Chapter 1530 Another Challenge?
The people present in the Grand Alstreim City were deeply astonished.
The Dragon Families had officially invited Sophie Alstreim to their powers, but she chose to stay and follow her man instead. Some lamented her idiotic decision and even scorned it, but some others respected her loyalty.
However, they all had one thing in common, and that was jealousy and resentment towards Davis Alstreim.
How can he be so shameless, obtaining their talented women when he appeared as if he supposedly trained with the Dragon Queen in the Large-Sized Territories!?
This was plundering their resources!
On the other hand, Dalila Leehan, who was in the spectator seats, and a few certain individuals who knew about Sophie's talent were still dumbfounded. They didn't believe that she was such a talent, but they had only seen her talent in alchemy and forging. They never knew that she was this powerful in battles and were left confused about her true talent.
Was she hiding it so perfectly that it fooled their eyes? Or was she...?
Dalila Leehan's eyes were full of suspicion that it fell on Davis in incredulity.
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim saw that the crowd had quietened down considerably after the Dragon Families tried to claim Sophie Alstreim. He relaxed and moved his lips.
"Since Gong Kim-Jin has admitted defeat, Sophie Alstreim claimed victory. However, since Gong Kim-Jin used both his Essence Gathering Cultivation and his Body Tempering Cultivation, he was already disqualified."
"What nonsense!?" Ancestor Gong Kim-Il snorted, "I don't remember agreeing to that rule."
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim's cheeks twitched as he low-key smirked.
Indeed, this rule was instantly created and anonymously agreed upon amidst their powers to stop the Dragon Families from overpowering them in this competition to a shameful level, but it ended up limiting the Vital Tempering Sect instead.
After all, Body Tempering Cultivation was the main cultivation path for the Vital Tempering Sect. If they managed to cultivate their Essence Gathering Cultivation to an equal level, then it was their privilege to use it, just like it would be for other powers who practice Essence Gathering Cultivation to use Body Tempering Cultivation if they managed to practice it to an equal level.
They didn't even bother about it when Gong Kim-Jin broke the rule because of the exciting battle, not to mention that they weren't conscious of such a stopgap made to stop the Dragon Families from using their Body Tempering Cultivation.
He made an indifferent face and spoke.
"Still, that does not change the fact that your strongest Top Disciple lost to my Alstreim Family's genius."
A vein popped up on Ancestor Gong Kim-Il's forehead. He clenched his fists, feeling his heart becoming stifled by this unexpected encounter with a never-before-seen female genius, and as much as he liked to invite her to his power, his power was lacking, especially when the Dragon Families had already invited her.
"First of all!" He abruptly raised his hand, pointing at Sophie Alstreim, "The Alstreim Family doesn't have the ability or the resources to produce a genius of this caliber! I fear that they may have been looting to obtain a character of that level!"
Everyone's eyes widened. Indeed, they were precisely confused about this matter, and no matter how they rocked their heads, they couldn't arrive at the answer other than concluding that it was Sophie Alstreim herself who was uniquely talented or enriched her talent through resources.
The latter became more probable when they heard the results from the All-Seeing Towers that she disappeared from the scene and headed to the Hundred Devil Thunder Archipelago of her own volition. Perhaps, she chanced upon a lucky chance that allowed her to become this powerful?
"Looting how?"
A female voice suddenly echoed out.
It was none other than Sect Master Bing Luli.
Ancestor Gong Kim-Il gnashed his teeth. It seems like the Mystic Ice Sect was intent on protecting the Alstreim Family instead of humiliating them or remaining neutral like the Thousand Pill Palace.
"I don't know!" He snorted, "They looted or cheated somehow! We would like to find that-"
"Don't point fingers while feeling jealous, Ancestor Gong Kim-Il. It's not 'we'. It's you who lack the ability to nurture disciples of that caliber."
"You! What did you say!?"
Ancestor Gong Kim-Il took a step forwards, acting irrationally as if he was going to pick a fight but, in truth, acted like that wanting to intimidate. Just before he could scoff and ask if she had the same ability, her melodious voice echoed out.
"Bing'er~"
From the spectator stands, an icy white-blue-robed woman stood up and flew toward the battle platform. Her feet landed on the white battle platform, making everyone blink, wondering why Top Disciple Mu Bing of the Mystic Ice Sect had entered the ring.
At this point, weren't the Alstreim Family youngsters invincible with Sophie Alstreim in their ranks? Even the Dragon Family youths looked both excited and hesitant to battle her. If it weren't for their powerhouses holding them back, it appeared as if they might want to challenge Sophie Alstreim to see how they fared against her.
Nevertheless. This Mu Bing... could it be that she was going to challenge the Vital Tempering Sect's Gong Kim-Jin?
Looking at his desolate silhouette, it could be seen that the loss became a setback for him. But...
Mu Bing clasped her hands towards the Alstreim Family youths.
"Sophie Alstreim, if I may, can I challenge you to a battle?"
"..."
"What!?"
"Is this woman lacking some knowledge of the moment? But she's obviously not blind..."
Most of the people appeared amused and pointed at her as they jeered.
Davis narrowed his eyes.
The Mystic Ice Sect...
In recent times, he had had his suspicions of this sect, starting from the time where he learned that its Sect Master broke through into the Law Rune Stage while also perceiving that Ancestor Wan Lanying regained her fires of vitality by breaking into the Martial Sage Stage. Then today, he learned that all three Ancestors of the Mystic Ice Sect had revived their fires of vitality.
What are the odds of all of them actually happening in a single year?
Moreover, the timing they sent this Top Disciple known as Mu Bing while knowing about Sophie's prowess made him even more suspicious.
"Of course~"
Sophie's voice echoed as she stood up. She admired someone who still had the gall to challenge her after she showed her prowess. As soon as she took a step forward, a soul transmission fell on her ears.
"Sophie, you may probably face a tough opponent. Are you willing to test your might?"
Sophie slightly slowed down, her expression flickering ever so lightly.
If her man had such an opinion of Top Disciple Mu Bing, then she must definitely be powerful! She was shocked for a moment before her composure returned.
"It's perfect. I was finding both Brim Hisler and Gong Kim-Jin lacking that I had no intention of using my domain until you gave me permission, but it seems like I finally have a chance to test the power of my domain."
Davis smiled as he heard her soul transmission.
Sophie arrived beside the battle platform before she gracefully flew over to its surface. Looking at Top Disciple Mu Bing, she felt that she already lost in terms of beauty, but this was not a beauty contest but a martial contest. She clasped her hands and spoke.
"I would be glad to oblige to your challenge, Top Disciple Mu Bing. However, against you, I think I won't be able to hold back."
Sophie dropped her hands, causing Mu Bing's eyes to widen before a glint of respect shone in her eyes.
"So you already know~"
The crowd instantly became flabbergasted as they misunderstood.
Did these two beauties have a feud or something?
Grand Elder Valdrey Alstreim looked at the two women, seemingly gulping in nervousness while he was unaware why he had gulped in the first place. The two women below him made him feel like he was put in between a burning cauldron and an ice-cold freezer.
Nevertheless...
"Let the battle begin!~"
As soon as his voice fell, a crimson light erupted from Sophie as it covered a part of the battle platform and even Mu Bing herself!
This time, Davis had a closer look at the size of Sophie's domain.
It had reached three and a half kilometers, just half a kilometer less than Shirley's, but it made for a significant discrepancy in power. The size of the domain denoted their essence energy's prowess. Therefore, Shirley was stronger than Sophie, but that was expected.
After all, Shirley had an Immortal Inheritance despite having less time to cultivate, making her more powerful than Sophie.
Not only Davis, but everyone had a closer look, their eyes protruding as if they wanted to etch this domain's intricacies into their eyes, trying to garner as much as they could from it. However, Davis had another thought.
'Sophie needs a change to her cultivation manual. The Alstreim Family's Essence Gathering Cultivation Manual really doesn't do justice to her current level of comprehension...'
He pondered that her current Essence Gathering Cultivation Manual was hindering her prowess.
However, as if space was contorting, a part of the crimson domain was superimposed by an icy-blue domain, seemingly capable of maintaining its balance against Sophie's Perfect Domain.
The crowd ended up dropping their jaws as they saw the radius of Mu Bing's Domain end up more or less the size of her opponent's domain.
"This... a Perfect Domain again!?"
Ancestor Gong Kim-Il stood up as he screamed like an old hag in reluctance and envy!
Sophie's lips curved into a wild smile while Davis took a deep breath.
'As I thought, a Perfect Domain. It must be your doing. Isn't it, Ellia?'
He slowly turned to look towards the Mystic Ice Sect's group of maidens seated together, wondering if she was here as his heart palpitated.