Han kept his stern expression and slowly shook his head.
“The Unrivaled would not be acting personally, Your Majesty.
His son would be the one acting.”
Kaiser froze mid-bite, and the Spirit Apple slipped from his hand, falling to the ground.
He looked at Han as though he had lost his mind.
“Are you saying that a person who belongs to my generation is going to deal with a Divine Transformation Realm?”
Han looked at Kaiser slowly and nodded with unwavering seriousness.
“Among the Nine Pillars of Military Excellence, the son of The Unrivaled truly stands out as the Unrivaled One among the younger generations.
His combat power has been rising, stirring waves on the Northern Front of the Empire.”
Han seemed to sense the absurdity of the situation.
Seeing that Kaiser still did not fully grasp what he had said, he quickly returned to his usual demeanor.
“But even such an achievement is nothing compared to Your Majesty!
Comprehending two Dao Foundations through Your Majesty’s godly insight, who across the entire continent of Godfall could accomplish such a feat?”
Han seemed ready to continue his praise, but Kaiser had already tuned out everything else.
His mind was elsewhere, consumed by a single thought.
“Han, can you remind me… what Realm is Rheydan currently in?”
Han’s words halted mid-rant.
His face grew even more solemn.
“Golden Core Realm…”
Kaiser’s hand clenched tightly, and his pupils widened in shock.
He ground his teeth, struggling to comprehend.
Even in the novels he had read, even a Primordial Ancestor reincarnating with memories to recultivate, or a character aided by a System, none had achieved anything remotely comparable.
Crossing two entire major Realms… how could that even be possible?
Kaiser’s mind raced, struggling to reconcile what he had just heard.
“Although the son of the Unrivaled has already displayed staggering combat power and strength, his achievements are far beyond ordinary comprehension,”
Han continued, his voice steady but filled with weight.
“He has repeatedly slain Nascent Soul Cultivators, shattered the encirclement of countless Evil Nascent Soul Cultivator ambushes, and laid waste to entire Cults, leaving nothing behind but ruins.”
Kaiser’s heart thumped in disbelief, but Han pressed on.
“And only recently has he begun to brush against the Realms of Divine Transformation.
He can now enter battles involving Divine Transformation with freedom, move at will, strike with precision, and retreat without consequence.”
“To act in such a way, across levels of power most cannot even imagine, is a feat that shakes the foundations of the Northern Front itself.”
The sheer magnitude of it left Kaiser staring, utterly speechless, as the weight of such prowess settled heavily in his mind.
“He has faced two encounters with Divine Transformation powerhouses.
The first was against the Barbarian known as the Bonebreaker Demon.
In that battle, the son of the Unrivaled barely escaped, sustaining severe injuries.”
“The second encounter was against a Cult Leader of the Blood Prison Lotus Sect…” Han paused, glancing at Kaiser, who now stood up and went towards his balcony, and looked at the scenic view from his balcony.
“Rheydan fought the Cult Leader for a full hundred rounds,” Han continued.
“He held the Cult Leader at bay until the Unrivaled himself appeared to apprehend the demon.”
Han fell silent, studying Kaiser’s face, which was increasingly shifting between shock and disbelief.
The weight of Rheydan’s accomplishments was settling over him, leaving him both awed and unnerved.
“Han… are you sure that Rheydan is only at-”
“Absolutely sure,” Han interrupted firmly.
“There is no doubt.
I have seen the kid personally, and even the Ancestors themselves have confirmed it.”
Kaiser leaned forward, his hands grabbing the handrail as he struggled to comprehend the depth of Rheydan.
Han watched him quietly, gauging every shift in his expression.
Only after a long breath did Kaiser finally exhale and let the tension drain from his shoulders.
“He is… indeed Unrivaled…”
“His father has nothing to do with his achievements.
Although he received resources because of his father’s position, and although his father was also an Unrivaled in his own era, the reputation that he currently holds belong solely to him.
The reason Rheydan can perform like this… can only be attributed to Rheydan himself.”
Kaiser finally lifted his head and looked at Han properly.
A crooked smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, the kind that carried both wry amusement and an uncomfortable truth.
Han did not say anything, yet Kaiser could see it clearly in his eyes.
Han knew exactly what had crossed his mind.
‘Maybe it’s because of his father?’
And Han had crushed that thought in a single sentence.
As Kaiser held his gaze, the crooked smile deepened, then thinned, becoming harder to maintain.
Because Han wasn’t just praising Rheydan.
He was sending a reminder.
A pointed one.
Do not get carried away.
Do not let the words of Ancestors cloud your judgment.
There is always a taller mountain…
Han wasn’t wrong.
Kaiser might possess Dao Foundations.
He might now stand as a candidate for the throne.
But none of it had come from some innate, heaven defying comprehension.
None of it belonged to talent he was born with.
It was because of the system.
His system.
A grin tugged at his lips.
At first glance, it had the same laidback quality he always carried, a hint of carelessness mixed with amusement.
But as Han observed him from a short distance behind, something subtle shifted in the air.
For the first time, Han sensed a faint trace of… blood.
Not enough to alarm him, not even enough to make him tense, but it was there, like a thin thread of iron running through the atmosphere.
Kaiser was nowhere near strong enough to threaten Han, and Han knew that better than anyone.
There was no reason for fear.
But this wasn’t about power.
That easygoing smile, framed by starlight, seemed to hide something deeper, a fierceness that had never shown itself until now.
A countenance that felt surprisingly sharp, almost primal.
It was as though it was waiting to be unleashed…
No, it seemed that it had already unleased…
In the World of Gersla
“Wha… what do you think you are doing?!”
“Do you even understand the consequences of your actions?!”
The shouts came from trembling throats, voices caught somewhere between rage and terror.
None dared step any closer.
Kain planted his Great Sword into the scorched earth with a heavy thud.
The weapon vibrated faintly, its blade stained with blood that had yet to dry.
He rose from atop a heap of corpses, the bodies stacked so high they formed a grotesque mound beneath his boots.
Behind him, a palace burned.
Flames roared like starving beasts, devouring marble halls and golden spires as smoke rolled into the night sky.
The heat pressed against his back, illuminating his silhouette in a savage glow.
Kain tilted his head, admiring the inferno as if it were a painting created for his eyes alone.
A wide, twisted smile stretched across his face.
He rolled his shoulders, stretching lazily as though he had merely finished a round of training and not a massacre.
“You really don’t understand…” he said, voice light, almost conversational.
“When you reach the Sixth Rank…”
He turned toward the trembling survivors, his grin widening with something feral.
“…you kinda find it hard to control your instincts.”