At Gao Ren’s words, nobody spoke, and a tense silence filled the room.

Across the hall, the outsider groups traded looks as Olympus stayed quiet, their members clearly thinking, while the Holy Church did not move at all and only watched with blank faces. ChaosKnight’s table grew tense as a few members shifted in their seats.

Over at Broken Dawn’s table, Ragnarok99 had both hands flat on the surface as if he was ready to stand, his jaw tightening as his eyes locked onto Gao Ren. Sophie glanced at him once, and that was enough to stop him. He did not look happy, but he remained seated. Sophie showed no intention of backing down, and everyone around her could tell. She only wanted to understand the terms before anyone acted carelessly.

Her gaze moved toward Liang. "What does this ancient law require? One representative, one spar, or a group challenge?"

Liang stayed silent for a moment before answering. "One on one. Each outsider group chooses one representative. The Tianlan side also chooses one. Whoever wins keeps the token for their group. If the outsider loses, the token is handed over."

Ragnarok99’s fingers pressed harder into the table, but Sophie did not let him interrupt. Cassie watched Liang closely, while Bunny’s expression turned colder.

Before any of the outsider groups could decide, a chair shifted at the Olympus table as Jack Arefield stood up. His movement was calm, with no speech, no smile, and no attempt to draw attention. He simply adjusted the glove on his right hand and looked toward Liang.

"Olympus will go first," Jack said.

The hall reacted immediately, with some Tianlan cultivators turning with interest while others narrowed their eyes. Aria remained seated beside the Olympus table, watching Jack without concern, and although Ares Dunhold did not speak or move much, his silence alone made the Olympus members sit straighter.

Liang studied Jack briefly before nodding. "Accepted."

Gao Ren’s gaze shifted toward the Longsword Guild table, where a man rose almost instantly as if he had been waiting for this moment since the station. He was tall, with a narrow face and a long sword resting at his side. His robe was clean, and his eyes carried a pride that many outsiders disliked.

"I will represent Tianlan for this round," he said.

The Longsword leader leaned back, satisfied. "Go. Do not embarrass us."

After a short nod, the man walked toward the exit beside the hall.

The match moved to the clearing outside the dining hall as servants quickly opened the side doors and the gathered forces stepped out in groups. No one wanted to miss it, and even the Holy Church came out, though their expressions remained cold.

Gabriel followed with ChaosKnight, staying near the back with his white mask hiding his face and his posture relaxed. A few players glanced at him but quickly looked away, remembering the pressure he had released earlier.

The clearing was wide enough for a proper spar, with lamps lining the edges and the cold night air making the silence feel sharper. Jack took one side of the clearing while the Longsword representative stopped opposite him.

Liang raised a hand. "No killing. The match ends when one side admits defeat or can no longer continue."

Neither side objected.

The Longsword representative drew first, his blade giving off a faint glow as spirit qi gathered along its edge. From the other side, Jack reached behind him and pulled out his spear. At first glance, it looked simple, but the moment his mana moved, gold light spread across the shaft and blade, wrapping tightly around it as he lowered his stance.

"Begin," Liang announced.

The Longsword representative moved first, thrusting his sword forward at high speed and forcing Jack to step aside while turning his spear at the same time. Metal clashed sharply, but Jack did not retreat far. Instead, he shifted his footing and countered with a clean stab toward the man’s shoulder.

The Tianlan fighter twisted away and slashed upward, only for the lower part of the spear to block it. Even so, the force pushed Jack back half a step.

A few Olympus members frowned.

"He is stronger than expected," one muttered.

The Longsword representative pressed forward, his blade striking from multiple angles in an attempt to force Jack into defense. Jack stayed composed, using the reach of his spear to maintain distance and meeting every strike head-on.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

By the third exchange, Jack was pushed back again, drawing smiles from some Tianlan cultivators.

"Longsword Guild is still Longsword Guild," someone commented, while Olympus remained silent.

Jack’s expression did not change. When the next attack came, he stepped in instead of back, catching the Longsword fighter off guard. His spear slid along the blade, knocking it aside before the golden tip cut across the man’s sleeve, leaving a thin line of blood.

Clicking his tongue, the Longsword representative adjusted his stance as spirit qi surged and his blade shone brighter. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Not bad," he said before rushing forward again, faster this time. The downward strike carried more force, but Jack blocked it directly. The ground beneath his feet cracked slightly, yet he held firm, shifting his grip before slamming the butt of the spear into the man’s ribs.

A grunt escaped as the Longsword fighter staggered back a step, though he recovered quickly and lashed out with a kick toward Jack’s knee. Jack stepped back just enough to avoid it.

The fight stayed balanced, though it did not last long. Twice, Jack had to defend carefully, and once, the Longsword fighter nearly cut his shoulder, the blade passing close enough to slice part of his coat and make a few Olympus members tense.

Then the spear moved faster, gold light gathering at the tip as Jack stepped forward. The Longsword fighter raised his sword to block, but the angle shifted midway. The spear struck the side of the blade, knocked it open, and drove forward.

Bang!

The Longsword representative was thrown back, landing on one knee. He tried to stand, but the spear tip stopped just before his throat.

Liang looked at him. "Can you continue?"

The man clenched his teeth, his grip tightening around the sword before his head slowly lowered.

"I admit defeat."

Jack pulled back his spear.

The outsider groups now looked at Olympus differently. Without a word, Jack returned to his table, while Aria only glanced at the cut on his coat before looking away. Ares finally moved, but only to pick up his cup.

On the Tianlan side, there was no embarrassment. If anything, their interest had grown. The Longsword leader watched Jack closely, as if he had confirmed something important.

Liang turned toward the remaining outsider groups. "Next."

Before anyone else could react, a representative from the Holy Church stepped forward. White robes with gold patterns draped over him, and his expression remained cold.

"The Holy Church does not participate in challenges of this nature," he declared.

Several Tianlan cultivators frowned.

"Our participation was approved at the highest level," the priest continued. "We will not legitimize this challenge by accepting it."

His tone left no room for argument.

A few Tianlan cultivators grew visibly angry, and one even stepped forward before being pulled back by the sleeve. Most remained silent, knowing that directly opposing the Church was a different matter entirely.

Even here, the Church held a Sacred Sovereign, which was enough to keep them in check.

Gao Ren’s expression darkened, but he said nothing.

The Longsword leader slowly looked away from the Church, his gaze sweeping past ChaosKnight’s table before settling at the back of the room, where Gabriel stood behind his white mask.

A faint smile formed.

"What about the masked one? Do you want to go, or do you prefer to hide behind someone else?"