Chapter 546: Come Out to Claim Death

September in the Empire was gradually turning to autumn, the heat receding; the climate in the East Province this season was pleasant, suitable for families to go on an autumn outing, and also a good day for holding large ceremonies.

A gentle breeze blew, and the sky was a wash of blue.

BrewotzAcademy, a massive oval‑shaped Wizard arena rose from the ground.

The arena was completed this year, built especially for this year's Wizard exchange competition; Sabbath Dean named it the "Phoenix Arena", implying that casters who step onto the arena can be reborn from the flames like a phoenix after the duel.

The Phoenix Arena measured about four hundred meters north‑to‑south and three hundred meters east‑to‑west, overall like a gigantic bowl magnified many times; rows of seats surrounded it, capable of seating up to forty thousand people.

Ten towers were built on the high wall surrounding the arena.

Each tower's top held hundreds of seats, forming an open‑view grandstand that, from its height, could see every corner of the arena.

At this moment, the arena was already a roar of voices.

More than ten thousand teachers and students of BrewotzAcademy had taken their seats, the hundreds of participating academies and caster organizations entered their designated sections, and extraordinary beings, nobles and commoners who had rushed in from across the Empire also filled the seats, nearly occupying all forty thousand spots.

The audience far exceeded prior expectations, and the BrewotzAcademy staff and students alone could not maintain order.

For this, Sabbath Dean sought assistance from the Governor of the East Province and the Church of Justice, dispatching the Empire Seventh Legion and the Silver Hand Swordsmen Corps to help the academy keep the peace.

But there were worries as well as joys.

Ticket revenue from so many spectators would soon recoup the arena's construction costs.

People's eyes kept turning to the northern grandstand, the main stand of the Phoenix Arena; it was slightly lower than the other towers but several times larger in area, able to seat several hundred people.

"When…"

A melodious bell rang throughout BrewotzAcademy; the opening ceremony time had arrived.

The bell brushed the hearts of tens of thousands of spectators, invigorating them; they couldn't help but stand and look toward the northern grandstand, where light glittered and figures materialized one after another.

Standing at the front of the crowd was Sabbath Dean.

He had donned a solemn, intricate Wizard robe today, his face carefully groomed, holding a black wand; with a serious yet relaxed expression, he gave the wand a gentle wave, activating the rune array laid beneath the arena.

A few seconds later, light and shadow twisted above the arena, forming a massive rectangular image.

The forty‑meter‑wide, thirty‑meter‑high image displayed the scene on the northern grandstand with great clarity; every person's expression, clothing, even hair was visible to the tens of thousands of spectators inside the arena.

Instantly, everyone's gaze converged there.

Sabbath Dean's gentle voice reached the crowd as if spoken right beside them: "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Sabbath Percival, welcome to BrewotzAcademy for the 124th Wizard exchange competition!"

As his words fell, a burst of sharp whistles rang from outside the arena.

Hundreds of fireworks rose into the sky and burst; these magical fireworks remained dazzlingly bright even in daylight, their multicolored lights forming a grand tableau, dreamlike and surreal, and the audience, looking up, became somewhat entranced.

When the fireworks faded, the sky returned to its deep blue.

"Wow…"

Tens of thousands of spectators were stirred into excitement by the opening ceremony, shouting in unison, and enthusiastic applause lasted for several minutes.

Only when Sabbath Dean raised his hand and lowered it did the roar gradually subside.

"Now, allow me to introduce the most distinguished guests, also the main participants of this competition."

Sabbath Dean raised his tone slightly and switched the aerial image to the third western tower stand on the right: "Elders Quitu, Inola, Kexnaide, and Harawa of Naiser Floating City, together with one hundred and nine outstanding Wizards participating."

The audience cheered under the guidance of BrewotzAcademy's teachers and students.

Then everyone saw, in the sky image, the figures of over a hundred Wizards materialize; each wore a golden scroll‑shaped badge on the chest, led by four distinct Naiser Elders—three men and one woman—each differing in appearance and age.

Some who were familiar with Naiser Floating City couldn't help but look horrified.

Naiser has twelve elders, each a Legendary High-rank Wizard; this time the team was led by Master Quitu and another level‑17 female Dark Mage, but that female elder was absent, replaced by three even more powerful elders.

Inola, Kexnaide, and Harawa are all level‑19 Legendary High-rank Wizards!

The Naiser Elder council has no ranking; their status is equal, yet people compare the elders by wizard level, strength, age, and deeds, and a few stand out with higher prestige.

These four Legendary Wizards all rank among the top in the elder council.

Especially Harawa Elder, the strongest, rumored to be able to contend for the top spot in the council.

It's only a Wizard exchange competition, yet Naiser sent four elders, far exceeding the event's standards; clearly, they were not there merely to watch but had another purpose.

"Is the Naiser Elder council aiming to intimidate Weizelan?"

"Or targeting Speaker Lei En?"

Many minds flashed with that thought, silently speculating, and then Sabbath Dean continued: "Speaker Ronnie of Weizelan Floating City, Speaker Lei En, and forty‑five participating Wizards."

At the same time, the sky image switched to the view from the eastern tower.

The audience stretched their necks, faces full of anticipation, eyes fixed, eager to glimpse the current most prominent Imperial legends.

The next second, a group of Wizards materialized onto the tower stand.

At the front stood a dignified middle‑aged Wizard with red hair, not matching the rumored appearance of Speaker Lei En; his gaze shifted slightly, and he immediately saw a very young man, tall and robust, clad in form‑fitting silver armor, with a blood‑red great cloak draped behind.

Indeed, as the rumors described—extremely handsome, the youngest legendary Wizard in Imperial history!

"Speaker Lei En!"

"Earl of Glamorgan!"

"Duke Augustus!"

In an instant, tens of thousands of spectators shouted loudly, the massive roar echoing to the heavens, nearly overturning the arena; the momentum was several times more fervent than when the Naiser Wizards first appeared.

On the western grandstand, the Naiser Wizards' expressions were all grim.

Aside from Master Quitu, the three Naiser elders who saw Speaker Lei En for the first time showed slight changes in expression, observing him from afar yet discerning nothing.

Speaker Lei En waved to the audience, instantly provoking an even larger roar.

He suddenly glanced toward the western grandstand, his calm gaze sweeping the four elders; the corner of his mouth lifted as if smiling, yet his eyes were exceedingly indifferent, inexplicably unsettling the Naiser Wizards.

Sabbath Dean's voice rang out again:

"Master Bi Ge Bai, Master Tan Sen, Master Ma Youfu, and sixty‑four participating Wizards from Flaniss Floating City."

A group of Wizards materialized onto the southern grandstand, each wearing a badge on the chest shaped as an eight‑sectioned circle with a GreyEagle at its center; the leading three, titled Masters, were legendary Wizards whose names were familiar to all casters.

These three Masters were so famous that even Speaker Lei En glanced at them curiously a few times.

Master Bigbai was just seen yesterday; Master Tansen is an unremarkable middle‑aged wizard, and Master Mayoufu is a wood elf dressed as a ranger.

Dean Sabbath continues to introduce the appearing wizards.

Duke Hong Shi's ParrasFloatingCity, KangJieladeGreatSage's Aien Floating City, Storm Queen Agralon's Floating City, and Duke Silver Star's Silver Star Academy all sent participants, led by legendary wizards, few as twenty‑or‑thirty, many up to hundreds, gathering from all sides.

The team leader of Silver Star Academy is the Duke Silver Star's chief guard Flink and Krifis.

Like Dean Sabbath, Flink is also a shapeshifting wizard and, after a few years, has risen to Level 17; Krifis is now a Level 11 combat wizard.

The tower grandstand of Silver Star Academy stands right beside Weizelan; both men nodded at Lei En.

After the forces of the seven Holy Soul wizards appeared, the three great Arcane academies took the stage.

First is the Elatusa Sorcerer Academy.

It is an Arcane academy that trains sorcerers, located in the East Province like BrewotzAcademy, on an isolated island called "Grenide" off the eastern coast. The Elatusa Sorcerer Academy has fewer than three thousand members, but its strength is considerable.

However, Elatusa's most famous trait is that it only admits female students, producing many beautiful female sorceresses.

Dean Magrida Luxantiel is a famed beauty of the Empire, yet no one dares covet her looks because she is a destructive sorceress who has fused the four elemental lineages, exceeding Level 20, and her power rivals that of Holy Soul wizards.

When the female sorceresses of Elatusa appeared, they instantly sparked the loudest cheers.

Lei En, listening to a roar louder than when they entered, couldn't help but remark that lechery is the greatest force in the world.

They also looked toward the slanted tower platform opposite.

Among the more than eighty female sorceresses, not a single one was unattractive; each had a poised bearing, all uniformly beautiful—tall, curvy, or petite and delicate, with varied figures; gentle, cold‑chic, confident and composed, their temperaments were equally impressive, and the few who were the most beautiful were only a notch below Peralysis and Anvira.

With so many beauties appearing together, the men were dazzled.

The team leader, a Legendary High-rank Cataclysm sorcerer, was even more stunning, drawing the gaze of most men.

"So beautiful!"

Lei En gave a thumbs‑up in their heart.

Appreciation aside, they dared not look down on this group of female sorceresses at all.

Elatusa Academy wields great political influence in the Empire, chiefly by sending its beautiful female sorceresses to various factions, especially to the courts of powerful male figures such as Governors, Legion Commanders or Consuls, thereby swaying Imperial decisions.

Next appeared the New Oram Academy from Thus: Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng.

It was originally a poet academy, but after being transformed into an Arcane academy by Lord Heistav, it inherited the tolerant spirit of Thus: Thus: Thus: Shengangcheng, enrolling massive numbers of students regardless of Arcane vocation or race, and in just a hundred years grew into the Empire's second‑largest academy, second only to BrewotzAcademy.

The participants from New Oram Academy are the most racially diverse—humans, elves, halflings, trolls, and even orcs—but they are all spellcasters and thus eligible to compete.

Their team leader slightly surprised Lei En: Lord Heistav himself had arrived.

Clad in a black robe, Heistav Orosan was accompanied by a tall female witch whose beauty was striking; most notable was her silver hair cascading like a waterfall over her shoulders, adding a unique aura.

She should be Heistav's wife, Leila Orosan.

It is said that Leila's strength surpasses her husband's, and Lei En, using the Soul Eye, confirmed it was indeed true.

Leila Orosan is a Legendary Peak, a Level 19 Arcane mage who has already merged two Nine-ring Techniques, just one step away from a Holy Soul wizard.

However, Lei En was even more shocked to discover that Leila Orosan is a Divine Chosen!

Her soul is shrouded by a swirl of silver fire; even from several hundred meters away, Lei En could still sense a familiar divine aura emanating.

God of Magic!

Leila Orosan is a Chosen One of the God of Magic!

Lei En suddenly understood; no wonder the Orosan couple, though merely Legendary Peaks, could peacefully govern the prosperous Port-Deep City and Turlde Trade City‑State, with neither the Supreme Council nor the Empire attempting to annex this subordinate power—behind it all lay the goddess's support.

The final entrants were the hosts, the students of BrewotzAcademy.

Nearly two hundred wizards teleported onto the northern grandstand, standing behind Dean Sabbath, raising the opening ceremony's atmosphere to a climax.

Dean Sabbath also did not forget the other participating Arcane academies.

He recited each academy's name in turn; wherever he mentioned an academy or caster organization, the sky's imagery shifted to that region, and the participants rose to appear.

Lei En recalled the opening ceremony of the previous life's sports meet; it looked much the same.

It wasn't until an hour later that all the participants had been introduced.

Dean Sabbath once again, tirelessly, reiterated the competition rules, and assembled a judging panel composed of himself, several Legendary wizards, and judges from the Church of Justice; in case of a tie, the panel would vote to decide the final outcome.

After the procedures, three epic‑level relics were placed on the platform, displayed before the audience.

The three prizes each went to the champion of a participant, with the high‑rank group receiving a rare magical talisman, the most valuable, a top‑tier treasure even among epics.

In past exchanges, people would inevitably have all eyes drawn to the prizes.

But this year, the audience paid little attention to the prize display, repeatedly glancing toward the tower platform where Naiser and Weizelan stood, making the atmosphere somewhat tense and restless.

Everyone thought the same: why hasn't it started yet?

Finally, Dean Sabbath shouted, "Now I declare the 124th Wizard Exchange Tournament officially begins!" His gaze paused, looking at Lei En and Kuitu, then continued, "Please, two honored guests, take the stage and give us a spectacular magical duel."

"Ryan Augustus!"

"Master Kuitu!"

As Dean Sabbath's voice faded, the entire Phoenix Arena boiled over.

Before more than forty thousand spectators, Lei En rose into the air, a blood‑red cape flapping in the wind, moving at blinding speed, then in an instant descending from the tower platform into the arena, slowing as if a feather gently drifting, hovering a few meters above the ground.

He gazed at the wizard Naiser on the opposite platform and said calmly, "Kuitu, come out and claim death."

(End of Chapter)