Just as Guiot was lost in thought, he was forced to focus once more as his aura surged again… How could a Spiritual Herb with an efficacy of a Heaven Grade Herb have such a small affect on a Spiritual Severing Realm expert?
Lower Divine Vessel Realm… Middle… Higher…
Guiot's aura didn't stop surging until he was right on the verge of breaking into the Peak Divine Vessel Realm. Just like that, in just a few moments, he had opened four Qi Vessels right before the eyes of everyone in attendance.
However, the subject of everyone's gaze was actually more confused than them all. He had no idea what was happening at all.
"Your mother and sister are waiting for you. You should go."
Guiot's attention was suddenly brought back to the handsome guy who had been standing over him. Though his gaze still flickered from confusion, he realized that he had likely lost the battle. This guy was probably here waiting to start the next battle, but he had embarrassingly lost consciousness.
"Ah, sorry, sorry." He nodded his head, shooting up from the ground and running out of the dissipating stage array.
As though these matters had nothing to do with him, Ryu actually turned to walk back to his seat.
"Halt!" Host Minn, fuming with anger, subconsciously infused qi into his voice, sending a torrent of wind and sound toward Ryu.
Ryu frowned, his steps faltering slightly. No matter how powerful he was, he was still no match for an Immortal Ring expert. However, his gaze still coldly met Host Minn's.
"Is there a problem?"
"Is there a problem?" Host Minn was so enraged that he suddenly began to laugh. "You just interfered with an ongoing battle! Is this not a problem?!"
His gaze turned upward toward Ancestor Ember and Apostle Fidroha, bowing deeply.
"Esteemed ones, I implore you to expel this contestant and allow me to mete out punishment. If there's no law and order, how can we appease the masses?"
"Appease the masses…? Or appease the Core Region?" Ryu asked faintly.
"You dare interrupt my conversation with the Immortals?!" Host Minn's roar shattered Ryu's ear drums, causing blood to run down the side of his face. But, Ryu's passive healing almost instantly cured the problem. With his Phoenix Bloodlines growing in power, he had already gained a small Healing Factor.
"For an Immortal Ring expert, you spend too much of your time yelling." Ryu responded coldly. "I do not fear you, so lower your voice."
Many shivered beneath Ryu's words. The difference once clear. One tried to use their cultivation to stir intimidation, but the other used their will. Who was superior and who was inferior could be seen with a single glance.
Host Minn's face reddened with rage, however he didn't get a chance to speak again before Ryu had already continued.
"Either way, your claims are baseless. According to the rules you yourself set, a match ends when one dies, admits defeat, or is unable to battle. Guiot was unable to battle, and therefore the match ended. I don't remember hearing anything about others having to wait for the words of the stage judge. If you intended that to be the case, you should have been a better host and said so."
Host Minn laughed. "Is this the faint hope you want to cling to?! Your own arbitrary thoughts of what is and isn't able to battle? If anyone could make the decision, what would be the point of stage judges?! It was obviously an implied rule that would only need to be stated for the mentally deficient. I didn't know that you were so incapable."
The crowd seemed to be on Host Minn's side, but Ryu only internally sneered. It seemed this Host had yet to realize that he had already subconsciously begun to debate with Ryu as an equal.
However, to Ryu, this host was far beneath his notice. He had once debated with World Sea Realm expert, who was a mere Immortal Ring expert before him?
"Oh…?"
Seeing the smile that wasn't a smile on Ryu's lips, Host Minn suddenly felt a terrible premonition coming on.
"… Between the time of the first fire palm strike and my entering the arena, there were no other exchanges between Throne Byrine and Guiot. Yet, the moment I kneeled by his charred body, the stage judge suddenly announced that Guiot was unable to battle. As for why he lagged in his assessment, you'll have to ask him. But I think it's a bit foolish of you to assume that this is my one sided opinion considering this evidence, right?"
This time, it wasn't just Host Minn, but even the stage judge who felt a burning desire to tear Ryu limb from limb. Unfortunately, his words were too sound.
"I've grown tired of this."
The voice of a third party suddenly sounded. However, it wasn't from Ancestor Ember or Fidroha, but rather came from Byrine himself.
"Get up here. I've decided to kill you."
His cold words were directed at none other than Ryu himself.
"For an ant to interfere in my battle… You must be truly tired of living."
His hair flickered with dancing flames, his eyes reddening to the point it might combust into a fire of its own.
The crowd suddenly fell silent before roaring in applause. They had felt just as stifled as Host Minn just a few moment ago, but now, their figurehead had decided to take action. How could they not be excited?
"I hope the Immortals will allow me this chance." Throne Byrine spoke, but his gaze never left Ryu.
Who knew that Ryu wouldn't care for the answers of Ancestor Ember or Fidroha and immediately appear on stage, standing not even three meters from Byrine as though he didn't fear him at all?
Byrine was stunned for a moment by Ryu's speed even though he had already witnessed it, but he still sneered in his heart.
In this confined space, once the stage array was lowered, what would speed mean? He would directly incinerate everything! Byrine didn't believe that Ryu could decode the array while facing his pressure.
"I will show you the true strength of a Throne. There are some things you can't imagine. How dare you provoke me?!" Byrine roared.
His aura surged, a Throne of blazing rubies appearing to his back. It seemed to want to light the world on fire, setting everything in its sights ablaze.
"Oh…" Ryu's gaze lost interest. "… Is this where your sense of entitlement comes from?"
In that instant, the skies suddenly changed as the arena grounds shook beneath their feet.
A Throne adorned of beautiful sapphire gems descended from the skies, radiating a strength beyond even Matheus' display. It was so infinitesimally close to a Ninth Order Throne that even Ancestor Ember felt the faint urge to lower his head.
The ruby throne nearly shattered under its might, its size decreasing by several levels.
"This is the thing that made you so proud?"
Host Minn's gaze trembled even as Byrine's visage paled.
Ancestor Ember's fists subtly clenched. This was not good. Byrine was directly tied to the Faith of his Ember Clan as their Throne. If he lost so miserably, the consequences would be disastrous!
"Didn't you want to kill me? Why have you suddenly stopped moving?" Ryu asked slowly. "Did you forget that I killed your younger brother? Or maybe that I took your woman as my fiancée? Weren't you very awe inspiring when you sought to take the life of an innocent young man to vent your rage?"
The more Ryu spoke, the darker Ancestor Ember's expression grew. What had once been appreciation for a young talent had suddenly become something far, far worse.
"You… Why…" Byrine's words stuttered. What a joke, he already hadn't dared to provoke Matheus and was planning on dropping the Tae matter, but how had he suddenly enraged someone even stronger?
"Why what? Why didn't I reveal my Throne earlier?"
The crowd gulped. It seemed they too had the same question.
"… To me, whether I am a Throne or not is irrelevant. I don't need to rely on anything else but myself. You presented your Thrones as an excuse to not kneel, but the only excuse I need is my own will."
Ryu's words were like thunder, reverberating through the arena even over the deafening sounds of the crowd.