Echo’s eyes swept over the room, his gaze meeting each of the Judges one by one.

None of them could hold it for more than a second.

They were rulers.

They were the strongest.

But in this moment

They felt likeprey.

And Echo?

He was thehunter.

The Crimson-Eyed Woman’s Reaction

Then

Laughter.

It wassoft at first.

Then itgrew.

All eyes turned toward thecrimson-eyed woman.

Unlike the others, she wasn’t afraid.

She wassmiling.

"Ah... I see now," she murmured, standing up from her seat.

Her fingers traced the air,sparks of power dancingat her fingertips.

"This isn’t normal power. This isn’t even evolution."

She licked her lips,excitement flashingin her gaze.

"This... is something entirely new."

She took a step forward.

"You, Echo... You fascinate me."

The other Judges flinched.

"Veyna, don’t—" the old man in golden robes started.

But she ignored him.

She took another step forward, her aurarising like a tidal wave.

Her powerwasn’t just Celestial Energy.

It wasancient. Refined. Lethal.

"You killed six Celestial Masters without lifting a finger."

She smiled wider.

"But what happens when you face someonewho won’t fall so easily?"

The air in the room grewheavy.

The walls of the Hallshook.

Echo didn’t respond.

He simply watched her.

And then

He took asingle step forward.

The instant his foot touched the ground

The floor beneath himcracked.

No

Itdisintegrated.

A wave of pureforceerupted from him, shattering the carefully inscribed runes on the floor.

TheHall of Judgesa place that had stood forthousands of years

Trembled.

The old man in golden robesstaggered back.

Gorath, the bald warrior,clenched his fists, sweat dripping down his face.

And Veyna?

Shegrinned.

"Oh... I really like you."

And then

Shevanished.

BOOM!

She reappeared behind Echo, her palmalready aimed for his skull.

But the moment her attack was about to land

Her eyes widened.

Because Echo...

Was gone.

Veyna’s instincts screamed, and she twisted her body

Just in time to seea shadow appear above her.

Echo wasthere.

No movement. No wasted energy.

He had simplyappeared.

And his foot was coming down toward her.

She raised both arms

BOOM!

The impact sent ashockwavetearing through the Hall.

The walls cracked. The air distorted.

The force alone sent every other Judgestumbling backward.

But Veyna?

Sheheld her ground.

Her feetdug into the floor.

She grinned, despite the blood trickling from her lip.

"Finally... someone interesting."

But then

Her grin faltered.

Because suddenly

Her visionblurred.

Herlegs gave out.

She collapsed to her knees, gasping for breath.

What...?!

Her armsthe same arms that had withstood godsweretrembling.

No.

Not trembling.

Like they were about tobreak apart.

And standing before her

Was Echo

Unmoving.

Unbothered.

Unmatched.

The old man in golden robes spoke, his voice hoarse.

"Enough."

Veyna, still struggling to breathe, looked up at him in shock.

"But "

"I saidenough."

For the first time, there wasno authority in his voice.

There wasfear.

He turned to Echo

"...You have proven your point."

A long silence followed.

Then

Echo tilted his head slightly.

"Have I?"

The old man clenched his fists.

"We... are not your enemies."

A desperate attempt.

But Echoalready knew the truth.

These men, these Judges, these rulers of power

They didn’t want peace.

They wantedcontrol.

And Eiko?

He wasn’t something they could control.

Echo looked around the room one last time.

At the shattered floor.

At the broken warriors.

At the terrified rulers.

And then, he spoke.

"You sent your strongest."

His voice was cold. Unfeeling.

"They fell."

He turned toward the exit.

"So if you send another... Just remember."

He glanced back.

"There won’t be anyone left to send after them."

And with that

Hewalked away.

Leaving behind onlyfear.

---

Echo walked through the grand halls of theJudges’ Palace, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

He had defeated their strongest.

He had shattered their illusions of control.

But he hadn’t come for power.

He hadn’t come for revenge.

He had come forone answer.

An answer that no one had ever found.

Echo had heard the storiescountless times.

The legends spoke offive worlds of energy.

The First World:Mortal Power.Strength, speed, and endurance—the foundation of all warriors.

The Second World:Spiritual Awakening.The moment one connected to the flow of energy.

The Third World:Celestial Energy.The power to manipulate the forces of nature.

The Fourth World:Divine Ascension.The pinnacle of human strength—where only the greatest stood.

And then...

TheFifth World.

The ultimate realm.

The peak of existence.

Butno one had ever reached it.

Not in the thousands of years of recorded history.

Not a single soul.

It was as if thepath had been erased.

As if thetruth had been buried.

A Question That Shook the World

E

Eiko walked through the grand halls of theJudges’ Palace, his footsteps echoing in the silence.

He had defeated their strongest.

He had shattered their illusions of control.

But he hadn’t come for power.

He hadn’t come for revenge.

He had come forone answer.

An answer that no one had ever found.

Echo had heard the storiescountless times.

The legends spoke offive worlds of energy.

The First World:Mortal Power.Strength, speed, and endurance—the foundation of all warriors.

The Second World:Spiritual Awakening.The moment one connected to the flow of energy.

The Third World:Celestial Energy.The power to manipulate the forces of nature.

The Fourth World:Divine Ascension.The pinnacle of human strength—where only the greatest stood.

And then...

TheFifth World.

The ultimate realm.

The peak of existence.

Butno one had ever reached it.

Not in the thousands of years of recorded history.

Not a single soul.

It was as if thepath had been erased.

As if thetruth had been buried.

stopped.

Before him stoodthe Grand Judge.

The old man in golden robes.

The ruler of rulers.

The last surviving voice of the ancient order.

And for the first time

The old man spokewithout arrogance.

Without pride.

Without power.

"You shouldn’t be asking that question."

His voice waslow.

But the weight of his wordsfilled the room.

o stopped.

Before him stoodthe Grand Judge.

The old man in golden robes.

The ruler of rulers.

The last surviving voice of the ancient order.

And for the first time

The old man spokewithout arrogance.

Without pride.

Without power.

"You shouldn’t be asking that question."

His voice waslow.

But the weight of his wordsfilled the room.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com