Chapter 483: 483 - Where is she? "What are you waiting for? Come in! My son doesn’t have all day." Lucios declared, moving his old bones and paying no attention to Viola’s slight dissent. That was a problem for his granddaughter to solve. The guards protecting the black castle immediately made way. They bowed even more reverently to Lucios than they did to the patriarch. The old man guided the young champions, the thrones following close behind, ensuring that no one stepped out of line. They were led through a well-defended courtyard, through large double gates, and then down a wide, luxurious, dimly lit corridor. When he reached the doors leading to the throne room, Lucios finally stopped, stepping aside. With a flick of his finger, the doors opened to reveal their spacious interior. Rows of large, powerful pillars supported the central structure, its ceiling rising in a concave shape. The top was completely open. Small dragon hatchlings could be seen flying freely under the mantle of light that fell and illuminated the throne room. In the corner opposite where the young people entered, stood the throne of the Grand Duke of Vaeldrinn and patriarch of the dragon peoples. It was large, as if carved from the open jaws of a dragon, with a man sitting atop it, stroking a winged beast on his lap. His eyes opened, revealing piercing red irises that dominated his handsome, albeit slightly aged, face. He stood up, his long black hair cascading over his powerful shoulders, his blood-red horns glinting in the light. ’So this is the man I need to kill...’ Qingyi subtly probed Patriarch Vaeldrinn, stopping only when he noticed the pair of red eyes focusing on him. He was powerful, to be sure, but... Qingyi smiled slightly. He could kill him. He would bleed for it, but he could most certainly kill him. "A group of very lively young people, I see..." The patriarch seemed to click his tongue. He found this kind of ceremony tedious, a waste of his precious time. Still, his father had always demanded that he attend them without fail; that he test and speak with the new champions. In his opinion, these filthy humans shouldn’t even be given the chance to try to be part of something greater, to be purebloods. The patriarch sighed, extending his aura, imbuing it with a slight thread of murderous intent and letting it fall upon the young people. "Many of you will fail," he said, forcing kindness and honor into his voice. "But for those who succeed, eternal glory awaits you. Not as mere humans, but as the rulers of the skies! The chosen champions trembled at those words. The rulers of the skies, side by side with the powerful experts they could only watch from afar in their childhood. That was all they wanted. The patriarch continued his speech for long seconds, with words of power and encouragement. He even gave the young people some gifts before finally letting them go. Everyone was ecstatic, except for Qingyi, of course. His face was cold, and his mind seemed to be in a completely different place. "Are you ready, my love?" he asked in his mind, directing his voice to Ruxue. Of course, the spiritual beauty knew that it wasn’t her Qingyi was talking to. After a moment of waiting, a sweet and lively voice that he knew well came. "Yes, hubby!" *** A few kilometers away, in the northern corner of the flying island, stood a mansion. It was large enough for dozens of servants and hundreds of guests, with accommodations that would make kings jealous. Training rooms, a stream for fishing, and even a private theater. But none of it was being used. The place was empty, with only five servants keeping everything running, besides, of course, their master. Seraphine Vaeldrinn Valerio. Daughter of the current patriarch of the dragon elves and member of the noble house that had ruled the Grand Duchy of Vaeldrinn since its founding. She sat in the shade of a cherry tree. Her bare feet, small and delicate, were submerged in the running water of a stream that passed by. Her eyes were closed as she meditated and enjoyed the birdsong. She placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating strongly. She was feeling strange, but not in a negative way. Her cheeks were rosier than usual and her chest carried a positive feeling. "My lady..." A voice echoed from behind Seraphine, who immediately turned around. There, she saw a woman kneeling, her body clad in powerful black armor. "I have chosen a champion... A man who seemed not to be of this world, but..." The words stuck in Viola’s throat. "What?" Seraphine stood up. She had been with that guard her entire life and knew her well. For her to hesitate like this, something big must have happened. "Lord Lucios invited him to be his disciple, even offering one of his granddaughters in marriage to him. Yet, not only did the young man refuse, but he even demanded that he specifically become your champion." Seraphine herself couldn’t help but let her face fill with strangeness upon hearing that. Refuse Lucios? Her grandfather? What kind of madman would do such a thing? "When I questioned him, he said he already knew you." Viola’s next words made Seraphine’s face fall. "Where is he?" Seraphine asked. "Young lady, before I introduce him to you, I need to make sure you’re safe. What if he’s dange-" "Bring him here. Now." Seraphine ordered, putting force into her voice and interrupting Viola’s words. The guard lowered her head and trembled, but in the end, she just gave in. She stood up, left the courtyard, and when she returned, she had a man by her side. "Leave us alone..." Seraphine asked the moment she saw that man. He was different from when she first saw him, from when she saw him through her subtle connection with the fragment of his soul on her plane. But she knew well. However he had overcome all that and become so powerful so quickly, this was the man she was looking for. Long Qingyi, the most beautiful man she had ever seen in her life and the one her sister had chosen. Viola opened her lips to speak against her mistress’s decision, but seeing the look in her eyes, she simply withdrew. Seraphine swallowed hard, tears filling her eyes. "My sister... Elize... Where is she?"