Emperor's Reckoning

One foot. One foot was all it took for them to understand at what level he was as a cultivator.

His haughtiness. His origin. His being. None of them could fathom the limit of the young man. Either his power or his obnoxious character, he had offended powerful people left and right like it was his job. The succulent power of the four kingdoms, he clearly couldn't care less about it.

History had been made. The mortal cultivators had certainly occupied four of the ten spots available. They will have a say in the next upcoming tournament. It was a big step for the Mortal World but it was nothing for the young man, for he merely joined because of impulse.

The second round was over but the host was frightened to announce it. The four kings had their eyebrows furrowed as the young man challenged their aura.

He alone withstood the four kings, including one full-fledged mature in its prime.

"You better step down, brat!" said the Golden Dragon the vein on his temple enlarged, and his jaw was clenched to a ghastly point. Even the three kings were a bit startled by his rage. However, they could faintly understand. His greatest point of value was being challenged, by a brat, from a Mortal World no less. There had been nobody from that world that was daring enough, no, powerful enough, to defy the sovereignty aura of the Golden Dragon.

The image of the golden dragon turned more vibrant and clearer than before as it looked down upon the youth with the horns for a crown.

"Hm? Step down?" asked Lyon as he smirked. "Why would I do as you told? You're not my king."

The crowd couldn't take the suspense as they opened their mouths in disbelief. Some gasps, some gawked on their snacks. The youth was at the crossing point with the Golden Dragon, bearing that burden of atmospheric pressure, he still had a comeback in reserve.

"He didn't even stutter," muttered Cherie as she shook her head, "Unbelievable."

"His breathing is calm, his stature is poise," muttered Hilde. "What monster is he..."

"Heh," Lyon smirked as the others furrowed their eyebrows.

Everyone could hear him smiling but more importantly, they could see that exact moment his other foot left the illustrious tenth step.

"He—ah.."

"No... no..."

"Equal... That guy is equal to the four kings..."

His other foot stepped on the eleventh and final step. His arms crossed as he came straight face to face with the four kings. He rose his chin slightly as he looked down on the Golden Dragon King.

"What's wrong? You need to take a shit?" said Lyon as he smirked. "Drink more water, eat more greens."

His sarcastic tone bought their disbelief as the Golden Dragon King opened his eyes wide.

"Kh!" He balled his fist as his aura turned more vibrant and clear. The aura he unleashed from within his boiling bloodline made his pupils shrink to his glare. The cold killing intent that was amassed from his experience burst out and enveloped the haughty young man.

"You challenged my sovereignty, kneel!" said the Golden Dragon King as he roared.

The roar brought the other kings to slightly wrinkle their noses as their eardrums and souls were rumbling. They all leered against the Golden Dragon King with their eyebrows furrowed.

(Has he broken through?) thought the Pala King as he clicked his tongue.

(This is not good, he is a lot stronger than before) thought the Borg King.

(The balance of power in First Heaven is not going to stay for long) thought the Sverine King before he averted his glance back to the youth.

"Huh?" his mouth slightly gaped as he saw the youth put his hands inside his own pocket.

"A lizard is trying to make my grandson kneel? How laughable," laughed Sun before he grinned.

Lyon shook his head as he smile. The mana surrounding him immediately shifted to a golden color.

"What?!" exclaimed Wanda as he saw his crown disperse to bits of lights.

Lyon's bearing changed as his eyes turned a golden color. The bright gaze from his two jewel orbs was more luminous than the golden dragon. Though he didn't wear any crown like his previous transformation, everyone could feel the wild aura that he unleashed.

Glorious and lustrous golden tails sprung out from the end of his spine. It was hovering in the air like it had no weight, but the four kings had enough experience for their guts to tell that they were dangerous.

"You..!!" said The Golden Dragon King with his eyes bulging out in disbelief.

"Kneel?" Lyon smirked before he opened his arms. An image of a daunting beast emerged behind his back. A giant ape with four tails sitting on top of a huge boulder. One of its legs was on top of the huge boulder with its fangs grinned out.

The crowd was trembling as they saw the image. The size alone was bigger than the golden dragon. It was basically looking it down, like nothing but a lizard with wings.

The Golden Dragon King gulped as he took a step back.

*Tap!

The single step that he made in a retreat was heard loud and clear by his own ears. His eyes opened wide in disbelief at the beast that was laughing. A feeling started to creep up, a feeling that was long lost. A feeling that he thought would never be triggered from a mortal cultivator.

The rest of the kings subconsciously took a step back as well.

"Kh!" Rupert couldn't move his jaw as his mouth locked open. His hands were trembling out of his will. His bloodline was being trampled upon seeing the image of the beast that Lyon summoned through his aura.

"!!" Raul took a huge gulp as he saw the beast that emerged. "What the hell... is that... what a devilish looking ape."

Hilde couldn't even rub her eyes as she looked at the beast laughing against the glaring golden dragon.

"This is!" Wanda opened her eyes wide before she shook her head.

"M-Mother, do you know what beast is that? My whole body seems to tell me to run just from seeing it alone!" said Cherie.

"I-I have an idea..." thought Wanda as she looked at the devilish giant ape laughing. Her eyes narrowed before she gulped.

Everyone's goosebumps had risen to the very end as if they had just been electrocuted. Upon just seeing the image was enough for them to wish for a retreat. Some of the experts in the crowds could hear their own heartbeat while the weaker ones were pathetically trying to calm their trembling hands.

"What we are seeing right now, is a beast called Devil Ape."

"Devil... Ape? The beast is yet another one originating from hell?" said Cherie.

Wanda nodded. "Their exact whereabouts were unknown but that race is vicious. They have superb agility and four devastating tails."

Cherie furrowed her eyebrows as she looked at Lyon. As seconds went by, the youth only becomes more mysterious rather than readable. His move was unpredictable, his ace cards were unimaginable.

"How could the Mortal World give birth to something like this..." she muttered.

Wanda shook her head, "There are still many things that we don't know about the Mortal World, but one thing that I'm sure of is that he is not from the Mortal World. He must be from Hell, and furthermore, his identity must be special too."

"But I thought that all access point to Hell is closed?" said Cherie.

"All access point that 'we' know is closed," Wanda shook her head. "There must be some way to go there or if not, a one way from Hell to the Mortal World. It's hard to imagine that he is coming from the Mortal World, it's even harder considering the previous two beasts."

Lyon smirked as he crossed his arms. He could see the pale faces of the four kings, especially the one that demeaned him the most.

"I would love to stay further, but sadly the second round is already over."

Lyon shrugged his shoulder before his unleashed galore reverted back into nothingness. The beast gave one last inaudible laugh before dissipating for good.

He turned around before giving a leer toward Hezar. He snorted with a smile before he jumped down leaving the four kings to catch their breaths.

*Thud!

He landed with his two feet. He put his hands behind his back before he walked away with ease. The wild bearing that could trample the Golden Dragon was nowhere to be seen. He was back to being a youth that looked like he had not a single problem in his life, or maybe too much for him to even care.

He passed the host to where the other participants he knocked out were. They all immediately opened the way for him as he strolled out. They didn't even dare to glare at his back. The impression that he gave toward the people was etched to their souls.

The kings were looking at one another and cold sweat could be seen dropping from their temples, all kings except the Golden Dragon. He was panting heavily as he was the focal point from the mighty laughing beast.

"Hah... hah... hah...." his chest was heaving up and down and he hardly blinked his eyes. He soon averted his glance toward the youth that was leaving the arena. Disbelief was clouding his mind as the youth was gradually out of his view.