Salute To The General
Chapter 2440

The dust gradually settled, revealing the land upon which the Hall of Heroes once stood.

Originally magnificent, the structure had partially collapsed. Only half of the hall stubbornly remained, its precarious walls impervious to the howling wind.

There were countless ancestral tablets of the five Reclusive Families on the shrine in front of the ruined building.

Nathan and Theron stood face to face less than ten feet apart before the ancestral tablets.

The crowd stared in petrified silence at Nathan and Theron, who were both completely motionless.

Cheryl leaned toward Colin next to her. "Who won?" she whispered,

Colin was about to say that he did not know when his sharp eyes noticed that Nathan's dagger-wielding hand was empty. Theron, who stood across from Nathan, was holding half of the mahogany sword in his hand. It must have been Theron's weapon that we heard crack during the battle!

Colin was overjoyed by the discovery. "The old man's weapon has been broken, if I am not mistaken, the general must have won!" he whispered excitedly.

Svend was about to retort when something unexpected happened.

As if to verify Colin's speculation, Theron suddenly coughed and spat a mouthful of blood. He swayed before dropping down on one knee, supporting himself with his broken sword in his right hand.

"Master Theron!" Svend cried as he gestured to the rest of the members of his clan to aid their patriarch.

Theron raised his hand to stop them, but not before they came close enough to see that he appeared much older than he was before the commencement of the battle. Raising his head, he met Nathan's eyes with a bitter smile. "The title of God of War bestowed upon you is well deserved," he proclaimed in a hoarse voice. "I am certain that nobody in the world is your equal, with the possible exception of Cayden, the Chivalrous God of War. I have lost this fight, and I'm honored to."

Master Theron personally conceded defeat!

Svend's face turned pale in an instant. The members of the Reclusive

Families did not fare much better than he.

Moreover, the rows of ancestral tablets of the Five Reclusive Families on the shrines next to him suddenly fell to the ground the moment Theron uttered the words.

Initially stunned, Theron's face contorted with grief-stricken shame. "A thousand years of the prestige of the Reclusive Families have fallen by my hands," he murmured to himself.

The members of the four Reclusive Families fell to their knees at the sudden collapse of the ancestral tablets which they construed as a bad omen.

Nathan's brow creased slightly at the tablets that had fallen to the ground before relaxing again.

"The thousand-year-old reputation of the Reclusive Families did not fall by your hand," Nathan said imperiously as he surveyed Theron and the others on their knees. "Even if you are not defeated today, your legacy is destined for extinction." Theron and the others gaped blankly at Nathan.

"It's a custom for the ancestors of the Reclusive Families to adhere to the creed of cultivating behind closed doors before descending the mountains to put their cultivation to use by rescuing the country tormented by the whims of a secular world. It should also have been your creed to live in seclusion in the mountains to cultivate peacefully. Such heroic deeds of your ancestors are naturally revered by the people."

As he spoke, Nathan's gaze at Theron and his clan turned cold. "But look at you now," he added with a look of disgust. "Would your ancestors be proud of the people you have become? Aside from the pursuit of fame and wealth, you have sinned grievously by risking the lives of the people you swore to protect for the Quillen family."

Theron and the others looked down in shame.

Nathan declared, "Today, the four Reclusive Families have been defeated by my hand. My request is very simple. Like the Norris family, you will shut your doors and never return to the secular world. If you disagree, I will not hesitate to raze your families to the ground." Despite the ugly scowl he wore, Theron eventually nodded. "I, on behalf of the Zuckerberg family, will follow your instructions, Mr. Cross.

We will repent behind closed doors." "We, the Zartman family, are also willing to follow Mr. Cross's instructions to repent behind closed doors."

"We, the Jimmerson family, are also willing to follow Mr. Cross's instructions to repent behind closed doors."

"We, the Gilham family, are also willing to follow Mr. Cross's instructions to repent behind closed doors."

Cheryl was flabbergasted. The Reclusive Families that were powerful enough to survive for centuries against all odds have been beaten by Nathan alone and are now forced to retire. Unbelievable!