Meanwhile, as she observed her son standing before the Quartzwraith clan's eldest son, Elara furrowed her brow in annoyance.
She redirected her attention to her husband and asked, "What did you tell him?" She still didn't fully grasp the nature of their conversation.
Clan Head Garnet replied, "We've assessed the strength of the King and Queen, as well as everyone in the palace. If we want to ensure our success, we need to account for every variable, including that of the foreigner."
Elara remained somewhat puzzled by his plan and asked, "And so?"
"So, it means that we need to assess his strength, and considering the King, this might be the last time we see him without a significant security presence in the open. Therefore, this could be our best and last chance to openly gauge his strength and determine what kind of threat he poses to the plan," he responded.
Finally nodding in understanding, Elara could only gaze at her husband thoughtfully. She wondered if she had perhaps imparted too much knowledge about what it meant to be the Gemheart Clan Head, both physically and mentally.
Nevertheless, since this was his plan, she shifted her focus back to the stage after settling into a more comfortable position.
On the stage,
"I didn't expect the Clan Heir of the Gemheart Clan to be the first to step onto the stage," Lazurian Quartzwraith said respectfully, eyeing Zephyrion, who stood within arm's reach.
"Humph!" Zephyrion snorted in response, his eyes filled with contempt as he gazed at Lazurian. "I only came forward because it seemed like no one else wanted to do the dirty work, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. Don't get too full of yourself."
"You!" Lazurian seethed, his anger reaching its boiling point in response to Zephyrion's words and attitude.
"Very well, I hope you're ready," Lazurian challenged, awaiting Zephyrion's response.
When Zephyrion remained silent, Lazurian roared, channelling his magical energy and fury into his fist. To test the waters, he thrust his fist straight toward Zephyrion's chin, creating an ear-splitting sound.
"Heh! This alone won't help you," Zephyrion retorted.
He brought up his hand and unleashed his magical energy, simultaneously catching Lazurian's fist with his own. His magical pressure emitted a vibrant light cyan aura that seemed even more brilliant than Lazurian's.
"Rank four Crystal Adept!" An elderly man from one of the smaller minor clans groaned in exasperation. There were ten distinct ranks that classified one's power and strength: the Crystal Initiate rank, the Crystal Adept rank, the Crystal Radiant rank, the Crystal Luminary rank, the Crystal Sage, the Crystal King, the Crystal Emperor, the Crystal Overlord, and finally, the Pinnacle tier—an exalted realm of ascension and godhood.
Each rank was further divided into ten tiers, and Prismerions had to break through the barrier of learning how to control magic and assimilate it from their gems once they discovered their magical affinity. After this, they would step into their first tier, becoming a tier one Crystal Initiate.
However, achieving this took a year or, for the exceptionally talented, multiple months. For others, it could take several years. Progressing to the next tier was as treacherous as climbing a ladder with a rocky, spike-filled surface. It required both skill and access to the necessary resources.
Given these challenges, it was easy to admire the greatness of the major clans and their respective heirs as they stood on the stage, their light cyan auras shimmering around them.
"Indeed, the only way to truly gauge the abilities of a genius is by pitting them against another genius," remarked a middle-aged man who had reluctantly brought his children to the banquet after receiving an invitation.
He sighed deeply, realizing that the event was far more than he had anticipated.
Meanwhile, Zephyrion had already clenched his other hand into a powerful fist, mirroring Lazurian's earlier move. He unleashed a punch charged with his potent magical energy, aiming it straight at Lazurian's chin.
The impact was thunderous, resulting in a resounding "BAAMM!" that reverberated throughout the grand stage. Lazurian was sent hurtling like a projectile, crashing onto the golden-veined, crystal-clear marble on the other side of the stage.
Rising from the ground, clutching his chin in pain and anger, Lazurian immediately sprinted toward Zephyrion once more. As he muttered "Ethereal Veil," his form became partially transparent, nearly vanishing from view.
Witnessing Lazurian employ the Quartzwraith clan's specialty, Zephyrion couldn't help but smile. Though the technique rendered its user partially invisible, it didn't mask the sound of their footsteps, and reappearing was necessary to launch an attack.
With a sly grin, Zephyrion confidently observed Lazurian emerging from his semi-invisible state and executed the "Shifting Strike" technique, launching a fist toward him. This particular Quartzwraith clan specialty allowed them to phase their fists partially while striking, enabling their blows to bypass an opponent's defences to some extent.
Zephyrion didn't bother to block as he calmly observed Lazurian's fist hurtling straight toward his gut.
Employing one of the Gemheart clan's signature techniques, "Body Resonance," Zephyrion welcomed the punch head-on. He responded with a swift and powerful kick, connecting his knee with Lazurian's abdomen, resulting in a resounding "BANG!!".
Before Lazurian could even recover from the devastating kick, he hurled a punch toward Lazurian's face, sending the Quartzwraith heir flying into the air this time.
He landed violently, crashing onto the floor with an audible thud. Blood gushed from his chest, and Lazurian coughed up a mouthful of thick radiant crimson liquid. He lay on the floor, both hands clutching his stomach as he struggled to rise.
Clan Head Jadeus let out a heavy sigh as he witnessed this outcome.
"I told you to let Garnex go first," Olivia chided her husband with a stern expression.
She understood that Garnex wouldn't have stood a chance given the considerable gap in tiers, but he was more talented and would have at least put up a respectable fight instead of losing so shamefully.
'Pathetic,' Garnex couldn't help but sneer inwardly as he watched his elder brother being escorted away from the stage.
Back on the stage, Zypherion redirected his attention toward the guests, specifically the heirs of the other clans seated in the audience. "While I would prefer the next clan heir to step onto the stage, I'd like to suggest something else before we proceed," he stated. With that, he withdrew his gaze and directed it upwards, toward the section where the king and his royal family were seated.
....
Author's note: Don't worry, you will soon understand what kind of a cheat Orion is.
