Chapter 188: Chapter 188: The Grand Tournament Begins!
The headquarters of the Ghost Race, ripples appeared in the space.
A tall figure stepped out from the rift, the black robe fluttering without wind.
Shane’s eyes lit up at Cyan’s return, he quickly approached with a mysterious smile on his face:
"Leader, there’s a huge surprise to tell you!"
However—
Cyan’s steps did not pause for even a moment, heading straight to his resting area, his voice as cold as ice:
"Settle the newcomers, and take the opportunity to understand the current situation of the Ghost Race."
He raised his hand to rub his temples, "I’m tired."
Before his voice fell, the figure had already disappeared at the end of the corridor.
The third-in-command’s outstretched hand froze in mid-air, words of retention stuck in his throat, the smile on his face gradually solidified.
At this moment, the second-in-command, Lilac’s figure appeared out of thin air.
Seeing the third-in-command standing still, her slender eyebrows furrowed:
"What are you doing standing here? And what about the surprise for the leader?"
She looked around, "Why is the leader nowhere to be seen?"
Shane stiffly turned his head, his mouth twitching unnaturally:
"I...didn’t have time to say it, the leader already left..."
A black line surfaced on Lilac’s forehead, and she glared at him disdainfully:
"So what surprise are you talking about?"
"I seem to have...found the young lady."
"What young lady?"
Lilac didn’t react for a moment, but her beautiful eyes suddenly widened the next second:
"Are you saying..."
Shane nodded heavily.
"Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?" Lilac’s voice suddenly rose.
"I swear on my life!" Shane patted his chest, "That distinctive horn, I wouldn’t mistake it for anything!"
"Something so important you actually——"
"Boom!!!"
Lilac was extremely angry, her slender jade legs brought a sound through the air, directly kicking the third-in-command dozens of meters away.
However, the Ghost Race has thick skin and flesh.
Such an attack had no influence on someone of Monarch Level.
Lilac dared not delay any further, she immediately headed to Cyan’s resting room.
At this moment.
In Cyan’s private resting room, under the dim light.
His slender fingers gently caressed the Memory Stone, on its surface appeared a warm image of his wife holding two little girls.
Those eyes, cold for years, at this moment, rarely showed ripples.
"Veridia... Scarlett..."
The deep voice was particularly clear in the silent room.
"By now you should...have grown into big girls..."
In this moment of warmth, the space suddenly rippled.
Cyan’s brows instantly knitted tightly—
He most hated being disturbed in moments like this.
Yet before he could react, Lilac’s excited voice already exploded:
"Leader! Your daughters...they are here at the headquarters!"
"Boom!"
Cyan’s figure suddenly froze, the Memory Stone in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".
The next second, he flashed before Lilac like a ghost.
Those eyes, always indifferent, now surprisingly shone with a terrifying light:
"Are you...sure?"
Lilac was shaken a half step back by the sudden pressure, but still nodded heavily:
"The third-in-command saw with his own eyes, it was the surprise he mentioned..."
Before her words fell, Cyan’s figure had already vanished into the air.
Outside the reception area.
Cyan’s figure abruptly appeared in front of the building, his usually steady hands now uncontrollably trembling slightly.
Those two familiar auras were just a step away...
His long-dead heart suddenly began to throb violently, as if trying to burst out of his chest.
This long-lost sense of tension made it difficult for him to breathe.
As the youngest Monarch Peak of the Ghost Race, at this moment he hesitated like a child who had done something wrong.
His fingertips touched the doorknob several times, only to retract as if electrocuted.
His daughters were just inside...
But he was unsure of what stance to take in facing his two daughters.
From a young age, he rarely accompanied his two daughters.
And after that incident, his two daughters were more so banished from the Ghost Race.
He especially did not fulfill his responsibilities as a father!
Now suddenly hearing news of his daughters, his whole being fell into unprecedented chaos.
Though with his strength, he could destroy the entire building with the flick of a finger.
But this ordinary wooden door seemed to become the strongest barrier in the world.
Finally, after building up his mental strength——
"Crack!"
Under excessive force, the entire door instantly turned to dust.
In the flying dust, Cyan’s gaze pierced through the room like sharp arrows, locking firmly onto the two unforgettable figures at its center...
...
On the other side.
Outside the forbidden ground, in the Central Plaza of the Ghost Race headquarters.
The black mass of the Ghost Race surrounded the entire plaza impenetrably, with noisy discussions rising and falling.
"Have you heard? This time the Great Elder has issued a death order! Everyone must go all out!"
"We must make a proper performance in front of the Azurefox Clan this time, if we cooperate with them, we might be able to form an alliance with them in the future..."
"But apart from the Azurefox Clan, hasn’t that human not returned from the forbidden ground yet?"
"Dead in the forbidden ground for sure! A mere Commander Level dared to venture into the forbidden ground, that’s courting death!"
"Dying in there would be best! The Great Elder was still too merciful, actually giving such a thing the chance to participate in the competition!"
Amongst the talks, Lilith and Elara walked slowly to the seats the Ghost Race had prepared for them.
Upon seeing only two chairs prepared, Lilith curled her red lips into a sarcastic smile.
"Heh...already so eager to pronounce Aster Grant dead? Didn’t even prepare a seat!"
Elara, hearing this, curiously moved closer to Lilith, her Fox Tail gently swaying:
"Lilith, do you truly believe in that human?"
"Based on what I know of the Ghost Race Great Elder, he definitely won’t spare that human."
"No matter how strong his Talent, nor how powerful his Beastbond..."
"He can’t possibly, at Commander Level, contend against Monarch Level, can he?"
Upon hearing this, Lilith’s lips curled into a meaningful arc.
She elegantly turned, meeting Elara’s gaze directly:
"You will find out soon enough!"
"However..."
"Elara, have you considered cooperating with the Human Race?"
Elara was visibly stunned, then a slight smile appeared on her face.
She knew Lilith was asking a question on behalf of that human.
"Let’s discuss that when that human can make it to the competition."
Seeing this, Lilith said no more.
She merely shifted her gaze silently to the center of the arena.
Although she had hinted at Aster Grant’s strength several times recently, it was clear the Princess of Azurefox hadn’t taken it seriously.
But soon, she would be able to see Aster Grant’s performance with her own eyes.
At this moment.
The Ghost Race Great Elder cheerfully ascended the platform.
Only moments remained before the competition officially began, and that human was still nowhere to be seen.
It meant that the Monarch Levels he sent out must have succeeded!
Those two threats were finally eliminated...
The Great Elder’s face relaxed, and as soon as he announced the start of the competition, the participant list would be finalized.
Even if that human miraculously left the forbidden ground, he would still be helpless!
He raised his hand high, his voice resonating throughout the stage:
"The competition will now——"
"Wait!"
A voice suddenly came through.
...
...