CHAPTER 191: CHALLENGE

But suddenly...

Buzz!

A burst of rippling energy split the air. The sky churned. A dark cloud swirled above the arena, streaked with golden light. All eyes turned upward as two figures descended, cloaked in majesty.

Igaris Vance stepped forward first, draped in flowing obsidian robes trimmed with silver, his eyes like molten galaxies. Behind him floated Shirley, ethereal and silent, her enchanting presence casting an absolute silence over the entire battlefield.

Her beauty seemed truly out of this world.

Then, a thunderous pressure pressed down on everyone, forcing even high elders to unconsciously hold their breath.

"Who... are they?" whispered a sect elder from the Northern Sky Temple.

"Their aura... it’s not mortal."

"They’re not on the list of finalists!" a tournament official stammered, rushing forward. "This is against the rules!"

Before he could say another word, Sect Master Fang Tianyi emerged from the VIP pavilion and raised his voice:

"They are representatives of the Soaring Dragon Sect. Igaris Vance and Shirley Wane will fight in this final round on our behalf."

Murmurs erupted everywhere. The other sects stared in disbelief.

"That’s impossible! The registrations are closed!"

"Where were they during the previous rounds?"

Even Yuhan and Tian Yue widened their eyes in shock. Not because of the rule-breaking, but because they felt an uncanny familiarity. That enchantress-like figure of Shirley, that indomitable spirit of Igaris, their possessors.

They still remembered the message Shirley had left—

"We’ll meet again in the Imperial Tournament."

And now, here they were. In the flesh.

But the Dao Children and sect elders from the other factions strongly denied their entry into the final competition. Their enraged and furious voices rose over the battlefield like a storm of protests.

However, at that moment, the Emperor of the Blue Moon Empire raised his hand.

And the entire arena fell silent at once.

"Let them prove themselves."

He narrowed his celestial-blue eyes at Igaris.

"You carry a strange fate... I wish to witness its might."

Igaris stepped forward, his voice calm but sharp.

"We did not come to seek permission. We came to claim what was always ours."

Shirley floated beside him, her eyes glowing like phoenix embers.

Evernight, standing beside Jian Longchen and Ren Wen, watched everything like a quiet queen. Though many were already captivated by her beauty—a breathtaking mix of heaven and hell.

But she was like the moon:

Distant. Untouchable.

As their presence settled, a strange thing occurred. The platforms meant for the finalists began to tremble. One of them shattered entirely as a Dao Child fell to his knees, unable to breathe under Igaris’s overwhelming pressure.

Gasps erupted from the crowd.

"He... he didn’t even attack..."

From the depths of the crowd, a black-robed elder from the Poison Sect clenched his jaw.

"Who is this bastard? This is an unfair fight. So why is that stupid emperor still letting him participate?"

"But... he looks no older than them," someone tried to argue—only to shut his mouth the next moment.

"Bastard! Don’t you understand? If we lose this competition, we’ll lose our qualification to enter the Secret Realm!" the black-robed elder growled, biting his purple lips in frustration.

"I–I’m sorry, Elder... but there’s nothing we can do to stop this..."

"Then shut the hell up... and let me think!" he snapped, eyes burning with venomous fury.

—

On the battlefield, Igaris now stood face to face with the ten Dao Children who had reached the finals.

Each radiated a powerful aura, their battle intent soaring like blades clashing in the air.

Among them:

Yang Huo from the Misty Phoenix Sect, his golden flame qi already coiling around him like a serpent.

Fairy Hua of the Thousand Lotus Sect, calm as a tranquil pond, yet hiding thousands of killing intents behind her serene gaze.

And—

Mu Chen of the Poison Sect.

The very same person who had once harmed Elder Hao.

The same sect Igaris had sworn to destroy before the old man and the others.

The time to settle that debt had finally arrived.

Yet, none of them recognized him.

Except Yuhan, who stood quietly among them.

To the world, Igaris was still a mysterious intruder. An arrogant outlander breaking the rules of a sacred tournament.

A tense silence blanketed the arena.

The ten Dao Children stared at Igaris, unsure whether to take him as a joke or a genuine threat.

Yang Huo sneered first, flicking his long red hair. "You’re not even on the list. Who do you think you are, strutting in like this?"

Fairy Hua’s voice was soft, yet cold. "Breaking tradition in front of the Emperor. How bold. Or just foolish?"

Mu Chen stepped forward, his lips curled into a poisonous grin. "I don’t care where you came from. Once you step into this battlefield, you’ll leave in pieces. No one defies the Poison Sect and walks away."

Igaris didn’t flinch.

His eyes glinted like burning stars as he spoke, his voice calm, but each word was like a sword plunged into their pride.

"You’ve all trained for years to stand here. Honed your techniques, sacrificed your lives for this one shot at glory. And yet..."

He glanced at each one of them, eyes like blades peeling away their egos.

"Not a single one of you is worthy of being called a true Dao Child."

A ripple of fury spread through the finalists.

Yang Huo growled. "Say that again, you arrogant piece of—"

Igaris raised a single finger, and Yang Huo instantly shut his mouth, veins pulsing at his temple as pressure locked his jaw shut.

The audience gasped.

"W–What... was that?"

"Did he just silence Yang Huo with a gesture?"

Igaris turned his gaze toward Mu Chen, who had narrowed his eyes into slits.

"You... I remember your poison." His voice lowered. "You harmed Elder Hao. For that alone, I should make your death slow."

Mu Chen’s grin faded.

A brief flash of unease flickered in his eyes.

Then, Igaris took a step forward, his black robe fluttering like shadows in a storm.

"All of you." He pointed to each Dao Child.

"Except him." His hand stopped at Yuhan, who froze.

A subtle tremor passed through him.

"You... you really are..."

Igaris didn’t confirm or deny it. He simply raised his hand, palm facing the sky.

"Nine of you. One of me." His voice echoed through the arena.

"Come at me together. I’ll show you why the heavens remember my name."

Gasps exploded across the arena.

"Is he insane?"

"He’s challenging nine Dao Children alone?"

Even the Emperor sat up slightly in his throne, his interest piqued, his face twisted in a calculating smirk.