"You have become quite handsome, Taranis," Stormir said, a smile lacing his face.

"Not as handsome as you yet, Uncle Stormir," Taranis replied.

"Hahaha, come here, son," Stormir said, his arms open.

Taranis responded immediately, hurling himself at his uncle in a bear hug.

Once the duo parted, Stormir turned toward the gathered cultivators and said, "Come, let me introduce you to your relatives."

One by one, Stormir introduced the forty-three cultivators, all of them Thunderbanes and distant relatives of Taranis.

After the long, tiring introductions, Taranis moved to his abode, prepared beforehand as the Thunderbanes were already aware of his arrival.

The inside of the tent was wide, illuminated by Soul Stones. A simple single bed was placed on one side, and a table with two chairs occupied a corner. It was not as grand as his chamber in Heaven's Last Step, but it wasn't too shabby either. It was just… normal.

Just as Taranis was about to move to the bed to rest after the long journey, a respectful voice came from outside the tent.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has summoned you."

"Alright," Taranis replied, pivoting as he moved out of the tent.

The young man who had called him was a disciple of one of the elders Taranis had met moments ago. Although he was not of the Thunderbane bloodline, he had awakened the lightning attribute—the sole condition for an outsider to become a disciple of the Bane Sect. This young man, along with hundreds of other disciples, was among such cultivators accepted by the Thunderbane Sect.

Following the young cultivator, Taranis left the area where the Thunderbane tents were set and entered the region occupied by the soldiers and tents of the Azure Sun Empire.

As Taranis moved, the gazes of the empire's soldiers locked onto him. Their stares carried curiosity, fear, amusement, and even discontent. Taranis was helplessly an attention-puller due to his blond hair, which always shimmered with radiance, and his golden eyes that resembled precious gems.

Although he had not fully matured yet—standing only 160 centimeters tall with a slim build—he was already unknowingly drawing the attention of many young maidens in the empire's army. Unlike the Banes, who did not allow women to fight in war, the empire was quite different, much to Taranis's surprise.

The young man guiding Taranis stopped before a large tent planted with the flag of the Azure Sun Empire and guarded by two knights in shining golden armor.

"His Majesty is inside," the young cultivator said, stepping aside.

Taranis gave a slight nod before moving inside with a calm posture. The knights guarding the entrance did not stop him, as everyone who had embarked on the path of cultivation—including them—was aware of Prince Taranis, the God of the Hundred Sky Mountains.

Inside the tent was a vast open space with multiple seats arranged along the walls. At the far end stood a massive throne, upon which sat an old man with a long white beard, eyebrows reaching all the way to his jawline, and amber eyes as fiery as the sunset. His body was adorned in a red robe embroidered with intricate golden patterns. Though the man appeared aged, not even the slightest hint of weakness could be sensed from him. The pressure Taranis felt from this old man was on par with Aurelion, whom Taranis knew to be at the final level of the Eternal Sage Realm.

Beside that throne sat another, occupied by Voltrex.

Along the parallel walls of the tent, seats were arranged in neat lines, occupied by figures from the empire and elders of the Thunderbane clan. Stormir was also seated among them, watching Taranis with a faint smile.

Giving a slight bow to his father, Taranis spoke, "Greetings, Father. I am here in response to your summons."

This gesture caused several frowns to appear on the faces of the empire's representatives. Was it not already disrespectful enough that the Emperor had allowed the king of a minor territory like the Hundred Sky Mountains to place his throne on equal footing with his own? And now, even his son merely greeted his father while outright ignoring the Emperor.

Yes—the old man seated beside Voltrex was none other than the Emperor of the Azure Sun Empire, Kharos Solaris.

Voltrex nodded in response to Taranis's greeting before speaking. "Yes, I have summoned you to introduce you to my dear friend, the Emperor of the Azure Sun Empire, Emperor Kharos Solaris."

Voltrex's gaze shifted toward the old man seated beside him as he made the introduction.

Taranis gave a slight bow, one even shallower than the one he had given his father, as he introduced himself. "Greetings, Emperor Solaris. I am Taranis El Thunderbane, Prince of the Hundred Sky Mountains and heir to the Heaven's Sovereign Throne."

Unlike when Taranis had introduced himself to Nymeria's parents, he felt it proper—and necessary—to declare his status as the Prince of the Hundred Sky Mountains, making it clear that he was not someone to be looked down upon.

Though the prince was still young in age, he had already sensed the discontent among the emperor's representatives, prompting him to introduce himself in such a manner.

However, to Taranis's surprise, the emperor did not show the slightest displeasure or frown. Instead, he offered a very faint smile and spoke, his voice aged yet firm. "Greetings, Prince Taranis. As my dear friend King Voltrex has already mentioned, I am Kharos Solaris. On behalf of the entire Azure Sun Empire, I thank you for supporting us in this war."

The gentle demeanor of Kharos caught Taranis completely off guard. He had expected behavior similar to that of the emperor's representatives. However, since those same representatives had openly displayed their discontent—and the emperor was surely aware of it yet chose not to reprimand them—Taranis knew the man before him was not as gentle as he appeared.

"You do not need to thank me, Emperor Kharos. I am merely here by following my father's orders," Taranis replied, his demeanor composed and calm.

"Hahaha! As you said, King Voltrex, the prince truly is sharp and perceptive beyond his years," Kharos laughed loudly, his hoarse voice echoing through the tent.

Voltrex responded with an amused smile before turning to Taranis. "Taranis, take your seat."

A seat beside Stormir had been left empty, one that Aurelion had previously occupied. Taranis moved toward it, and once he sat down, Voltrex spoke again. His eyes narrowed, and his voice turned serious.

"From tomorrow onward, the Thunderbanes will go all out in the war."

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