WHAT! I Have To Kill Heaven's Son To Live!

Just a few moments ago—

"D-Did you see that?!"

"Y-Yeah! I definitely saw it! That was some kind of super dense white energy!"

"Wait… was that Silver Aura?! Isn't that the weakest among all Auras? And didn't Xue Taiyang awaken some strange Dark Aura before?!"

"I thought the same! But how did he awaken two different types of Auras?! And how did that 'weakest' Aura block Goddess Yi Ran's Purple Saber Qi so easily?!"

"He's definitely using some kind of trick!"

"B-But… that white aura looked dangerous! Honestly, even stronger than her Purple Saber Qi!"

"You must've seen it wrong! There's no way that's possible!"

"Yes! Just wait—Goddess Yi Ran will defeat him with her next attack!"

The crowd erupted in a chaotic mix of doubt and disbelief.

Reon's haters—many of whom had shallow cultivation knowledge and narrower minds than sewer rats—scrambled to explain what they'd just witnessed.

None of them had ever seen real Lightning Qi, let alone the kind that Reon now wielded.

They couldn't even tell the difference between Silver Aura and what was actually crackling in Reon's hand—something far more dangerous.

But on the other side of the arena, excitement bubbled among the female disciples.

"Kyaa~! Brother Taiyang blocked that attack so coolly with just two fingers!"

"He's so powerful~! He'll totally beat that arrogant Yi Ran!"

"Yes! He's going to defeat her and avenge us!"

However, the ones who were truly shaken were not the disciples—but the Elders watching from above.

"T-That… that's Lightning Qi?!" Elder Jin Shin of the Azure Sky Peak stammered, eyes wide in disbelief.

"No doubt," Elder Tian Sheng of the Night Veil Peak nodded gravely.

"And it's not just ordinary Lightning Qi—it's denser, more refined, and far wilder... definitely far stronger than usual!"

"But… look at the color!" Elder Lin Taishin of the Yellow Spring Peak added with a furrowed brow.

"Lightning Qi normally starts as light blue, but as it becomes more refined and powerful, its color evolves—

shifting through sky blue, cyan, deep sky blue, blue, bright blue, navy, midnight blue, violet, purple, and finally... the strongest form—Golden."

"But this… this is white! I've never seen Lightning Qi like this in my entire life!"

Elder Shing Li of Blue Mountain Peak spoke up, his voice laced with anger and frustration.

"It doesn't make sense… he's clearly not in the Element Refining Realm, and I can't sense any Lightning-based Constitution in him either."

"He is clearly using some kind of tricks!"

Another elder muttered, "Maybe… maybe it's just Silver Sword Qi?"

"But that makes even less sense," someone else countered. "Silver Sword Qi isn't even half as powerful. It shouldn't be able to block Purple Saber Qi… not like that!"

But then—

"Bahahaha! I see it now! I see it clearly! I understand everything!"

A booming laugh echoed across the entire Arena.

The one who laughed was none other than Elder Qin Shi.

Heads turned as his booming voice cut through the air.

"What do you mean, Elder Qin Shi?" asked Elder Ming Rong, her brow furrowed with curiosity.

Qin Shi's piercing eyes sparkled with excitement as he slowly stood from his seat.

Unlike the others, there was no confusion in his gaze—only awe and recognition.

He folded his arms behind his back and spoke with calm certainty.

"Haha... Elder Ming Rong," he began, his tone no longer playful, but solemn. "That's neither Silver Sword Qi... nor any ordinary Lightning Qi."

A hush swept through the remaining Elders.

Elder Lin Taishin leaned forward, his expression thoughtful.

"Then... what is it?" he asked, voice tinged with urgency.

"Elder Qin Shi, you've walked the Lightning Dao for decades, merging it with the Spear Dao and cultivating the powerful Navy Lightning—far stronger than anything we've seen in our generation."

"If anyone can recognize it... it's you. Please enlighten us."

Qin Shi's eyes narrowed slightly, gazing down at the arena where Reon stood calmly.

With a prideful smirk, Qin Shi spoke, his voice echoing.

"Hmph. Of course I know what that is. Let me enlighten you all."

"That... is Imperial Lightning—the King of all Lightning. The strongest form of lightning energy that exists within the confines of our Mortal World. Stronger even than Golden Lightning, which we believed to be the pinnacle."

A collective gasp passed through the Elders. Qin Shi continued, unfazed.

"It is so rare... that in the entire history of human kind, only a handful—and I mean a mere handful—have ever awakened it."

"It's an inheritance of the heavens, a blessing that appears perhaps once every ten thousand years."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.

"In the long and glorious history of our Supreme Dao Sect, only one human has ever wielded it—the Legendary Thunder Dawn Spear Immortal, nearly 34,000 years ago."

"W-What?! I didn't even know that!" one Elder blurted out, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Me neither!" another chimed in, equally astonished.

But then, a voice spoke out with curiosity.

"Elder Qin Shi... Why did you specifically say human? Could it be…?"

Qin Shi's smile deepened. His tone turned calm.

"Exactly. You're sharp as always, Elder Bin Ming."

"It's the Lord of Lightning—the Legendary-Lineage Thunderous White Tiger—is the only known race truly born with the potential to naturally wield Imperial Lightning."

"But even among them, only the most gifted ever manage to awaken it."

Murmurs erupted again, disbelief and awe washing over the Elder seats like crashing waves.

He gestured toward Reon.

"And that boy—Xue Taiyang—he's not using it to its full extent yet. I suspect... he didn't awaken it naturally. He's controlling it with Spiritual Qi, not Elemental Energy like we Elemental Cultivators do."

Still, his voice took on a tone of admiration.

"Yet, for him to awaken it at all… speaks volumes. His talent in the Lightning Dao is unfathomable."

"His earlier overwhelming Spiritual Pressure—when he knocked out that Minor Elder—that too was likely caused by this Imperial Lightning stirring within him."

A low chuckle rumbled in his throat.

'Xue Taiyang… Oh, Xue Taiyang.'

'I desire you even more now. I must have you. I will definitely take you into my peak, no matter what.'

Hearing Elder Qin Shi's explanation, many of the other Elders couldn't help but feel a storm of mixed emotions—jealousy, embarrassment regret, and quiet frustration welling within them.

'What the hell?! That copycat bastard is actually that talented?!'

'Shit! I mocked him just moments ago… and now, his talent is slapping me across the face.'

One Elder clenched his fists beneath his robe, hiding the twitch in his expression.

'Damn it, Xue Taiyang! You could have awakened that lightning when you were in my peak! But no... you had to wait until now, just to humiliate me in front of everyone…'

Elder Shing Li gritted his teeth, bitterness spreading in his chest like poison.

Meanwhile, back on the Grand Platform, Reon simply smirked—then moved.

"Yi Ran, you're thinking too much! That's not like you."

A sudden attack came from the side, swift and unexpected.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion erupted from the side, catching even some of the Elders by surprise.

A fierce shockwave tore through the platform, sending cracks spiraling across the stone floor.

Dust and debris clouded the air as the force shook the entire arena.

From within the storm of dust, a fierce voice echoed back:

"You're right, Xue Taiyang! I am really thinking too much… I should just go all out."

Reon narrowed his eyes and swiftly retreated a few steps, landing lightly, his gaze locked forward.

As the dust began to settle, a lone figure emerged—unscathed, standing tall with an ethereal glow.

Above Yi Ran's head floated a radiant Ethereal Lotus, spinning gently in the air. In its center, an Immortal Saber gleamed with overwhelming brilliance.

The lotus now bore three crystalline leaves, not just two as before—each one pulsing with terrifying power.

She had activated the defensive aspect of her Ethereal Lotus Saber Physique, effortlessly nullifying Reon's previous attack.

'Hoo... So even Nira's Lightning Qi isn't enough to overwhelm her defenses so easily,' Reon mused inwardly, the thrill of battle igniting within his chest.

Seeing Yi Ran emerge unscathed, a few Elders—who had previously mocked Reon and were thoroughly slapped in the face by Elder Qin Shi's explanation—now scrambled to salvage their pride.

"Hah! Did you see that, Elder Qin Shi? Not even Imperial Lightning could touch her! She truly is the best!"

"Hmph! Imperial Lightning? The so-called strongest Lightning? Useless before her might!"

"She's undoubtedly the most promising one among the younger generation. No one else comes close!"

But Elder Ming Rong remained silent, a thoughtful frown forming on her face.

'Fools... Don't you see? That Xue Taiyang used that lightning without even channeling Elemental Energy—yet he still forced her to activate her Physique.'

'Just imagine the devastation once he truly unleashes its full potential…'

She cast a brief glance toward Elder Qin Shi, whose expression remained unreadable—except for a faint, knowing smirk.

"Hmph. Just wait and see…" Elder Qin Shi muttered, arms crossed as his sharp gaze stayed locked on Reon.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the Grand Platform—

Amidst the clash of sabers and roars of energy, Yang Lie was locked in a fierce battle against Zi Chen, having already defeated over ten disciples with ease.

Yet, his eyes were momentarily drawn toward Yi Ran's radiant display.

A smirk tugged at the corners of his lips.

'Yi Ran… so you've reached Lesser Perfection in your Ethereal Lotus Saber Physique... and even awakened Saber Qi at the Awakening Stage, huh?'

'Arrogant. Strong. Talented. Defiant. Beautiful. You truly are worthy to become this Son of Heaven's woman. Just wait—I'll conquer your heart and your power both.'

Then—

Swoooosh!

Yi Ran surged forward, blade in hand, her aura flaring violently.

This time, she wasn't holding back.

She was coming for Reon—at full power.