"The kid collided with me, so I killed him without any effort. You should blame him for being too weak," Bram replied calmly, his voice smooth and full of ridicule, as if the entire matter was a trivial joke not worth serious consideration.

The hall's heavy atmosphere thickened with tension at his words.

The cold, unyielding certainty many in the hall shit a bit, but none dared challenge him aloud.

"Sixth Prince, I'm going to give you the Vernal Dawn royal family some face. Don't be too presumptuous. This is the Azure Origin Dao Sect, not your Vernal Dawn Dynasty!" Lyralei's voice cut through the murmurs like a blade, clear and frosty.

Her icy tone bore the weight of her imperial stature, commanding respect and warning against arrogance. She stood, a living statue of authority, every eye drawn irresistibly to her commanding presence.

Bram's smile only grew wider, teeth gleaming with condescension. "Empress, don't be angry, he was just an ant. If you are unhappy, I can repay you with two earth-grade elixirs."

The words dripped with mockery, as if the lives and honor of others could be so easily bought and sold as common commodities.

"The man I killed was only at the Nascent Soul level. Two earth-grade pills could buy him two lives," Bram declared with cruel finality, waving his hand dismissively.

"Mr. Willow, give this girl in white two earth-grade elixirs," he ordered.

With a barely perceptible gesture, a jade bottle floated into Willow's hand. The craftsmanship was exquisite, yet its contents—two humble earth-grade elixirs—were an insult of the highest order.

The bottle drifted forward, stopping in front of Althea.

This was not a pill, but naked humiliation!

Althea clenched her fists tightly.

To Bram, human life was worthless, and she herself was just a plaything for his scorn. The idea that he could repay the loss of a soul with two common elixirs was beyond abominable.

Resolute, she waved her hand sharply, sending the jade bottle hurtling back toward Bram.

He caught it effortlessly, though a sudden numbness crept along his arm—the power behind her casual strike was stronger than he expected.

Bram was currently at the half-step Tribulation Transcendence realm, a level where he could effortlessly overpower cultivators in the middle or even late stages of that realm. Yet, Althea's attack had numbed his arm—a warning he could not ignore.

But instead of anger, excitement lit his eyes.

"In the middle stage of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, you are born with a natural sword body, capable of conquering the country and possibly the realm with your beauty. You are the proud daughter of heaven," Bram said, his voice charged with anticipation. "Well then, I will decide your fate today!"

His praise was laced with dangerous awe. "The girl is so powerful!" he exclaimed.

Without hesitation, Bram crushed the jade bottle, reducing the precious elixirs to powder—a gesture as grand as it was insulting. To him, the pills were nothing, just trifles to throw away.

"Don't let an ant influence our discussion. Let's do this. The Saint is the future heir of your Azure Origin Dao Sect and the face of your Dao Sect. Since the Empress is not willing, I will take a back seat," Bram announced with a sly smile.

He turned to Lyralei, proposing, "Why don't you promise me this girl? What does the Empress think?"

"How can she, the Master of Sword Peak, become a Taoist couple with you?" The elder standing near Althea snorted coldly.

Mr. Willow's voice boomed as he stepped forward, his attitude fierce. "Audacious! Who do you think you are, daring to speak like this to my Highness?"

A surge of spiritual energy erupted from him, a powerful pressure unique to those in the Mahayana realm.

The Sword Peak elder, who just reached the Tribulation Transcendence realm, felt the smothering force like standing beneath a volcano, gazing up into a sky of molten lava. His legs trembled involuntarily.

Not just him—several other newly minted Tribulation Transcendence elders showed agonized expressions.

Seraphina gritted her teeth, body trembling with a dawning realization that she was small and helpless here. She had no power in this presence—not even to decide her own future.

Bram was roughly her age, but his talents and cultivation far surpassed her own.

He had defeated her and other Azure Origin Dao Sect geniuses during the Spiritual Path Trial, completed it with distinction, and gained a high-level inheritance.

She had been humiliated and forced to retreat to recover. The Holy Throne Challenge Trial had been postponed, and she had suffered slander among the disciples.

"There is heaven beyond the sky, and there are people beyond this sect," those words struck her deeply.

She understood now how limited she had been, locked in conflict with Ethan, oblivious to the vast world of power beyond.

Lyralei, sensing the overwhelming pressure, allowed her eyes to flicker in surprise. "Seven turns of Mahayana?!"

Mr. Willow's realm exceeded her own. She was still at the sixth turn's peak, unable to break through to the seventh.

The Vernal Dawn royal family was truly worthy of its supergiant status.

He was only a sixth prince, yet surrounded by loyal and powerful guards.

"You're going too far!" Lyralei sneered, her eyes flashing with light as she returned some of the pressure, pushing Mr. Willow back.

The older man glanced at Lyralei with thinly veiled scorn. "The peak of sixth-turn, yet still so strong."

But compared to his seventh turn, he was still far behind.

The difference between turns in the Mahayana realm was immense and difficult to cross.

Bram sneered. "Empress, don't make a scene."

"I've changed my mind now," he continued smoothly. "I want both the Master of Sword Peak and Saint Seraphina, whether you give them or not."

He waved his hand, and two foot-tall puppets appeared beside them.

"Are these puppets at the Mahayana Realm?" Mr. Willow sneered, reciting the formula to split his power. His clone separated, possessing half his strength.

Lyralei's expression grew ugly. They were revealing their hand, cornering themselves to force submission. But to treat the Azure Origin Dao Sect as a playground was naïve.

The two sides readied for war. The atmosphere thickened, taut like a cable about to snap.

Seeing Lyralei's silence, Bram smirked, mistaking it for fear.

He pressed further, "Well, I can give you another choice: choose one, the Saint or the Master of Sword Peak for me to take away. Then hand over Ethan of your Azure Origin Dao Sect to me."

"Ethan?!" Lyralei's eyes flashed, shock momentarily breaking her calm.

Everyone else wondered why Bram demanded Ethan by name, sensing conflict between the two.

Before anyone could react further, a faint voice echoed from outside the hall.

"Why is the Sixth Prince so eager to find me?"

Ethan entered, his hands behind his back, walking steadily and calmly.

His arrival intensified the already heavy atmosphere. The peak masters and elders exchanged glances.

Lyralei fell silent, contemplating.

Saint Seraphina frowned, surprised that Ethan dared come to the holy hall.

Althea simply nodded at Ethan.

Bram was momentarily stunned, then broke into a smile filled with malicious joy.

"Hahahaha, Ethan, you are quite sensible. You know that you have nowhere to escape, so you come here to beg for mercy."

A/N:

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Capsule - 1 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 3 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

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