Chapter 119: Going to the elven empire

The battlefield remained buried beneath an oppressive silence.

No one spoke because no one knew what to say. The declaration that had just come from Vladimir’s mouth had overturned everything they believed they knew about the young human standing before them. A moment ago, Victor had been nothing more than an extraordinary human genius in their eyes. Now, his identity had become so terrifying that even the heavens seemed insignificant before it.

The name of one person echoed inside every mind.

Cristofer Alehandro.

The Progenitor of the Elven Race.

The founder of one of the greatest bloodline in the universe.

The supreme existence who had personally led the elves from a weak race into one of the 12 Supreme Races. Legends claimed he had lived for millions of years, witnessed the birth and destruction of galaxies, and stood among the oldest living beings in existence.

Even the most arrogant Sovereigns lowered their heads whenever his name was mentioned.

The elven princess felt every ounce of strength leave her body.

She immediately fell to both knees, lowering her head until it nearly touched the shattered ground beneath her. Cold sweat soaked her robes while disbelief continued filling her beautiful eyes. Her breathing became uneven as countless memories surfaced inside her mind.

She had once seen a portrait of the Progenitor inside the Imperial Ancestral Hall.

Only the True Disciples were allowed to stand beside him.

"No..."

She whispered unconsciously while trembling.

"The Progenitor’s... Ninth True Disciple?"

Her face completely lost its color.

She finally understood why Vladimir had personally descended.

A mere human could never attract the attention of an existence like Vladimir Ashborn.

But a fellow disciple...

That was an entirely different matter.

Even the current Emperor of the Elven Empire would personally welcome every single disciple of the Progenitor with the highest possible respect. Their status did not depend on cultivation.

It depended on who stood behind them.

The Spirit Race Prince felt as though the entire universe had collapsed onto his shoulders.

His body shook violently while countless horrifying possibilities flashed through his mind one after another. If Victor truly was the Ninth True Disciple of Cristofer Alehandro, then today’s incident had already exceeded the level of a personal conflict.

It had become a diplomatic disaster.

His grandfather was the current Spirit Emperor.

However, even the Spirit Emperor would never risk offending the Progenitor of the Elven Race over one descendant.

The answer was obvious.

If the Progenitor demanded compensation...

His grandfather would personally hand him over without hesitation.

The Spirit Race would sacrifice him to preserve peace between the two supreme races.

Thinking of that possibility caused every drop of blood in his body to turn cold.

Meanwhile, Victor quietly observed everyone’s reactions before looking toward Vladimir.

Although his expression remained calm, inwardly he was genuinely surprised.

Master truly moved quickly.

He had expected some protection after sending the message, but he never imagined his master would dispatch someone of Vladimir’s status immediately after sensing danger.

Victor stepped forward before respectfully bowing.

"Greetings, Senior Brother. I am Victor Walker. It is an honor to meet you."

His voice carried genuine respect.

Regardless of status, Vladimir had personally crossed countless star fields to save his life.

That favor deserved acknowledgment.

Vladimir looked down at the young man before him.

The icy indifference covering his face gradually melted away.

Moments earlier, he had resembled a divine emperor capable of freezing entire galaxies with a single glance. Now, a warm smile slowly appeared across his handsome face as he studied Victor with obvious satisfaction.

"So you are our little junior."

His voice became noticeably gentler.

"I am Vladimir Ashborn."

He placed a hand against his chest before introducing himself properly.

"Your Eldest Senior Brother."

Victor smiled before bowing once more.

"Thank you for coming here to save me, Senior Brother."

Vladimir waved his hand dismissively.

"There is no need to thank me."

"You are Master’s disciple."

"You are family."

"If I allowed anyone to bully my junior brother while I stood watching, our fellow disciples would laugh at me for the next hundred thousand years."

Several nearby elves unconsciously smiled after hearing those words.

Only now did they realize the usually emotionless Vladimir could actually joke.

Victor chuckled softly before his expression became thoughtful.

Vladimir turned toward the kneeling Spirit Prince and the heavily injured Melina.

Both remained completely silent.

Fear filled every inch of their faces.

"What do you wish to do with them?"

Vladimir asked calmly.

"They attacked you."

"They insulted one of Master’s disciples."

"The decision is yours."

His tone was casual.

As though deciding the fate of two supreme race geniuses was no different than choosing today’s meal.

The moment those words left his mouth, Melina and the Spirit Prince’s faces turned deathly pale.

Both hurriedly lowered themselves until their foreheads touched the ground.

"Sir..."

The Spirit Prince’s voice trembled violently.

"Please forgive this junior."

"I truly did not know Young Master Victor’s identity."

"If I had known..."

"I would never have acted so arrogantly."

Melina also swallowed her pride.

Her injuries still throbbed painfully, but compared to death, her pride meant nothing.

"Young Master Victor."

She lowered her head.

"I offended you."

"I ask for your forgiveness."

Victor quietly stared at them without speaking.

His eyes remained completely emotionless.

Several long seconds passed before he looked toward Vladimir.

"Senior Brother."

"How much are they worth?"

The sudden question stunned everyone.

Even Vladimir blinked once in surprise.

He had expected Victor to ask for execution.

Or perhaps crippling their cultivation.

Instead...

He asked for their market value.

A faint smile slowly appeared on Vladimir’s face.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

He folded his arms before answering seriously.

"The Spirit Prince possesses considerable value."

"If the Spirit Race wishes to redeem him, you can reasonably request around one billion Universal Coins worth of treasures."

"As for the woman.."

"Approximately two hundred million Universal Coins."

"If you demand anything beyond that, their race will simply abandon them."

Victor nodded thoughtfully.

A billion Universal Coins.

That amount should be enough to significantly evolve his Cosmic Vine.

Without hesitation, he gave his answer.

"Then ask their races to compensate me with treasures worth that amount."

"I want everything suitable for evolving my Cosmic Vine."

The surrounding experts stared blankly.

Even Melina looked up in disbelief.

He...

Was sparing them?

Vladimir’s smile widened.

Inside, he became even more impressed with his junior brother.

Victor possessed overwhelming talent.

Someone like that could easily become arrogant after obtaining strength.

Yet Victor had remained calm enough to choose the option that benefited him the most.

Killing them would satisfy temporary anger.

Obtaining resources would strengthen his future.

It was the decision of someone who understood the bigger picture.

"Good decision."

Vladimir nodded approvingly.

"I’ll personally oversee the negotiations."

"The Spirit Race won’t dare refuse."

Victor smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Senior Brother."

Vladimir shook his head.

"There is no need."

"Master instructed us long ago."

"If any junior brother or sister encounters trouble, every senior disciple must provide assistance."

"You are not alone anymore."

Those simple words warmed Victor’s heart.

Ever since arriving in this universe, he had constantly relied only on himself.

Now...

He finally possessed a family powerful enough to shake the entire cosmos.

After a brief silence, Victor suddenly remembered something important.

"Senior Brother. I wish to meet Master."

"Can we leave now?"

Vladimir nodded without hesitation.

"Of course."

"Master has already been informed."

"He is waiting."

After speaking, Vladimir slowly turned toward the kneeling elven princess.

His expression instantly became serious once again.

"You."

The princess hurriedly lowered her head.

"Yes, Lord Vladimir."

"You will return to the empire immediately."

"You failed to stop this conflict despite representing the empire."

"You will receive punishment according to imperial law."

"I accept my punishment."

She answered respectfully without the slightest complaint.

She understood that Vladimir had already shown mercy.

If this incident had escalated further, the entire diplomatic relationship between the Elven Empire and the Spirit Race might have suffered irreversible damage.

With a simple wave of his hand, the surrounding void suddenly distorted.

A sleek silver voidship nearly twenty kilometers long silently emerged from space itself.

Its elegant surface shimmered with countless ancient runes while enormous crystal engines pulsed with enough energy to cross galaxies in mere moments.

The surrounding geniuses widened their eyes.

The ship slowly descended before its massive entrance opened automatically.

Vladimir calmly walked aboard.

Victor followed beside him.

The elven princess quickly entered after them together with every remaining member of the Elven delegation.

Before boarding completely, Victor glanced back one final time.

His gaze briefly landed on the Spirit Prince and Melina.

Neither dared meet his eyes.

A moment later, the enormous entrance closed.

The crystal engines released a soft humming sound before space itself folded around the vessel.

Without creating the slightest explosion, the voidship disappeared into hyperspace.

It vanished so completely that not even a trace of its existence remained.

Only after the terrifying pressure completely disappeared did everyone finally release the breath they had unconsciously been holding.

Several leaders nearly collapsed onto the ground.

The Giant Race leader scratched the back of his head before laughing bitterly.

"I’ve learned my lesson today."

He looked toward the empty sky with lingering fear.

"From now on, I’m never underestimating anyone again."

"Good thing I didn’t act on my impulses."

"Otherwise..."

"I’d probably be preparing my own funeral."

Several nearby geniuses nodded repeatedly.

Today’s events had permanently changed their outlook.

Background mattered.

Talent mattered.

But sometimes...

A person’s master mattered even more.

The Beast Race leader sighed deeply.

"We came here hoping to compete for opportunities."

"Instead we witnessed the disciple of the Elven Progenitor."

"I doubt anyone will forget this day."

The surrounding experts silently agreed.

Stories about today’s battle would undoubtedly spread across countless galaxies within days.

Victor Walker.

The Ninth True Disciple.