Lyra descended the steps, her imposing aura spreading layer by layer.
Madeline stared at the woman before her, stunned and overwhelmed by the murderous energy emanating from her.
This aura was like a tangible blade, sharper and more menacing than Vicente Clark’s.
A true goddess of war!
The youngest general commanding eighty thousand Black Phoenix troops.
How could any mundane practitioner compare to her?
Not to mention the countless accolades that adorned her, making her seem like a divine being descended to earth, dazzling and untouchable.
Even Layla couldn’t help but frown, her shocked and suspicious gaze landing on Flynn.
What had Lyra just said?
“Let me see who dares to touch him?”
That “him” was undoubtedly Flynn.
But how could Flynn possibly…
Before Layla could think further, Lyra turned her gaze to Arthur Everett and Milton Gray, her tone laced with mockery.
“When did Sleeve become so shameless as to collude with the Slatin family and try to steal someone else’s body-strengthening medicine?”
Arthur Everett’s face darkened, but he forced a cold smile. “General Lyra, what do you mean by that? We’re merely here as guests of the Clark family.”
“We heard someone in the Clark family was being bullied, so we came with good intentions to see if we could help. We haven’t exchanged a single word with your friend.”
Tessa Watson chimed in to smooth things over, “General Lyra, this is a misunderstanding. This is a Clark family matter, and it was my idea to seek the body-strengthening medicine.”
“Oh? So, what you mean, Mrs. Clark, is that you’re shameless?” Lyra said coldly.
The room erupted.
In all the years people had known Tessa Watson, who would dare speak to her like that? Without a shred of courtesy!
But Lyra was no ordinary person.
Even if she were to slap Tessa Watson in the face, Tessa wouldn’t dare utter a word.
Lyra’s background was too illustrious.
Her father was none other than Nate Black, “The Butcher of Men.”
Thirty years ago, during a counterattack, the enemy had used small-scale chemical weapons, killing 3, 000 Dragon Cavalry soldiers.
In retaliation, Nate Black rained 100, 000 tons of ammunition on the enemy’s territory.
Indiscriminate bombing.
Flattening over a dozen mountains.
In the end, he donned his armor, led his troops into enemy territory, and captured the perpetrators.
Along the way, he conquered thirty-six cities.
Even though the enemy army surrendered with white flags, they weren’t spared.
Over ten thousand lives lost.
This one battle earned him the title of “The Butcher of Men.”
The legend of Nate Black, clad in armor, spread across the world.
Beyond that, his countless military achievements in external operations were unparalleled.
At sixty, he was conferred the rank of super five-star general, surpassing the Northern Ten Heavenly Kings.
With seniority and unmatched strength, even though he wasn’t part of the Dragonguard, he earned the nickname “The Seventh Archon.”
He was the strongest among the Ten Military Districts!
The Dragon Cavalry, under his command, stood unrivaled.
The only figure under Dragonguard jurisdiction who could stand on equal footing with its six Archons.
Who would dare disrespect the Whitaker family?
Certainly not Tessa Watson.
Though she felt humiliated and deeply resentful, she forced herself to endure.
“We’ve embarrassed ourselves in front of General Lyra,” Tessa said with a strained smile.
“Embarrassed?” Lyra scoffed, her eyes filled with disdain. “Embarrassment is an understatement. It’s disgusting! A woman who climbed to the top as a mistress, instead of staying quietly at home, parades herself around as the so-called ‘Empress of Slatin.’ And now you want to steal someone else’s body-strengthening medicine? Do you have no shame?”
“A disgrace to women!”
Boom!
Her words were like thunder.
The crowd nearly covered their ears.
This was outright humiliation.
Tessa Watson’s status as a mistress was a taboo in the Slatin family.
No one dared to discuss it, not even in whispers.
Hearing it spoken aloud was a sin.
Yet Lyra had no reservations, openly dragging Tessa’s scandal into the light and mocking her for it.
There was nothing anyone could do.
For someone of her standing, even if she slapped you across the face, you’d have to smile and offer the other cheek.
To Madeline, the scene was bone-chilling.
In her world, Tessa Watson was an untouchable presence-the most powerful matron of a prominent family she could hope to encounter.
She didn’t even dare to meet Tessa’s gaze.
When she had pleaded for Flynn earlier, she had to stand five meters away, unable to take a step closer.
She spoke softly, with her head bowed, not daring to look up-not even at Tessa’s chin.
Yet this figure of reverence was being scolded like a dog by Lyra, who brazenly called her a mistress and a disgrace to women.
It was eye-opening.
Truly eye-opening.
Such a scene would never occur in Niarak-not in a lifetime.
Nor could anyone there hope to witness Lyra’s radiant presence.
This was true power and nobility!
Layla felt the same.
Even as a leading figure of Slatin’s younger generation, she was dwarfed by Lyra.
Lyra to Layla was what Layla was to Madeline.
Even Layla’s master had to show Lyra the utmost respect.
And now, this imperial-like figure had appeared in Flynn’s home.
On his behalf, she had scolded Tessa Watson!
It was incomprehensible.
After Lyra’s sharp words, Vicente Clark clenched his fists but quickly released them.
Even if Lyra poured a bucket of filth on his mother, he wouldn’t dare utter a word.
What did it matter if he ranked third on the Dragon Ranking?
No matter how extraordinary his cultivation, he wouldn’t dare challenge the military.
Especially since his title as a Greater Sovereign relied on drugs, whereas Lyra’s Adept Semi Greater Sovereign status was pure.
Lyra crushed them all.
The entire Slatin family bowed their heads in submission.
Even the two elders from Sleeve didn’t dare speak for Tessa.
Nate Black would have slapped them without hesitation.
The old man wouldn’t care about offending Talon Emberhart.
He was far more aggressive than Maxwell Grey!
Lyra walked unhurriedly to Vicente Clark, staring him down. “You were going to kill Flynn?”
“No, I wouldn’t dare…”
Smack!
“Then apologize!”
Lyra slapped Vicente Clark across the face, leaving him dazed.
Vicente touched his reddened cheek, utterly stunned.
The crowd collectively gasped.
Vicente Clark, recently celebrated across the North and South as the third on the Dragon Ranking, was someone even Cora Caldwell would struggle to invite to dinner.
Yet here he was, slapped like a servant.
That slap didn’t just strike Vicente Clark-it struck everyone present.
“S-sorry…” Vicente stammered, bowing his head to Flynn.
He had intended to kill Flynn, but hadn’t even touched his clothes. Instead, he now found himself apologizing.
Just moments ago, he had sworn not to consider himself his mother’s son if he didn’t kill Flynn. And now, he was apologizing to him…
“Is that all? Do you even know who he is to you?” Lyra asked coldly.
“Who he is to me?” Vicente froze, his face momentarily twisting with anger before he quickly suppressed it. In a subdued tone, he said, “Brother, I’m sorry…”
Tessa Watson’s brow furrowed, her anger burning in her eyes as her body trembled slightly.
This was humiliation beyond measure.
Lyra was pushing them too far!
She treated the Clark family as if they were nothing.
Forcing her son to call Flynn “brother”?
It was worse than killing her.
The indignity!
The sheer indignity!
But at this moment, even if it meant making her son call Flynn “father,” she couldn’t stop it.
Who on earth was Flynn that Lyra would go to such lengths to defend him?