Dragon Tribulation of All Realms

Chapter 138 - Opening Battle

It's almost time.

With the participants largely assessed and the distinguished guests properly accommodated, the martial arts tournament moved on to its next phase.

Light burst forth.

Light burst forth at every key point in the Holy Kingdom of Lobul.

From the northern capital of Herbans to the southern heartland of Dipont, from the large city of Prato to the small town of Leutz, from Carinthia at the foot of the floating arena to the great high walls on the border, brilliant light rose everywhere.

The light of faith, the light of willpower.

Wu Chen no longer needs to exercise this power covertly. Instead, he can wield it without restraint. Long before the conference, he had already established carrier nodes in every key city, leaving behind a pool of devout believers easily cultivated from among Kalja's confidants. Now, he intends to activate them all.

Fifth-tier magic: Multiple Mirror Imagery.

A giant light screen, reflecting off the top level of the floating arena, appeared above numerous cities. The powerful individuals qualified to participate in the final competition were entering one by one. Meanwhile, those warriors who failed the test were already seated in the audience.

"Look! That's Her Majesty the Holy Queen!"

"Who is that... I've seen him before! That's Archmage Fluda from the Bahars Empire!"

"And the Blue Rose of the Kingdom of Yestize! Wait, what's Lady Rajus doing down there... and that little guy with the mask..."

"Is that Soldier Captain Gazef? Wait, only men of Soldier Captain rank can participate in the tournament?"

"That white-haired berserker... I've seen him before, he's an esteemed figure from the Holy Kingdom! Is he here too?"

"And who are those two people wearing cloaks...?"

The sounds emanated from all corners of the Holy Kingdom. All eyes converged on the various cities of the Holy Kingdom.

Whether farmers, craftsmen, soldiers, or ordinary citizens and mercenaries, they all looked up at the enormous light screen closest to them at this moment.

They gasped in amazement, their expressions focused. Those more knowledgeable and capable, however, were almost terrified.

“Projected directly from Kalinsha to Debonne… what… what immense magical power.” The remnants of the southern nobility, the dukes and marquises who, out of caution, had not participated in the rebellion, trembled. They had not only witnessed the Regent’s power, but also his allies.

"It's Furuta... Yes, it's definitely him! But... but who has ever seen the empire's guardian deity so respectful!?"

Fruda was not pretending.

Because Dust is a righteous king, and the human world will eventually submit to him. And that is precisely why the noble circles of the Holy Kingdom, who were purged by Wu Chen with ruthless methods, are so afraid.

Fluda was once the only strong person they knew who could rival Dust. But now, Fluda had been defeated and subjugated.

"Quickly!" the Duke screamed. "Quickly! Send out my private army! My guards! Send them all to Carinthia! I will immediately obey the Regent's orders! I am forever loyal to the Regent!"

The marquises and earls also screamed, making the same sound!

“And me! I own a property near Kalinsha, which rightfully belongs to the Regent!”

“I know the ambassador of the Sea Clan. The young lady of the Lusaka Clan has long admired the Regent. I can introduce her to His Majesty!”

They were fast and loud. Even with their eyes fixed on the descending light screen, they issued numerous commands in a short time.

The Southern Kingdom was in an uproar, with those in power becoming increasingly frantic. This was because the entire human world knew that Fluder had lived for over two hundred years. And now…

How long will a king, a magician stronger than Brynhildr and destined to acquire the secrets of immortality, rule this land?

"It won't be long, because even the most powerful Prea only has a lifespan of a hundred years."

Within the Slane Theocracy, a remote spying spell cast by Astrologer Thousand Miles, a member of the Dark Scripture, revealed the view above Kalinsha to the theocracy's high command. A series of intense and rapid discussions ensued, and a consensus was quickly reached.

"The Holy Kingdom of Babur will unify the human realm, and we humans will usher in another era of prosperity. But the arrival of Preya also means new challenges. Our war with the Great Forest of Ivanshah will likely enter a new phase." "The True Dragon Kings will not ignore this matter. The Corrupt Court has mobilized its entire forces. This will be a serious test for the newly risen Preya. We must take action."

“This is unreasonable. True Dragon Kings would never interfere in the world so directly and brutally. Unless that King Dust has shown the same cruelty and tyranny as the Eight Greed Kings of the past... there must be some important reason behind this.”

“I don’t think a green dragon that was banished to the hills a hundred years ago is worth the old dragon king risking everything for revenge… Could it be because of that dark hero? He could also be Preya.”

The high priests each held their own opinion. But eventually, a consensus was reached. No one objected to supporting the Holy Kingdom where Prea resided. So…

"Summon the Holy Legion and prepare for battle. No matter what kind of Prea that King Dastel is, we cannot stand by and watch a human kingdom crumble at the hands of a foreign race."

The High Priest tapped the table and made a decision.

Then, everyone's attention turned back to the remote surveillance system set up by the astrological celestial being.

..............................

The wind is blowing.

As the last contestant stepped onto the top-level arena, Calgar gave the order. The entire floating arena then began to move, supported by the angelic legion. A dense cloud curtain appeared outside the arena.

Fourth rank, Cloud Creation. Kuirat waved her staff, casting this spell—she and her sister now stood behind the thrones of Kalja and the Regent, respectively. Even amidst the sanctified light that filled the entire floating arena, the three sisters shone exceptionally brightly at this moment.

No one in the human realm was more beautiful than the three sisters. Yet, all eyes were fixed on the black-haired figure on the central throne. He exuded an unparalleled presence simply by sitting there. And when he stood up and raised his hand, he became the center of attention.

The contestants from the Church were originally tasked with offering greetings, but at this moment they were unable to speak.

The kingdom's participants share the same responsibility, but at this moment only Dust's words are qualified to reach everyone's ears.

"Warrior." His voice echoed through the arena. "Powerful warrior."

"You have overcome the trials of Aincrad, and there is no doubt that you are all qualified to compete for the world championship."

My gaze swept over him, and his eyes were as heavy as mountains.

"Commander, Gödev Storonov." — A burly man clad in the kingdom's most treasured armor, wielding a razor blade, his gaze solemn.

"Blue Rose, Lajus Albein Til Eindora." — The demon swordswoman, with six longswords floating behind her, looked up at the Regent.

"The destruction of a nation, Iver's lament." — A petite girl draped in a cloak and wearing a mask. Her title elicited gasps of astonishment from the scholars.

"The strongest human from the Holy Kingdom, and above all under heaven." — A burly axe-wielding giant, and a lean leather-clad ninja. Their imposing presence stung the eyes of the onlookers.

"Silverbird, Frenwalds." — A smiling young man with a rapier at his waist, a feathered hat on his head, and a lute on his back. He is the captain of the Silverbird, a steel mercenary squad of the Bahars Empire.

"An unnamed martial artist, a master of boxing and staff fighting, and an alchemist." — Two cloaked figures, their faces unknown. One carries numerous alchemical vials. The other reveals slender yet resilient hands, wielding a long staff. Both are heroes.

"And finally, 'Beautiful Girl' Nabe, who defeated the powerful vampire, and 'Dark Hero' Feifei." — A cold and beautiful woman, whose appearance was only slightly inferior to Kalja's, and a black-armored warrior carrying two greatswords, stepped into the arena.

"I'm thinking about something." The Regent stepped out from the stands, treading on thin air as he descended step by step toward the center of the arena. "If someone exerts all their strength and uses every means to barely defeat the second-place finisher, perhaps that person is not fit to be called a world champion."

Gilded heavy armor appeared out of thin air, its various components fitting snugly around the Regent's body. An unbelievable conjecture took shape in everyone's minds from that moment on, a terrifying conjecture that made everyone's hearts pound.

"After all, the champion should be the strongest. And the strongest must overwhelm all the weak with overwhelming force."

His feet touched the ground, and his entire body shimmered with light. In his left hand was a rapier, and in his right a greatsword. Boiling elemental flames burned atop his armor.

The Regent's gaze swept over everything before him.

"Come at me all at once. I'll allow you to discuss tactics and fight when you're in top condition."

(End of this chapter)