The Next Morning — Spirit Hall, Inner Sanctum

Golden light filtered in through the silk curtains, warm and silent as it spilled across the smooth marble floor.

Michael opened his eyes.

Bibi Dong was no longer lying beside him.

The spot where she had been resting was cold now — long vacated. But her scent still lingered faintly in the air, a mix of lavender, spirit herbs… and something uniquely hers.

He sat up slowly, running a hand through his tousled hair. No regrets. No guilt. But a lingering tension tugged at his chest — a quiet reminder that their bond had shifted forever.

A knock echoed on the outer door. One of the inner sanctum attendants bowed low as Michael stepped out already dressed, robes neat and demeanor calm.

"Holy Son, Supreme Pontiff requests your presence at the Council Hall," the attendant said respectfully.

Michael nodded once.

He didn't ask questions.

The grand council hall within the inner ring was already active.

Bibi Dong sat once again on her throne — cold, composed, and unreadable. No trace of the woman from the night before showed on her face.

She didn't look at him any differently either.

If anything, her gaze was even sharper.

Michael stood at her side, as was his position as Holy Son.

The chamber was filled with high-ranking elders and strategists — the inner circle of Spirit Hall. Among them stood Renxue, also calm and radiant, hands folded behind her.

"As of today," Bibi Dong began, her voice ringing out clearly, "we enter the final stage."

Her gaze swept across the room.

"Spirit Hall will host the final championship arc of the Continental Elite Spirit Tournament. All major empires — Heaven Dou, Star Luo, and their satellite factions — will send their representative teams here, to Spirit City."

A hum of murmurs filled the room.

A hum of murmurs filled the room.

But none were in opposition.

The gathered elders — men and women who had served Spirit Hall for decades — didn't doubt her words. If anything, a sense of anticipation sharpened their gazes.

Most of them glanced subtly toward the young man standing beside the Supreme Pontiff.

Mo Luochen. The Holy Son.

He stood like a blade drawn halfway from its sheath — calm, composed, but unmistakably lethal. A symbol of Spirit Hall's future… and its greatest weapon.

For the past two years, rumors had swirled. Whispers about his rise. About his battlefield feats in secret campaigns. About his team — a group of monsters cultivated beneath the public eye. The so-called Platinum Generation.

And now… it was no longer rumor.

He was real.

He was here.

And no one could deny it.

One elder leaned toward another and whispered, "Did you feel his spirit pressure? It wasn't even released fully… and yet…"

The other nodded solemnly. "He's not like the rest. Not even like the previous generation. He's something else."

Across the room, another old general of Spirit Hall, white-bearded and clad in golden robes, smiled thinly.

"The empires will send their best," he said aloud, stroking his beard. "But in the end, they're lambs walking to the slaughter. They're still dreaming of unity. Of resistance. Of balance."

His eyes flicked toward Michael.

"But when they stand against him… when they realize they can't even make him blink… maybe then, they'll understand."

A few others nodded.

Some chuckled darkly.

"They will come with pride," one said. "With banners raised and arrogance high."

"And they will leave broken," another added. "Like ants beneath a boot."

Bibi Dong didn't comment on the murmurs. She allowed them to echo, her silence a throne in itself.

But her gaze never left Michael.

To the room, it was the firm, calculating look of a master observing her prized disciple.

But hidden behind her regal expression… was something more.

A quiet pride.

And beneath that — a heat only she could feel. The silent gaze of a woman who had, despite herself, fallen for the very man she helped shape.

Her lips parted slightly, and her next words were delivered with calm finality:

"Disciple Mo… I want absolute crushing."

The chamber fell silent.

Her words hung like a blade suspended over the continent.

Michael inclined his head slightly, expression still unreadable — but his golden eyes shimmered faintly with a dangerous gleam. "Understood, Master."

Around them, several elders exchanged approving glances. There was no fear in their hearts — only hunger.

Yes, they liked this.

They wanted this.

A show of absolute dominance.

Let the world see.

Let the empires bring their genius teams, their best talents, their so-called prodigies.

Let them march into Spirit City with banners waving and egos intact.

So they could be broken. Publicly. Completely.

No second chances.

No ties.

No "close fights."

Only one-sided destruction that would send a message across the entire continent:

Spirit Hall reigns supreme.

Spirit City — One Week Later

The air buzzed with rising tension.

From the far reaches of the continent, they came.

From the Star Luo Empire, a grand convoy arrived through the western gates — imperial guards mounted on spirit beasts, their banner a silver lion wreathed in flame. At the center rode the Star Luo Prince, his face confident, his spirit power surging with pride. Behind him, his team — the Empire's top academy elites — moved like a well-oiled machine. Disciplined. Deadly.

From Heaven Dou Empire, elegant carriages laced in azure and gold crossed the marble causeways. The Imperial Academy's genius team stepped out under waves of cheers. Nobles from all corners of the empire had gathered to witness their prodigies — hailed as the "Chosen Seven." Their captain walked with silver eyes and a blade on his back, confidence radiating from every step.

From the smaller kingdoms and duchies, the best of local academies also arrived — young spirit masters with shining eyes, dreaming of fame and fortune. They wore the colors of Balak, Barak, and Silversky Kingdoms, spirits burning bright with ambition.

They came like streams feeding a vast ocean — all converging on Spirit City, the capital of Spirit Hall.

And they — the teams of proud youths and trained elites — were walking in with heads held high, smiles on their faces…

Like lambs to slaughter.

Above the city, the Spirit Temple loomed — vast and immovable. Its shadow stretched over the city like a divine judgment.

Inside, Michael stood at the highest balcony, eyes fixed on the arriving guests.

*******

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