Leander opened his eyes, calm and distant-not at Felix. A punk like him wasn't worth the glance.Felix had mocked the so-called young prodigies of Astria's Central State, but it meant nothing to Leander. He wasn't the one being insulted.Over a hundred prodigies were present, yet none dared step forward. None could defeat Felix. Naturally, Leander wouldn't intervene.Pressed under the heel of a genius from the Shadowrealm Sect, these Central Realm of Martial World prodigies only inspired Leander's pity.He had opened his eyes because he sensed three terrifying auras. The weakest was Blaze Transcendent, while the strongest had reached Infernal Crown Transcendent-enough to rival Galen, Grandmaster of Mount Martial.The auras shared a faint similarity with Felix's. Likely from the same sect, these three were probably also from the Shadowrealm Sect."Dual Meridian Sect? What a messy day," he murmured, interest flickering in his eyes."Hah! The Central Realm of the Martial World' Nine Geniuses? All hot air," Felix sneered, arrogance dripping."Anyone else want to speak up for the Dual Meridian Sect's young mistress? Come at me. I'll take you all on," he called.The hundred-plus prodigies bristled, but after Kian's defeat, none dared step forward. Anxiety hung heavy."Grant, go have a round with him?"Seeing the silence, the impulsive Aria nudged her brother."Aria, I can't beat him," Grant muttered, reluctant."Can't beat him? What are you scared of?" Aria thumped her chest. "Our Steelblade Hall has a secret art. You can explode with Martial Sovereign-level power for a moment. The side effect is just a few days of weakness. Go, use the Steelblade Nine Forms and teach him a lesson. You'll shine in front of all these prodigies!"noveldramaGrant refused, shaking his head. "Even with the secret art, I'll barely match that Mount Sect guy. I can't beat him."They spoke quietly, but every Martial Practitioner present could hear. Felix glanced at them, cold light flickering-killing intent simmering.Leander shook his head at Aria, unsure how to even comment on this carefree, oblivious girl. She appeared bold and unrestrained, but in truth, she was inexperienced and naive. Felix, hailing from the Shadowrealm Sect, was narrow- minded, and Aria didn't even realize that a few careless words had already angered him, sowing the seeds of disaster for her and Grant.If Felix found an opening, he would crush them without hesitation."This is the Dual Meridian Sect. The Bloody Palm Sect don't get to run wild here,"Darius, the sect's nearly-betrothed son-in-law, stomped. Power surged, shaking the platform beneath him.He pointed at Felix, fingers curling. Power gathered at each fingertip. He was ready to strike."Oh?" Felix flicked open his fan. "So the Dual Meridian Sect bullies with numbers. And you call yourselves the Shimmering Isle royal family?"Darius ignored the provocation. "Against the Shadowrealm Sect, we owe no courtesy. You barged in alone. Be ready never to walk out."His right arm surged with power as he struck.Heat and force swept sideways. Felix's eyes narrowed as he infused his fan withinner strength, making it harder than steel to block the blow.He was one of the most outstanding prodigies of his generation from the Shadowrealm Sect. He had reached Martial Sovereign at twenty-six and now stoodat the intermediate stage. Yet even so, when facing Darius, an elite Martial Sovereign, he was still clearly outmatched.Their powers collided. Felix grunted, staggering to the platform's edge, his right arm numb.Darius followed up with a sky-cleaving palm. A pale-red palm mark tore forward, aiming to smash Felix.A thunderous boom shook the hall as rocks exploded overhead, sunlight piercing through.Two figures descended likeimmortals. One flicked a sleeve, awall of force shredding Darius'spalm attack. The leftover energyhurled him more than a hundred feet back. Bang!He slammed into a rock wall, blood spilling from his lips. The hall froze. Every eyewas fixed on the two uninvited guests who had dropped from the sky.They looked forty to fifty, about Darius's age, dressed in white robes like Felix. A bloody handprint glared from their chests.Hands clasped behind their backs, they floated thirty feet above the ground, looking down on everyone."Transcendent Realm?"Elara and her mother, Lyra, gasped in fear.Darius had reached elite Martial Sovereign. To injure him in a single strike, only a Transcendent could manage it.Their robes marked them as members of the Bloody Palm Sect. Two Transcendents from the sect meant they had come prepared.Even among the Bloody Palm Sect, Transcendents were elite. Two here meant serious intent."After all these years, the Dual Meridian Sect still bullies the young. Pathetic," the middle-aged man who had struck Darius sneered."If you like throwing your weight around, I'll gladly crush a few egos."His sleeve flicked. A power ribbon, over a hundred feet long and ten feet thick, crashed toward Darius and his allies-aimed to kill.Elara and Lyra froze. There was no escape. Even three Martial Sovereigns would have been obliterated.Boom!A rainbow streak shot from deep within the Dual Meridian Sect, colliding with the ribbon midair and shattering it."What?"The middle-aged man paused. He did not attack again. Both he and his partner turned toward a rock wall.From a tunnel mouth appeared a man and woman, standing shoulder to shoulder."A hundred years later,Shadowrealm Sects are stillinfuriating," the man in blue said, hands clasped behind his back.Beside him, a graceful womamatched his steps. Each movement carried a natural rhythm. Both were Transcendents. The prodigies sucked in their breath. Every instinct screamed to run.This was supposed to be a marriage proposing event. It had become a four transcendent showdown if they fought here, half.the hundred-plus spectators would die from falling rocks.Only Leander stayed calm. He lifted his gaze and focused on the blue-robed man.Surprise flickered across his face."So it's him?" he said, eyes narrowing as he chuckled.He never imagined the Transcendent he had met in Ravenridge would be part of theDual Meridian Sect.The blue-robed man was none other than the Lord of Umbral-the one who had once asked Leander to spare several of the Umbral Court's Six Wraiths.