The Ji clan member dug into the secrets of that village until he found out about the rare material. Once he was well, he returned to the then small Martial City and told his family members. He explained his suspicions about the village.

The people from the Ji clan coveted the treasure because it was related to human life and world domination.

Later on, the warriors of the Ji clan invaded the village and killed everyone using firearms and explosives, not even sparing the children. Their looting of every treasure was thorough because they did not want to lose out on the possible benefits.

Their efforts paid off because they found the secondary island where the rare material was sourced.

However, in their haste, they did not discover the danger of radiation until it was too late. The people involved in the project were all affected by the exposure to the harsh environment and developed strange diseases.

It was only with the help of a renowned doctor that they identified the possible cause. After all, at the time, knowledge about radiation was not common.

Still, the Ji clan did not want to give up on the treasure they had found with a lot of difficulties. Unfortunately, they had killed all the villagers, so they could not ask about the best method to extract the rare material

After a lot of consideration, the Ji clan decided to involve other affluent families on the island in the quest to utilise the rare material. It was after a lot of hard work on all fronts that the families were able to come up with a plan for dealing with the treasure.

Their most important decision was using losers after competitions as well as other useless people on Martial Island for the mining work.

For a period, the elite families involved in the initial founding of the superior Martial Island were able to live in harmony. Their lives were better than ever as they built a greater Martial City, and they even moved their families and assets to Martial Island.

But the Ji Clan members became dissatisfied as they saw the other families prospering and living a good life on Martial Island.

In their minds, the other families had taken advantage of the discovery and wanted to step on their heads. With that, they decided to ask for more benefits instead of following the agreed-upon allocation based on martial talent.

The Ji Clan plotted with care to take over the entire Martial Island and rule with an iron fist. Unfortunately, their plot was discovered early, and the other clans joined hands and decided to exterminate the Ji clan.

This incident was just one of the many times that people had tried to take control and even destroy Martial Island. But nothing had changed over the countless years.

This knowledge was the reason that the clan leaders were not frustrated or afraid, even when they were surrounded by men with guns. They did not believe that Martial Island could fall so easily, especially with the three Guardians on the loose.

Still, none of them wanted to lose their lives.

"Guardian Iekami, you should do something." The Lambert clan head said.

Taiki was still calm and remained in his seat. He could see the other Guardians in the Arena looking to him for guidance. They did not know if they should take action and attempt to subdue the men or not.

If the great Guardian Taiki was not making a move, they believed that there had to be a reason. Therefore, no one moved.

"Master, should we do something?" Nicole leaned closer to Taiki and asked.

"Are you confident in escaping the bullets if they shoot at you?" Taiki was a little irritated, so he asked the question curtly.

Nicole felt like her master was not behaving like himself. Usually, he was calm and not fazed, regardless of what happened. Furthermore, he never spoke to her with negative emotions in his voice, even when he was annoyed.

"Maybe a few. They have automatic weapons, so it will obviously be difficult to deal with them." Nicole said while feeling a little wronged.

"If you cannot beat them, then you should sit quietly and think of a way out. Do not speak meaninglessly." Taiki responded.

The people in the Arena thought that the men in black would make a list of demands. However, nothing like that happened.

Instead, a beautiful woman entered the Arena in a leisurely manner. She looked fresh and cool, but there was also an air of grace around her.

Her dressing was a little juvenile. She was dressed like a student in a white shirt, a short black skirt and long black leggings. These were paired with a simple pair of ankle boots. Still, most people focused on the sword on her back.

She walked without hurry to the stage. She stood at the centre and looked around the Arena with a hint of superiority in her eyes. Even on the screens around the stadium, her presence could be felt profoundly.

"Hello." She said. "Would anyone like to challenge me to a fight?"

Her voice was soft but loud. The centre stage was fitted with numerous microphones to pick up sounds during the fights. It made the tournaments more exciting when the audience could hear the trash talk and follow the verbal commentary.

The sound was exceptionally clear, and the voice was sweet and gentle.

However, the simple words fell like a stone in the audience. Some murmurs arose from the audience, but no one dared to stand up or speak out. If it was in another situation, people might have jeered and egged on competitors to challenge her.

But now, they were hostages.

"If no one wants to challenge me, I will take the liberty to choose someone." Jiang Yinuo smiled beautifully.

If it were not for this type of situation, countless people would have been moved by her beauty and demeanour. Or perhaps not. No one would dare to make a move against the demon king's chosen wife unless they wanted death.

"I will invite my cousin to spar with me." Jiang Yinuo said. "Of course, we are talking about the kind of sparring that might end up with someone dead."

The gorgeous eyes turned precisely and located the place where Nicole Jiang was positioned. It was unfortunate for Nicole that no one could mistake the target of the challenge. She was seated with a bunch of old people.

As the disciple of Taiki, she had the honour of following behind him on his tasks. But now, that honour exposed her.

"Master.." Nicole called out to Taiki.

She was a little afraid of Jiang Yinuo, so she turned to look for help. Ever since Jiang Yinuo returned to Martial Island, Nicole was always afraid of retaliation. And now, the moment for justice to be served had come.

But she was not willing to die. historical

"You were looking for an opportunity to turn the situation around, and it has come," Taiki replied. "Everyone will be looking to you to use this chance to find a way out of this predicament. You need to stall until the Guardians arrive."

Despite the words, Nicole was reluctant because she knew her cousin all too well. Yinuo never took anyone seriously. But once she did, she did not leave enough bones for burial.

"While we are waiting for my cousin, I will tell you a splendid story about how she got me to be trafficked. It is quite a quaint story that involves familial bonds, secret islands and the elixir of life. I am sure you all know where the rare material comes from right?" Jiang Yinuo smiled like a crafty fox.

The clan heads in front of Nicole Jiang turned with harsh eyes.

"Go!" They said in varying levels of annoyance and anger.

If the secret of the rare material and the secondary island was revealed to the general public and the outside guests, the clean-up process will be difficult. And the worst part, Jiang Yinuo was one of the people who knew of the location.

"I will begin by telling you about the cost of getting the precious rare material that you are here fighting for. Then, I will regale you with the tale of how my kind cousin sent me to become a miner just because I was a little better than her." Jiang Yinuo continued.

Nicole immediately stood up and rushed down to the stage. Regardless of the situation, she could not allow her well-built image to collapse. In her opinion, the whole thing involving Yinuo was something that needed to be forgotten.

She did not think she was in the wrong. It was just a lapse in judgement.

"I do not understand why you blame me for what happened to you," Nicole said as she stepped on the stage. "You have to accept bad things can happen to people, even good people, and there is no explanation for it. It is just random."

The righteous tone did not face Yinuo. In fact, she just smiled.

"Then, I am sure that you will not complain about the random act of violence that is about to take place here.." The words were chilly and frightening.