Chapter 224: The Dragon Gate and the Chaotic Era Divine King Body [Part 2]

The Dragon Gate and the Chaotic Era Divine King Body [Part 2]

The guests had begun arriving.

One after another, the great forces of the Everdawn Domain made their appearance.

Cultivators descended from their airships.

Disciples followed closely behind their elders.

Family heads stepped forward with dignified smiles.

Sect elders exchanged polite greetings.

Powerful figures clasped their hands and offered respectful words.

The entrance of the Brightwell family’s ancestral estate had never been this crowded.

Voices filled the air.

Laughter came from one direction.

Formal greetings came from another.

Young disciples looked around curiously, quietly sizing up the people around them.

Some were excited.

Some were nervous.

Others tried very hard not to show either emotion.

Every arrival added another layer of prestige to the Brightwell Family.

And standing at the very center of it all was the current patriarch of the Brightwell Family.

Marcus Brightwell.

He stood personally at the entrance of the grand estate.

He had refused to leave the welcoming duties to his elders or servants.

This was too important.

Every guest mattered.

Every sect mattered.

Every family that had come today represented another connection for the Brightwell Family.

Marcus understood that better than anyone.

He smiled as another distinguished guest approached.

He exchanged a few polite words before welcoming them inside.

Then his gaze moved toward the enormous courtyard beyond the gates.

For a moment, he simply stood there.

His eyes were bright.

His expression carried a pride he could barely hide.

The Brightwell Family was flourishing.

Not just surviving.

Not merely holding onto its position.

It was growing.

This generation had produced one talented young cultivator after another.

Even the distant branches of the family had begun producing remarkable figures.

Some had entered powerful sects.

Others had been accepted into sacred lands.

A few had even formed relationships with influential forces throughout the Everdawn Domain.

Those connections had slowly changed the Brightwell Family’s position.

Years ago, they had simply been another powerful family.

A respected one.

A wealthy one.

But still only one family among many.

Now things were different.

People came to them.

Sect leaders wanted alliances with them.

Powerful families sought marriages and partnerships.

Young disciples from influential forces wanted to stand alongside Brightwell Family heirs.

Even those who once looked down on them had begun changing the way they spoke.

Marcus noticed every bit of it.

And he couldn’t help feeling proud.

He remembered the days when none of this had seemed possible.

Back then, he had believed his life would be rather ordinary.

He would inherit the family.

Protect it.

Keep its foundations stable.

Then he would pass everything down to the next generation.

Perhaps he would accomplish something impressive during his lifetime.

Perhaps he would suffer a few failures.

Maybe he would leave behind a respectable name.

That would have been enough.

Marcus had never been a man who dreamed of conquering the world.

He had simply wanted the Brightwell Family to survive.

To grow stronger.

To remain standing.

But then his son was born.

Evan Brightwell.

From the moment the child came into this world, everything changed.

Evan had been born with double pupils.

The news alone had sent the entire family into celebration.

It wasn’t simply a rare physical trait.

It was a sign of extraordinary potential.

The elders had been excited.

The younger generation had looked at Evan with admiration.

Even Marcus, who had always tried to remain composed, had struggled to hide his happiness.

But that had only been the beginning.

Years later, something even more astonishing had been discovered.

A Sovereign Bone.

Inside Evan’s chest.

Marcus still remembered the moment he had heard the news.

He had been stunned.

For a long time, he hadn’t even known what to say.

A Sovereign Bone.

Such a gift was beyond what the Brightwell Family had dared to hope for.

It wasn’t merely talent.

It was the kind of foundation that could change a person’s entire destiny.

And now, that child had grown into the brightest star of the younger generation.

Marcus slowly turned his head.

His gaze moved toward the grand hall.

The doors were open.

Inside, preparations for the banquet were already underway.

Servants moved between the tables.

Powerful cultivators gathered in small groups.

Young prodigies from different forces had begun arriving.

Soon, they would all be gathered in one place.

Marcus’s smile deepened.

His son was inside.

And today was going to be Evan’s stage.

"This generation..."

Marcus quietly murmured.

His voice was almost lost beneath the noise around him.

"The Brightwell Family’s generation..."

He didn’t finish the sentence.

He didn’t need to.

He already knew what he wanted to say.

This generation was destined to rise.

He could feel it.

More importantly, he believed it.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the distant horizon.

One day, Evan’s name would spread far beyond the Everdawn Domain.

One day, powerful figures from distant regions would know the name Brightwell.

And perhaps one day...

His son would stand at a height that even Marcus himself couldn’t imagine.

A faint laugh escaped him.

For Marcus Brightwell, this Prodigy Banquet was more than a simple celebration.

It wasn’t merely an opportunity for young geniuses to meet.

It wasn’t just a gathering of influential families and sects.

To him, it represented something much larger.

It was the first step.

The beginning of an era that belonged to the Brightwell Family.

At least, that was what Marcus believed.

He had no idea that fate had already begun moving pieces across the board.

He didn’t know that somewhere far beyond the Everdawn Domain, another force had already set its sights on this place.

And he certainly didn’t know that a black-robed man was watching the same horizon.

A man with long black hair.

Golden eyes.

A presence that remained hidden beneath an almost unnerving calm.

Victor Salvatore.

The patriarch of the Salvatore Family.

He was coming.

And Marcus Brightwell had absolutely no idea.

The Brightwell Family had spent years building its reputation.

They had gathered allies.

They had nurtured geniuses.

They had slowly climbed toward the center of the Everdawn Domain.

Today, they intended to show the world what they had become.

But fate had other plans.

Because the Salvatore Family was coming.

And when the Salvatore Family moved—

The heavens themselves would have to make room.