My Celestial Ascension - Chapter 698

Chapter 698: Darlene’s Declaration Of War
Lady Teressa continued, “Not only that, but this shield can also withstand a Saint-tier magic attack—even from a true Magic Saint or someone of even greater power. That alone makes it an invaluable artifact. And despite its incredible strength, it remains astonishingly lightweight.”

She let the words sink in before adding, “In a life-threatening battle, possessing this shield is like having a second life. Furthermore, it grants its wielder protection against corrupt mana and dark mana. In other words, those who wield dark powers will find themselves severely weakened against this shield.”

The audience was stunned into silence for a moment before a wave of shocked whispers and excited chatter filled the air.

“Incredible! This shield is unbelievable!”

“As expected of a Legendary-grade shield! It’s packed with powerful abilities—especially for fighting against dark mages and beings of darkness!”

“I’ve read about this shield in an ancient tome… If I remember correctly, it was called the Silver Dragon Shield! A legendary weapon from the past—it was quite famous in its time!”

“A legendary shield like this is beyond rare! It almost sounds too good to be true!”

The stadium buzzed with excitement, and seeing the audience’s overwhelming reaction, Lady Teressa couldn’t help but smile in anticipation.

Taking a deep breath, she finally announced, “The starting price for this treasure is 10 million gold coins. Each bid must increase by no less than 50,000 gold coins!”

Her melodious voice echoed throughout the entire stadium.

A wave of cheers and murmurs filled the arena as anticipation for the upcoming bidding war reached its peak.

“20 million gold coins!”

A confident voice suddenly rang out, causing the crowd to fall silent for a brief moment. All eyes turned toward Denise from the Drake Clan, who had made the first bid.

Immediately, other competitors sprang into action.

“21 million gold coins!”

“23 million gold coins!”

The bidding war escalated rapidly, with the price soaring at an astonishing rate as nobles, merchants, and powerful figures fought for the legendary treasure.

Just as the bidding reached a fever pitch, the sky suddenly darkened.

Crackling black lightning streaked across the heavens, and a fierce wind howled through the stadium, sending chills down the spines of everyone present.

The once bright and sunny day had turned into a storm of unnatural darkness within moments.

The audience immediately stopped bidding, their excitement shifting to unease. A deep sense of foreboding filled the air as all eyes turned upward.

There, standing on the tallest part of the stadium, six shadowy figures gazed down at the people below with unmistakable disdain.

As soon as the people noticed their presence, panic spread like wildfire. Their hearts pounded in their chests, and a heavy silence fell over the stadium.

“T-The Golden Skull… They’re here!”

A terrified voice suddenly shouted from the audience, sending a shiver through the crowd. The oppressive aura of the Golden Skull organization weighed down on them like an impending storm.

“What? The Golden Skull organization?! How could they be here?! Weren’t they all wiped out by His Majesty?!”

“No! Look closely! They’re different from before!”

“You’re right! Look! That woman in front—she’s dangerous!”

Fear turned to hysteria as whispers and panicked screams filled the stadium. Many couldn’t believe what they were witnessing.

“HAHAHAHA~~!”

Darlene watched the terrified crowd and let out a loud, mocking laugh. Her voice echoed through the entire stadium, sending chills down everyone’s spine.

“That’s right! Tremble before the might of the Golden Skull organization! Just like this! Hahaha!”

As she laughed, an overwhelming surge of magic burst from her body. The sky crackled with electricity before bolts of lightning struck the ground.

BOOM!

The stadium trembled violently as the lightning landed, leaving behind a massive crater once the dust settled.

Inside the VIP room, Emperor Philip’s expression darkened with fury, yet a flicker of unease crossed his face as he witnessed the destruction below.

“Darlene? What is she doing here? She should be on the Beast Continent… So why is she here?” he muttered in shock and disbelief.

Darlene—an infamous name whispered in fear across the entire continent. A notorious dark mage with a bounty of one hundred million gold. She wielded dark lightning magic, a form of Forbidden Magic feared for its sheer destructive power. With a single spell, she could wipe out an entire city, leaving nothing but ruin in her wake. It was said that no one could match her strength—except for the enigmatic leader of the Golden Skull, Mr. Black.

And yet, behind her stood several figures radiating nearly equal power. Each of them wore a golden skull mask, concealing their identities.

Empress Selena, watching from the VIP room, felt a chill run down her spine. Her throat tightened as she swallowed nervously, the sheer pressure from Darlene’s presence making it difficult to breathe.

“T-They’re definitely here for revenge… I’m sure of it.” Empress Selena muttered, her voice trembling as her body shook with fear. She could feel the overwhelming power radiating from Darlene.

“I don’t think revenge is their only goal… They’re definitely here for the dagger.” Prince Daniel said, his expression serious as he looked at his parents with concern.

“Indeed.” Emperor Philip nodded grimly. “And this time, defeating them may be nearly impossible…”

—

“Dear, what do you think of these lamb skewers? Are they delicious?” Aisha asked as she fed Yuan a piece, surprising Jones, who had never seen this side of her before.

Yuan swallowed the food with a satisfied smile. And why wouldn’t he be? After all, he was being fed by an incredible beauty—one who, in appearance, was identical to his beloved mother.

“They’re delicious, Aunt Aisha.” Yuan replied with a gentle smile.

Aisha’s lips curled into a warm smile, and she continued feeding him.

Jones, watching the scene unfold, was utterly shocked. ‘This is unbelievable! Lady Aisha, who has always been cold and distant, is now smiling… And she’s even feeding him with her own hands, looking at him with such affection.’

Despite the warm atmosphere inside the VIP room, Jones couldn’t ignore the heavy tension outside. ‘While Lady Aisha enjoys this peaceful moment with her beloved nephew, chaos is erupting outside. Darlene of the Golden Skull organization just made her appearance…’

A flicker of unease crossed Jones’ face. ‘And now that we have the Purple Poison Blade in our possession, there’s no doubt the Golden Skull will target us. We have to be careful… She is extremely dangerous.’

Meanwhile, Yuan remained comfortably nestled in his aunt’s embrace, savoring both the skewers and the warmth of her presence.

“Hmm?” Yuan suddenly paused, lowering the skewer in his hand. His gaze shifted toward the balcony, locking onto the figures standing atop the stadium.

“What is it, dear? Eat up—there are plenty of skewers left for you.” Aisha gently encouraged him, her smile carrying a hint of confusion as she noticed his sudden distraction.

A wide grin spread across Yuan’s face. Without another word, he stood up from Aisha’s lap and turned his full attention to the woman standing above the stadium.

“So, they finally decided to show up, huh? Well, just as I expected. They won’t let their humiliation slide, and they certainly won’t give up on acquiring the Purple Poison Blade.” Yuan muttered, a faint smile playing on his lips as he gazed at the woman and the five masked figures behind her.

“Emperor Philip! You bastard! Come out if you don’t want this city reduced to dust immediately!!”

Darlene’s voice boomed across the stadium, dripping with disdain and murderous intent.

She continued, “And find that bastard Yuan who killed our people! Bring him to me now! You have five minutes before I destroy this city!”

The moment those words left her lips, terror swept through the crowd. Their hearts pounded in their chests as fear gripped them. Everyone knew this woman wasn’t bluffing—if they didn’t hand over this ‘Yuan,’ she would truly raze the city to the ground.

Inside the VIP room, Aisha narrowed her eyes as recognition flickered in them. “Darlene of the Golden Skull organization… I never thought I’d see her here. What an unexpected surprise.”

Yuan raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You know her?”

Aisha nodded with a small smile. “Of course. She’s the fifth Commander of the Golden Skull organization.”

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she asked, “So, what do you plan to do now? You can’t fight her—she’s powerful.”

Yuan scoffed. “Powerful? Her? No way. She looks pathetic.”

His expression was unreadable, his voice devoid of emotion, as if Darlene wasn’t even worth considering.

Then, without hesitation, he added, “I’ll go and beat her up for making such a ridiculous demand. Does she think I’m some object to be handed over? She’s made a huge mistake.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his body lifted into the air. Then, in the blink of an eye, he vanished—moving so fast that a powerful gust of wind erupted in his wake.

“H-He disappeared?!”

Jones’ eyes widened in disbelief, his mind struggling to process what had just happened. Yuan had been there one moment, and the next—gone.

He quickly turned to Aisha, his expression serious. “Lady Aisha! Why didn’t you stop him?! He’ll die if he fights them! They’re incredibly dangerous!”

Aisha, however, remained calm. Taking a bite of her skewer, she replied, “There’s no need to worry, Uncle Jones. I have complete faith in him. Let’s just wait and see.”

—

“Are you looking for me?”

A calm voice rang out suddenly.

Darlene and her subordinates flinched as Yuan appeared before them, levitating effortlessly in mid-air. His presence was so unexpected that even the masked figures tensed in shock.

Darlene quickly suppressed her surprise and let out a low, sultry laugh. “You… You must be that bastard—Yuan. The leader speaks so much about you… though not in a good way. Fufu~”

Her red eyes gleamed with intrigue as she stared at him.