Leroy looked down at his chest for what felt like a lifetime, the shock etched into his face refusing to fade. Confusion only deepened with every passing second.
'How…?'
Samael was just a boy—a child barely of age to begin cultivating. Leroy had noticed the oddities in his methods and the strange nature of his abilities, but he had dismissed them. Surely, they were simply the guarded secrets of some prestigious lineage.
But even then, it shouldn't have mattered. What value did those secrets hold against his centuries of cultivation? Against a body refined over decades, a soul awakened through tribulations, and Qi sublimated to its peak?
Crossing realms—truly leaping across such immense gaps—was something only the chosen few of the greatest lineages could do. And Samael? Samael wasn't one of them. Even if he was, the gap between them was too vast.
If Samael truly had the talent to bridge such a divide, then he wouldn't have ended up in this place to begin with.
None of it made sense.
'…I didn't even see him…'
Leroy's vision dimmed. He stumbled backwards, struggling for several seconds before collapsing onto his back. A wet splatter echoed as his blood and organs spilled across the ground.
He died.
An esteemed elder of the Void Trading Alliance—brought down by a youth with no visible cultivation.
Such a thing hadn't happened since… well, never. Not as far as any observer could remember.
A beat of silence followed. Then, chaos erupted.
Screams tore through the air. Spectators leapt from their seats, parents clutching their children, panicked cries rising like thunder. Men and women alike shivered in terror, tripping and pushing in their frantic attempt to reach the exits.
People were trampled in the panic, some nearly dying in the chaos, others left disoriented by the cacophony of fear.
Samael gave the chaos a passing glance. He wasn't surprised.
This was only the beginning.
His gaze returned to the coliseum floor, where he now stood encircled by dozens of figures clad in silver armor. Their features were obscured by thick, impenetrable veils that masked all expression.
"He isn't dead, you know?" Samael raised his hands in mock surrender. "Well—not completely. He's got an artifact lodged in his heart. It keeps his soul anchored for a few more hours."
He gestured with the still-beating heart in his hand. "See? It's still going strong."
The armored figures remained silent—until one of them appeared directly before him.
This one stood tall and poised, with short slicked-back blonde hair and piercing emerald eyes. He wore silver armor over grey robes, and at his waist hung two long swords, sheathed but ready.
Hands clasped behind his back, he looked at Samael with calm indifference.
"I assume you're aware," he said evenly, "that under royal law, we are obligated to arrest you—regardless of your motives."
"You'll be subjected to a fair trial and—"
Samael cut him off with a shrug, tossing Leroy's still-pulsing heart toward him. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the crowns of all the other participants materialized above his palm.
They spun together and fused with his own.
The simple golden crown transformed into a dark silver one, adorned with three gleaming emeralds.
"It's not enough," Samael said. "I'll need to break a few more things. I hope you understand."
He extended his palm, and from a distant corner of the coliseum, Reina's spear whistled through the air and landed neatly in his grip.
The blonde man frowned. "You are… resisting?" Genuine confusion marked his expression.
How foolish was Samael? Did he truly think this group of elite enforcers was on the same level as the weak elder he had just killed?
"Yeah, yeah, I know. It seems suicidal—" Samael said, shrugging again, "—and maybe it is, in some capacity."
"But some things have to be done." He laughed, slicking his hair back. "Also, you really shouldn't waste time on someone who's clearly stalling."
The man's eyes widened in alarm—but it was already too late.
"It'll cost you. Today, and in the future… if you're not careful."
WHOOOOOSH!
Across the icy surface beneath their feet, a web of complex golden runes emerged, expanding outward in a majestic formation. It pulsed once, then linked with Samael's silver crown.
In an instant, a domain unfurled.
Its primary function: the absolute sealing of cultivation.
Its secondary effect? A storm of chaotic qi would engulf the surrounding sector of the capital.
BANG!
The blonde man barely had time to comprehend what was happening when Samael's blade carved through the air—taking his arm with it.
He stumbled back in stunned silence, only to be struck by the blunt end of Samael's spear. The blow landed squarely against his temple.
Blood seeped from the wound as he crumpled, unconscious.
WHOOOSH!
More veiled soldiers surged onto the field, appearing in waves. But it didn't matter.
As long as they entered the domain's range, their cultivation would be sealed—and their fates sealed with it.
All at once, they pounced.
——
The Everheart sector of the capital was typically calm and peaceful, its population small and disturbances rare.
It was a quiet, affluent sector where wealthy farmers and qi crystal traders lived, surrounded by lush trees and tranquil gardens. The architecture was a blend of stone and glass, with buildings seamlessly integrated into the natural landscape.
It was a rural haven designed for the elite—like most sectors of the capital, though Everheart retained an especially enchanting charm.
Aside from the seasonal Exhibitions, not much ever happened there.
But today would be different.
BANG!
The skies darkened abruptly over Everheart. Thunder boomed as grey clouds condensed, golden lightning flickering within their depths.
Violent winds swept through the streets, uprooting trees and splintering buildings. Torrential rain poured down, hammering rooftops and flooding walkways.
The qi in the air turned wild—unruly. It lashed out randomly, exploding in bright flashes at unpredictable points in space.
Screams rose from every corner. Panic spread like wildfire. People fled their homes, tripping over one another in their haste.
And yet, this was only the beginning.