Chapter 305: Ariel’s Fight [5]

Chapter 305: Chapter 305: Ariel’s Fight [5]

The silver in Ariel’s eyes deepened to the color of a midnight tide.

Her body lifted from the ground, the gravity trap that had pinned her shattering like glass as she rose.

Behind her, a shimmering projection took form.

An ancient mermaid princess, her crown woven from coral and starlight, her eyes ancient and knowing.

The projection spread its arms, and the arena floor cracked open.

Water surged upward from the stone, a geyser of ocean-blue energy that wrapped around Ariel like a living cloak.

The gravity field Gorn had activated didn’t just break.

It was consumed.

The pressure of the deep sea, the weight of an entire ocean, swallowed the talisman’s effect whole.

Gorn’s eyes widened behind his visor.

"What the hell..."

Ariel didn’t answer.

She moved.

The Trident blazed with blinding sapphire light as she dashed forward, her feet barely touching the cracked stone.

Gorn raised his war-axe, pouring every ounce of his remaining spiritual energy into a single, desperate block.

The axe met the trident.

And shattered.

The blade of his weapon exploded into a thousand fragments, the shockwave of concussive water slamming into his chest and hurling him backward.

Gorn’s body slammed into the barrier with a deafening crack, the invisible wall shuddering and splintering under the force of the impact.

Cracks spiderwebbed outward from the point of contact, the protective formation flickering as it struggled to absorb the blow.

He slid down the surface, his armor groaning in protest, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

When he managed to force his eyes open, the world swimming in a haze of pain and disorientation, The Trident hovered a mere inch from his throat.

Ariel stood over him, her silver eyes cold and unyielding, her breathing steady as if she had just taken a leisurely stroll rather than annihilating seven cultivators in a row.

The ancient mermaid princess projection loomed behind her, its coral crown catching the light, its expression unreadable.

Water still dripped from Ariel’s robes, pooling around her feet, the arena floor slick with residual ocean energy.

She held the tip there for a long, agonizing moment.

The crowd held its breath.

Gorn’s hand twitched toward his belt, but he stopped himself. He knew better.

Then she pulled back, the trident’s sapphire glow dimming as she lowered it to her side.

She turned without a word, her dark blue hair swaying with the motion, and walked away with the measured grace of a victor who had nothing left to prove.

The concussive wave that had followed her strike hit him full force, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

He collapsed.

Grand Marshal Vane’s voice rolled across the arena, final and absolute.

"Iron Mountain eliminated! Azure Dragon Sect advances!"

The colosseum exploded.

One million spectators rose to their feet, their roar shaking the ancient stone walls of the Great Solaris Arena.

They had witnessed history.

The tournament’s first full-team sweep.

A single girl, against seven Iron Mountain cultivators, and she had won without a single member of her sect lifting a finger.

Damon watched from the dugout, a smile spreading across his face.

Ariel turned, her silver eyes fading back to their vivid blue.

She walked off the stage with the grace of a princess, her steps measured, controlled.

But the moment she crossed the barrier line, her legs gave out.

She collapsed gently into Damon’s waiting arms.

He caught her, cradling her against his chest, her body trembling with exhaustion.

He stroked her hair, the dark blue strands soft against his fingers, the silk of them slipping through his touch like water.

Her head rested in his lap, her breathing still shallow but steadying as the restorative pill worked its way through her meridians.

He leaned down, his lips brushing against her ear.

"You were absolutely incredible out there, Ariel," he whispered, his voice low and filled with genuine admiration.

"You didn’t just win—you dominated. The entire arena saw what I’ve always known."

She smiled weakly, her vivid blue eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze. A faint blush crept across her pale cheeks, and her voice came out as a soft, breathless murmur.

"I had to prove myself," she said, her words trembling with exhaustion but carrying an undercurrent of fierce pride.

"To you. To the sect. To everyone who ever doubted that a noble girl could stand her ground."

He pressed his lips to her forehead, lingering there for a long moment, feeling the warmth of her skin against his.

"You proved more than that," he said. "You showed them what a true princess looks like."

Around them, the roar of the crowd continued, but in that small bubble of silence, there was only the two of them.

He pressed a high-grade restorative pill to her lips, and she swallowed it, the warmth spreading through her body.

Then, in full view of the arena, he kissed her forehead.

The crowd roared again.

But Damon didn’t care about them.

He held her close, his arms wrapped around her, her breathing steadying as the pill took effect.

She was his.

And she had just shown the entire Eastern Continent what that meant.

He looked up, meeting the eyes of his other women.

Mio and Mia were smiling.

Seraphina was nodding.

Flare was trying to look unimpressed but failing.

Alena was already analyzing Ariel’s energy flow.

And Lumina was watching with a look of pure admiration.

Selene stepped forward, her hand resting on Ariel’s shoulder.

"Rest now. You’ve earned it," he murmured, his voice low and tender against her ear.

Ariel nodded weakly, her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned into his chest, completely spent from the battle.

Damon carried her to the nearby bench, his arms cradling her with utmost care.

He settled her gently against the wall, propping her up so she could rest comfortably while still watching the arena.

He turned back to the stage, his golden eyes narrowing as the crowd’s roar faded into a dull hum.

The projection array was already spinning above the arena, its intricate runes glowing bright as it selected the next match from the pool of remaining competitors.