He still remembers the battle of the prince of the Sacred Light Empire and the power of the angel he used. It was quite pure and should be quite high level, so they definitely have a deep connection.
Although he was quite confident in his strength, he still was being careful, and with stealthy precision, he scanned the capital with his spiritual power, making sure he didn't draw the attention of some old monster hidden in the capital.
He looked through the capital and quickly found some of the hidden strength of the sacred light empire, as he felt quite a few true god realm auras; he even felt three eternal god auras hidden in the capital.
But in addition to this, he was attracted by some other younger powerhouses who appeared to be not simple. He even noticed Prince Michael, whom he had seen in action decades ago.
It seemed the capital was far from idle. Whispers of excitement reached his ears: the First Prince of the Sacred Light Empire was hosting a private gathering, and many of the most dazzling geniuses of the last five centuries had already assembled under his roof.
Apollo's lips curved faintly. So the young lions of the East are already baring their fangs… interesting.
He seeing this, calmly went to the first prince's estate; he didn't hide his presence at all; he directly walked through the main entrance.
The guards looked at him but didn't stop, as today the prince ordered them to welcome everyonewho comes here no matter what kind of status or power he has.
Inside, the vast estate was ablaze with light and grandeur. The courtyards and halls were already filled with people—hundreds of geniuses gathered beneath the banners of the Sacred Light Empire. Their voices wove together in a constant hum of arrogance, pride, and anticipation.
As Apollo listened quietly, the truth of their gathering became clear. This was no simple banquet. It was a summit of the younger generation.
His eyes swept across the crowd. The air was thick with ambition, killing intent, and suppressed brilliance—like a den of young dragons, each waiting for the chance to bare its fangs. And all of them come because they were invited by the first prince, Lucifer.
The crown prince of the sacred light empire and the next emperor. They all know the future ahead is full of chaos, and to survive, they needed to join the strong, and nothing is close to the Sacred Light Empire on the eastern continent; even the other nine hegemonic forces seemed a bit weaker compared to the empire.
All of them now seem to have hidden their strength, but the Sacred Light Empire is still definitely the strongest.
This gathering was no simple show of prestige. It was the crown prince's move to seize opportunity, to take advantage of Rion's awakening and chaos by building a force of his own. His invitation had drawn countless warriors and young prodigies from across the Eastern Continent into his orbit.
Apollo's lips curved into a faint smile. 'How convenient.'
This gathering had already saved him months, if not years, of searching. Instead of scouring the continent for worthy talents, here they were—concentrated in one place, vying for attention, their brilliance impossible to hide. Inwardly, he chuckled. 'For this alone, I should thank Crown Prince Lucifer. He's made my work far easier.'
As he silently went in the corner and sat, the host and the most important person arrived.
And behind them came three figures who drew every gaze in the hall.
At the forefront was the Crown Prince, Lucifer—his bearing sharp, his presence commanding, like a sovereign who already ruled long before the crown was placed on his head.
To his side walked a familiar face: Prince Michael, whose angelic power Apollo had once witnessed decades ago.
The third was an unfamiliar figure—another prince, dressed in ceremonial white robes, his aura reserved yet not lacking in dignity.
The three princes entered the hall together, and the once-loud chatter of the geniuses fell into hushed silence.
Apollo looked carefully at each of them and felt their strength. The crown prince appeared to be the strongest, as he had reached the peak of the void god realm, while Michael and the other prince seemed to have also reached the early stages of the void god realm.
He was a bit surprised seeing their strength, as the youngest, Michael, whose age wasn't much different from his, but even then, he reached such strength, staying on Rion, clearly showing the depth of the Sacred Light Empire.
But what truly stirred him was not their cultivation but the blood running in their veins. Now that his strength had grown, he could sense it clearly—a sacred, exalted power woven into their very essence. It was no ordinary heritage; it was the remnant of angels themselves.
A faint gleam passed through his eyes. This was no longer speculation. The Sacred Light Empire's connection to the angelic race was undeniable. The empire was not merely borrowing fragments of their power—it was carrying their bloodline.
The Crown Prince didn't notice Apollo and calmly walked to the centre stage and looked at the geniuses gathered.
The murmurs among the gathered geniuses died down into silence. All eyes turned toward him, for everyone here knew—this was no mere prince, but the man who would one day rule the Sacred Light Empire.
Lucifer let his gaze sweep across the hall, his eyes lingering on no one in particular, yet leaving each person with the distinct feeling that they had been measured and weighed. His presence radiated both majesty and an invisible pressure, as if daring anyone to look away.
With a faint smile, he finally spoke, his voice calm yet resounding like a temple bell:
"Young warriors of the Eastern Continent… you have come here today because you already know what lies ahead. Rion is awakening. The world is changing. And with change comes both chaos… and opportunity."