Chapter 980: Rulers’ Clan Test I
Yue’s voice came out far quieter than she had intended—so soft that no one around her heard it—as though speaking any louder would make it real. Her question lingered in the air, unanswered, and that silence, more than anything, made her chest tighten. She shook her head once, then again, as if she wanted to erase the thoughts in her mind.
"You wouldn’t, right? You couldn’t..."
But doubt had already taken root.
And then—
It burned.
Her trembling stilled, not with calm, but with something far more dangerous. Her grip loosened just enough for the cracked cup to slip from her fingers as it hit the table. Her eyes, once clouded with worry, sharpened—filled with something raw.
Anger. Sharp, intense anger.
Her fingers curled into her palms, nails pressing into skin as if grounding herself.
"Just who are these so-called Rulers?"
Her gaze lifted, burning now with quiet, relentless resolve. A sharp breath escaped her, and this time, there was no hesitation.
"If they have truly hurt you."
Her voice steadied.
"Then we will fight them."
"No matter how high they are."
A faint smile curled on her lips as she touched the pair of beautiful silver rings.
"If you can’t come to find me, I will."
"After all, you still have to wear the gift I prepared for you and meet our son."
With that, she turned and left. What she failed to notice was that the cracked cup that had dropped onto the table where she had been sitting was now intact. A barely visible layer of ice slowly swept across its now smooth surface before drifting with the wind and vanishing without a trace.
***
After Yue, Amon, Caria, and Leon were the next to hear the positive rumor about Kyle—that the powerful Ice Devil was, in truth, a savior. After two long days of traveling and learning about the Celestial Realm, Amon, Leon, and Caria had stopped at a crowded area when they overheard a group quietly discussing the topic. Amon clenched his fists, a deep frown settling on his face.
"Who is distorting the truth?"
Hearing him, the group of Celestials who had been talking about Kyle fell silent. They turned to look at him, Caria, and Leon, their expressions shifting into uneasy smiles.
One of them—a tall Celestial with golden hair—waved his hand with a faint chuckle.
"Don’t mind my friends and me, we were just talking nonsense. Who doesn’t know the Ice Devil was evil? What savior!"
He didn’t notice how Amon, Caria, and Leon’s faces darkened at his words and continued speaking carelessly, as if the truth were already decided long ago.
"Only the powerful Rulers, Yizhe and his close confidante Mirabel—along with their followers and the Bridge of Divinity elders—are the real saviors who saved the whole Realm! Everything else is just nonsense!"
A woman, wearing a robe with beautiful patterns, nodded quickly beside him, her expression tense with fear. If word spread that they had been speaking about Kyle as someone who saved the Celestial Realm near the place where the powerful Rulers had created the testing ground to recruit new Celestials, they would be doomed!
"Yes! Everything else is just nonsense!"
She pointed toward the large platform in front of which the gathered crowd stood, growing denser by the moment as more and more new, young Celestials joined in.
"Look... can you see that platform?"
She began, her voice dropping into an excited, almost reverent whisper. But Amon’s dark gaze only grew colder.
"It’s constructed right outside the place where the Ice Devil suddenly went crazy after coming out of the Layer of Ancients. That place was sealed for a long time! But it was unsealed later! I heard it’s now filled with countless natural-born treasures!"
She paused for a while, glanced around, then stepped a bit closer to Amon, Caria, and Leon, and continued in a quiet voice.
"That area is the testing ground we will all enter soon. After the Rulers—Yizhe and his followers—rebuilt the fallen ancient temple, they turned it into their clan’s foundation."
Her eyes brightened.
"And we heard... Ruler Yizhe, Mirabel, and many other powerful figures are coming today to start the test! They will personally select promising seedlings for their clan."
A faint, excited smile tugged at the lips of the golden-haired Celestial beside her as he heard her, and he leaned in toward Amon.
"Can you imagine that? Being chosen by them means it’s certain you will become a powerful Celestial! Aren’t you all excited? Why care about someone already dead?"
The tall, golden-haired Celestial, the robed woman, and their whole group were certain that Amon and the two Celestials with him would simply forget whatever they had said about Kyle after hearing them talk so much.
In fact, they all even thought the three of them might develop a good impression of them—and even become their underlings in the upcoming test, which had begun two years ago and was now held annually to select new Celestials for the Rulers’ Clan.
Moreover, since Amon, Caria, and Leon looked so inexperienced, they could easily take advantage of them during the test.
However, they were all left dumbfounded when Leon pushed the tall, golden-haired Celestial back with an ugly expression.
"Can you step back a little while you talk? You guys are a bit too close for comfort."
Caria pulled Amon back and stood beside Leon, a cold glare settling on her face. The sharp edge in her usually mild and cute demeanor even startled Leon and Amon.
"No need to talk to them. They are not pleasing to the eye!"
Her words finally angered the group of Celestials opposite them, but before the two sides could clash, a loud female voice echoed through the air, instantly drawing the attention of every Celestial present.
"Welcome, everyone! This year’s test will begin shortly. Everyone gathered here is automatically registered for the test, just like last year. This area will be sealed now, so no new participants will be allowed."
Hearing the voice, all eyes turned toward the platform. A middle aged woman in a white cloak, fastened with a clasp, floated above it, surrounded by several tall figures.