The silence that followed the death of the Earth Dragon General, Aurion, was not merely a lack of sound; it was a physical weight that pressed down on every soul in the arena.

The obsidian floor, stained with the steaming, golden-hued blood of a peak Immortal King, served as a grim testament to the Sword General's efficiency.

In the VIP stands, the emperors of the primordial races sat frozen.

For millions of years, they had looked down upon the "lesser" biological races.

To them, humans were a blink in the eye of eternity, fragile, short-lived, and insignificant.

Yet, a human had just bisected one of the universe's sturdiest defenders with a single, unadorned swing of a blade.

The Earth Dragon Emperor's face was a mask of thunderous rage.

His knuckles were white as he gripped the arms of his mana-throne.

Beside him, the Spirit Emperor remained motionless, but the flickering light of his translucent form betrayed his inner agitation.

Suddenly, a sharp, rhythmic sound broke the tension.

Liara, the Phoenix Queen, began to clap.

Her laughter was light, like the chiming of silver bells, echoing through the stunned stadium.

She wasn't just applauding the kill; she was savoring the shattered egos of the men sitting around her.

"Magnificent," she whispered, her eyes dancing with emerald fire.

"It seems the Earth Empire's steel is much harder than your 'impenetrable' scales, Dragon Emperor."

Inspired by her boldness, several envoys from the smaller star systems, those who had been bullied and taxed by the primordial races for centuries, began to clap as well.

It started as a ripple and grew into a wave of applause that felt like a slap to the faces of the Great Elders.

Noah leaned back, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips.

He looked at the row of gloomy emperors beside him.

"Well?" Noah asked, his voice casual.

"Who will go next? Or is the great Dragon Race finished after a single round?"

"Don't be too cocky, human," the Spirit Emperor spat, his voice vibrating with celestial energy.

"You have caught us off guard with a hidden master. But the depths of our heritage are not something you can fathom. Our best are yet to go there."

Noah didn't argue.

He simply gestured toward the blood-stained sands.

"Then by all means, show me these depths. I'm starting to get bored."

The Spirit Emperor turned to his retinue.

His eyes landed on a figure shrouded in a veil of shimmering moonlight.

"Natalia," he commanded.

"Go. Erase his existence. Show them that true power does not need a blade."

A woman stepped forward.

She did not walk; she seemed to glide on a layer of chilled air.

Natalia was the pride of the Spirit Race, not just for her cultivation, but for her supernatural beauty.

She was ethereal, with skin that glowed like polished pearl and hair that flowed like a river of starlight.

She was known as the "Soul Eater," a vixen who had brought entire sectors to their knees without ever drawing a weapon.

As she entered the arena, the atmosphere changed.

A sweet, intoxicating perfume filled the air, bypassing physical filters and headed straight for the brain's pleasure centers.

She looked at William, who stood like a statue amidst the dragon's remains, and she smiled.

It was a look of pure, predatory heat.

"Oh, mighty warrior of Earth," she cooed, her voice a melody that promised a thousand years of bliss.

"You are truly a dragon among men. Why waste such strength on blood and dust? Would you like to date me instead? I could show you pleasures that your mortal world has never even dreamed of."

Up in the tower, Liara's face went pale.

She leaned toward Noah, her voice urgent.

"Noah, this is dangerous. Natalia uses a unique form of Soul Seduction. It doesn't target the body; it targets the primal essence. If William's mind wavers for even a fraction of a second, she will have his heart in her hand, literally."

Noah didn't look worried.

He reached out and gently patted Liara's hand.

"Relax, Liara. You're overestimating her, and underestimating what it takes to be a General of Earth."

"But she's the number one vixen of the Spirit world!" Liara hissed.

"No man has ever resisted her charm when she's this close!"

Noah chuckled and shook his head.

"That woman is about to have her nightmare started. William doesn't see a beautiful woman. He only sees a target."

On the sands, the crowd was mesmerized.

Many of the male warriors in the stands were already dazed, their eyes glazed over as they stared at Natalia.

"It doesn't matter which race it is," some female warriors from the Lesser Systems muttered with disdain.

"Men are always horny. Looks like the Earth Empire is not that special after all. He's already frozen."

Natalia drifted closer to William.

She was now within arm's reach.

She raised a delicate hand, appearing as if she were going to caress his cheek.

In her other hand, hidden by the folds of her translucent gown, was a dagger made of solidified void-matter, a weapon designed to snuff out a soul instantly.

She leaned in, her lips inches from his ear.

"Come with me, little hero," she whispered.

In that instant, William moved.

It wasn't a grand movement.

It was a blur of silver.

There was no conversation, no hesitation, and certainly no lust in his eyes.

His sword left the sheath and returned to it in the span of a heartbeat.

Shing.

Natalia's seductive smile remained on her face for a moment, even as her head slid cleanly off her shoulders.

Her body, made of high-density spirit energy, began to dissipate into blue sparks before it even hit the ground.

"What a filthy bitch," William huffed coldly.

He didn't even look at the collapsing remains.

To him, she was just another obstacle, and a particularly annoying one at that.

The silence this time was even deeper.

The Spirit Emperor jumped to his feet, his aura exploding in a burst of white light.

"You... you dared!"

Noah smiled wryly.

He had actually expected William to perhaps knock her out or show some mercy to a female opponent.

"William," Noah called out, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"You're a bit blunt, aren't you? I thought you'd at least let her finish her sentence."

"She smelled like rot and manipulation, your majesty," William replied, bowing slightly toward the tower.

"There was no beauty to be found."

"Next," William said, returning his gaze to the VIP section.

High above, Fiona pouted, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Your Majesty, I want to fight too! William is having all the fun alone. If he keeps this up, there won't be anyone left for me to play with."

Noah glanced at his Light General.

Fiona was like a caged sun, vibrating with the urge to unleash.

"Patience, Fiona," Noah said with a mocking smile loud enough for the other emperors to hear.

"In every three matches, we will rotate. Otherwise, one of you might wipe out these weaklings all alone. We have to give them the illusion of a fair fight, don't we?"

The Flame Dragon Emperor, a man whose temper was as volatile as a supernova, roared in fury.

He slammed his fist onto the stone railing, shattering it.

"Enough! I will not sit here and be insulted by a monkey in silk robes! Chaos Temple, Spirit Lords... if you won't stop this, I will! Call for the Ancestor!"

The Dragon Emperor's attendants looked panicked.

"The Ancestor? But Sire...."

Suddenly, the sky above the arena changed.

The pale blue vanished, replaced by a churning firestorm that covered the entire horizon.

The temperature rose by forty degrees in seconds.

From the heart of the vortex, an old man descended.

He walked barefoot on the air, each step creating a ripple of flame.

He had a long, flowing white beard and two short, obsidian horns protruding from his forehead.

His aura was different from the others.

He was a peak-level Immortal King, but he had the aura of a half step transcended being.

Noah squinted at the newcomer.

"William," Noah sent a telepathic message, "Play with this one. Don't end it instantly. Show them that you are struggling, then defeat him within a small area. We need to draw out their hope before we crush it."

"As you wish, Your Majesty," William replied, his posture relaxing slightly to mimic fatigue.

The old man landed on the sands, his hands tucked neatly behind his back.

He looked at William with eyes that seemed to contain burning galaxies.

"Young man," the Ancestor said, his voice like grinding stones.

"You are very powerful. To reach such a level as a human is a feat worthy of song. But this is how far you can go in your life. You have offended the heavens today."

William didn't answer.

He took a defensive stance.

The Ancestor didn't rush forward.

Instead, he reached into the folds of his ancient robes and took out a small, bronze bell.

It looked weathered and unremarkable, but as soon as it appeared, the air itself seemed to recoil.

The old man gently shook the bell.

Ting.

The sound was tiny, yet it felt like a mountain had been dropped into a still pond.

Every person in the stadium, from the strongest general to the weakest servant, felt their soul shake.

It wasn't a physical vibration; it was a fundamental disruption of their spiritual essence.

Noah's eyes turned cold as he felt the ripple hit the tower's defenses.

This wasn't just a weapon; it was a Soul-Suppressing Artifact of the highest grade.

"This can be tricky, even for William," Noah murmured, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the arm of his throne.

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