Yingxiong Amphitheatre. A marvel of engineering that possesses the richest amount of history in all of the stadiums in the Lantis Republic. It stands over a hundred metres high and had a minimum capacity of a hundred thousand people. Ever since the founding of the Lantis Republic, the Yingxiong Amphitheatre had served as a sanctuary for residents to come and break away from the mundane lives that they led. It was a place where heroes were born, and legends solidified. And today, the spectators hoped that they were about to witness the rise of a new legend.

The boisterous roars of the audience were deafening to any ear, and any ordinary human would be struggling to speak to their neighbour. However, for a select few, that problem was utterly redundant.

“Wow, the audience sure is getting hyped!” Kesyl exclaimed, starry-eyed as she peered out the thick glass windows. As with every stadium around the world, there were public areas and more exclusive ones. If someone was a VIP or was willing to pay a premium, they could gain access to a private booth, where the walls were thickened to protect them from the noise or potential aggressors while a thick glass screen enabled them to watch the arena in all its glory.

“It really is quite a festival,” said Emma with interest. “I don’t think there are any amphitheatres in the Himmel Empire that could match the atmosphere of this place...”

Seated in the private booth of Lady Seph, were almost every single person from the Himmel Empire congregation. Lady Seph was the de facto leader and the honoured master of Shin, so there was no way that the Longyu Clan would maltreat her. They got her the Premium Executive Box, one tier below the top booth available in Yingxiong Amphitheatre. It had all the amenities one could dream of. From private butlers to gourmet catering delivered up to her front door, there was no reason for Lady Seph to deny the Longyu Clan’s goodwill.

Though not everyone was particularly thrilled with the room. “Hey, Shizen! Stop taking all the sweets! Do you want to get fat?!” Ella chided the nature boy she hadn’t seen for a month, sternly pointing her finger at the man that didn’t seem capable of growing up.

“Come on! Just one more?”

“No way! You have to learn to take care of your health! I can’t monitor you forever!” The ponytailed purple haired girl continued to lecture Shizen while confiscating the jar of honey cookies in his hand. “No more sweets for today!”

“Hehe, Ella really gets along with Shizen!” Emma lightly teased her twin sister, but it fell on deaf’s ears. Instead, Ella just brushed it off and wiped Shizen’s sticky face with a wet towel that was provided.

“They really do get along...” Kesyl had raised brows but failed to continue commenting. She was here to serve Lady Seph. Turning around to the blonde woman, Kesyl noticed that Lady Seph was staring into the distance, her face as chilling as a bone. Bingbing, who had been kicked out from Shin’s changing room, was cowering near the Spirit Venerate as if it feared that something might come and rip it to shreds.

“Master Seph… Is something the matter?” Although Lady Seph hadn’t accepted Kesyl as her disciple yet, she did allow the hardworking young girl to call her ‘Master Seph,’ as a reward for her excellence in brewing tea and serving her.

The blonde healer tilted her head up and gestured Kesyl to look directly ahead, “You see that?”

Kesyl followed the gaze of Lady Seph, only to see a far more luxurious box than their own. It was at least ten times in size and boasted sweet extravagant leather thrones that just oozed out opulence. A crystal chandelier hung overhead while guards, each one seeming no weaker than a Spirit Emperor, stood by like police officers. It really was a sight to behold, there was one more thing that made the private booth stick out like a sore thumb...

The people who resided in it…

Firstly, there was a familiar face. Her black hair and lake-like eyes continued to dazzle even when looked at from a hundred kilometres away. She rested one elbow on her armrest while her other hand was holding back her yawn. Seated to her left and right were an elderly and muscular man respectively. The man who looked to be on the precipice of his deathbed had lazy eyes and blacked brows. And even though his body seemed to be crumbling, he still insisted on carrying an immense obsidian turtle shell on his back.

The brawny man on Longyu Tian’s right was perhaps the most intimidating of the four. Even while he’s seated on the throne, the man looked massive enough to tear a berserker or two in half. Finally, there was one final person among the VVIP booth that Longyu Tian was in. Seated right next to the brawny man at the very edge, was an emerald-haired lady. Her eagle-shaped nose was her most prominent feature, and her sitting look was vicious enough to scare away even the bravest of men.

All four of them were heavily guarded, well-serviced and most importantly of all, they were the centre of attention of the entire crowd. Many feared to stare too long at them, fearing that they would be like Icarus, flying too high into the sun, but they just couldn’t help it. Those four were the icons that held the Lantis Republic together, the powerhouses that prevented the other two superpowers from ever invading.

“They are...”

“The four Spirit Saints of the Lantis Republic...” Lady Seph completed Kesyl’s statement for her. “Longyu Tian, The Saint of Time. Jingyu Han, The Saint of Oceans. Shenshe Zemin, The Saint of Poisons. Heigui Zhengkang, The Saint of Shells. These four are the pillars of the Lantis Republic… To think that they’re all present here in this stadium...”

It was rare to even see one Spirit Saint in public. They were well-known to be lofty beings that had washed their hands off any mortal affairs. The pact signed when World Peace was established had also stated that Spirit Saints weren’t allowed to actively seek power in the human world unless provoked, lest they destabilise the fragile balance that the world had built. So for all four of them to show up just to witness Shin battle… It really was a staggering sight.

Of course, the Spirit Saints didn’t think that way.

“Tian, I can’t wait to see the skills of your prized possession.” Jingyu Han laughed while stroking his shaven chin. His demeanour was like an uncle ready to watch his nephew play some good football.

“Really, how prodigious can he be?” Shenshe Zemin threw her head back with scepticism in her voice. “He’s just a recently promoted Spirit Spectre. Don’t you think it’s too much for him to attempt to take down five Luminaries back to back?”

“Zemin’s right,” replied Heigui Zhengkang. “From what I hear, you’d picked the five most powerful Luminaries to take him on as well, two of them possessing the same Mark of the Celestial Dragon as he has, including the heiress of the Meijing Clan. Are you sure that he can defeat all five of them?”

The Spirit Saints’ were right to be doubtful. They knew the five Luminaries and how powerful their abilities were. If the Spirit Saints were still Spirit Spectres, even they would question their strength in beating all five of them in consecutive bouts.

Longyu Tian scoffed. She stretched her back up a little before replying. “If you would allow him to take the Trial immediately, I would be glad to withdraw him from the matches.”

“At this point, I’m almost tempted to let him...” Jingyu Han chortled, hiding a little fierce glint in his eyes. “However, we don’t even know if he would be loyal to our Republic? Why couldn’t you just go for the five-year plan? If we used the five years to move him over to our side, I’m sure the High Council would be glad to let him go through with the trial then.”

“Five years is too long!” The Saint of Time protested, her nostrils flaring a little. “Shin is a once in a generation talent. I firmly believe that his Spirit has the potential for evolution, just like mine! If we waste any more time, and he cultivates into the Spirit Lord realm without taking the Trial, wouldn’t we be squandering his talent even more?”

The Lantis Republic had already wasted Shin’s childhood, prepubescent and adolescence to the Himmel Empire. Although Meijing Bingying had been sent to correct some of his misconceptions about cultivating, it was far from enough. For Shin to become a Spirit Saint or more likely… Breakthrough into the Spirit Immortal realm, he had to be groomed now.

“Hah… Your stubbornness is as amazing as usual...” Shenshe Zemin groaned while snorting. Longyu Tian was many things, but a social genius, she was not. If the Saint of Time wanted something, she would get it done, no matter what the cost.

“That’s right, so you guys better uphold your promise,” replied Longyu Tian. “If Shin wins all five of them, you’ll join me in convincing the High Council to allow him to take the trial.”

It was a secret kept among the Spirit Saints. Before the Longyu Clan suggested the matches, Longyu Tian had already brokered a deal with the other three Spirit Saints. If Shin managed to defeat all five Luminaries back-to-back, they wouldn’t object to the youth taking the trial. As powerful as the High Council was, they couldn’t do a single thing if the four Spirit Saints were in consensus. They didn’t have to support Longyu Tian, all they needed to do was to not oppose her. That way, the Saint of Time could pressure the High Council to do her bidding and open the Celestial River for Shin to enjoy in its entirety.

“We know, we know...” Shenshe Zemin rolled her eyes. One of the reasons why the Spirit Saints accepted that unreasonable request was because they knew how difficult it was to beat the five Luminaries. So, if Shin managed to do the impossible, they wouldn’t mind rewarding the youth accordingly.

“Oh, speak of the devil, your boy is now coming out...”

The entire audience roared out in joy as the black-haired youth emerged from the tunnels and stepped foot into the two-acre arena. Donned in a breathy warlord’s robe, Shin’s focused eyes captivated those that saw him. He didn’t care about the noisy crowd or the restless men and women shouting his name, all he wanted to do, was to get the job done.

Xunyu Feifei knew that. On an elevated platform just five metres above the ground, the five Luminaries observed as Shin took centre stage. Four years ago, during the Summit, they had witnessed Shin take on Lukman in a handicapped match. Now, four years later, the youth was on the same stage as them and was capable of standing toe-to-toe against them. It really was an odd feeling. Xunyu Feifei leapt down gracefully like an angel descending from the heavens. The cheers from the crowd turned even more thunderous when she took centre stage just metres away from Shin.

The crown of the prettiest maiden in the Lantis Republic was given to Meijing Bingying, but that didn’t mean Xunyu Feifei had been sidelined. In fact, there were even more supporters of the Xunyu Clan’s princess now, and she was treated as a bona fide celebrity, particularly in the hearts of young men. Not that it mattered now though.

In the arena, the biggest stage in the Lantis Republic. There was only one rule.

Strength was king.

Who would win? The five established Luminaries, the young men and women who had inspired a generation? Or the monstrous newbie that was world-renowned as the Prince of Water?

There was only one way to find out.

“Xunyu Feifei. Spirit, the Emperor of the Lagoon, the Heavenly Sturgeon. Rank 47 Spirit Spectre. Please advise me.” Feifei smiled as a two-metre-long sturgeon was summoned out. It was jade grey, with an albino tinge towards its spine. Two whiskers shot out from its bottom, slicing apart the concrete floor that it hovered above. Shin felt his knees getting heavy by her spiritual pressure. The seven rank difference was really starting to show…

However, Shin remained unfazed. He took one deep breath in and instantly used his Spiritual Body Enhancements to strengthen his body. Then, the Sovereign Koi began to float around him all while his mana continued to spike. Finally, when he was all prepared, the youth heaved out one final sigh.

“Shin Iofiel. Spirit, The Eminence of the Lake, The Sovereign Koi. Rank 40 Spirit Spectre. Please advise me...”