Chapter 522: You Are Li Wen?
Chapter 522: Chapter 325: You Are Li Wen?
The Verification Center was a silver-white, dome-shaped building with a futuristic design. Its interior was incredibly spacious.
There were quite a few people who had come for the bone age verification for the Cosmic Peak Genius Battle.
The hall was bustling with people. A quick glance revealed at least several dozen individuals, all of whom had extraordinary auras. They were all, shockingly, Saint Realm powerhouses.
The number of them left Li Wen secretly astounded. ‘The Imperial Star truly lives up to its name as the core of the advanced Alka Empire,’ he thought. ‘The density of elites among the younger generation is far beyond what I imagined.’
Any one of these people would absolutely be considered a top-ranked figure among the younger generation, whether on the Imperial Star or in the entire Alka Empire.
Li Wen’s arrival didn’t cause much of a stir among this group of local geniuses from the Imperial Star.
Although he had made a name for himself at the Source Net trial base a year ago, he had only been on the Imperial Star for a little over a day.
As an unfamiliar face, many didn’t recognize this genius from a junior empire.
He walked discreetly to the end of the line and waited quietly.
The hall was orderly. The Saint Realm geniuses either waited in silence or conversed in low voices, their invisible auras interweaving.
Just then, an unrestrained, bone-chillingly cold pressure of the Star Lord Level suddenly swept in from the entrance, instantly shattering the hall’s tranquility.
Everyone’s gaze was involuntarily drawn toward it.
The newcomer was tall and slender, his features exceptionally effeminate and handsome. His long, silver-gray hair was casually draped over his shoulders, and his skin was so fair it was almost translucent.
But his narrow eyes glinted with a startlingly cold light.
He walked with a composed gait straight into the hall, showing no intention of queuing.
“It’s Saphis Yingge!”
“Hiss… Why did he come in person?”
“Duh. It’s registration for the Cosmic Peak Genius Battle. Of course a popular top-ten candidate like him has to get verified in person.”
“Such intense pressure… He truly is one of the leading figures of his generation in the Yingge Clan…”
“Keep your voice down, don’t piss him off…”
A wave of hushed gasps and discussions swept through the hall. Clearly, this effeminate young man’s status and power were extraordinary.
Li Wen also looked back, just in time to meet the other man’s gaze as it swept across the room.
Saphis’s gaze, filled with its usual arrogance and indifference, had been casually scanning the crowd in the line.
But when it passed over Li Wen, it stopped abruptly before locking onto him.
Deep in his eyes, there was a trace of unconcealable jealousy and hatred.
Saphis’s abnormal behavior immediately caused all the Saint Realm geniuses in the hall to focus their attention on this new face, Li Wen.
Countless inquisitive and curious gazes fell upon Li Wen.
Li Wen’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He could clearly sense the other party’s unconcealed hostility, but he was completely baffled.
‘I’ve just set foot on the Imperial Star and haven’t even found my footing yet. How could I have inexplicably offended a genius with such an astonishing background and strength?’
Even more surprisingly, Saphis, who had been heading for the inner passageway, suddenly changed direction and walked straight toward Li Wen in the line.
He stopped a few meters in front of Li Wen. The powerful, condescending pressure of a Tier One Star Lord bore down on Li Wen without mercy.
Saphis’s voice was effeminate, yet carried an indisputable coldness:
“You’re Li Wen?”
This sudden interrogation and oppressive aura seemed to make the surrounding air freeze.
Many of the Saint Realm geniuses felt their breath catch in their throats.
Faced with this pressure that would make an ordinary Saint Realm expert’s face pale, Li Wen showed no reaction.
His Primordial Power circulated naturally within him, and the Time Law formed an almost imperceptible ripple on the surface of his body, easily isolating him from the pressure.
He looked up, meeting Saphis’s cold eyes directly. His brow furrowed even tighter, and his tone was calm but held a hint of annoyance at being disturbed.
“This should be the first time we’ve met, correct?”
Saphis completely ignored Li Wen’s question.
The corner of his mouth curved into an icy smirk, and his words echoed clearly throughout the silent hall:
“Isabel is not someone a person like you can covet. If you know what’s good for you, stay away from her.”
After speaking, he didn’t spare Li Wen another glance.
With that same cold and arrogant air, he turned and walked toward the exclusive verification room clearly reserved for Star Lord Level powerhouses.
“Psycho.” Li Wen muttered one word as he watched Saphis’s departing back, feeling utterly bewildered.
However, the other man’s last sentence instantly made him understand the root of the problem—Isabel.
That sudden betrothal had clearly attracted some unexpected trouble.
The two hadn’t used voice transmissions, so their conversation was clearly heard by everyone present.
After a brief silence, the hall instantly erupted with even more intense whispers and speculation.
“Isabel? The one who was accepted as a disciple by an Eternal Paragon?”
“So that’s why! It’s no secret in the upper circles of the Imperial Star that Saphis is pursuing Isabel!”
“This Li Wen guy… What’s his background? How is he involved with Isabel?”
“Li Wen? Wait… that name… I remember now! A year ago, a monster of a talent appeared in the Moruo Intermediate Empire who reached the eighth floor of the Heaven-Reaching Tower at a bone age of forty. Wasn’t his name also Li Wen?”
“Yes, yes! That’s him! I heard he even defeated Ares Titan and the others back then.”
“It really is him… But how did he provoke Saphis? Is it also because of Isabel?”
“Tsk, tsk… now this is going to be a good show. On one side, you have the heir to one of the Imperial Star’s strongest genius clans. On the other, a supernova-like rising star. And they’re fighting over the divine maiden of the Moon Spirit Race… What a clash…”
“Hmph, is there even a need to watch? Saphis has the Yingge Clan behind him, and they have more than one Eternal Paragon in their family.”
“No matter how much of a genius this Li Wen is, he’s ultimately from a junior empire. His foundation is just too shallow. Is there any question as to who Isabel will end up with?”
“That may be true, but Li Wen’s potential and combat record are terrifying. His bone age is only in the forties, right? In the future…”
Just as the crowd was buzzing with discussion, their gazes shifting back and forth between Li Wen and the closed door of the Star Lord verification room, a few more people walked in through the hall’s entrance.
Leading the group was the burly Ares Titan, who was built like a small giant and had a powerful presence.
With him were the slender and graceful Isabel, whose temperament was as cool as moonlight, as well as Raymond, Naraku, and others.
They had also clearly come to register.
As soon as Ares and his group entered, their powerful auras immediately drew some attention, and they quickly spotted Li Wen standing in the crowd.
When Isabel saw Li Wen, a faint smile appeared on her stunning face, and her eyes held a trace of imperceptible shyness and concern.
Ares strode over to Li Wen like a stalking tiger. Seeing him looking thoughtfully in the direction Saphis had gone, he clapped him heartily on the shoulder.
“Hey, Li Wen! What a coincidence. What, you know that gloomy creep Saphis?”
He followed Li Wen’s gaze and glanced at the Star Lord verification room.
“Don’t know him.” Li Wen retracted his gaze and shook his head.
Ares grinned, a look on his face that showed he loved to watch a good drama unfold, and took the initiative to explain:
“Saphis Yingge, one of that small, elite handful of the Imperial Star’s younger generation. He’s very strong. I reckon he’ll rank in the top ten in this Cosmic Peak Genius Battle.”
“More importantly, he’s one of the most promising heirs of his generation in the Yingge Clan.”
“The Yingge Clan, you know, has been rooted in the Alka Empire for countless years. Their foundation is unfathomably deep, and in their family…”
He paused, then gestured meaningfully toward Isabel with his chin. He lowered his voice, but it was still loud enough for Li Wen, Isabel, and the others nearby to hear.
“…Oh, right. And as for his intentions toward Isabel, there’s probably no one in the Imperial Star’s upper circles who doesn’t know.”
“Ares! Stop spouting nonsense!” Isabel’s pretty face flushed slightly. She shot Ares a glare of feigned anger but didn’t completely deny it.
‘No wonder.’ The confusion in Li Wen’s mind instantly cleared up.
He finally understood where Saphis’s baffling hostility came from.
‘So he sees me as a romantic rival.’