Chapter 124: The Prince Who Challenged the Dragon (Part 4)
The Prince Who Challenged the Dragon (Part 4)
Doing so would be equivalent to challenging the authority of the Heavenly Empire that had granted the title.
For countless years...
That balance had maintained peace.
Although the Azure Sovereign Empire had always been several times stronger than the Dawn Empire...
They never dared launch a full-scale invasion.
Not because they lacked confidence.
But because...
The Dawn Empire still possessed its Empire Title.
Adrian’s expression gradually became solemn.
"But..."
"A few months ago..."
"The Four Great Heavenly Empires jointly issued a brand-new decree."
His voice became noticeably heavier.
"From this day onward..."
"Empire Titles..."
"...may be contested."
Victor’s golden eyes narrowed slightly.
Adrian continued.
"Empires possessing Empire Titles are now permitted to challenge one another."
"The challenge cannot be refused."
"However..."
"They are forbidden from waging total war."
"Instead..."
"The victor must be determined through designated competitions, secret realm expeditions, inheritance trials, or battles between their younger generations."
"The winning empire keeps its Empire Title..."
"...while the loser forfeits theirs."
"The moment an empire loses its title..."
"It also loses the protection of the Heavenly Empire."
His words hung heavily in the air.
Everyone understood what that meant.
An empire stripped of its title...
Would become prey.
The Azure Sovereign Empire had waited for this opportunity for years.
The moment the decree spread throughout the world...
They immediately challenged the Dawn Empire.
Their target...
Was the Dawn Empire’s Empire Title.
"They’ve coveted our territory..."
"Our spiritual resources..."
"Our mines..."
"And our cultivation lands for generations."
Adrian sighed softly.
"Now..."
"They finally have a legitimate excuse."
"The battlefield chosen by both sides..."
"...is an ancient Heavenly Secret Realm that will soon open."
"It contains the inheritance of an ancient supreme expert."
"The rules are simple."
"Both empires will send their clans, sects, and younger geniuses into the Heavenly Secret Realm."
"Whichever side obtains the inheritance..."
"...wins the Empire Title."
"The loser..."
"...loses everything."
Victor listened quietly without interrupting.
His expression remained unreadable.
Meanwhile...
The Fifth Prince lying beneath Victor’s foot listened with bloodshot eyes.
Although every breath brought unbearable pain...
A trace of unwillingness still remained within his gaze.
He still couldn’t accept his defeat.
Adrian lowered his head before continuing.
"The difference in strength between the two empires is simply too great."
"The Azure Sovereign Empire currently has ten Stellar Sovereign Realm experts."
"Each one is an elite capable of shaking an entire region."
"As for the younger generation..."
"They have no shortage of heaven-defying geniuses."
He sighed heavily.
"The Dawn Empire..."
"...only has four Stellar Sovereign Realm experts."
"If not for the protection granted by our Empire Title..."
"We would have been swallowed by the Azure Sovereign Empire long ago."
A bitter smile appeared on Adrian’s face.
"This time..."
"The Heavenly Secret Realm will determine everything."
"If our side fails..."
"The Dawn Empire will lose its Empire Title."
"Without the protection of the Four Great Heavenly Empires..."
"Our enemies will descend like hungry wolves."
"There will be no future for the Dawn Empire."
He slowly raised his head to look at Victor.
"But then..."
"The Salvatore Family rose."
His eyes carried both admiration and disbelief.
"A family that appeared almost overnight."
"A family whose destiny has become so immense that even your Three-Eyed Auspicious Destiny Dragon surpasses anything I’ve witnessed in my entire life."
He paused for a moment before speaking with absolute sincerity.
"And you..."
"Patriarch Victor."
"You defeated a Stellar Sovereign Realm Fifth Layer expert with nothing but your physical strength."
"You never even used your True Spiritual Power."
"You crushed him as easily as one would crush an insect."
"The Imperial Court now believes..."
"...that the Salvatore Family has become one of the strongest forces within the Dawn Empire."
"They hope your family will participate in the Heavenly Secret Realm."
"They believe..."
"You may become the variable capable of changing the fate of the entire empire."
Victor remained silent.
He neither agreed...
Nor refused.
His expression revealed nothing.
Adrian cautiously glanced toward the Fifth Prince beneath Victor’s foot before speaking again.
"As for why the Azure Sovereign Empire’s people came here..."
"They were sent to investigate the sudden rise of the Salvatore Family."
"They wished to determine whether the rumors were true."
"They also hoped..."
"...to eliminate any threat before the Heavenly Secret Realm opens."
The Fifth Prince suddenly coughed violently.
"Cough...!"
Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth.
Even so...
He struggled to raise his head.
His eyes were filled with hatred as he glared at Victor.
"I..."
"I admit..."
"...I underestimated you."
"But don’t think..."
"...this changes anything."
"Our Azure Sovereign Empire..."
"...will still win."
He laughed weakly.
"You..."
"...cannot stop us..."
His words had barely fallen...
When he seemed to realize something.
Hope flickered in his eyes.
"I..."
"I’ve already told you everything."
"So..."
"So can you..."
"Let..."
Before he could finish...
Victor slowly shifted his foot.
The Fifth Prince’s eyes instantly brightened.
He thought...
He had been spared.
Then...
CRACK!!
Victor’s foot descended once more.
This time...
The crushing force shattered the prince’s chest completely.
His ribs collapsed inward.
His heart was crushed instantly.
Blood erupted from his mouth.
The light within his eyes quickly faded.
His final thoughts echoed silently.
"The Azure Sovereign Empire..."
"..."
"Chose the wrong enemy..."
His head fell to one side.
Life vanished from his body.
Until his final breath...
He remained convinced that Victor had to be a Stellar Sovereign Realm Great Perfection expert...
Or perhaps someone even stronger.
Otherwise...
How could anyone shatter his Earth-rank battle art...
And suppress him completely...
Using nothing but physical strength?
What he never discovered...
Was the truth.
Victor’s actual cultivation...
Was only the Stellar Sovereign Realm Fourth Layer.
Victor paid no further attention to the corpse beneath his feet.
Royal politics.
Empire struggles.
Schemes for power.
None of them interested him.
However...
A faint glimmer appeared within his golden eyes.
At that exact moment...
The familiar voice of the Eternal Legacy System echoed inside his mind.
[Ding!! Family Quest Issued: Clash of Prodigies.]