“Jack Holden… you’ve really got a death wish.”Daze Calder raised a hand, stopping his agitated juniors before they could jump in. A faint, mocking smile played on his lips, like he was already enjoying what came next.“No need to argue,” he added casually. “I’ll show you the gap myself.”He reached into his robe and pulled out a small bottle. The moment the cap came off—A flash of light shot out.“Void aura!”Zeric Jasper’s voice rang out, sharp and startled.And just like that, it clicked for Kael Draven and Jack Holden.A Void Soul.They didn’t react right away. It wasn’t fear, not quite… more like a moment of disbelief. Something like this shouldn’t just appear out of nowhere. So how did Daze Calder even get it?Daze Calder laughed, loud and smug.“Zeric Jasper, I’ll give you that—you’ve got good senses.” His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “That’s right. This senior… is a Void warrior.”He let that hang in the air for a second, almost like he wanted them to really feel it.“So g

Kael Draven didn’t respond right away.He just… stood there for a second.Because honestly, what was there to say? Being envied wasn’t new. But being targeted, schemed against, constantly dragged into trouble because of it—that was a different story. And not the kind anyone would sign up for.Zeric Jasper had already said it clearly. If a martial technique only brought endless problems, then no matter how powerful it was… it wasn’t worth the price.Jack Holden broke the silence, a little impatient. “Brother Jasper, Brother Draven—so what now? We go after Daze Calder?”“Not today.” Zeric Jasper lifted a hand, calm as ever. “Rules are rules. The Nine Provinces Wind and Cloud Battle forbids fighting today. We start tomorrow.”Jack Holden frowned, clearly not happy about it. “He broke the rules first. Why should we care?”Zeric Jasper let out a small laugh. “Think of it this way—if a dog bites you, are you going to bite it back?”Jack Holden blinked.“…No.”“Exactly. Let him break the rul

“Challenge… me?”Daze Calder blinked, like his brain lagged a second behind his ears. You could almost see the moment the words finally clicked.Kael Draven gave a small tilt of his head, casual as ever. “What’s the matter? Don’t tell me you’re scared.”That hit a nerve.“Hah! Kael Draven, are you trying to stir trouble on purpose?” Daze Calder shot back, voice rising. “Or are you looking down on Senior Brother Villard Sterling? He already challenged you—you agreed. So what’s this now? Challenging me too?”He sounded bold. Confident, even.But honestly? It was all for show.Inside, he had no intention of fighting. None. He’d seen enough already. Even a Void Soul couldn’t stand up to Kael Draven—so where did that leave him?Only someone like Villard Sterling would step into something like this head-on.Still… Daze Calder had a plan. Or at least, what he thought was a plan.If Villard Sterling lost? He’d run. Instantly. No hesitation, no dignity—just gone.If Kael Draven lost? Even bett

There was no turning back now.Kael Draven understood that better than anyone.This fight wouldn’t end until one of them dropped. Simple as that. No tricks, no miracles.Either he died… or Villard Sterling did.That was it. No third option, no lucky escape.He also knew something else very clearly—those twelve Ice-Fire Two-Headed Python corpse slaves? Yeah, they looked impressive, even terrifying to most people. But against Villard Sterling… they weren’t enough. Not even close.The gap in cultivation was just too big. Some things, you simply couldn’t brute-force through.Still, the battle raged on.Again and again, they collided in midair.Boom after boom shook the sky, sending shockwaves across the battlefield. And honestly, anyone with half a brain could already tell—Kael Draven wasn’t going to finish this easily.And yet…No one could ignore what he was doing.An Earth Emperor actually going toe-to-toe with a Dao Ancestor?That alone was insane.It shouldn’t even be possible.“Enou

“Father… I don’t care if you want to dominate Celestia. I just need one answer—why do you keep going after Kael Draven?”Kiera Thane stood there, her voice slightly unsteady.She truly couldn’t understand it. No matter how much she thought about it, it never made sense.Why did it always have to come to this?One side was her father. The other… was the man she loved.And honestly? No matter who got hurt, she couldn’t accept it. Not either of them.Arden Thane studied her for a moment, then let out a slow sigh.“Kiera Thane… since things have reached this point, I won’t hide it anymore. The reason I’m dealing with Kael Draven… is because of an order from the Golden Sun Sect.”“Golden Sun Sect?”Her eyes widened instantly.That was the last answer she expected.After all, Kael Draven and the Golden Sun Sect were already enemies locked in a death struggle. A clash between them was only a matter of time.Arden Thane continued calmly, as if discussing something trivial.“Celestia is contro