Chapter 103: Chapter 103
Lilith’s frown deepened as she stepped forward, her voice edged with caution.
"Ethan, be careful with your words, don’t go too far." The weight of her warning hung heavy—a reminder that despite the Empress’s favor toward Ethan, Seraphina was no less formidable, the very Saintess of Azure Origin Dao Sect and the Empress’s cherished direct disciple. She had been treated as family since childhood, and none could tolerate disrespect against her.
In the vast martial arts arena, the murmurs stilled to a frozen silence. No one spoke as Ethan, standing firm, let his voice resound, cold and unwavering like frozen steel.
"Lilith, know your place."
In an instant, the entire arena seemed gripped by ice—the breath of silence hovering over every disciple and master.
Seraphina’s face darkened with anger, the insult beneath Ethan’s words striking hard and leaving her wounds raw.
Her voice rang out fiercely, breaking the stillness.
"Aunt Lilith, since this brat insists on courting death, I will teach him the difference between superiority and inferiority today. He shall learn the discipline of the sect’s laws!"
Lilith bowed her hands slightly and retreated with a whisper. "Your Highness, be cautious... this one is far from ordinary."
Seraphina’s nostrils flared. Suddenly, her eyes ignited with a spiritual radiance—blue light flickered in her pupils like shards of ice.
Almost instantly, a wave of spiritual energy flooded outward, followed by an unrelenting, bone-chilling breath of frozen air.
The icy mist spread rapidly, turning the space around them colder than the heart of the Serene Mirror Lake’s cemetery. Tiny flecks of frost floated in the air, suspended in frozen silence.
Among the stunned spectators, voices whispered in hushed awe, "Such a powerful aura...I wonder how many times stronger it is than Sam’s. Surely, Her Majesty the Saint must be in the middle stage of the Void Amalgamation Realm by now."
"More than that," Silas from Serpentwind Peak replied soberly, eyes locked on the radiant Seraphina.
"The Saint’s cultivation is likely at the middle stage, nearing the late stage. Yet even this is overshadowed by her aura, which rivals the peak Void Amalgamation. Combined with her Cold Jade Ice Body, she approaches invincibility within this realm."
He exhaled softly, lamenting the unbridgeable gap between the masters and the rest of the younger generation.
Although he had long held achievements in Serpentwind, compared to the peak geniuses across Serpentwind and even the entire Azure Origin Dao Sect, he was humbled.
The Saintess herself, and even the unlikely dark horse Ethan who had suddenly appeared—it was impossible to compare.
As Seraphina prepared for battle, the crowd’s excitement swelled to a roar. A clash between the strongest newly risen prodigy and their sect’s Saint—the martial arts competition had never ignited so fiercely.
Althea rose, poised and focused. She watched Seraphina and Ethan—studying carefully.
In her judgment, Seraphina might not even be Ethan’s match. Though she wielded the Ice Sword Intent and bore the Ice Spirit Soul Body, Ethan was no mere puddle of talent. His body was abnormal, filled with rare power.
His Scythe Intent approached perfection. The spear intent he had just displayed had already reached the Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
Most importantly, no one could penetrate Ethan’s true power.
In three battles, great and small, he had remained calm and unshaken, even when exchanging blows with Adyr—a top power in the late Tribulation Transcendence Realm. Ethan had weathered his moves and remained standing when ordinary cultivators would have fallen.
And still he looked serene, confident, and uninhibited—as if the previous battles demanded nothing from him.
"He’s a disciple of Azure Sky Peak. Adyr took action earlier. Why hasn’t Elden intervened on Ethan’s behalf? Wouldn’t that cause his disciple to resent Elden?"
"Perhaps because Ethan provoked the Saintess."
"You Elden fear the Saint’s power, but I, Althea, do not," she thought.
She has been a saint once. Should conflicts arise between Ethan and Azure Sky Peak, she may stand up for him—drawing him under her Sword Peak’s banner, adding a peerless genius to their ranks.
Edwin stood and queried, "Junior Althea, what is your judgment of this battle?"
Without hesitation, Althea said, "Ethan will win."
"Why so certain?"
"Intuition," she answered with a smile.
Edwin chuckled softly. "Then we shall watch and wait."
"What do you think?" Althea asked.
"Somewhere nearby. Though the outcome is unclear, and perhaps the fight will not fully unfold yet."
As she watched Ethan, Liana clutched her chest tightly, face pale with nervous anticipation.
Edwin’s eyes softened. If danger came to Ethan, he would step in without hesitation to protect the boy.
The arena buzzed with speculation.
"I never imagined the Saint would dare accept the challenge."
"Well, he’s got some fire in him."
Ethan’s narrowed eyes flashed as he opened the Heaven-piercing Mind Eye — all of Seraphina’s concealment peeled away seamlessly.
"A spiritual weapon hiding her aura? The blood pill I condensed sharpens my mental energy beyond ordinary means. Nothing can escape my Mind Eye."
Her cultivation stood near the middle Void Amalgamation Realm, tracing a vague yet rapid ascent toward the late stage since her return six months ago.
"Yes, she is a Saint. As such she nurtures the best resources, and one’s speed of breakthrough rarely lags with such gifts."
Ethan’s gaze swept Seraphina from head to toe.
To Ethan, her façade was transparent and brittle—as if the Saintess’s true self stood naked and vulnerable beneath his scrutiny.
It was a sensation Seraphina hated—an illusion that exposed her every secret, made her feel palpably exposed and sick.
"Ethan, this Saintess will open your eyes to the real gulf between us," she warned, raising her palms.
From her left emerged a longbow, shimmering softly with pale blue spiritual energy—a top-quality weapon attuned to her ice spirit nature.
Seraphina was a master swordswoman but also skilled in archery—enough to challenge Ethan even if she was no match for his blade.
"Bows and arrows... interesting," Ethan murmured.
Seraphina’s hands were swift as they shaped three ice-charged arrows, placing them carefully on the string.
She drew the bowstring into a perfect circle—the controlled arc a masterpiece of martial grace.
Archery was unique: speed combined with strength for shooting power, and mental energy sharpened for pinpoint accuracy.
Mental energy was the ability to calculate trajectories, instincts, and timing—the fulcrum between mere shooting and deadly precision.
Ethan had mastered weapon skills spanning dozens of arms; archery was among his weaker points compared to his Scythe and Spear Intents.
Still, he was confident he outmatched Seraphina’s fledgling archery.
He judged that her archery skills were rough, the result of limited practice. For her to challenge him relying solely on this weapon was foolhardy.
"Ethan, watch carefully. This arrow will be your downfall!"
A/N:
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