Just when Lucy was reaching the final stage of the fusion, dark and ominous clouds clustered above the sky-high mountain. Arthur was able to recognize them with one glance, they're the same clouds which appeared in Astria when he was fighting the Divine Beasts.

Thunderclaps resounded in the area, scaring the nearby beasts and causing a frown to appear on Arthur's face.

'The heavens are not happy?'

'What do you think? Of course they're not. However, this can barely be called a minor Celestial Tribulation. It should be a piece of cake to overcome it.'

While Lucy was busy finishing her business, Arthur stood a distance away from her and spread his two wings, one white and the other black. He raised his head, gazing at the thin red lightning that covered the sky like an intersecting spider net.

This level of tribulation can only hurt Sovereigns, at most, furthermore, it shouldn't attract too much attention, or so thought Arthur, who wasn't able to sense the invisible figure staring at him and his wife from a safe distance.

The young man, wearing a grey robe and smirking evilly was the Black Rose executive, Artid. The commotion caused by the awakened Fire Spirit attracted his attention.

He traveled two-thirds of this secret Realm, searching for any signs of Arthur. He still hasn't gone to the Paradise Garden so he didn't know the small ruckus that occurred there.

By no means did he harbor any malicious intentions toward the couple, he was genuinely interested in this enigma, who's the target of many powerful factions. Krauk was never a person to exaggerate so, since he was already in Green-Leaf, he decided to meet with this candidate and personally hear his answer.

When he saw the fleeing Deacon, who was bloodied, Artid was sure that Arthur was inside the mountain so he patiently observed the changes without revealing himself. In terms of cultivation, he was the second weakest out of all the seats, however, the 'Unbeatable' titles wasn't there just for show.

'Celestial Tribulation? Ah Krauk, you really do have an eye for people.'

His pair of eyes locked onto Lucy, inspecting her from head to toe before nodding his head and mumbling

'It just so happens that the White Seat is going to be empty pretty soon but… she's a White Specter hm… whatever, it matters not.'

The sounds of the rumbling thunder became ear-deafening, scattering every being that was courageous enough to try and resist Heaven's will.

The first series of thunderbolts descended on Lucy, who didn't pay them any attention. A black silhouette jumped in the air, grabbing the thickest bolt and crushing it with his fist, which was enveloped by an everlasting darkness.

There were more bolts than he could handle, nevertheless, none of them managed to hit Lucy, who was protected by an awfully powerful defensive formation.

The barrier of the Brave is an ancient formation that was used by the ancestors of the Mirage Era Hall Sect. Being a Gold Formations Master, Arthur was able to create since the materials needed happened to be present in Zodiak's storage.

The only reason he jumped and clashed with the previous bolt is to see if his Physical is strong enough to resist Heaven's lightning.

He barely felt anything from that which means that even without formations, it'll still be easy to defend Lucy. He landed next to Lucy and waved his hand in a mysterious pattern, either placing some crystals around them.

His hand moved fast as they scribed on the scorched ground, causing the drawn symbols to shine with a peculiar green light.

Coupled with the Barrier of the Brave, Arthur set up a self-sustaining formation that counter-attacks any outside forces. Purge was a Peak Gold Formations that can kill any God Monarch trapped inside of it. Its powers are limited for those who're outside of it but it shouldn't be underestimated.

As a final precaution, a sturdy half-illusory dark barrier that looked like a sphere enveloped the couple. One wave of lightning bolts after another kept hitting the first formation but was unable to scratch it, much less shatter it.

In retaliation, the 'purge' formation with unleash a destructive blast toward the sky, causing more bolts of lightning to clash with it, wasting more time for the tribulation, which can't remain here for too long.

This continued for ten minutes, more or less, before the tribulation prepared its last attack. The dark clouds dispersed, making way for a lengthy lightning arrow made of purple and red lightning.

Arthur remained unfazed, he just smirked and closed his eyes, entering meditation. Artid, who was also witnessing this, was actually speechless.

The information he had about Arthur was incomplete, just the formations he just used elevated his status in the executive's eyes.

'He can transform into the Divine Beast, the White Tiger. Can use Dark Magic, Gold Formations, lethal poisons, and his speed is unequaled. If this is not the perfect candidate then I don't know who is. Then again, is he a Druid or a shapeshifter? He can't possibly be human.'

Like a heavenly punishment, the lightning arrow, with incredible speed, struck the Barrier of the Brave, causing countless cracks. After three seconds, the formation shattered but a powerful blast from 'Purge' managed to cause half of the arrow to disappear, weakening it by more than half.

The arrow kept getting closer to Lucy only to clash with the Dark Barrier, which was strengthened by jet black talismans. Unlike the formation, the barrier remained unscathed as Dark Magic crept toward it, slowly consuming it.

Within five seconds, the arrow turned jet black before it became smaller size, quickly disappearing into a small black whirlpool, which, in its turn, also vanished.

Having exhausted all its power, the tribulations turned into nothingness and the dark clouds returned normal, making the sky clear again.

Just when the tribulation ended, Lucy completed her soul-protecting item at last. A blinding radiance enveloped the silver-haired woman, who bathed in this gentle light, which circled around her before condensing into a multi-colored bead that entered her chest, resting in her consciousness.

'A Mysterious-ranked treasure, it's been a long time since I saw one.'

Unexpectedly, the one who just talked was Curtis, who usually remains silent, guarding Arthur's soul and being a dutiful guardian.

Her ever-so-slightly floating silver-hair finally went back to normal once the blinding radiance disappeared. With a peaceful and pleased expression, Lucy got up and gave a deep hug to Arthur, who smiled back at her.

This moment of happiness was, unfortunately, cut short as a young in a grey robe appeared on the peak of the mountain.

He didn't look hostile or emit any killing intent, nonetheless, Arthur remained cautious despite knowing the other party's real identity.

"Came to hear my answer?"

Artid was a bit startled before he resumed his friendly smile. He leisurely walked to the couple while saying

"I didn't expect you to know who I am. This makes it easier for me."

He performed a short bow while formally introducing himself

"I am Artid, an Executive of Black Rose and one of the nine seats, the Green Seat of Justice."

Arthur nodded his head while Lucy remained indifferent. Artid didn't mind their attitudes, he spread his hands while stating

"Honestly, I'm impressed by your powers, both of you and, again, I humbly invite you to join our organization. Currently, one of the nine seats is vacant and I believe you're the perfect candidate. Moreover, soon enough, another seat will be emptied, which, I believe, is a seat reserved for Madam

Lucy, what do you two think?"

He studied their expressions while adding:

"Please do not worry, as long as you're of the nine seats, there's no one who can order you around. Major decisions are decided by a majority vote so it's fair. You shan't be mistreated and the benefits will surely satisfy you. We have very accurate information about the White Specter Clan, the Holy Dominion, or any other power which interests you."

Arthur crossed his arms and retorted:

"I can't help but feel curious about your persistence. I'm sure there are countless other candidates who are more suitable than me."

Artid, still smiling, shook his head while giving a truthful reply

"That's where you're wrong. The members of the Nine Seats rarely change if not never. To find a suitable candidate, we have to look everywhere and barely found someone eligible for the position. We want someone who's not affiliated with strong powers, someone independent and strong enough to stand above his peers. In my honest opinion, I think you're the perfect choice. We can shield you from your numerous enemies and as long as you have the money, anyone can be killed, anyone!"