Chapter 305: Uninvited Guest

Chapter 305: Chapter 305: Uninvited Guest

Chapter 305: Uninvited Guest

Upon returning to the stone suite, Rhain completely seperated himself the chaotic uproar of the outside world.

He already had seventy thousand tokens, which was seven hundred billion Aetherium Crystals in the outside world.

It was an incomprehensible fortune.

More importantly, it was more than enough to completely dominate the upcoming secret auction and secure the disguise technique Vulcan had reported.

He had achieved his primary objective.

Rhain leaned back in his chair, his dark grey eyes narrowing slightly behind the demonic Asura mask.

’There is no need for me to return to the colosseum,’ Rhain concluded rationally.

Crucible Arena was indeed the perfect hunting ground to temper his foundation, but he was not a fool blinded by consecutive victories.

He was keenly aware of the harsh reality of his situation.

Over the past few days, he had been forced to repeatedly play his most powerful trump cards to secure his wins.

His 55% Origin Domain of Darkness. His newly forged 55% Origin Domain of Fire.

Red Tribulations Heavenly Flame. And even the Monarch’s Bell.

In the beginning, his opponents had underestimated him as a mere Silver Rank 1 bug, allowing him to catch them completely off guard.

But now he had even killed Bloodaxe.

Every single fighter in the arena was now thoroughly analysing his fighting style, his domains, and his lethal habits.

’If I step into those blood pits again, my opponents will come prepared,’ Rhain mused.

The element of surprise, his greatest advantage against cultivators an entire major realm above him was completely gone.

To continue fighting now would simply be inviting unnecessary risk, or worse, drawing the direct, murderous attention of the Nine Seats of the Crucible Throne.

Therefore, Rhain decided to spend his remaining time, silently cultivating.

-------------------

Time began to pass.

Outside, the brutal, lawless world of the Crucible Arena continued its daily cycle of slaughter and greed without any change.

Every morning, the thousands of masked spectators would pack the Volcanic Colosseum, eagerly waiting for the demonic Asura to step onto the scorching sands once again.

But day after day, the dark-robed youth never showed up.

"He’s not coming!"

"He must be recovering! Bloodaxe definitely inflicted severe internal injuries before he died!"

"Or maybe he has finally realized that if he fights again, the higher ups may target him."

The rumors and speculations ran wild, but no one dared to actually seek him out.

-------------------

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The six Domain Masters stood by the main entrance like six immovable iron towers.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed, a d the six Domain Masters immediately narrowed their eyes, their hands instinctively dropping to the hilts of their weapons.

A man walked towards them.

He wore a pristine mask carved in the shape of a soaring falcon.

But it was the aura leaking from his relaxed posture that caused Skullcrusher and Deathblade to instantly tense their muscles.

Middle-stage Domain Master!

Skullcrusher immediately recognized the approaching figure, "Falcon?"

Falcon was a somewhat popular figure in the Gold Rank 2 tier. While he wasn’t a bloodthirsty maniac like Bloodaxe or Viperstrike, he was still an incredibly lethal combatant whose swift and precise sword arts were well-known throughout the Crucible Core.

"What are you doing here?" Deathblade demanded, stepping forward to block the path.

The man in the falcon mask stopped a polite distance away.

"I wish to meet Lord Asura," the man stated calmly.

Skullcrusher frowned, but given the man’s cultivation, he didn’t immediately turn him away.

He sent a brief strand of essence to alert his master inside.

A moment later, the stone doors opened.

"Master allows it," Skullcrusher said strictly. "But try anything foolish, and you won’t walk out of here alive."

Falcon simply nodded and stepped into the inner chamber.

Rhain was seated leisurely at a stone table, looking at the middle-stage Domain Master as he entered.

"What do you want?" Rhain asked directly.

But instead of making a demand or issuing a challenge, the man did something that completely defied all logical expectations.

Thud.

The middle-stage Domain Master dropped to one knee, lowering his head in respect.

"Lord Asura," the man spoke with a tone full of sincerity, "I have come to submit to you. I wish to follow you and serve as your subordinate."

The six slaves standing by the open doorway had their jaws dropped to the floor.

Even Rhain was entirely dumbfounded.

A middle-stage Domain Master willingly lowering his head to a Core Formation Realm?

Without being beaten to a pulp first?

In the Crucible Arena, no less?

It was completely absurd.

"Why?" Rhain asked, his tone turning chillingly cold and pragmatic. "There is no free meal in this world, and there is certainly no blind loyalty either. What is your reason?"

Falcon let out a heavy sigh.

"My elder brother was killed by Bloodaxe ten years ago," the man explained, his voice filled with decades of grief. "I hid my true identity, and trained relentlessly, abandoning everything else just to avenge him."

The man’s hands clenched into tight fists over his knees.

"But Bloodaxe’s strength was far too strong. He was at the sixth level of the Domain Master Realm, while I am still stuck at the fourth. I knew in my heart that in this lifetime, I had no hope of ever getting my revenge."

He raised his head, looking at the demonic Asura mask.

"But then... you killed him. When you drilled that hole through his skull, you helped me fulfill the only purpose I had left in this miserable life."

The man bowed his head even lower.

"I have no purpose left. I simply wish to serve you to repay this boundless gratitude."

Rhain listened to the pitiful backstory in silence.

"Get up," Rhain stated without any emotion, "I killed Bloodaxe because he threatened my life. I didn’t do it to avenge your brother, and I certainly didn’t do it for you. You owe me nothing."

But the man stubbornly remained on his knee.

"Even if it was not your intention, the result remains the same!" Falcon insisted earnestly. "My life belongs to you now!"

Rhain looked at the stubborn man.

If he was really insisting this much, then he had no problem to let the person follow him, but first of all, he would have ensure that this man doesn’t stab in his back later.

"If you truly want to follow me," Rhain spoke sternly. "Then you must take a Heavenly Vow. I do not trust a single soul in the Crucible Arena. Words and gratitude are meaningless here."

Rhain fully expected the man to hesitate.

Submitting via a Heavenly Vow meant handing over his very soul.

But Falcon didn’t hesitate for a single second.

He reached up and unlatched his pristine falcon mask, pulling it away.

Beneath the mask was a refined, middle-aged man with sharp features and clear, resolute eyes.

"My real name is Peregrine," the refined middle-aged man declared.

He raised three trembling fingers toward the ceiling of the stone chamber.

"I, Peregrine, swear by the Heavens! From this day forth, I submit my life, my soul, and my loyalty to the man standing before me! Should I ever harbor the intent to betray him, may the Heavenly Tribulation shatter my soul into dust!"

BOOM!

The glowing shackle descended, binding itself indelibly into Peregrine’s spiritual sea.

Rhain’s eyes flickered with surprise.

He had actually done it.

"Get up, Peregrine," Rhain said calmly.

He had just acquired a willing, entirely loyal middle-stage Domain Master.

Adding Peregrine to Skullcrusher, Deathblade, Bloodfiend, Bonebreaker, Gloomfang, and Stormhammer, the six early-stage slaves he had subdued... his personal military might had swelled to a previously unimaginable degree.

If he counted Vulcan and the newly recruited guest elders back at the Celestial Elixir Pavilion, his faction’s raw power now rivaled the great Noble Families of Stormveil City!

’This trip to the Crucible Arena,’ Rhain mused, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction, ’was incredibly beneficial.’