Emperor's Reckoning

Hilde creased her forehead as she furrowed her brows. She looked at Lyon calmly walked to the First Hall leisurely.

His nonchalant bearing had always been one of his greatest traits. However, the one that knew what the smirk meant was far and few.

(What is he up to...) Hilde's heart raced as they arrived at the First Hall.

Everyone immediately turned their heads. Some of them recognized the youth, and some were not there yesterday.

"Azure... cloak?" one of the cultivators raised his brows. "He is an alchemist too?"

"Incredible, only a select few able to take both paths as an alchemist and cultivators at the same time," commented another.

They were awed by the status that Lyon wore. All except one young man that had just arrived.

He had a noble-like air surrounding him. His jaws were well-defined, and his black eyes were sharper than the talon of an eagle. His build was slightly more muscular than Lyon's, but one couldn't see the muscle tones under his robe. However, what struck the most about him was the symbol on his forehead—a black teardrop.

"Ah, young master Azleid, nice to meet you," said one of the cultivators—with a smile on his face.

Azleid—he nodded, "Nice to meet you too."

The cultivator offered his hand but his smile vanished as Azleid looked down on it. His eyebrows slightly raised as his lips forgot to fuse together.

Azleid spared no words. He shifted his glance and looked at Lyon going up to the second floor. His brows furrowed before he asked, "Do you know anything about that alchemist?"

"Huh? Oh, him," the cultivator nodded. "His name is Lyon, rumored has it that he and his group hunted kunpeng for a living."

Azleid's glance shifted back to the cultivator, "Hunting kunpeng?"

"Y-Yes, their group is capable!" the cultivator nodded in perspiration.

"Interesting," Azleid nodded before he walked past him.

"Ah, young master Azleid! Do you need company?" asked the cultivator with a radiant hope of a smile.

Azleid paused before the atmosphere slightly trembled by his presence. He leered at the cultivator before the latter had the knees banged on the floor. Not a single cultivator from the surrounding dared to gasp.

"Know your place," said Azleid before he went up to the second floor.

The cultivators immediately seize for breaths. There was a certain doom-strangeling feeling that chocked their necks in the presence that Azleid left. Everyone was perspiring as the situation turned dire for a second. Their knees had turned weak and some of them couldn't help but on all fours.

"Young master Azleid! Of all days, why does it have to be this day..." complained the alchemist that was tending the first floor—he was too, catching for breath.

"Ah? Y-You become an alchemist?" asked the alchemist that was tasked to stand right at the second floor's entrance.

"Haha! Amazing right!" Lyon laughed at the roof as he entered the second floor—disregarding the surprised alchemist.

"Hmm?" Graham glanced over his back before he sighed and joined his emperor.

"Ah, the second floor," said Lyon as he took a deep breath, "Still the same as yesterday I see."

"Y-Young master Azleid?!"

"Hm? Lyon glanced over.

The two of them caught each other's glance and none of them was smiling. The tension between the two was suffocating, however, the most dangerous part was that they didn't know each other. It was pure instinct.

Azleid took a step forward and Lyon turned his figure.

"Y-Young master Azleid?!" exclaimed Hilde as her pupils shrunken.

"Who?" Lumina asked.

Hilde gulped, "He is young master Azleid, the eldest son of the Teardrop Clan."

"That's not useful," said Lumina.

"He is quite famous in Sixth Heaven! His famed for his art called the Weaving Tears—gentle but deadly," said Hilde. Her hands were trembling at the sight of this supreme figure, however, her eyes caught Lyon standing nonchalantly with his arms crossed. (He... is not even...).

Under his ghastly presence, Lyon couldn't feel a thing. His shoulders were relaxed as he looked at the man that was slightly taller than him.

"Your name," asked Azleid.

Lyon smirked, "Do you think I would give someone that didn't even introduce himself, my name?"

Azleid raised his brows.

His respond clenched the hearts of the onlookers. They were all trembling as they looked at Lyon casually gave out his rude tone. They couldn't believe how brave, or rather foolish, Lyon was. However, some of the experts in the room could see how Lyon was standing up on his own against Azleid's pressure.

(This young man! He could stand toe to toe with young master Azleid!) thought one cultivator.

(I can't believe it! Defeating a kunpeng is not that hard for young master Azleid but, who is he? How is he not known?!) thought another insightful cultivator.

"Hmm, they better have useful items this time," a delicate proud voice was heard before a figure that captivated the second floor arrived.

She had a figure that rivaled Lumina. Her face was covered by a thin veil, and her brows were as sharp as blade. Her eyes were strikingly brown, and her black hair was tied up to a ponytail with some bangs on the front. Her lips were thin red and her cheeks had a red hue even though she was not blushing. However, what striked Lyon the most was the thin red lotus ornament on her forehead.

She paused before she raised her brows, "Azleid?"

By the casual tone that she gave, the group immediately realized that she was at the very least had the same status as Azleid was. However, Kesya was grinning for something else as she gazed upon the back of her emperor.

"Miss Ning," said Azleid as he turned.

"That's miss Ning!" muttered Hilde. (W-What's going on?! Why is heaven's favorite gathering now?!).

Hilde gulped. (This is bad, this is really bad, Ning of the Red Lotus! She just has to come to visit Alchemy Union with Lyon in it!).

"Miss Ning of the Red Lotus," muttered Hilde as she knew Lumina was about to ask who she was.

"Red Lotus, heh," Cecile smirked, and it went unnoticed.

"Azleid, you're early," said Ning as she crossed her arms and slightly raised her chin.

Azleid said nothing but a figure suddenly past him by. He raised his brows seeing the same young man that he stood face-to-face approached Ning.

Lyon had his face turned radiant with his bright fool-like smile. His confidence knew no bounds as he went close to Ning without the slightest hesitation. The status between the two was the polar opposite, at least in the eyes of the onlookers.

"My name is Lyon, nice to meet you, miss Ning," Lyon offered his right hand.

Ning looked down at his hands before she slapped them away with her backhand. The resounding slap conquered the second floor without fail. Everyone was gobsmacked but deep down, they knew it would happen. Ning was a high-status woman. Her taste was grande. She would let a nobody like Lyon shake her hand.

Lyon froze as his hand was hanging in the air. He had never thought that he would get his hand slapped away for offering a handshake.

"Know your place," said Ning with her arms crossed and her chin raised. She was looking down on him without any mercy. She snorted before she went up to the third floor. "Unbelievable," she muttered.

Azleid commented none. He went up to the third floor and followed behind Ning, leaving Lyon with his petrified self.

"You really do like to create enemies, Miss Ning," said Azleid.

"It's none of your business, Red Lotus can handle enemies, let alone a small fry like that, the audacity! Unbelievable!" said Ning as she frowned her way upstairs.

"A small fry?" Azleid pondered.

"What? What are you trying to say? That he is a somebody?" said Ning.

"I don't know about that, I just met him today," said Azleid as he shook his head.

Meanwhile, back on the second floor.

Cecile chuckled before she shook her head, "What a rude woman, my husband offered her the courtesy of shaking his hand, but she not only refused, she slapped his hand away."

"She didn't know how fortunate she was," said Kesya, "If Empress Selena were here with us... heh."

"Just say the word, Empress," said Assid as he revealed his sharp eyes and worming veins in his temple.

"No, not this time Assid, Sixth Heaven is too close with Paradise," said Cecile as she shook her head. "Beheading her here would serve nothing but trouble for us."

(W-WHAT ARE THESE PEOPLE SAYING?!) thought Hilde as she gulped. (THEY COULD DO IT? THEY COULD KILL MISS NING?!).

Lyon put his hanging hand back down. He turned and looked at his group with a smirk on his face. "Let's go."

Lyon embarked to the stairs—ascending to the next floor.

"W-Wait a minute, we don't—" Hilde's lips were covered by Kesya.

"Hush... follow along," said Kesya before she let go of Hilde's mouth after the latter nodded nervously.