep scattered in panic, chaos erupting everywhere.The four of them stepped out of the tent and saw a woman standing just outside Knoxs' Ranch. She wore a crown, her features exquisitely refined, exuding nobility. In her hand was a uniquely shaped staff. She glided toward them, each step light and deliberate.Seth's pupils constricted immediately. "Storm Goddess... Kaina?"No sooner had she appeared than heavy, earth-shaking footsteps echoed. The ground trembled with each thud.Kenneth turned his head and saw a towering figure hundreds of meters away-a man over two meters tall, dressed in bizarre attire, striding forward. Each step sank deep into the earth, leaving impressions like a giant walking across the land. "That's... Toru the Raging Bull?"Then, a series of sharp, slicing sounds tore through the air. Several more figures descended from the sky. They looked up, their expressions shifting again."Grand Arcanist... Faegor!""Crimson Enchantress... Orianna Vale!""Hexmaster..."One legendary name after another rolled off their tongues. Seth, Kenneth, and Keith went through a rapid cycle of shock, disbelief, and finally numbness. There were more than twenty influential figures in total, each a member of the Transcendent Realm. The weakest had the strength of an Ember Transcendent, but astonishingly, about eighty percent of them were top-tier International Combat Units warriors.noveldramaFinally, a flash of rainbow light and a streak of jade-colored energy shot through the air, forming two figures.One stood atop a ring of fire, her entire being radiating flames, a mesmerizing Western beauty wrapped in scarlet light.The other was impeccably upright, unnervingly handsome, with a sharp and commanding physique. Clad in noble armor, he carried an air of absolute authority.After seeing them, Seth's earlier shock transformed into utter dread and fear. "Flame Goddess... Halia! God of Madness... Khaedor!"His voice cracked. Even speaking was a struggle.These two had suddenly appeared, and they were none other than the top two-ranked peak experts of the International Combat Units.Behind them, Labron drew in a sharp breath, swallowing hard. He already sensed it -Edgemontale was about to be completely turned upside down.