Chapter 390: Thunder and Bombs

**Dominion Over Nine Heavens** — Read the latest chapter!

A shadowy figure descended rapidly, propelled by the accelerating dive of the frost bees, carrying the momentum of its plunge at incredible speed.

Their opponent was shrewd, turning weakness into strength—using the frost bees to propel the Skyburst Grenade faster while masking its descent in the mist created by the clash of ice and fire. The fog provided perfect cover, invisible to ordinary eyes. But Valaroca was no ordinary man—he had anticipated this move long ago.

Flame-Seeing Eyes!

As heir to the Kevin Family, Fire God Mountain’s most powerful clan, Valaroca naturally possessed exceptional fire-based talents. Nailuo Luo was of the Fire Seed lineage, and so was he—one of the elite, even among Fire Seeds, with awakened ocular abilities. This was his third and greatest advantage: unmatched personal power!

At that moment, golden light blazed from his eyes like tangible rays, cutting effortlessly through the thick white mist. Like a radar sweeping outward, it locked onto the dark shape plummeting from above.

Time to crush your trump card!

Valaroca slightly bent his left knee while his right hand rested on the hilt of his sword...

A Fire Drake could tank one or two Skyburst Grenades without trouble—but why take the hit?

Kaboom! Shing!

With a burst of motion, Valaroca shot toward the falling grenade as his dragon blade unsheathed in a flash!

It was a stark, unadorned fang-sword, straight as a spike. Forged from the molars of a land drake during its shedding cycle, it roared with flame and a draconic cry upon being drawn, as if a fire dragon surged skyward, striking out over ten meters.

The flying Skyburst Grenade was fast, but against this razor-sharp Rising Dragon Slash, it was helpless. The projectile was hurled backward midair before detonating in a brilliant explosion.

Boom…

The shockwave erupted with immense force, instantly clearing away the surrounding steam and fog.

Valaroca pirouetted to a flawless landing, completely unharmed. Meanwhile, the eighteen frost bees, caught in the backlash of the grenade’s explosion, were scattered like leaves in the wind, fleeing upward in disarray like startled birds.

The Old Wang Squad stared, slack-jawed and silent. But high in the stands of the Fire Holy Sanctuary, the disciples erupted into cheers after a brief pause.

"Invincible tactics? Pathetic against Captain Valaroca!"

"Pfft, everyone knows Skyburst Grenades are only good for punching down. Against a real powerhouse? That’s suicide!"

"Rose got lucky—any lower, and those bees were toast!"

The disciples whooped and jeered, reveling in victory. Though they had already lost two matches, seeing the infamous "Old Wang" humiliated—his every trick exposed and shattered decisively—finally let loose all their pent-up frustration.

Valaroca is invincible!

"Captain Wang Feng," Valaroca arched a brow, smirking up at him.

True, the Kevin Family controlled the Fire Holy Sanctuary, but provoking Rose wasn't his doing—it was just elder politics between family and Sanctuary. As the designated future leader, he had no say in such matters.

Truthfully, though, he admired Wang Feng's boldness in challenging the Eight Holy Sanctuaries. If possible, he didn’t want things to end too harshly.

Now that both Wang Feng’s ice attacks and Skyburst Grenades had been countered, conceding was the best course. A duel should end once the point is made—no need to drag it out.

"The match is decided," Valaroca said calmly, his voice carrying effortlessly upward. "If you have no other moves, I suggest you concede with dignity."

"Surrender? Not in this lifetime!

And new tricks? None!" Wang Feng shouted from above. As he spoke, another frost bee appeared, clutching yet another grenade. "Why fix what ain’t broke?" He was clearly playing dirty now—this was pure stubbornness bordering on farce.

Valaroca sighed. "Pointless. The Skyburst—"

Before Valaroca could get another word out, his throat suddenly tightened.

A loud *bzzzt* filled the air. Above his head appeared not just one ice bee with a Skyburst Grenade, but seventeen—seventeen of them!

Not only Valaroca, but the entire audience in the stands fell into stunned silence.

Every Fire Holy Sanctuary disciple was left gaping in disbelief. What the hell… was this a duel or a money-burning contest? Were these Skyburst Grenades bulk cabbages sold by the pound?!

Forget their price—200,000 to 300,000 a pop—the real issue was that they were always in short supply! Few people bought them, and production was limited. Even in a trade hub like Aurora City, scrounging up a dozen would be pushing it. Yet rumor had it Wang Feng had already used them lavishly back in Dragon City—and now he was tossing out seventeen at once?

Wait a minute!

As everyone took in the positions of the seventeen ice bees, they suddenly realized an even graver problem—was this about cash? Hell no, this was life or death!

Yes, with Valaroca’s skills, he could easily deflect one or two Skyburst Grenades. Combined with the Fire Drake’s formidable defenses, even three or four more wouldn’t be an issue. But seventeen? And the ice bees covered almost the entire arena. If they all dropped at once, how the hell could anyone block that?

While the crowd below was still frozen in shock, Wang Feng flicked his fingers and pulled out three more Skyburst Grenades.

“Let’s make it a round number!” he shouted triumphantly from above. “Counting down from three! Surrender, or I’ll drop them all!”

S-surrender?

“Three!”

Valaroca’s mouth hung open. Twenty Skyburst Grenades—even if he deflected one or two, it would be meaningless. The chain explosion would unleash a devastating surge of soul energy. If he stayed, he’d die for sure. But if he fled, leaving the arena, that was still a loss.

Was surrender really the only option? This…

“Two!”

Hearing the relentless countdown, Valaroca suddenly felt a deep frustration.

Forget his own victory or defeat—what about the other Holy Sanctuary disciples in the stands? Would they be caught in the blast? These grenades didn’t play favorites. Once detonated, they’d wreck the whole damn arena. Sure, there were emergency soul shields designed for Tiger Peak-level battles, but could they really stop twenty of them?

Twenty… This was *batshit* unreasonable!

“One!” Old Wang called out, faux-cheerful. “Thunder’s coming, bombs dropping—everybody *scram*!”

Only then did the Fire Holy Sanctuary disciples in the stands snap out of their daze, realizing the explosion might engulf them too. Their faces turned pale, mouths agape.

Run? The arena only had two small exits, and there were at least two to three thousand people packed inside. How the hell were they supposed to flee?

Fortunately, Valaroca didn’t hesitate any longer.

“I surrender,” he said, half-laughing, half-exasperated. The Rose challenge against the Eight Holy Sanctuaries was a life-and-death gamble, and he was certain Wang Feng would actually go through with it. The fact that he gave the Fire Holy Sanctuary a chance to concede before dropping the grenades was already mercy.

No words left to say!

Three to zero—another three to zero. And this time, it was against a team led by Valaroca, a fighter many pegged as a future top-ten elite.

Winnie and the others had initially thought their unbeaten streak was over when Wang Feng’s grenade was countered. But just as they’d given up hope, the tables turned. They cheered loudly—until they noticed the dead-silent crowd and the dejected faces around them, prompting them to quiet down awkwardly.

The Fire Holy Sanctuary had been nothing but courteous throughout, with no vulgar insults hurled their way. Even someone as brash as Winnie couldn’t bring herself to rub it in, let alone someone as mild-mannered as Wu Di.

With a buzz, the ice bees lowered Wang Feng to the arena floor. Valaroca had already recalled his Fire Drake and walked over with his whole squad—minus Nailuo Luo.

“Clever tactics,” he said, extending a hand to Wang Feng. Not a hint of defeat on his face—just a grin. “People overthink things. Sometimes brute force gets the job done.”

Wang Feng flashed a grin and shook it. The two leaders stood there, the arena silent around them.

"Good match."

"Appreciate the spar."

These two brief closing remarks finally stirred the once lifeless stands back to life. Someone started clapping, and soon scattered applause swelled into a roaring ovation, even mingled with cheers from some of Fire Mountain’s disciples rooting for Rose: “Since you beat us, don’t lose to other Holy Sanctuaries!”

“Right! Crush Zenith Holy Sanctuary! Or what does that make us Fire Mountain?”

“Hey, Rose! If you lose later, I won’t accept it!”

“Damn, didn’t Chai Jing promise to treat us to drinks tonight? Lose the match, but not the drinking contest!”

“Yeah! Drink these coastal guys under the table!”

The Fire Mountain crowd’s displeasure came quickly and faded just as fast—just as Winnie had observed, they knew when to hold on and when to let go. The scattered claps soon turned into thunderous cheers, and by the time someone mentioned drinks, the place was erupting like they’d already won, primed for an all-night celebration.

Datura Empire

The debate in the council hall was as heated as ever. Comfort leads to danger—human conflicts signal upheaval, and the Eight Tribes must choose wisely amidst them.

High above, Emperor Indra sat in solemn majesty, flanked by six golden-armored knights wielding ceremonial staves. Below him was Lucky Heaven’s seat of honor—her position as High Prophet representing the foundation of the state. Further below were ministers from the eight tribes, seated in orderly rows on either side, adhering to the traditions of their respective clans.

The Datura Empire was primarily imperial but had also adopted elements of the League of Blades’s parliamentary system. Major state affairs were deliberated in court before the emperor made the final decision, ensuring the interests of all tribes while upholding the divine authority of the Celestial Tribe.

“Your Majesty, the words of the Nine Gods Empire cannot be trusted! I oppose any cooperation with them!”

“Your Majesty, times have changed. This opportunity is viable. Though the Nine Gods surely harbor ulterior motives, the League of Blades has remained silent, leaving all the pressure on us. We should use this chance to remind the League while securing substantial gains for the empire. Let’s be honest—the empire needs this money now.”

“That’s narrow-minded. The empire needs money, but it has never lacked it.”

“You’re just being stubborn. Whether it’s the League or the Nine Gods, they’re outsiders. Resources and power are the only things we can rely on!”

“You’re spineless. The goodwill we’ve built with the League will be squandered over such trivial matters. Shortsighted!”

*Clang!*

The knight’s staff struck the floor. “Enough!”

Instantly, the hall fell silent. All ministers bowed their heads and lowered their postures toward the throne.

Upon the throne, Indra sat as regal as a portrait, his intricate and resplendent Datura robes blazing with imperial grandeur. His sovereign authority, infused with the divine aura of the Celestial Tribe, commanded reverence throughout the court.

Indra spoke calmly, “The matter of cooperation with the Nine Gods is tabled for further discussion.”

“As you command, Your Majesty.”

Indra spoke sparingly, but his word was law. The prophecy of the late high priest had weighed on him somewhat. Otherwise, given the might of the Datura Empire, he saw no threat that could endanger the survival of the Eight Tribes.

Meanwhile, outside the hall, Longmoer followed a golden-armored knight toward the rear palace. He glanced back at the council hall, where a golden radiance enveloped the structure—a manifestation of the emperor’s Celestial Imperial Aura, brimming with perfection, the pinnacle of power.

This was the empire’s foundation. No matter what, within Datura, the Eight Tribes wielded strength surpassing even Dragon Peak-tier warriors. United under the Celestial Tribe’s rule, their combined fortunes aligned with the Eight Cosmic Symbols. With this celestial alignment, Indra, at the Dragon Peak level, could leverage the collective tribal fortune to pry open the Supreme Realm’s door. Under the tribal fortune’s influence, the emperor could attain power rivaling the Supreme Sage Teacher of old within the empire’s borders.

Longmoer recalled the Grand Prophecy Lucky Heaven had revealed to him and Hei Wu Kai days earlier… The Dragon-Elephant and Yaksha tribes each held insights into the future and the power to transcend time and space. Lucky Heaven sought to channel their soul energy to push her Grand Prophecy deeper into the future.

But if the emperor’s this strong, what disaster could shake the Eight Tribes?

Could it be the Asura Tribe causing trouble again? Yet centuries ago, when the Asura had attempted to betray the Celestial Emperor, their fate as a tribe was locked. The Eight Symbols’ ritual no longer required the Asura’s loyalty—only a drop of royal Asura blood. To this day, dozens of descendants of the rebellious Asura royals were kept in the Celestial Tribe’s forbidden pens.

As Longmoer pondered, he followed the golden-armored knight into the palace's rear garden. Not only were Hei Wu Kai, Mo Tong, and Yinfu there, but unexpectedly, Shaluoya of the Asura clan, Vimucha of the Kinnara, and Puni of the Garuda were also present. Originally, these three had been meant to go to the Rose Holy Sanctuary too, but long before Karida’s invitation, they had already set off together on a training journey. By the time Lucky Heaven returned to Mandala, Shaluoya and the others still hadn’t come back.

“Shaluoya, I thought you'd be absent forever.”

“Disappointed I didn't die out there?” Shaluoya replied coolly, like the full moon—glowing but icy cold.

“Not after seeing you step into the ghost level,” Longmoer chuckled, glancing meaningfully at Hei Wu Kai, who stood nearby with his eyes closed.

A flash of icy fire burned in Shaluoya’s eyes.

He and Hei Wu Kai were rivals. He had hoped that after this journey, he would stay ahead of Hei Wu Kai for a while. But surprisingly, Hei Wu Kai—who had spent time among humans—had also entered the ghost level. This… was interesting. He had been worried there wouldn’t be a worthy opponent when he came back.

Hei Wu Kai opened his eyes and locked gazes with Shaluoya. Both brimmed with fighting spirit, especially Hei Wu Kai. With Mo Tong recently unwilling to serve as a sparring partner, testing his skills against Shaluoya, now also ghost level, was perfect.

“Brother Shaluoya, did anything fun happen during your trip?” Yinfu, the group’s little joy, bounced around like a sparrow, chatting with everyone. Shaluoya looked at her fondly, his gaze softening noticeably. “The humans didn’t bully you, did they?”

“No, Brother Shaluoya,” she said cheerfully. “Humans are actually quite interesting.”

“Tch. Don’t let their act fool you,” he scoffed. “Those scheming weaklings stole the Nine Heavens’ throne with tricks.”

“Oh.” Yinfu nodded and blinked, knowing how set in his ways Shaluoya was. She never argued, but she couldn’t help feeling a little regretful. If only Shaluoya had gone to the Rose Holy Sanctuary too—maybe Senior Brother Wang Feng could have changed his view of humans…

Just then, a sharp *crack* of a staff hitting stone rang out. “His Majesty arrives!”