Chapter 414: Meeting
His voice carried a powerful and yet convincing aura that made everyone nod their head.
All of them gathered here weren’t idiots; many of them were from powerful factions and knew Rion had changed its power structure, and they who previously were at the top of the food chain had become prey of ancient power.
To survive they needed the empire’s protection, as even the ancient power that awakened seemed to be wary of the sacred light empire.
The silence in the hall deepened as Crown Prince Lucifer raised his hand. His expression remained calm, his voice smooth yet filled with unshakeable dominance.
"Although our empire is strong," he said evenly, "we cannot protect everyone. To extend our hand, we must be selective. That is why today, I have invited a great ancestor of our Sacred Light Empire. It will be he who decides which among you are worthy to join us."
His words struck the crowd like thunder. Many geniuses straightened instinctively, eyes flickering with both excitement and dread. To be acknowledged by an ancestor of the Sacred Light Empire was no small honour—it was a chance to step directly onto the empire’s main stage, to bind one’s future to its unshakeable foundation.
As Lucifer said this slowly, an old man in golden armour walked out instantly, making everyone silent. With every step he took, his aura increased, making it difficult for them to even breathe.
By the third step, many geniuses were already pale, their breaths shallow. By the fifth, knees trembled uncontrollably, as though invisible mountains pressed down upon their shoulders. By the seventh, several could no longer resist—they collapsed, forced to kneel under the sheer might emanating from the old man.
None dared to lift their gaze. Their hearts pounded with fear, as though they were prey standing before a predator beyond their understanding.
Yet... there were exceptions.
Scattered among the crowd, a handful of youths stood unmoving—straight and unyielding like towering mountains. Their eyes burnt with defiance and pride, meeting the golden-armoured elder’s approach head-on. Their confidence was not arrogance; it was the conviction of true dragons unwilling to bow, no matter the storm.
A faint, approving glimmer flickered in the old man’s eyes as his aura continued to spread, testing every soul within the hall.
But when he noticed Apollo in the corner, he was a bit surprised, as Apollo seemed to be the calmest, like his aura wasn’t affecting him at all. Seeing this, he tried to increase his pressure towards Apollo, but his aura seemed to do nothing.
No matter how he tried, it was like his aura disappeared the moment it made contact with him.
It was as if Apollo existed in a different space beyond his authority.
Apollo, of course, noticed. His lips curved into a faint smile as his eyes met the golden-armoured elder’s. Calm. Steady. Amused.
The old man’s heart gave a quiet tremor. In fact, this old man’s strength wasn’t bad; he had reached the peak of true god and could be considered a powerful person even in the universe, but sadly, he met him.
All these events happened in the span of a heartbeat—so quick that none of the other geniuses noticed, still lost in awe of the empire’s mighty ancestor.
But still the princes beside him noticed this and felt surprised. The most shocked among the princes was naturally Michael, as he quickly remembered Apollo.
He had seen that face before—decades ago, during a battle that had left a deep impression on him. Back then, Apollo had been formidable, but now... to remain utterly unaffected by the pressure of their great ancestor? Michael’s heart tightened. ’Just how far had he grown?’
Feeling the powerful pressure disappear finally, the geniuses take a deep breath of relief.
Apollo, on the other hand, just like the old ancestor, scanned through the geniuses and found a genius worth his training. However, before that, it seemed he had to meet the princes, as they had noticed him.
After the princes had exchanged words of encouragement with the few geniuses who had managed to remain standing beneath the ancestor’s pressure, their steps carried them unerringly toward the quiet figure seated in the corner.
The crowd parted instinctively before them. Whispers rose, curiosity mounting. For someone who had sat unnoticed until now, Apollo was suddenly at the centre of every gaze.
Prince Michael was the first to break the silence. He stepped forward, his expression calm, his tone almost casual—as though speaking to an old friend rather than someone who had just defied their great ancestor’s aura.
"Long time no see, Apollo," he said, his voice steady. Their ages were not far apart, and decades ago they had crossed paths. Though much had changed since then, Michael still remembered the battles clearly.
Apollo lifted his gaze slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips, but he said nothing yet.
Beside Michael, the Crown Prince Lucifer regarded him with quiet intensity. He knew of Apollo, as Michael just told him about the past. But seeing him in person was different. On the surface, Apollo’s presence was faint, almost ordinary, as if he were just another Saint Realm cultivator sitting in the hall.
Yet the crown prince’s instincts screamed otherwise. At his level, standing at the peak of the Void God realm, very few could unsettle him. And yet, the moment his eyes fell on Apollo, his bloodline stirred. Deep within his veins, the sacred angelic blood quivered, trembling as though recognising a far more dreadful existence before it.
Lucifer’s calm façade did not falter, but his heart clenched. ’What... is he?’
The third prince, too, glanced between his brothers and the mysterious youth, sensing tension he couldn’t fully understand.
Meanwhile, Apollo leaned back in his chair, utterly at ease, watching them approach as if this meeting were inevitable.
Other geniuses also look at him with curiosity, wanting to know who he was and, with his saint realm aura, how he can attract the prince’s attention.
"Indeed it takes some time," he replied with a smile, looking at Michael, whose bloodline seemed to be the most pure. He indeed was the best talent of the Sacred Light Empire.