Chapter 218: Under Her
Elder Achilor’s gaze did not leave the ten ancestors as he spoke, his voice calm yet carrying a weight that pressed into everyone’s chest, making even the Emperor-level vampires feel like they had to listen carefully.
"If you are under her," he said slowly, his eyes narrowing just a little as he studied their expressions one by one, "then does that mean... she possesses something far greater than all of you?"
The question was simple, but the meaning behind it was heavy.
It was not just curiosity.
It was suspicion.
It was calculation.
And it was a test.
The ten ancestors of the Moonshade family did not answer immediately. Their expressions became serious, and for a brief moment, they exchanged glances with one another, as if silently confirming something that they had already understood long ago but had never needed to say out loud until now.
Elder Ghurn stepped forward again, his old yet steady voice breaking the silence as he spoke with a tone that carried both respect and certainty.
"The last time we tested Madam Cornelia’s blood..." he began, his eyes flickering toward her for a moment before returning to Elder Achilor, "...it showed something that none of us expected."
The surrounding vampires leaned in unconsciously.
Even the injured ones, even those who were still recovering from the earlier pressure, lifted their heads, their eyes filled with curiosity that they could not suppress.
"What did it show?" one of the Emperor-level vampires asked, his voice tight.
Elder Ghurn inhaled slowly.
Then he spoke.
"It showed... that her bloodline has the potential to reach the Emperor Realm."
The words did not explode.
They sank.
They sank deeply into the minds of everyone present, and for a moment, no one reacted, as if their brains needed time to process what had just been said.
Then—
"What?!"
"That’s impossible!"
"Emperor potential?!"
Voices erupted from all directions, shock and disbelief clashing together as the entire arena broke into chaos, the calm from earlier completely gone as every single vampire present tried to make sense of what they had just heard.
Even the Emperor-level powerhouses could not remain composed.
One of them stepped forward, his aura flaring slightly as his eyes locked onto Elder Ghurn.
"Do you even understand what you are saying?" he demanded, his voice filled with disbelief. "Emperor-level potential is not something that can be casually mentioned!"
Another followed, his tone sharp.
"There are entire bloodlines that have existed for thousands of years that cannot produce a single Emperor! And you are telling us that a young vampire like her possesses that kind of potential?"
Lord Vord, who had been silent for a moment, suddenly burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
His laughter echoed loudly across the arena, filled with excitement rather than mockery, his eyes shining brightly as he looked at Cornelia like he had just discovered a treasure beyond imagination.
"I see! I see!"
He stepped forward, his presence heavy yet filled with enthusiasm.
"I did not expect this at all... truly, I did not expect this!"
He placed a hand on his forehead as if trying to calm himself, though the grin on his face only grew wider.
"To think that after I broke through into the Ascendant Blood Realm... I would be greeted with such gifts!"
He looked at the Moonshade family, then at Cornelia, then at the ten ancestors.
"A family from another plane... filled with hidden talents... and at the center of it, a young woman with the potential to reach Emperor!"
His laughter grew louder again.
"This is fortune! This is fortune granted by the Blood God himself!"
The surrounding Emperor-level vampires fell silent again, though this time it was not from disbelief alone.
It was from realization.
Because if what the ancestors said was true...
Then Cornelia was no longer just a talented vampire.
She was something far more dangerous.
Far more valuable.
Far more... contested.
One by one, the Emperor-level beings began to lower their heads slightly, not in submission, but in reverence.
"To the Blood God..." one of them muttered.
"To the Blood God..." another followed.
Soon, the voices spread.
"To the Blood God..."
"To the Blood God..."
Even the weaker vampires, even the injured ones, even the Moonshade family themselves, began to echo the same words, their voices blending together into a wave of devotion that filled the entire colosseum.
"To the Blood God..."
"To the Blood God..."
The sound grew louder and louder, reverberating through the arena like a chant that had existed for countless years, a chant that now carried new meaning, as if they truly believed that what stood before them was not coincidence, but a blessing.
The Moonshade family members looked at each other, their hearts pounding as they joined in.
"To the Blood God..."
They did not fully understand what was happening.
But they could feel it.
Something big.
Something that would change their fate completely.
Even Cain, standing at the side, felt the atmosphere change, though his expression remained calm, almost indifferent.
Inside his mind, however—
Damn it.
This is getting worse.
He watched Cornelia carefully, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Emperor potential... huh...
Of course she does.
After all, you’ve been influenced by my blood.
He clicked his tongue inwardly.
But if they find out the reason behind it...
If they start connecting things...
Then everything will spiral out of control.
He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain calm, though his thoughts were already moving rapidly, calculating, analyzing, trying to stay ahead of the situation.
Meanwhile, Elder Achilor, who had remained silent during the entire commotion, finally raised his hand slightly.
The moment he did, the voices began to quiet down.
Not immediately.
But gradually.
Until silence once again took over the arena.
His gaze moved slowly toward Cornelia.
Not rushed.
Not careless.
But with a level of attention that made it clear he was no longer looking at her as just another young vampire.
"Young Cornelia..." he said, his voice calm, yet carrying an authority that none could ignore.
There was a brief pause.
Then—
"Would you like to test your lineage?"
The question lingered in the air.
Heavy.
Inevitable.
And impossible to ignore.