As time sped up, the people of ckwood had returned to their n, where everything was well. The group squeezed into the Forebearer''s shrine.


    Marcus, a child who hadn''t been home for many years, looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings of his family''s estate, his eyes misty with tears that he had always held back while at the Sky Sect.


    Kneeling before the Forebearer cards, he was overwhelmed by the ceremonial feeling that he remembered from his time in the n. Remembering the past, he couldn''t help but cry on the spot, just like the child who had cried in the Forebearer''s shrine years ago.


    "Forebearer, your child..." he began.


    "I''m back!"


    After the great battle, as usual, Nathan, like an old man guarding a temple in the vige, sang praises and the family''s devotion grew even stronger.


    Once it was all over, Lucas looked at Marcus, now grown up, and took a deep breath, hesitating. He wanted to pat Marcus on the shoulder but withdrew his hand, saying emotionlessly, "Now that you''re back, don''t go back to the Sky Sect."


    Daniel also advised his brother, "Yeah, big brother. This time you brought out more than a dozen disciples from the Sky Sect, including Elder Dn. Now they''re all dead, and the Rodriguez family has been destroyed. "


    "If you go back, they''ll definitely be suspicious. Stay here. What does it matter if the Sky Sect finds out? We now have the support of the Cloudrise Oceanview Pavilion, and Forest Town is under the jurisdiction of the Xuanwu Gate!"


    "You''re right," Nathan said, satisfied, looking at Marcus. "Grandson, the Sky Sect may berge, but our ckwood heritage is not to be taken lightly. Under the protection of the Forebearer, one day the Sky Sect will have to bow down to us."


    But no matter how they tried to persuade him, Marcus stubbornly shook his head. "I must return to the Sky Sect."


    "What nonsense are you talking about?!" Lucas burst out in anger, his hand raised to p Marcus, but looking into Marcus''s defiant eyes and thinking about the years of estrangement, he couldn''t bring himself to do it.


    Grinding his teeth, yet unable to hide the pain in his eyes, he said, "In your eyes, is my ckwood really inferior to the Sky Sect? Is the status of a direct disciple really worth your concern?"


    Marcus knelt before his elders, his tone firm. "I must return to the Sky Sect. I will always know that this is my root, Marcus''s safest home. But Marcus has already caused enough trouble for the family. Even if it means death, I won''t bring the troubles of the Sky Sect back home to endanger the family!"


    "I am a man, and I will always remember the day when the adults of ckwood fought towards Forest Town. We didn''t know if we would win that battle. Daniel and I waited at home, and I kept thinking about what my aunt and father told me. What would Daniel and I do if everyone didn''te back?"


    "From that day on, I didn''t want to wait anymore, nor did I want to bear the burden that my mother bore."


    Listening to Marcus''s words, the people of ckwood sighed deeply. They all understood that both Marcus and Daniel were deeply troubled by the events of that year.


    Marcus clenched his fists, his expression resolute. "As long as I am a son of ckwood, I will not hide like a coward. I will face all difficulties just like my grandparents, my father, my second aunt, and my fourth aunt!"


    "I also have a goal. I told the Forebearer that I want to be the sky of the Sky Sect. "


    "I want to return to the n with honor and achievements. "


    "I want to make a career that will make my family proud. "


    "I want to tell the people of Gratitude Vige that I, Marcus, am worthy of being a son of ckwood!"


    No longer trying to persuade him, they looked at the boy with only admiration and pride in their eyes. This was their son of ckwood!


    Only Julian scratched his head, wondering if the child had forgotten to praise him. "I heard that Uncle Three has been forging for decades without giving up. I can endure for decades, even a hundred years!"


    "My elders, let me go," Julian said, standing tall and proud, his chin held high.


    "Hmph! If you want to go, then go!" Lucas snorted coldly and turned away.


    Nathan shook his head with a smile, helping Marcus up, though worry still lingered in his eyes, "Marcus, do you have an exnation for returning to the Sky Sect?"


    "Yes," Marcus nodded, his lips pursed as he watched his father walk away.


    Nathan saw the thoughts crossing Marcus''s mind, "Your father is like that when he speaks; don''t hold it against him."


    "I understand," Marcus replied.


    Momentster, under the watchful eyes of his family, Marcus set off again towards the Sky Sect.


    Suddenly, Lucas appeared among the crowd, watching the firm back of his son. His eyes reddened, but he couldn''t suppress a smile, prouder than even when he had mastered his swordsmanship.


    "Marcus has grown up, just like me."


    ...


    Ethan could tell that Lucas cared about Marcus, but unfortunately, Lucas was never good at expressing himself. However, ckwood really didn''t need to worry about Marcus''s safety because someone had already thought of a n!


    Ethan stared intently at the screen. Time sped up to the maximum, and just as Marcus had left ckwood and hadn''t yet left the boundaries of Tranquil County, he... was kidnapped!


    Assassins from Cloudview County hade, knocking him out halfway and taking him away, passing through Mount Five Peaks Rodriguez Town.


    When Marcus woke up briefly, he caught a glimpse of Rodriguez Town, where over a dozen demonically possessed psychics were bombarding everything, thend was withered, and demonic energy filled the air.


    Before he could understand what was happening, he was knocked out again and sold to the demonically possessed psychics.


    When he woke up again, Marcus was inside a straw hut in the Thunderfire Demon Cave, surrounded by demonically possessed psychics. He saw...


    "Aunt Amelia???" Marcus, bound by ropes that suppressed his magical powers, opened his eyes.


    The whole ordeal had left him bewildered, and seeing Amelia squatting in front of him with a smile, looking just like she did when he was a child, felt like a dream.


    Amelia waved her hand, and the bloodthirsty, crazed demonically possessed psychics, whom Marcus knew to be utterly evil, respectfully bowed and then walked out of the hut.


    While Marcus was still pondering whether his aunt had secretly be a demon lord, Amelia''s hand, just like when he was a child, touched his head, and Marcus finally came to his senses, though he was still utterly confused.


    "Aunt, where is this? What happened? These demonically possessed psychics..."


    Amelia shook her head, "Don''t ask anything, just listen to your aunt." As she spoke, Amelia opened a thumb-sized porcin bottle, pinched Marcus''s mouth open, and poured a purple liquid into it.


    In an instant, Marcus''s already bewildered eyes whitened, and his consciousness began to emerge during the time he and Elder Dn attacked Mount Five Peaks Rodriguez family.


    Amelia''s voice, as if bewitching, whispered in his ear. "Because you were assassinated by a hitman, after many searches for the assassin, it was discovered that Elder Felix had asked the Rodriguez family to send the hitman, so in a fit of rage, you tried every means to remove Elder Felix''s minions."


    "Is that right?"


    Marcus nodded unconsciously, "Yes, that''s right."


    "That was a room, Elder Dn took you to meet the hitman from the county town, there were beauties, a table, and psychic tea in the room... you discussed with the hitman about wiping out the Rodriguez family, is that right?"


    In this unconscious state, Marcus''s mind, ording to Amelia''s words, actually conjured up precise images!


    "Yes."


    "Do you remember what you talked about? The hitman asked you for a price, their eyes were cold, greedy, and cunning..."


    "I remember now, it was like that."


    "..."