"Hey! Isn't that woman Gloria?" Valeria pointed out at Gloria who, upon closer inspection, was currently
disguised as another female Spiritual Emperor.
"Yes, it's her. She found out my real identity," Rocky revealed honestly, hiding nothing from Valeria.
"How? I thought our plan was flawless!" Valeria swiftly complained with a frown.
"You know she might not be adept with other things, but she is quite skilled at dealing with men. I think
she can even tell it by just sniffing my scent alone!" Rocky explained, trying to find a reasonable
excuse.
"It's possible. What did that sly fox say to you?" Valeria stared and asked him. Her overreaction was
evident in her slight jealousy.
"Nothing special."
"Liar! Did you get drunk off of those honeyed words of hers?" Valeria didn't believe a single word he
said.
"Ha-ha! Isn't that normal? Anyway, she is still my fiancee nominally." Rocky chuckled.
"Humph! Fiancee? The audacity of this woman!" This only amplified her jealousy.
"Don't worry. My fief has already broken ties with theirs, hasn't it? Even if she tried to take advantage of
me, she'll never fool me."
"That's good." Valeria's face softened with relief. "By the way, do you know what you'll have to face in
the third round?"
"No, I don't know." Rocky shook his head, feigning ignorance.
Just as the two of them were about to continue their conversation, five brilliant lights suddenly fell from
the sky above the square and swiftly landed on the ground in front of it.
The Spiritual Emperors and the audience present standing in the square soon rose into an uproar.
Judging from the brilliance of these lights, they were undoubtedly the big shots of the Ethereal Region.
Under the crowd's watchful eyes, the five rays of light dissipated before they revealed the true bodies
encased within them.
At the same time, the uproar got furious inside and outside the square. They were indeed none
ordinary big figures. The one who stood in the middle and wore a purple golden robe was the current
chief of the Di Clan, Colton.
The two figures who flanked him were Crosby, the leader of the Sky-suppressing Mansion, and
Enrique, the leader of the Sovereign Pavilion.
The other two were elders of the Di Clan.
The crowd was humbled, honored, and excited to be in the presence of these three leaders. They were
the most powerful and well respected figures in the Ethereal Region.
However, the Spiritual Emperor Contest was the first martial arts exchange held by the human race and
the spiritual race, and it was also the highest level competition of the Ethereal Region, so their arrival
was actually within their expectations.
"I am Colton, the current leader of the Di Clan. Some of you here may not be familiar with me, but that
changes now." Colton didn't put on airs. He told the crowd his identity with a pleasant countenance and
a peaceful tone.
Soon, the tense atmosphere brought about by the arrival of the three great leaders was quelled.
"You all must know more of these two masters beside me. They're the leader of the Sky-suppressing
Mansion and the leader of the Sovereign Pavilion. I am honored to have invited these two famous
figures of the Ethereal Region to attend this event as well," Colton continued.
"I didn't expect you to have a sense of humor. This is, in fact, the first time I've ever met you. Both our
clans had their misunderstandings which nearly resulted in an enormous disaster. Fortunately, you
were smart enough to explain the misunderstanding in time. Otherwise, the Sky-suppressing Mansion
would have been ruined!" Crosby replied sincerely.
"You're welcome, sir. It's my duty to maintain peace and tranquility within the Ethereal Region.
Sometimes, we must sacrifice a few of our clan's benefits and take into account the interests of the
entire region. As for the misunderstanding, let's forget about it!" Colton announced gracefully.
"Don't just talk, sirs. Don't forget why we're here today. I think it would be better to get down to business
as soon as possible," Enrique reminded them from the side.
"Ha-ha! Thank you for the kind reminder. Let's begin," Colton replied and accepted the idea readily.
"Today is the third round of the Spiritual Emperor Contest. As is custom, I am expected to give a
speech of encouragement. However, I am a self-proclaimed boor who only knows how to fight and
direct an army on the battlefield. So giving such a speech is pointless. But if there's one thing I have to
remind you, it's this. The purpose of this competition is not only to communicate with the spiritual race
but to deal with the ongoing threat of the Shura Race to the Ethereal Region as well. According to
previous negotiations between us and the spiritual race, this ongoing war was a plot devised by the
Shura Race. This truce between us and the spiritual race will surely expose the Shura Race's true
intentions. That is why this Spiritual Emperor Contest is being held for another reason—to select
exceptional warriors who will be carrying on their shoulders the future of the human race. They will lead
thousands of troops to fight on the battlefield, to serve our race, and take over my position of the
commander in chief as well."
The entire audience burst into an uproar once more upon hearing this news. Colton's words clearly
showed that he intended to retreat from the battlefield.
In other words, someone else would be declared as the new commander in chief of the human army
once Colton retired. However, no one in the Ethereal Region appeared to be the right candidate. At
least, no one that the people were aware of.
Therefore, it was likely that Colton would choose a successor in this Spiritual Emperor Contest. The
commander in chief of the human race possessed the most powerful military power. It would tempt any
sect or force to go all out.
'Chief Colton sure knows how to create tempting bait to lure a crowd. I believe the Godly Geniuses of
the Shura Race will inevitably expose themselves.' Rocky thought as he smiled. According to the plan
he discussed with Colton, the latter said those words in the hopes that the Godly Geniuses would
expose their identities as soon as possible. This would enable them to take advantage of capturing
them all during the contest and destroying the Shura Race's plan for good.
"I have nothing else to say on that topic. Also, I'll be one of the judges for the third round. You will
officially pass if you can solve all the challenges we have set up. That is to say, you need to complete
three challenges to be eligible for the fourth round," Colton declared with a straight face.
The entire square fell into confusion and silence so pure that you could hear a pin drop.
After all, the three grand warriors standing before them were no ordinary Spiritual Emperors who
reached the peak stage. Their Imperial Souls not only reached the Emperor Realm but had formed a
powerful Spiritual Domain as well.
This particular domain was formed when one's strength reached the peak of the Emperor Realm and
could bring down immeasurably terrible destruction on any living thing within its reach.
Finding yourself within it was equivalent to stepping onto death's doorstep.
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