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CHAPTER 58
Freya slowly straightened her back.
The humiliation on her father’s face, the fear in the hall, the way Adrian sat as if everything were already decided–it all burned into her pride like acid.
Her voice cut through the silence, sharp and resolute.
“In the Ventress family,” she said coldly, “we do not accept defeat.”
Every head turned.
“What you are doing here,” Freya continued, eyes locked on Adrian, “is not just humiliating my father. You are challenging our entire family.”
A ripple of tension swept through the hall.
She took a step forward, her presence regaining its edge. “You accepted my father’s challenge. Very well. I will triple it.”
Gasps erupted instantly.
“Triple…?” “What does she mean—
Freya’s lips curved into a cruel smile.
“You won’t be facing seven anymore,” she declared. “You’ll face twenty–one.”
The hall froze.
“Twenty–one… immortals.”
The words slammed into the room like a death sentence.
“These are not ordinary cultivators,” Freya continued, her voice carrying chilling certainty. “They are beings whose power goes beyond this world. Those who can stand on solid ground–and make it collapse beneath them.”
Several elders staggered back.
“That’s impossible…” “No human can withstand that…” “Those are legends…”
Freya lifted her chin. “I know them. I’ve gone further than any of you imagine. I’ve built connections none of you dared to pursue.”
She stared straight at Adrian, waiting–expecting–to see hesitation. Fear. Retreat.
Instead-
“I accept.”
The words were calm. Immediate.
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The hall erupted.
“What?!” “He’s insane!” “Twenty–one immortals?!”
Freya’s pupils shrank.
She hadn’t expected that.
Not even a pause.
Not a single flicker of doubt.
For the first time, something flickered across her face–unease.
At that moment, President Renford finally stepped forward.
His face was pale, voice strained. “Adrian… you really can’t do this.”
The hall quieted.
“No one–no matter how strong–can face twenty–one beings of that level without an external force,” Renford said urgently. “This isn’t arrogance anymore. This is suicide.”
Adrian turned his head slightly, acknowledging him.
“I know,” he replied calmly.
The simplicity of the answer unsettled everyone.
“I know exactly what I’m facing.
>>
His gaze drifted upward, unfocused for a moment.
A memory surfaced–clear, sharp.
Years ago.
A quiet courtyard. A man whose presence felt deeper than the sky itself.
“As a son of the Cole family,” his master had said slowly, “and as someone who achieved this power in his twenties… you must be careful.”
“Power like yours cannot be used recklessly. If you force it without refinement, it will damage your system. Permanently.”
“Years of practice are required before it can be wielded freely.”
Adrian exhaled softly.
He hadn’t practiced in years.
He hadn’t refined it.
He had sealed most of it away.
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But now-
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Someone has to stop them.
Adrian looked back at Renford.
“I’m not afraid of this challenge,” he said evenly.
The words landed with terrifying certainty.
Freya let out a short laugh. “Good.”
Her eyes hardened. “Then it will happen in seven days.
A wave of despair rolled through the hall.
“He won’t survive…” “No one could…” “This is his end…”
Some shook their heads. Others avoided looking at Adrian entirely, as if witnessing a dead man.
“Seven days,” Freya repeated coldly. “Prepare yourself. We’ll give you a burial worthy of your arrogance.”
She turned sharply, helping her father stand.
The hall began to empty.
Whispers followed Adrian like shadows.
“Such a shame…” “He was a monster… but even monsters fall…” “Twenty–one immortals… it’s over…”
Catherine stood frozen, her hands clenched so tightly her nails bit into her skin.
Seven days…
Fear twisted in her chest–but beneath it was something else.
Faith.
Adrian remained still until the hall was nearly empty.
Then he turned to President Renford.
“I’ll be staying in the Medical City,” Adrian said quietly.
Renford looked up, startled. “For the duel?”
“No,” Adrian replied. “I want to investigate who gave Dr. Arvan his orders.”
Renford’s expression sharpened. “You think there’s more?”
“There always is.”
Renford hesitated. “Do you need my help–for the duel?”
Adrian shook his head.
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“No. Focus on keeping your seat. Don’t let anyone take it from you.”
Those words carried weight–authority.
Renford straightened unconsciously. “…Understood.”
Adrian turned and walked away.
His footsteps echoed through the empty hall.
Behind him, the city trembled–not from fear of the Ventress family, not from twenty–one immortals-
But from the quiet certainty of a man who had already decided the outcome.
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