Read Novel Full Chapter 480 - Lucios
Chapter 480: 480 - Lucios
The Bronze Dragon hovered elegantly, its emerald green eyes scanning the crowd.
It did not flap its wings, keeping them open at their full wingspan of over one hundred and thirty meters, its shadow engulfing everything below.
His rider’s armor glistened in gold, emanating an aura superior even to that of the beast he rode.
Only a fraction of it was released, and half of the competitors fell to the ground.
A second wave of pressure, and the thousands were reduced to little more than a hundred.
The powerful expert barely paid attention to those who fell, merely waving his hand.
The bodies of the unconscious were swept toward the wide streets, where healers promptly took them away for treatment.
"Very good." His voice echoed, old yet noble and full of vitality.
He counted the remnants; about one hundred and thirty, of which only fifty would be chosen.
Obviously, even among these fifty, not all would become dragon riders.
If only five succeeded, it would already be a resounding selection.
After thinking for a moment, the old man carefully released his aura, knocking down two more and setting the number at one hundred and twenty-eight.
"I am Lucios Vaeldrinn Valerio, patriarch of House Valerio. Many here must already know my name." The expert spoke, eliciting sighs from the crowd.
Lucios was renowned in the capital, being one of the experts who worked side by side with the first ancestor of the draconic elves and founded the Grand Duchy of Vaeldrinn.
After Khaedryss at her peak and the founding dragon couple, he was probably the most powerful and respected being in the entire land of the draconic elves. An expert of the twelfth ring.
Even Qingyi knew him, especially because of one specific fact: Lucios was primarily responsible for the current patriarch remaining in power.
If the old man stood in the way, Qingyi knew that with his current power, it would be basically impossible to avenge Elize’s mother.
"Hm..." Qingyi scratched his chin, thinking for a brief moment before focusing on the powerful expert.
"We have one hundred and twenty-eight here. You will fight, and the fifty most powerful will be selected. I myself will take one as my champion."
The murmurs among the young people became even more uncontrolled, expressions full of excitement spreading across their faces.
"Hm... I wonder if I should reduce the number to sixty-four..." Old Lucios stroked his gray beard, and immediately the murmurs ceased.
With a smile, he simply waved his hands, and the double doors of the arena opened, allowing the participants to enter.
There was no special place for them to sit, not even an audience, except for the experts seated on the many thrones surrounding the venue.
It was just a simple, small concrete platform, no more than a thousand square meters.
At least on the outside.
As he walked across the concrete platform, Qingyi felt the power of the spatial barriers that held it together and would contain the battle.
It took him only a moment to be sure: even for him, it would be difficult to destroy it easily.
Old Lucios sat on the throne next to the one reserved for the patriarch, ignoring the surprised looks of the other leaders of internal factions and large families.
"Very well, the first pair may come up." Lucios spoke, waving his hand as two flashes of light fell on two of the young people.
With a moment’s hesitation, they stepped forward, standing face to face and waiting for the expert’s confirmation.
The moment Lucios’ hand touched the arm of his seat, the two stepped forward without holding back.
Unlike what elves usually preferred, this was not a test full of rules, rituals, and parameters to be achieved. Quite the contrary.
This was simply a demonstration of strength and power.
In the end, that is what dragons represent.
From Khaedryss to the bronze beast flying above the arena. Every dragon, with a few exceptions, was the embodiment of violence, destruction, and arrogance, their wisdom being just one more aspect.
Perhaps that was the biggest difference between the so-called draconic elves and their cousins.
And in that way, those young men fought, their swords meeting in the center of the arena with a thunderous explosion.
Their powers, equivalent to those of a True Immortal, caused destruction all around them.
They separated for a moment before advancing again, their bodies covered in crimson auras, a strange kind of flaming mana surrounding them.
Many had to take a step back immediately, protecting themselves with thin mana barriers as the scorching heat hit their faces.
Only Qingyi and a few others remained completely unmoved.
Honestly, the handsome young man was more interested in the strength of that concrete than anything else.
After all, it was difficult for him to find an arena where he could train without completely and immediately destroying it.
The combat didn’t have many other peak moments after the initial clash. Dozens of exchanges of blows took over the arena until, finally, the younger man gave in.
His opponent’s blade slid down his own to the hilt before, with an explosion of mana, disarming him, taking a few fingers with it.
When the younger man fell on his butt on the floor, grunting and holding his bloody hand, the older man raised his sword with a roar of victory.
He had won and, unlike his opponent, had not suffered a single injury.
With a big smile, he stepped down from the arena and sat in a corner, immediately beginning to rest.
The wounded man was removed from the arena, the blood cleaned from the floor, and then Lucios stood up again.
Despite the intense combat, the old expert still looked bored, his eyes scanning the young men until they fell on two in particular.
One of them was, to his surprise, a pureblood of his race. He had long golden hair, tenth ring power, and a beautiful, calm face.
A pureblood by birth who did not belong to any great family.
The other was a young man who made him even more curious.
He was clearly human, despite having a scent that did not belong to a human and an absurd amount of hidden power, something that shocked even him.
How did a human body not explode with all that stored energy?