Emperor's Reckoning

547 Rattle

Reverberating booms occurred in the colosseum.

The cultivators were trying as hard as they could to exert their force against that giant slab of stone. However, many of them turned dejected with their face looking at the ground after they saw their results.

"Wow, you guys are pathetic," said the host as he shook his head. "Only one manage to trigger the bronze level whilst the rest triggered the iron level, please, are you guys are all mortals or something?"

The haughty tone did nothing but make the mortals furrow their eyebrows. Mana was very abundant and purer in this place but the clear line of respect that they received was clearly lacking.

Cultivators from the Mortal World were all dreaming to live in Heaven but they never knew that the place was this dire. They could return back but nobody would believe them that Heaven was not the paradise for cultivators that they once thought.

"Zet, listen, don't judge the entirety of Heaven based on one individual," muttered Verdu as he grabbed his son's shoulder.

Zet closed his fiery eyes before he took a deep breath then nodded. "Yes, father, thank you."

"However," Zet smiled before he leaped forward (I can't let our face be insulted like that).

"Wai—" Verdu didn't finish his word before letting out a sigh.

---

"Oh? Looks like my grandson couldn't contain his excitement, haha!"

Tael laughed as he put his hands behind his back. "I haven't seen him so poise before, what a breakthrough he must have had."

The matriarch of the Yuki clan narrowed her eyes before she spot a familiar figure in the crowd. She turned up a smile (She finally wears a veil).

Carius made no comment as he looked down against his grandson. (Porealus, it's good that you are fine).

"Can any of you send a mana transmission message?" asked Tael.

The two of them shook their head.

"Me neither, I had tried to do it but it seems like I cannot reach it that far," Tael shook his head. "Well I wish to give him good luck but it seems like he didn't need it."

The proud grandfather was grinning.

---

"Ho?" the host opened his crossed arms as his eyes fell on the young man with red hair. "I remember you, you are one of the mortals that participated last time, but sorry, can't remember what place you were at."

"Heh," Zet smiled as he put his right leg forward before slowly grabbing the hilt and the attention at the same time.

The audiences suddenly found themselves edging against their seats.

"That's Zet!"

"The young sword genius, Zet!"

"He entered again!"

"SHH! Shut up!"

The atmosphere slowly turned silent as he entered his zen focus. His eyes were closed as the quiet calm of peace entered his mind. (One stroke) said Zet inwardly.

"Irae..." he whispered before his eyes opened with a smack and revealed his sharp eyes.

The moment the blade peeked out at the world a blinding flash occurs. There was not a single noise produced as the audience blinked against the blade that was already pointing against the sky.

"Hah..." Zet let out a breath before he stepped back and sheathed his trusty companion.

The slab of stone started to lift.

"Woah!"

"It's changing!"

"It's shimmering!"

"Silver! It's silver!"

"No look more closely!"

The slab of stone had a shade of gold on it.

"Damn! That's amazing!"

The audience immediately roared before chanting his name. The youth grinned with his hands both on his waist. The young man let out a piece sign before returning back.

The host furrowed his eyebrows before he muttered to himself, "I see, that was not even his strongest attack, he clearly has something more sinister. Well played, he hid his ace."

"Zet, half silver half gold," said one of the host's assistants as he wrote with his trembling hands.

---

Tael nodded, "Not bad!"

His grin of pride made the matriarch chuckle.

---

"Fine display, Zet!" said the host. "However are you sure being that careful will guarantee you to the main event?"

The teasing tone made Zet turn around.

The audience and the contestants turned tense as the atmosphere between the two spread out.

(Is he going to fight me?) thought the host before his eyes turned sharp.

"Maybe," said Zet as he shrugged his shoulder before he turned around.

Verdu smiled as he saw how his son played it out. "Good job!"

"Hehe, thanks, father!"

(I guess not) thought the host before he returned back.

---

After some fairly amount of time had passed and many had tested the slab of stone, nobody could surpass what Zet had done.

"Man this is getting boring real fast," muttered the host.

Zet raised his eyebrows before he looked at porealus, "Older brother aren't you going to participate?"

"I will play it safe," said Porealus as he crossed his arms with a smile. "Meanwhile, you should ask this older sister of yours if she wants to step—oh she gone?"

Porealus was sure that she was standing right near him but she was nowhere to be found now.

---

"Hm?" the matriarch raised her eyebrows as she saw her disciple simply approaching the slab of stone under everyone's gaze.

---

"Oh, a veiled woman?" muttered the host. "Hmm..."

The audience started to wonder.

"Hey who is that?"

"I don't think I know her?"

"She wore a veil, she must be beautiful underneath it."

(It's hard to tell since she is wearing a cloak) thought the host. (But I have this weird feeling that I knew her).

Ivy disregarded the gaze of the audience before, for a moment it fell against the host the returned back to the slab of stone. The latter immediately furrowed his eyebrows (What was that?)

She stood against the huge slab of stone before gently putting her palm against it. Her eyebrows twitched before the entire slab turned into ice for a split second then cracked with a wild explosion.

Gale was immediately formed as it spread around the area and fluttered their hair

"Ice?!" the host immediately had his eyes dilating in disbelief. "I see, you're Ivy!"

Ivy turned around and left as the slab of stone started to raise from the ground. It was shaded with bright illuminating light before the full golden color was on display.

The spectators immediately choked on their own words as they couldn't believe what they have seen. After more than a hundred tries, someone finally surpassed Zet's effort.

"G-Gold!"

"It's fucking gold!"

Whilst the contestant and the spectators were in awe, the host chuckled. "To think that you came back once more, do you think that you can enter the top ten this time?"

Ivy didn't turn around and left the crowd.

---

"Hmm? Who is that? Is that your disciple?" asked Tael.

"Of course, it is," answered Carius. "She has mastered Yuki's art to that degree."

The matriarch was smiling but curious as well. (What motivates her so much? I feel like a failure as a master here). She let out a sigh.

---

"No one will top her," said the host. "She is currently the best of the best from her generation in the Mortal World, she took the eleventh spot last time."

"Ivy Yuki!"

"The woman herself!"

The audience was excited once more

"Hey, how about me?" the leisure voice came from a young man with opened arms.

The host furrowed his eyebrows, "Porealus!"

"I was standing right over there but you didn't even say hi, I'm a little bit sad over here."

---

"Wow, your grandson acted really different from you, are you sure he got your blood and not mine? Hahaha!" laughed Tael.

"Shut your mouth or I'll break your neck!" said Carius as he let out a glare against his best friend.

(He is right though) thought the matriarch as she looked at Porealus. (Looks like he was not having a tough time as I initially thought, that's good to hear, the Arunga family will not be a strict family in the future, unless Patriarch Carius turned immortal).

---

"Porealus?! Didn't he finish fifteen?"

"Was it Fifteen or fifty?"

"Can't tell."

Porealus let out a sigh hearing the surrounding chatters before he kicked the slab before a resounding boom occurred.

The slab rose beneath his eyes before it hovered once more.

"C'mon Gold!" said Porealus as if he was gambling.

The slab turned into golden color before he raised his fist against the sky.

"Woah gold again!"

"These returnees are going all out!"

The host smiled, "To think that even you would join again."

Porealus shrugged and didn't make a comment before taking one step forward.