A strange smile tugged at Rowan's lips. Ignoring Bronwyn's desperate pleas, he raised his voice and said clearly, "Fine. I'll duel you."
The moment those words fell, laughter erupted all around them.
"Has this kid lost his mind? A ninth-rank Stellar challenging a sixth-rank Universe-level cultivator? That's suicide," a Domain Master sneered openly.
"Exactly. The Second Prince is a Universe Level Six powerhouse and has already mastered the second stage of the Water Domain. A native like him won't even last a single move," another chimed in with a mocking laugh.
Bronwyn's eyes reddened with anxiety. She grabbed Rowan tightly, her voice trembling as tears welled up. "Rowan, don't go. This is suicide! You'll die!" As she spoke, she turned to rush deeper into the palace. "I'll find Father. I'll make him stop this duel!"
Before she could take a step, Rowan stopped her. Their eyes met. He said nothing more than a single, steady look filled with quiet confidence.
"Don't worry. Leave everything to me."
"But…"
Seeing the calm certainty in Rowan's eyes, Bronwyn's resistance melted away. Though her heart was filled with fear and reluctance, she finally nodded.
The onlookers, realizing Rowan was serious, grew curious. What kind of confidence could a Stellar-level cultivator possibly have to truly challenge the Second Prince?
At that moment, Ninth Uncle stepped forward. Glancing around, he proposed, "Since this is a duel, we should move to the Royal Combat Arena. It's where royal members usually train. It spans over seven kilometers and is the most suitable place for a proper duel."
Rowan shrugged casually. "Works for me."
Once the duel was confirmed, the news spread through the palace like wildfire.
Princes from all directions rushed over to watch.
The Third Prince laughed as he walked beside the Fourth Prince. "Do you think Rowan's brain is broken? A Stellar Level Nine daring to challenge Second Brother. What a joke."
The Fourth Prince nodded eagerly. "Exactly. But it makes for a good show. Maybe we'll get to watch a one-sided slaughter."
Excitement flickered in his eyes as if he could not wait to see Rowan humiliated.
Only the Seventh Prince frowned slightly, deep in thought. "Anyone who dares provoke Second Brother like this must have something up his sleeve. Don't underestimate him."
His concern stood in sharp contrast to the gloating expressions of the others.
Soon, everyone arrived at the dueling grounds.
The Royal Combat Arena loomed like a colossal beast at the heart of the palace. Towering stands surrounded the battlefield, all forged from a mysterious metal that shimmered with strange cosmic light. Each seat was exquisitely carved with intricate beast motifs, radiating royal authority.
The arena floor was paved with a special stone, incomparably hard, capable of withstanding immense energy impacts without leaving a trace. Massive energy barriers rose around the field, preventing shockwaves from spreading and projecting the battle clearly for every spectator to see.
By now, the stands were completely full. Not only royal members but also many tutors of the princes had arrived. Domain Masters and Realm Masters gathered in droves, eager to witness this wildly imbalanced duel.
On the battlefield, the Second Prince, Burnell, stood with a long spear in hand. Cold light gleamed along its edge. It was a fifth-tier origin-energy weapon. A powerful aura radiated from him as the second stage of his Water Domain subtly spread, saturating the air with oppressive moisture.
Rowan, by contrast, looked calm and composed. In his hand was the Duntian Shuttle passed down from Hu Yanbo. His expression was as steady as a mountain.
Ninth Uncle stood at the center of the arena. With a single command, the duel began.
Burnell attacked first.
He leapt forward, thrusting his spear like a bolt of silver lightning aimed straight at Rowan's chest. At the same time, his Water Domain erupted fully. Countless water elements condensed into razor-sharp blades, sweeping toward Rowan in a deadly tide.
Rowan flickered aside. Guided by his spiritual perception, he avoided the strike with ease.
He knew Burnell's strength far surpassed his own. From the start, he had no intention of counterattacking head-on. Instead, he relied on agile movement, carefully observing Burnell's attack patterns and domain usage.
Universe Level Two opponents were no longer a challenge for him. But Burnell was Universe Level Six and wielded a second-stage domain. This was the strongest enemy Rowan had faced so far.
Domain suppression descended.
Inside the Water Domain, Rowan felt as if he were trapped in thick mud. His speed dropped sharply. Yet with the Duntian Shuttle beneath his feet and movement techniques refined to perfection back on Earth, combined with the constant amplification of his spiritual force, he managed to evade attack after attack despite being at a disadvantage.
Domains varied greatly in application. Some Lightning Domain users turned their domains into electric fields to paralyze enemies, while others infused lightning directly into their bodies to amplify speed and power.
Burnell used his Water Domain primarily for suppression, dragging his opponent into a retreating field where movement slowed drastically. Water blades formed continuously, launching sudden ambushes.
Each blade carried power equivalent to a Stellar Level Nine strike, terrifying in its lethality.
While dodging the spear, Rowan also had to evade these deadly water blades, pushing him to the brink.
In the stands, spectators were surprised.
"He has excellent movement technique. The Second Prince's weakness is speed. He focused too much on power," commented a Domain Master with dark green skin and twin horns.
"More than that, his reactions are frightening. A Stellar-level cultivator surviving over a hundred exchanges against a Universe Level Six without injury is unbelievable. His use of spiritual force is exceptional. Even attacks he cannot fully dodge are deflected by coordinating his psychic power with the Duntian Shuttle's blades. That kind of combat awareness is terrifying," another Domain Master added.
Murmurs filled the arena. What was expected to be a swift execution had turned into a prolonged battle.
Rowan's survival owed much to his experience in the Slaughter Arena and the fact that his spiritual power amplification had already reached Domain Master level.
"Damn it, you insect!" Burnell roared in frustration.
His spear moved faster, thrusting like a venomous serpent. The water blades multiplied, compressing Rowan's space further and further.
Rowan began to look strained. Shallow cuts appeared on his armor as the pressure mounted.
"See? I told you he's no match for Second Brother. He's just holding on," the Third Prince laughed smugly.
"Hmph. I thought he had something special. Turns out this is all he's got," the Fourth Prince scoffed in disappointment.
But as Rowan continued dodging, he had already fully grasped Burnell's rhythm and tactics.
He decided it was time to stop holding back.
Burnell pursued brute force, neglecting the fluid speed inherent to the Water Law. His heavy armor further dragged down his movement. Despite his Universe Level Six cultivation, his speed was closer to that of Universe Level One or Two.
With the Duntian Shuttle and his spiritual advantage, Rowan's speed rivaled that lower tier, allowing him to hold on until now.
Now that he understood everything, Rowan unleashed his true power.
Countless blades flew again. Purple flames ignited in Rowan's eyes. In the next instant, he drew a fifth-tier origin-energy saber from his spatial storage.
This was a weapon he had reserved from the World Within a World. Its name was Phantom.
Thin as a cicada's wing yet incomparably sturdy, the saber was perfectly suited for a Fire Law cultivator. As fire energy poured into it, the blade turned purple-red, erupting with terrifying power.
Rowan stomped the ground. Heat exceeding hundreds of thousands of degrees burst from his body.
"Fire Domain, Ninth Stage. Heaven-Scorching Annihilation!"
Flames surged outward, forming a colossal domain. Purple fire swallowed the battlefield. Burnell's Water Domain collapsed instantly under overwhelming suppression.
Temperatures soared to terrifying levels, engulfing Burnell.
Though his fifth-tier armor resisted extreme heat, even after absorbing most of it, the remaining tens of thousands of degrees left his skin burning and his breathing ragged.
The entire audience leapt to their feet.
"Fire Law, Ninth-Stage Domain? Impossible!"
Even Gira was stunned, his arrogance shattered.
A Stellar-level cultivator mastering the Fire Law and pushing the domain to the ninth stage was unheard of.
Bronwyn covered her mouth, tears of joy in her eyes. Her heart finally settled.
"This isn't over. Devilcloud Vine!"
Rowan waved his hand. Seventy-two massive vines, each over three hundred kilometers long, erupted forth.
Though only Universe Level Two, the Devilcloud Vine's sheer mass made its strikes terrifying. The vines lashed down, smashing Burnell and hurling him over ten kilometers into the arena barrier.
Still not finished, Rowan pressed the attack. The vines slammed down again, pinning Burnell in place. Though his armor absorbed most of the impact, he could not even stand.
"My god… a Universe Level Two Devilcloud Vine. What secrets does he even have?" the Fourth Prince exclaimed.
Burnell screamed in fury and humiliation. This opponent was no ordinary Stellar-level cultivator. He wielded Time Law, Fire Law, and a ninth-stage domain.
"Second Prince. It's over. Time Law."
Rowan seized an opening. Time froze for a fleeting instant.
In that instant, Rowan struck.
The Phantom saber blazed with fire. He activated the Swordfish Array through the Duntian Shuttle, concealing a fragment of Scarlet Primal Copper above it.
Burnell sensed the temporal anomaly and reacted instantly. As time resumed, he summoned a massive water shield and deployed six defensive artifacts: three shields and three enormous stone gates layered before him.
The impact shook the arena.
Rowan's saber cleaved through the stone gates in a single strike. With fire law amplification, the blade's temperature soared beyond five hundred thousand degrees. Space itself warped.
Purple flames enveloped the water shield. In the blink of an eye, it evaporated.