Emperor's Reckoning

Without waiting for any more nonsense from the elder, Riku slammed her hand on the pedestal and inject her energies.

*zing

"?!" the elder was surprised at the result, (Impossible! Her cultivation is at the ninth level already?!).

"Wow, two weeks ago she was only a seventh level Soul Realm, I wonder what lucky encounter she had stumbled into when she was in Treas auction," said a young girl.

"Looks like I need to visit that auction more often," said a young cultivator.

"Well did I pass?" her voice woke the elder up before he regained his composure. No matter what a two-level leap in cultivation was still astounding.

"Riku, ninth level, PASS!" shouted the elder.

One of the elders in the panel was nodding in excitement.

"The last one, Reka, please step forward," said the elder.

Hearing that name being called out, Lyon's eyes immediately search for that familiar figure. However, nobody showed up which made Lyon confuse and felt guilty.

*swoosh

At this time, one of the elders from the panel jumped on the ring and whispered something. The elder that oversees the test sighed, "That will be all,"

*swoosh

Lyon suddenly jumped on the arena, "Wait wait, please wait a minute old man."

The crowd was amused seeing this, nobody had ever dared to cut in an event and confront an elder. The last time this happened was ending in a punishment for the confronter.

Both of the elders had grimaced face, they wouldn't think that there would be people calling them 'old man' out of the blue. Such disrespect deserved to be punished by the Mist Clan law. However, since they were the elders, they should at least hear out what he wanted to say.

"What is it kid?" asked the elder.

"Why did you call the test over? Reka is not even here yet, we should wait," said Lyon.

Naeya was amused seeing this turn of event, she was smiling deviously. This smile was overlooked by Lyon because he thought Naeya was praising him for his conduct of responsibility. Nevertheless, it was something that Lyon never thought of.

"The fact that she is not here means that the Ascension is nothing to her," said the elder.

(She must be depressed because of me! Damn it!) thought Lyon.

"But even so, can I just replace her on the test?". Lyon's suggestion caught all the attention of the crowd including the elders in the panel.

"Is that even allowed?" said an onlooker.

"Depends, there is no absolute rule after all," answered an expert.

"Wow, such a manly guy, I wish I had a man like that," said an admiring girl.

The elder in front of Lyon squinted his eyes, "Why would you do that? Are you her boyfriend or something?"

"So what if I am!" shouted Lyon.

His shout surprised everybody. No one in the history of Mist Clan ever dared to talk back or even shout to an elder. Today's Ascension was surely the one that etched to the history book.

"Holy f*ck this guy is too manly!" said the same admiring girl.

"I know right, I want a man like that, no one under the heavens shall fear him!" said another girl.

"You!... Stop being so unreasonable! There is no way you could replace someone! I won't allow it!"

The elder reaction was something everyone thought of. Every single disciple in the Mist Clan knew, opposing the elders meant that one would stagnate in their cultivation. This was because the beads supply for the opposer would be cut or not received a single bead.

Meanwhile, the girls had almost the same thought, (Will he do that to me too? Will he stand against the world for me?)

Everyone wanted a different partner, but one thing was for sure. They need a company, someone who would stand by them even when the world turned against them. Someone who will lift them up when they were down. Someone to protect and be protected.

"Hmph! Useless blabber!" said the elder as he turned back and walking back to the panel before saying "Guards, send him to the punishment hall!"

The head of the Mist Clan watched this event with a hint of a smile that escaped everyone's eyes. If only someone could see her smile at that moment, their heart would be captured in an instant.

"Then, if I beat you ... would you allow me to replace Reka."

The sudden sentence seemed to freeze the time. Everybody instantly stopped whatever they were doing, including the elder who halted his steps.

"Just now, what did you say?" The elder's voice become deep as he heard something ridiculous.

"If I beat you, you will allow me to take Reka's position."

"You snotty brat! Nothing is gonna change just because you said so!"

"It will," said Lyon calmly. Even he himself didn't know why was he always calm under such pressure.

"Y-You!" then the elder turned his head to the elder's panel with cupped hands, "Head, please allow me to do a battle of the death with this kid, the Mist Clan is better without him."

Even Lyon was surprised at this outcome, he only wanted to replace Riku not to take the elder's life.

The head of the Mist Clan contemplated for a while before nodding in response.

*cheer

The crowd was in a high mood along with the approval from the head. They were here originally for the Ascension, who would have thought that they would see a battle to the death.

"I shall personally see this battle," said the head before jumping down.

"Hmph! A mere peak Soul Realm dares to confront me!"

"Originally I only want to replace Riku, but since you are being unreasonable and ask a battle to the death, so be it," said Lyon taking his stance.

(You both are unreasonable!) thought the crowd.

"Feast on your enemies! SCARLET!"

*zing

With a flash, the red-blood sword was in Lyon's hand.. The aura permeated from it even made the elders in the panel nervous.