"I don't know," Verity said, her eyes wide. "Alex just said he was going to bring me, and now here I am!"
She was still a little dazed, and Agatha didn't have the heart to scold her.
"I'm going to kill him," Agatha muttered. "Unless Enzo gets to him first. And then who knows what that man will do to him? It won't be pleasant, though."
She shook her head and pulled Verity behind her, shielding her from view.
"Stay there," she warned her sister. "Anyone who wants to challenge you will have to go through me, and that will make them think twice."
"Oh. Okay," Verity said, obediently staying put.
A few streaks of light descended from the sky and shot down to the Cloud Palace, and everyone froze, their eyes locked on the beams of light. The spectators below the palace tilted their heads back, staring with awe. Nobody dared to even breathe too loudly.
The Immortals had descended.
The light dispersed, revealing eight immortals, who stood there majestically, surrounded by lightning. Seven of them came from one of the great sects, and the other was a member of the powerful Olsen family.
They had come only to supervise and would not interfere. They sat down without saying a word, and no one dared to disturb them. Even in the divine realm, these immortals were too powerful to offend.
"The assembly has officially begun!" Hendrix said, standing up and looking around. "Anyone who wishes to challenge me should feel free to do so. I welcome any challenge."
A man called Wyatt burst out laughing. "You're invincible!" he called. "Who would be stupid enough to challenge you? We all know you'll wipe the floor with us."
The others nodded silently.
As usual, the strongest person at the assembly would usually be challenged last. Nobody wanted to be defeated straight away, so they would pick off the other opponents first.
"I challenge Annalise," Fern said, standing up and looking over at the other woman. "I want to pit myself against the ultimate technique of the Snow Palace sect."
Annalise did not say anything, but simply walked into the arena.
Two powerful women were about to fight, and everyone was eager to see what would happen. The women were equally beautiful, and both had impressive family backgrounds and a high level of skill.
The women instantly engaged in battle. Fern controlled a pair of golden rings that she weaved through the air. They were middle-grade spiritual weapons that contained a lot of power, but Annalise merely shot out two white beams of light to defend herself.
Everyone watched nervously, unsure which woman would win.
Meanwhile, Alex sat cross-legged in a corner with his back to everyone. Facing the Dark River, he closed his eyes and started cultivating. His aura rose and fell along with the tide of the river, as if he was one with it. Under the nourishment of its spirit energy, he grew stronger, and the broken channels of power within him knitted together once more.
The two women continued to fight, but in the end, Annalise was more powerful, and knocked the golden rings out of Fern's hands, disarming her. But Fern was not discouraged and simply smiled and admitted defeat.
After that, the other warriors began to step forward to challenge each other.
Maddox, Agatha, and Wyatt were all challenged by others, but each displayed their unparalleled strength and defeated their opponents in less than five moves. Maddox barely had to move. No matter what anyone did to him, his body remained undamaged, so he just stood there, allowing their swords to hack at him. Eventually, his opponents wore themselves out and were forced to surrender.
"There are many elites in this generation of the divine realm," said one of the immortals. "And they are all worthy of respect. After all, they weren't born into their power, and haven't had access to secret techniques and magic tools from an early age. It's a pity that Diego and Elsa are on Earth. If they had been here, they could have caused Hendrix some trouble, but I think Maddox and the others are still too inexperienced."
He paused for a moment, as he watched two of the warriors sparring, and then he continued. "By the way, Annalise, I heard that your Snow Palace sect once brought a woman back from Earth. Is that true?"
"Yes, it's true," Annalise said.
"Earth is a strange and unpredictable place," the immortal said, frowning. "Even Sabrina died there. I believe the seven sect masters are preparing to use some artifacts to open the gate." He looked at Annalise. "Send someone through it to find out more about Earth. We also want the human woman in your palace so that we can question her."
"Yes, sir," she said, lowering her head. She knew the woman in question wasn't important—not compared to the safety of the entire divine realm—but she also knew how difficult the interrogation would be, and she felt sorry for her.
Why did she have to be from Earth? She thought with a sigh.
Still, there was nothing she could do about it, so she straightened her spine and went back to watching the fighting.
Within the courtyard, the battle was raging.
After several rounds of fighting, everyone had a rough idea of their strength compared to the others. Except for Hendrix, who had yet to make a single move. He just stood there, all high and mighty, as he watched everyone else, but everyone knew he was the best fighter present.
After him were Maddox, Agatha, Annalise, and Enzo, who were all disciples of the greatest sects. They had all reached the divine level and were close to becoming immortals.
Fern was at the intermediate stage of the divine level, and she stood with those from the seven great sects who were at the same level.
Then there was a warrior who had only reached the early stage of the divine level.
Of all those present, only Hendrix, Verity, and Alex had not yet made a move.
Then Enzo stood up and looked over at the corner, smirking.
"O Great One," he called. "I challenge you!"
Everyone looked over and saw Alex sitting in the corner with his back to them.
"Who is that?" Wyatt asked, shaking his head. "Enzo really is shameless. He's a top warrior of the Thunder sect and the son of an elder, and yet he's challenging a nobody. He's a disgrace to his sect."
"Isn't he famous for seeking revenge for the smallest grievance?" Blake asked. "He is extremely powerful, though, and he has important friends. Not even Sabrina can touch him."
"Hey!" Fern called out to Alex. "Come over here. I can protect you, and I'm sure we can find a way for you to repay me." She covered her mouth, hiding her laugh. She came from a place where people often spoke their minds, so no one was surprised by her boldness.
"Shameless," Verity muttered, and then she stuck out her tongue.
Alex still sat there, breathing deeply. With each breath, he felt as though he was pulling in energy from the Dark River, and each breath was synchronized with the tides.
But no one realized what he was doing, not even the immortals.
"What's wrong?" Enzo called, taunting him. "Are you afraid to face me? If so, then admit defeat. Kneel before me and apologize for your behavior, and I'll allow you to leave here. But stay out of my way from now on."
Everyone's eyes were on Alex. Some people were surprised, some were worried, and some were gloating, waiting to see him being humiliated.
They all knew how strong Enzo was. Although he was slightly weaker than Maddox, Agatha, and Wyatt, he was still on par with Blake, Milton, and Annalise, which made him a serious threat.
Alex still didn't answer. His eyes remained closed as he cultivated his power.
The other competitors frowned.
Maddox looked over and called to Alex, "You cannot refuse a challenge in this palace. If you are unwilling to accept the challenge, then you must withdraw from the contest and leave."
Still, Alex said nothing.
Agatha saw his blank expression and shook her head. His attitude of not fighting or surrendering was idiotic, and it simply wasn't done. He had some nerve to act in such a way.
Even Fern was a little unhappy. Although she admired his good looks, her people appreciated powerful warriors who fought to the death and never shrunk from danger. As far as she was concerned, Alex's current behavior marked him as a coward.