On hearing this, the two engaged in a staredown for quite some time. Their eyes locked with each other as they displayed their simmering rage. It was evident to everyone in the room that they were closely observing each other's actions.

At the end of this intense standoff, they both suddenly smirked before letting out a slight chuckle. Seeing Prince Linus behave this way surprised his side of the room, as they hadn't witnessed this side of him before.

"Let's end this," Linus was the first to speak, followed by Godfrey, who said, "Right on."

Linus tapped his glowing body with his wand multiple times, each time making his body grow brighter and brighter with that golden aura of his.

"Lunar Calendar, day 22, 23, 24... 25," the prince tapped his chest each time he added another number to the Lunar day.

Godfrey clenched his fists together, transforming his transparent fists into more realistic-looking claws. He closed his eyes, and when they opened, they were no longer the eyes of a mortal man; instead, they resembled the gaze of an ancient dragon.

"Art of The Emerald Dragon; True Claws and True Eyes," he spoke with a calm yet assertive voice.

*Fwissh!*

Linus dashed forward with the wand in hand.

*Fwoosh!*

Godfrey did the same, and the two quickly met in the middle in a soul-rattling clash. The MVPs swiftly began to exchange a multitude of quick, precise, and powerful blows with each other.

Neither of them looked to slow down; Linus wielded his wand like a master swordsman in the heat of battle, while Godfrey attacked his opponent as though he were a wild beast, someone well-versed in the art of killing.

*Bang!*

*Tish!*

*Taaang!*

Their weapons collided with each other, each collision sending loud noises echoing through the room. All the onlookers were awed as they witnessed the battle unfold.

Lyrian observed the two from afar. 'They are both strong in their own right,' he mused. Although he didn't want to, he found a painful truth in this duel, 'These two... are on a different level from me.' He came to this realization quickly after their duel began.

'Far, far above me... they are the strongest fighters I have ever seen.' Each thought in his mind pierced him like needles, yet those needles also felt like they were coated in a healing elixir, tending to his wounds as they pricked him.

'But...' A grin, which a few nearby quickly noticed, slowly spread across his face. 'That only means that they are hurdles to overcome. They are challenges. Those, I welcome. Those, make me stronger.'

Seeing his eerie smile, the table in front of him, with one boy missing, began to whisper amongst themselves.

"Look... he's smiling."

"Do they appear weak to him, or something? I can't comprehend what he finds amusing about this."

"We must inform the others about this... if he genuinely considers their powerful display as weak, he will be too formidable to control."

"No... not too formidable to control—we are well past that point—instead, he will be too formidable to even stop."

With a few more devastating blows that sent small shockwaves through the hall, the two stepped back for one final attack. Linus spoke, "26th... night," tapping his body once again. This time, instead of a golden aura, a white color enveloped him, even changing the color of his clothes.

"Emerald Dragon; Reensroth, bestow upon me your divine strength, so that I may prosper," Godfrey closed his eyes and spoke formally, an unexpected demeanor for the brazen young prince. "Dra-tal first formation!"

In an instant, vines of green aura grew out from his True Dragon Eyes and True Dragon Claws, making their way to his back. Suddenly, a pair of large and powerful green wings sprouted from his back.

As he exhaled a deep breath, his muscles expanded slightly, pressing against his skin and causing his veins to bulge. The men from both sides of the families and kingdoms watched with mixed emotions.

Some were excited, others nervous, and others concerned. In any case, the event left the audience holding their breath. With one final push from both of them, a strong one at that, they both propelled forward with the intent of slicing off each other's heads.

*BANG!*

The clash sent tremors through the room, and dust quickly enveloped the stage. People stared forward, trying to determine the winner, but what they saw as the dust cleared left them unsatisfied.

On the stage stood two tall men, both dressed in different types of armor. When the dust finally cleared enough, the crowd noticed that the weapons of both boys were held back by two guards.

"A halt?" The auctioneer spoke, slightly confused. At this moment, both Linus and Godfrey undid all of their transformations and returned to their normal states, panting slightly.

"The Prince of Yuun was about to kill our prince, and so, this duel was halted by the order of Veridrake," the knight holding back Linus' wand explained.

"The Prince of Veridrake was about to kill our prince, and so, this duel was halted by the order of Yuun," the other knight said, holding Godfrey's fists in place.

"I see..." The auctioneer was left somewhat speechless.

"Very well then," Julius stepped forward. "If it is your imperial verdict, then who am I to deny it," he said, walking onto the stage.

"Looks like that will be it for today's duel, folks," Julius announced, causing a wave of disappointed noises to sweep over the crowd. "As for the winner of... this esteemed cultivation technique, that will be discussed privately, and you will not know the answer until the decision is made." He nodded to some of his own knights, and they quickly took away the technique book.

"You may not have seen the victor of this rather amusing duel, but why dwell on such matters? This is merely the beginning of the night! I want to thank you all for coming, and I don't want anyone to leave feeling upset... so, how about we feast until dawn?" He exclaimed in excitement, raising his glass.

This great news was enough to reignite the fire within the crowd, as they all raised their glasses one last time for the promise of fun.

And just like that, the banquet continued. Music hummed, people laughed, glasses clinked, and Lyrian... left.

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