Lukan looked at the artifacts, utterly amazed.Even without reaching out with his divine sense, he could tell—no, feel—that these were not ordinary high-grade artifacts.Each one floated with perfect balance, their auras smooth, refined, and complete.There were no rough edges in their mana flow, no instability, no forced amplification.They were flawless creations, the kind that only emerged when craftsmanship, materials, and intent aligned perfectly.They did not scream for attention.They commanded it.Each artifact radiated quiet authority, like seasoned warriors standing still yet ready, their strength contained but undeniable.Lukan’s eyes moved slowly from one to another, his breath steady, his heart beating with restrained excitement.Even the crowd could not remain composed.Gasps rose in waves.Many stood up unconsciously, necks craning, eyes burning with desire and admiration.Some cultivators clenched their fists, others swallowed hard.Merchants licked dry lips, instincti

“Essence-Sucking Leech…”Theodore Kaizen mused, his hands folded where he sat in line among the great names.A cold shiver traced its way down his spine as his gaze remained locked on the pulsing, predatory core resting within the opened box.The crimson light within it throbbed slowly, like a living heart, each pulse sending faint ripples of beastly intent into the surrounding air.“To even lay eyes on such a creature in the wild is a death sentence,” Theodore continued quietly, his voice low yet heavy with certainty.“By the time a cultivator notices that translucent, vein-streaked body—barely the size of a human forearm at first, yet capable of expanding tenfold—their vitality is already being siphoned through the air itself.”His eyes narrowed, memories and records flashing through his mind.“Accounts of these horrors are written in the marrow of the dead.Mummified corpses—dried husks—found deep within the damp, mana-saturated caverns of the Forsaken Marshes, where light never to

“Did Eclipse perhaps bathe in the Spring of Eternal Luck?”Ryu Pogoda thought as he sat among the opposite line of great names, his back straight, hands resting calmly on the armrests of his seat.“What an honor… what a privilege for his daughter to receive such a declaration.”From this angle, he could see Eclipse Bal clearly—still standing where Lady Marcellia had dismissed him,The two men momentarily aligned in parallel lines across the stage,Both pillars of the Phantom Petal Region, both bearing decades of authority and weight.Then Eclipse started moving towards his seat, his back straight, his steps measured.To the untrained eye, Eclipse looked composed—every bit the dignified patriarch of the Bal family.But to Ryu, who had known him for decades, the truth was obvious.Shock still clung to him like a lingering echo.“With a single declaration,” Ryu continued inwardly, “the balance has shifted. The Bal family’s rank will definitely change now.We’ve been one of the Four Pilla

Few moments earlier—while Elanor’s awarding was still unfolding on the grand stage—Within the inner chambers of the Grand Sanctuary, Oasis sat alone in a resting room, his body folded into a calm meditative stance.The room itself was quiet, insulated from the roar of the crowd by layered enchantments.Soft spiritual lamps illuminated the polished stone walls,and before him hovered an enchanted glass panel—its surface rippling faintly as it reflected everything happening on the stage outside in perfect clarity.Oasis’s eyes were half-lidded, focused not on the spectacle, but on the flow of energy within and around himself.“At first,” Oasis thought calmly, “I was using it through the principle of Wind Shift that Master Elias taught me.”A faint current stirred around his seated form, responding to the echo of that thought.“But after gaining his wisdom… and studying his life journal,” Oasis continued inwardly, “I found ways to utilize it at a far more advanced rate.”His spiritual s

A cold thread slid through the air.“If you are not careful,” Amon said, “the earrings will begin to treat your life force as fuel for that final discharge.”Amon’s gaze hardened.“If you draw upon that power without a heart of absolute, unshakeable resolve…”He leaned forward slightly.“The lightning will not flow outward toward your enemy.”“It will turn inward.”A ripple of discomfort passed through the great names.“Sensing a ‘false martyr,’” Amon continued, voice quiet now. “It will destabilize within your meridians.”“It will judge your will.”“And if it finds even a shred of cowardice,” Amon said, “or even a moment of hesitation while the Loop is active…”His eyes sharpened like a drawn blade.“It will fry your mana veins instantly.”Silence.Not even a breath dared to sound loud.“It is an artifact that demands you walk the edge of the grave,” Amon said, “without ever flinching.”Amon leaned closer, voice thinning to a thread.“And you must beware of the Essence of Chosen Deat