The Apricot Grove was filled with members of the Beggar Sect, surrounding Logan, Henry, Amelia, Grace, and Sophia.
Logan had not expected the young master to be absent. Upon their arrival, the Beggar Sect had immediately encircled them, accusing them of being accomplices of Noah, the murderer of Matthew. They insisted that only Noah's presence would secure their release.
A man of Logan's temperament would never yield so easily. Words quickly turned to blows. Though Logan was formidable, he was no match for the sheer numbers of the Beggar Sect. Fortunately, the sect members refrained from striking the women.
This forced Ethan, who had been observing from the rear, to intervene. Once the fight began, it showed no signs of stopping. Lucas could only watch as the chaos unfolded.
Amelia, meanwhile, called out Lucas's moves to Ethan and Logan, allowing them to barely hold their own. But if this continued, defeat was inevitable. At this moment, Amelia wished Elliott were here—his presence alone would have resolved the situation.
Seeing no end to the brawl, Lucas decided to intervene. With a light step, he glided into the fray, his hand darting toward Ethan's wrist.
"Ethan, careful! Dragon Claw Technique—'Three Strikes for the Pearl'! His left elbow is aiming for your chest, his right palm is slashing toward your ribs, and his left hand is going for your 'Qihu' acupoint! This is 'Torrential Rain' from the Dragon Claw style! And—"
"Amelia, could you speak a little faster? How am I supposed to defend if you're always a step behind?" Ethan was already being overwhelmed by Lucas's relentless assault, unable to counter.
Lucas subdued Ethan and handed him over to his subordinates before turning his attention to Logan. Just then, the crisp ring of a drawn sword cut through the air, followed by a dragon-like hum as the blade shot toward Lucas.
"Lucas, watch out!" Elder Song of the Beggar Sect drew his sword to block, but Elliott paid him no heed. The instant he heard the sound of steel, he countered with a single move—"Sword-Breaking Form"—sending Elder Song flying.
By then, Lucas had already seized Logan's shoulder. Elliott arrived in a flash.
"Elliott, Lucas's hand is five inches diagonally from you—he's gripping Logan's shoulder!" Amelia shouted.
Elliott grabbed Logan's other shoulder and swung his sword toward Lucas's wrist.
"Elliott, chop his hand off!" Ethan yelled from the sidelines.
Amelia and the others now recognized Elliott's identity, but what puzzled Amelia most was his swordplay—a style she had never seen before. Where did he learn this?
Lucas, too, knew exactly who he was facing. Yet he wanted to test Elliott's limits and refused to relent, continuing their fierce exchange.
Elliott was exhilarated. A duel with someone of Lucas's caliber was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He unleashed the "Nine Swords of Solitude" from memory, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next.
Amelia kept calling out Lucas's movements, forcing him to constantly shift his grip on Logan's shoulder.
The onlookers were stunned. Who knew the Vanderbilts had such a formidable fighter—and it wasn't even Noah? Elliott's swordplay grew faster, and Lucas's hands matched his speed.
But Elliott's techniques were far from simple. With "Palm-Breaking Form," his blade emitted a faint tremor before spiraling three times around Lucas's wrist, slicing him thrice in rapid succession.
The moment Lucas withdrew his hand, Elliott's sword swept forward with a sharp "shua!" Lucas, however, had already tapped the ground with his toes, gliding backward out of range.