The seat of a Sovereign.
For one instant, every Gnome King forgot to breathe.
They could not believe what Huai Shi had said, nor could they believe that they themselves... would hear such words.
"Ha, hahaha, hahahahahaha—"
The Sovereign's lips curled up, and he could no longer hold back his laughter.
What followed were countless impassioned cries.
There was no fury, no denunciation, nor any roar of rage... Whether giants or gnomes, all rose from their seats, howling and shouting in excitement.
As though celebrating.
Their eyes widened as they offered their praise.
How fortunate they were to witness the beginning of this contest for the Sovereign's seat. After four eras, someone had finally challenged for the position once more!
"Of course! Huai Shi, of course."
The King of Giants spread his arms, acknowledging his resolve. "As you are now, even without that sword, you already possess every qualification needed to challenge me."
"It's just that this is far more difficult than declaring war—"
The ruler upon the throne gave his final warning. "To become an enemy of a Sovereign, you need only endure the Sovereign's destruction. But to become a Sovereign, it is not enough to defeat thunder. Before that, you must defeat every giant."
"Huai Shi, are you truly prepared?"
"There are people in charge of the warm-up too? That sounds great." Huai Shi looked at the giants and could not help sighing regretfully. "But... if there are only this many of you, I'm afraid it won't be enough, will it?"
The giants remained silent, saying nothing.
Only a thunderous rumble rose from within their chests.
Ashes, The Sky, The Everlasting, and the incomplete ocean.
The instant their restraints were undone, immense auras and phantoms emerged from their bodies. Amid wild joy and furious rage, they could barely