Tian Yang lead his group through the halls of Luxurion, standing side by side with Luciel as they entered the first banquet hall.
The hall was filled with a pregnant silence as those within cast a variety of gazes at the group.
Gazes filled with disdain, with mockery, with interest, and even those with just a hint of fear targeted the Human Domain's people, almost as if testing their grit.
"Hmph."
Tian Yang snorted lightly, diapering the invisible pressure as he walked through the crowd, followed by the rest who didn't lose confident and upright postures once.
In all honesty, the experts in this hall were not solely good people. A large portion of them were greedy and self-centered, uncaring for the fates of those who didn't benefit them.
To these people, the Human Domain represented an unknown threat. No matter how much they were looked down upon, the tales of their past deeds were enough to make these people wary.
After all, the Human Domain may have fallen, but its people were clearly still standing strong.
However, they were forced to hold back their desire to humiliate these people and establish dominance early.
Because the Human Domain forces didn't arrive alone, they arrived along with the Royal Demon Clan and were personally invited by a member of the Heavenly Clan!
This kind of silent support was hard to read, as it wasn't known how far those large influences would go to protect the ones they were backing.
Therefore, they needed to observe the situation until they had a proper understanding of how these powers were operating before doing anything.
This led to a silence unbroken as Tian Yang and his group reached the front of the hall while Luciel calmly and smilingly filled them in on what had happened thus far at the Grand Assembly.
Meanwhile, completely unnoticed due to the extremely prominent presence of those from the Human Domain, another force entered the first banquet hall of Luxurion.
They were the Sapphire Soul Clan, a mid-sized force in Soul World that was led by a council of 9 Supremes and only a single Demigod Ancestor.
They were already prepared for a lukewarm reception. They didn't have much status, and were lucky to even be allowed into the first portion of the Grand Assembly, a blessing they only received from being a subordinate sect of Nirvana Soul Palace, one of the strongest Spirit Race forces.
However, the reception they received wasn't just lukewarm, it was colder than ice.
Not a single expert in the hall noticed their entrance.
Their eyes turned to the center of attention, the reason for this humiliation that they were silently suffering.
A small group that didn't look remarkable at all.
Upon further observation and learning the identities of those people, the head of the group, a Supreme named Thael's eyes narrowed slyly.
'The Human Domain is a relic of the past, but they still have a strong reputation. If our disciples can defeat their geniuses, our reputation will rise immensely.'
The Sapphire Soul Sect's ultimate goal was to escape the shadow of their mother sect. This Grand Assembly, in their eyes, was the perfect place to start working towards this goal.
"Gumhar, take your fellow disciples and test those Human Domain geniuses. If you think you can beat them, crush them thoroughly."
His sound transmission entered the ears of the sect's top disciple, Gumhar, who nodded with a vicious grin.
"Understood, Master."
He motioned for the four behind him to follow him and pushed his way through the crowd, his actions finally alerting others to the Sapphire Soul Sect's presence.
Though Gumhar was being extremely rude to those he didn't have the status to offend, nobody stopped his charge.
How could these experts not guess his intentions?
Since they couldn't probe the Human Domain on their own, why would they stop someone from doing it for them?
Gumhar made it to the front of the crowd soon enough, and immediately stomped his foot on the ground.
"I won't accept this!" He roared.
Tian Yang, Lucifer, and their groups turned their attention to Gumhar at once, bored looks on their faces.
Gumhar felt a bead of sweat forming on his temple, but he quickly ignored it. He knew how important his role was!
Besides, he really did want to conquer the Human Domain's geniuses.
Especially the three women among them, each a peerless beauty.
"The Human Domain is just a pathetic relic! You people should be embarrassed showing your faces here! If the Human Domain wants to help in the war, you should just send some beauties to entertain our hardworking soldiers! Is there anything else you're good for?!"
His taunting shouts echoed through the walls, provoking many reactions from the crowd, but none at all from the Human Domain.
Or rather, there was one.
Four of the younger geniuses and the two elders who weren't yet Demigods immediately scurried away from a certain woman, who stood with a bright smile on her beautiful face.
She clapped her hands happily.
"You're right! Our Human Domain can definitely provide several beauties for those brave soldiers on the frontlines!" She exclaimed, eagerly supporting Gumhar's words.
"Y-yeah!" He stammered, feeling a little strange. "It's good that you know your place!"I think you should take a look at
"Yup!" The beauty continued.
"Then, here's the first! Does anyone wish to purchase her services?"
Gumhar was forced to gulp as he heard the words, following her finger to find the beauty she was referring to with anticipation written all over his face…
'Hm? Where is she pointing?'
…until he was forced back to reality.
The woman's finger was pointing at…him?
"Why is everyone looking at me like that?"
He glanced around, looking to Thael in confusion, only to see his elder's pale and horror-struck expression.
"What's going on? Guys…?"
Gumhar turned around, facing his four comrades.
Four figures frozen in ice, their faces still twisted in the mocking expressions they held moments prior.
Gumhar's face twisted in shock.
"W-w-what?!" He exclaimed, stepping back several steps.
Only…was his chest supposed to move like that…?
'It…can't…be…'
He shakily looked down.
And indeed, entering his vision was a pair of voluptuous breasts.
"N-no! This is fake!"
He fell to the floor and crawled backward, his eyes falling on a happily smiling pink-haired beauty.
"What do you think?" She said. "Is this satisfactory?"
"Kahak…!"
Gumhar immediately coughed blood, which looked strange coming from a Spirit, and fainted, unable to accept his new and improved body.
It was so quick that even these experts would've missed it if they weren't paying attention.
The pink-haired beauty imposed an illusion on Gumhar so strong that it nearly became reality, and within a second, the white-haired beauty next to her froze the remaining four geniuses on a molecular level, killing them instantly.
"Hmph."
The white-haired woman scoffed scornfully and turned away, not bothering with the situation anymore.
Meanwhile, her companion directed her attention to the crowd itself, especially the petrified elder standing at its rear.
"Now then, does anyone else have a problem with us being here?"
Her words were met with silence, and with that display of power acting as an early introduction, the geniuses of the Human Domain walked together and approached the portal to the Holy Light Realm.
Rose Adelaire, level 380, Weaver of Reality.
Xue Ruyue, level 380, Yin Spirit Queen.
Long Chen, level 390, Draconic Sword Emperor.
Xue Fang, level 360, Iceblade Grandmaster.
Reva, level ?, ?.
Together, the five stepped onto the universal stage.
It was time to show the entirety of Grand Heavens Boundary what it meant to be from the Human Domain.
***
Somewhere in the Holy Light Realm, Damien's body twitched.
"Something" within was showing itself, reminding him of its eternal existence in his heart.
It was a little wisp of soul that connected him to a single person.
'Ruyue…'