Chapter 139: Chapter 139
"Disciple will work hard," the young man, Kai, said respectfully, bowing slightly to his master.
Lyralei’s gaze turned cold as she looked across the glowing barrier at Obsidian Howl.
"Obsidian Howl, do you think coming to our Dao Sect uninvited is wise? Aren’t you the least bit afraid you might never leave?"
"Hahaha!" Obsidian’s booming laughter echoed in the mountain air.
"Sect Leader Lyralei, please stop trying to frighten me. No one knows your Azure Origin Dao sect more than me."
He lifted his hands calmly behind his back, pride rising in the gleam of his eyes.
"While presiding over your sect’s Origin Formation, I doubt you could muster the focus and power to handle me directly. You’re at the peak of the sixth turn at best. Meanwhile, I," his aura swelled instantly, tearing the clouds overhead as the space around him distorted, "am already in the fifth turn of the Mahayana realm!"
The shockwave of his released energy scattered the mist and rattled the mountains. Lyralei’s hair swayed, her sleeves fluttered with the pressure, but her expression didn’t waver.
"So, the rumors were true," she murmured under her breath.
Obsidian Howl, the ever-ambitious elder of Wisteria Cloud Valley, had advanced again. His recent progress signaled more than personal achievement—it heralded the rise of Wisteria Cloud Valley itself.
Four Mahayana experts now resided in their sect, their influence growing like wildfire across the Skyreach Territory.
A hostile future was inevitable.
Seeing her thoughtful expression, Obsidian’s grin widened. "Ah, Sect Leader Lyralei, I see that look in your eyes. Thinking about war, aren’t you?" He chuckled darkly.
"You should be grateful I came in peace."
Lyralei’s answer was ice in her tone. "Peace from a wolf is still a matter of prey."
Her gaze flicked to the young man at his side.
"So this is Kai, your so-called holy Son of Wisteria Cloud Valley. A pure spirit body... the first among the ten ancient physiques. Reaching the Soul Formation realm at so young an age truly is remarkable."
She paused, faint mockery lacing her words. "But bringing him here as an audience? Aren’t you afraid your saint might never set foot outside Azure Origin Dao Sect again?"
Obsidian laughed freely. "Afraid? Hah! If I dared to come within range of your great sect, I fear nothing." His voice rose in confidence.
"Even if you were not presiding over the Origin Formation, Lyralei, you couldn’t possibly harm my disciple in front of me."
Kai’s expression mirrored his master’s arrogance. "Master is right. Sect Master Lyralei, your power is impressive, but it is far from enough to kill me under my master’s eye."
Lyralei’s gaze sharpened. The faint glow of crimson spiritual energy shimmered along her fingertips.
"Ignorant child. You think yourself safe behind another’s shadow?"
With a flick of her finger, a burst of red spiritual power shot forward, tearing through the air like lightning.
Obsidian snapped his hand up instantly. Blue energy flared around him, condensing into a crystalline mirror. The two forces collided with a deafening boom.
The air shockwaves sent smaller rocks and grasses flying in all directions, and Obsidian was forced three steps back, boots grinding deep cracks into the earth below.
For the briefest second, his composure faltered. "This woman... she’s nearing her seventh turn?! Impossible at her age..."
His chest heaved once before he straightened again, pride barely masking the unease in his eyes.
If Lyralei did complete her seventh turn, she would surpass their sect’s power in every single way possible. Even while controlling the Origin Formation, she could still seriously wound—perhaps even kill—him.
He clenched his jaw and forced a smirk. "A minor embarrassment."
"Master, are you well?" Kai asked carefully.
"I’m fine," Obsidian replied tersely, regaining his air of superiority.
"She’s at a critical point in her cultivation, that’s all. She won’t dare attempt the seventh turn easily—not after surviving a near-fatal attempt decades ago. She fails again, and her life—and this sect—will fall with her."
Lyralei’s lips curved upward. "How does it feel, old man?"
Obsidian crossed his arms, scoffing. "Merely a scratch. Until you take that final step towards the seventh turn, you can’t kill me." His tone was dismissive, but the faint tremor in his fingertips told another story.
He cleared his throat. "Sect Master Lyralei, allow me to offer some advice rather than battle. Join hands with Wisteria Cloud Valley."
His words carried a false kindness heavy with threat. "Our valley will soon lead the four major sects in Skyreach. It’s destiny. Ally with us, and Azure Origin will keep its name. Refuse—" he grinned savagely, "and extinction will claim you."
"Old man," Lyralei replied coolly, "your arrogance is boundless."
"It’s not arrogance," Obsidian said smoothly, "but understanding. Who here could challenge me besides you? Do you plan to rely on Seraphina?"
At the sound of her name, the corners of Lyralei’s lips quirked with irritation.
Kai chuckled. "Seraphina, the so called Saintess, wasn’t she once the sect’s ’shining star’? I heard she couldn’t even complete with anyone in the Spiritual Path Trial."
His youthful laughter was cruel. "The proud Ice Soul spirit body, nothing more than dead frost now. If I were her age, I’d already be standing in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm."
"Arrogant child," Lyralei cut in.
He ignored her and straightened proudly. "In the next Spiritual Road Trial, I’ll seize the Ancient Sect’s ultimate inheritance myself."
His claim crackled in the air like thunder. The sheer audacity made several listening disciples below whisper in disbelief.
Lyralei’s eyes narrowed. "Bold claims often come before humiliation."
"Oh?" Kai lifted his chin, smirking.
"Besides Seraphina, who else do you have? The famed Althea? Or... that so-called prodigy, Ethan? The one who toppled the Sixth Prince of the Vernal Dawn Dynasty?" His tone mocked, as if speaking the names alone amused him.
Lyralei stiffened slightly—how quickly news had spread.
Obsidian smirked knowingly. "Come now, Lyralei. Even you can’t believe that defeating Bram is proof of greatness. The Sixth Prince isn’t as mighty as you think. With resources and time, my disciple could crush him to dust. Ethan’s victory is nothing to brag about."
He stepped closer, narrowing his sharp eyes. "Admit it. If Azure Origin still had a true genius, you’d have claimed Blue Void Ancestor’s ultimate inheritance by now."
His cruel grin deepened. "A shame, really. Blue Void Ancestor was a conqueror in his era—lord of this entire territory. His Azure Origin Dao Sect was the supreme force once! But today? You cling to relics and memories while your stars fade."
He chuckled, the sound dark and derisive. "From heaven’s peak, now just a weak first-rate sect."
Kai followed his master’s lead, arrogance etched across his young face. "Hmph! Ethan alone? Give me thirty years—no, twenty—and I’ll surpass him easily. I’ll make Ethan’s name fade like an old tale."
The air twisted with disdain.
But from below the gathering clouds of light, a chilling voice cut through the air like a blade.
"Hmph. Arrogant boy. You think yourself fit to be compared to Ethan?"
It was Althea. Her figure stepped from the shadows, white robes flowing, her eyes glacial and steady. Her sharp tone silenced the crowd instantly.
A/N:
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