Venzula Empire. Southern Continent. Richtchard City. Wildemere District. Wildermere Grand Stadium.

The place was currently packed to the brim. At the moment, several holographic panels lined the large venue. The place was filled with chatter and vibrance. Several transcendents in the city had flocked to the stadium to witness the competition between the three guilds that would be participating.

The Mayor, guild leaders, and several influential persons in the city had arrived. Also, a representative from the National Guild Union head branch in the southern continent had arrived to oversee the competition.

At the moment, several people were discussing animatedly which geniuses could stand out in the competitions and which guild could possibly emerge at the top today. After all, each guild would have representatives in the competition today, each one of them at the Rank 3 novice-stage transcendent level. Several placed bets on different individuals among the geniuses from the various guilds.

"That's Julian Seir, a darkness principle user from the Dawnseer Guild." Someone in the bleachers pointed towards a particular direction in the participants' seats, where a white-haired fellow was seated. "He comes from the Seir Clan, a renowned vampire clan in the edge region of the universe."

"Yeah. According to intel about him, he has performed several tyrannical feats in the edge region of the universe. He managed to become a transcendent after cultivating for just 2,000 years. Also, he has a high principle comprehension speed. He is currently at the Rank 3 novice-stage transcendent level. He has been ranked number one on the premium ranking of the Dawnseer Guild for seventy years, until recently he was dethroned by someone."

"Sigh... I have been a transcendent for 5,000 years, and I'm still at the Rank 1 novice-stage transcendent level. Some of us could look down on others when we were in the light region of the universe, but in the chaotic region, we are but frogs at the bottom of a well."

"Anyway, who managed to take his number one position on the premium ranking list from him?"

"You must have come from another city to spectate, right?"

"Not really. I was just passing through and heard there will be a competition here, so I decided to pass by and observe."

"Heh, which city are you from?"

"I am from Elarith City."

"No wonder you do not know about him. It seems his feats have not yet spread across the other cities. That person with inky dark hair and abyss-like eyes—he is called Kailen Darkhaven. He just arrived in the city a couple of years ago, and he has shaken the whole city. His principle comprehension speed is very terrifying, even among those with high principle comprehension speed. When he just arrived, he was only a Rank 1 novice-stage transcendent, but guess what? He is currently a Rank 3 novice-stage transcendent. He managed to achieve this in just a couple of years. Also, he's very mysterious. No one knows anything about his background."

Several discussed Kailen animatedly.

"Look, is that who I think it is?"

Someone pointed at a gnome seated in the participant seats. Her face appeared on the holographic screens.

"Who?"

"The dark-haired female gnome. Her name is Mira. She is a princess who made a name for herself in the Ancient Gnome Empire in the edge region of the universe before she became a transcendent. Her fire principle abilities are terrifying. She's representing the Flysparrow Guild in the Valemond District. She has been at the Rank 3 novice-stage transcendent level for a while. Many are speculating she might come out as the winner today."

"As for her blue-skinned associate, he's called Max Uthort. His reputation precedes him. They say before he became a transcendent, he was from a secret sect in the edge region of the universe. He slaughtered his way through several civilizations in the edge region of the universe, earning himself the name 'Madman' because of that feat. His use of the principle of gravity is very terrifying. He has also been at the Rank 3 novice-stage transcendent level for a while."

"As for the persons representing the Arroeseek Guild of the Coldridge District, they are both darkness principle users. They are witches. Not much is known about them from the edge region of the universe. It seems they preferred keeping a low profile all this while."

"Wait... why are they giving Kailen Darkhaven hostile looks?" Someone in the VIP session, where the higher-ups of the city were, noticed something.

"That's weird. There's no record of Kailen Darkhaven offending any of them," another said.

"Arroeseek, what's wrong with your guild members? Others may not notice it, but we are too experienced to not notice the subtle, ominous glints flashing through their eyes."

Arroeseek herself was shocked. What connection did her representatives have to Kailen Darkhaven for them to show such ominous glints towards him? Were they planning on killing him in the competition? She didn't know what the competition would be like this time, but she knew that killing was allowed. This had always been the nature of the NGU competitions, throughout district to national level.

"What kind of hatred could they have for him that they are blinded by how terrifying this young man is? Even CrimsonFang did not escape his schemes and fell," she thought. "These two are not known to be irrational, too. Expressing ill intent towards Darkhaven is not a good idea. What are they thinking?"

She relaxed. She sent thought transmissions to her representatives, asking them about why they wanted to kill Kailen, but they said nothing. She sighed. Also, she was well aware that, scheming aside, the Mayor's appearance here today was solely because of Kailen. This meant he had confidence in Kailen's strength. Others may not have noticed, but the higher-ups noticed this. Mayor Dexter Hemsworth rarely made such appearances at such events, after all.

"I just hope they don't get themselves killed. Those in the bleachers may be confident in the strength of the representatives they are rooting for and even the representatives may be confident in their own strengths, but this Kailen Darkhaven fellow—there's something unsettling about him. I am not sure he may win, but I don't think he will lose to anyone either," she thought.

At this moment, Kailen himself felt the ominous glints in the eyes of the representatives of the Arroeseek Guild directed towards him. A glint flashed through his eyes as he used emotional resonance to glean their thoughts from their facial expressions.

"So... these fellows want revenge for that female assassin I killed in Grimwood City," Kailen thought.

Kailen gleaned from their thoughts that not only were they members of the Arroeseek Guild, but they were members of the assassin organization the lady he killed was a member of. They knew she accepted the bounty to kill him. Naturally, the fact that she didn't return meant that he had killed her. As for why they were so desperate to kill him, it was because she was their best friend. They were acting solely on their own will and not on the orders of their guild or the assassin organization they were part of.

Kailen naturally didn't blame them for wanting to kill him. It was natural for them to want revenge. He simply shrugged inwardly. Since they wanted to kill him, they had to be prepared to pay the price.

As for the Insidious assassination syndicate, Kailen naturally had them in mind.

That female assassin sent after him on Moment's request was from their organization after all.

Kailen also had the Lotus Assassin Syndicate in mind too. The assassins sent after him on CrimsonFang's request was from them too.

He would bid his time and personally get rid of them when the time was right.