"It’s indeed a good idea, but I can’t judge this guy’s strength right now," Mr. Oswin said, his deep eyes narrowing with thoughtful concern.
"No matter how strong he is, can you be stronger than a Mahayana realm cultivator?" Luke’s confidence was unwavering, his voice steady.
"With my current strength, it’s more than enough to deal with cultivators just entering the Mahayana realm," Luke replied, his tone carrying the certainty of hardened resolve.
Oswin fell silent, his mind weighing the risks. Luke was bold, certainly, but this gamble was heavy.
If Luke lost, if he was bested by an unknown outsider, the entire city would whisper of his defeat. The Pavilion’s prestige would suffer, and this incident would become the city’s after-dinner gossip for years.
"Mr. Oswin, believe in my strength," Luke stated resolutely.
"A truly strong person will naturally not wear a mask to hide themselves. I believe this kid is at most at the Tribulation Transcendence realm, so I can handle him easily," Oswin said.
"Besides, according to Miss Ava, he’s a casual cultivator who doesn’t even know the name of the Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets," Luke added.
"In the entire Skyreach Territory, is there any Mahayana realm expert who hasn’t heard of our Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets?" he scoffed.
Oswin wavered briefly. "You have a point."
"Since you want to fight, I will leave it to you," Oswin agreed after a moment.
"Thank you, Mr. Oswin. I hate the look in that boy’s eyes. I want to teach him a lesson!" Luke said, clenching his fists.
"If you lose, you will be banned for three years." Oswin’s voice was firm.
"Clear." Luke nodded, eyes sharp as he stared at Ethan again.
The coldness behind that ghostly mask unsettled him deeply.
Luke swore silently he would dig out Aether’s eyes in the next battle.
Ethan glanced toward Luke and sneered quietly.
He no longer paid attention to the man but turned his gaze behind him, drawn by a sudden burst of exclamations.
Turning toward the source of the noise, he saw Seraphina and her entourage arriving.
The strong reactions were natural. Seraphina’s presence commanded attention.
Many men stared in admiration, many women felt their confidence waver in her shadow.
Seraphina herself appeared cold, poised with a long sword in hand—a figure as unapproachable as an iceberg, radiating power that forced others to make way.
Dozens of cultivators followed seraphically behind her, each bearing an extraordinary aura.
It was obvious they came from a powerful sect.
"Who’s that woman? She’s so beautiful!" whispered someone.
"From some big force, surely."
"I’m not meant to compete with her," muttered a cultivator nearby.
"Tell your sister I’m not coming back tonight!" came a teasing retort.
"She’s not here to compete for the spot, right?"
"Judging by this fight, she very well might be..." murmured others, speculating on her origin.
Though Seraphina’s face was expressionless, she enjoyed the spotlight’s glow.
But one figure blocked her path.
Everyone stepped aside, but this man did not.
He was ignorant or stubborn, indifferent to the aura she projected.
Yet Seraphina, mentally stronger now than before, required no words.
If she was not allowed passage, so be it.
She merely passed by, noting the man’s aura—the same man she saw at Peace Inn.
Her eyebrows twitched imperceptibly with recognition.
She gave him a glance, unreadable.
Then she moved on and found an empty seat beside Edwin and his group.
After she and her party settled, the crowd gathered anew, excitement whispering through the air.
Ethan’s eyes found Seraphina once more.
Unexpectedly, she too was here to compete for a spot in Sun Moon Lake.
Whether she had come directly from the Azure Origin Dao Sect or was on the way to Noble Sun City, he did not know.
Most likely the latter.
Her arrival sent ripples through the crowd.
Though none present knew her name, her beauty, her power, and the dozens of powerful cultivators with her stunned them. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel[f]ire.net
Even the Stormjade family boasted only four Mahayana realm experts.
Seraphina was followed by five whose auras trembled with the abyssal depth of true Mahayana realm cultivation.
The heads of the three aristocratic families exchanged glances of surprise and respect.
They bowed to her in greeting, a sign of friendship and deference.
Edwin and his party gracefully reciprocated.
Mr. Oswin whispered quietly to Ava, "Those who came to our Pavilion of Heavenly Secrets yesterday to inquire about the challenge time have arrived."
"Although there are five Mahayana realm cultivators, the highest is only at the third turn," Oswin said thoughtfully.
"The one in white clothes, a first-turn Mahayana, emanates a strong sword intent. Likely a formidable swordsman."
"Do you know who that woman is?" she asked.
Oswin’s eyes glimmered with knowledge.
"Her bone age is likely younger than yours, yet she is already a strong Tribulation Transcendence cultivator," he said gravely.
"She is no ordinary person, likely listed among the Heaven’s Prodigy Ranking in Skyreach Territory."
"Oh? Who is she?" Ava leaned closer.
Oswin’s voice lowered, full of reverence.
"She possesses a special physique, an ancient spirit body infused with thick ice breath."
"To harbor such dense cold essence in the Tribulation Transcendence realm is rare."
"She is Seraphina, the saint of the Azure Origin Dao Sect."
"It is said she holds the Ice Spirit Soul Body, one of the lost ancient spiritual bodies."
"It is her. She recently entered the Heaven’s Prodigy Ranking, thirty-fifth place."
"She just broke through Tribulation Transcendence and is already on the list. She must be very powerful," Ava replied.
"To enter the Skyreach Territory Heaven’s Prodigy Ranking, one must be under sixty in bone age and have reached Tribulation Transcendence," Oswin explained.
"The young genius ranking includes cultivators under thirty years old who have reached Void Amalgamation or above."
"The Mahayana list is for cultivators under 150 years old in the Mahayana realm."
100 power stones - 1 Extra Chapters
200 power stones - 2 Extra Chapters
Capsule - 1 Extra Chapters
Massage Chair - 3 Extra Chapters
Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters
Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters
Thanks for the Inspiration Capsule: @Skarlet_Retro