Transmigration To Magus World-Chapter 48: The Confidence of Aizen and The Challenging Krul

The green pines still stood tall, but the autumn wind was already chilly. At the mountainside, the crowd of warriors gathered, and a great battle was about to unfold.

The brown-robed Steward looked at the token in silence for a moment, casting a deep glance at Aizen, who was calmly gazing back at him. Aizen’s eyes were cold and deep, and there was an unreadable smile at the corners of his mouth.

"This kid... his ambitions must be immense. I just wonder how strong he really is..." The steward’s eyes flickered as he lightly tossed the token back to Aizen. It moved slowly, almost lazily, tracing an arc in the air as it floated toward him.

Aizen sneered inwardly but maintained a calm expression as he raised his hand to catch the token. As soon as he caught it, he felt a sudden surge of internal energy. The burst of energy came unexpectedly, but Aizen had anticipated it. He used a brief moment of suction in his palm, and the subtle internal energy was easily dissolved by his Absorption Art. However, he still cooperated by making his hand tremble violently, even stepping back half a step and looking at the steward with a change in expression.

To onlookers, it appeared as though Aizen had been caught off guard and struck by a sneaky trick. Yet, no one knew that the internal energy infused into the token had already been neutralized the moment Aizen caught it.

Several black-clad disciples observing this scene had their eyes flash with insight, and they began to gauge Aizen’s strength. From a more distant position, Goro and Vincent, who were also watching, squinted slightly, suspicion evident in their eyes.

The brown-robed steward knew the strength of his own attack. When he looked at Aizen again, a mocking gleam appeared in his cold eyes. He had formed an impression and did not hesitate as he spoke loudly: "Your identity has been verified. You may now challenge any of the Golden List disciples on Demon Ox Peak. However, many of them are currently away or in seclusion. Only three are available to accept your challenge."

Aizen’s eyes flickered. "Which three?"

He had expected this outcome and had deliberately made a show of weakness for this very reason. Strength is important, but it can also attract unwanted attention and hostility. Generally, the safest way to live is to stay low and let others underestimate you.

Although Aizen had the confidence to contend with the top thirty disciples of the Golden List, victory was not guaranteed, and even if he won, he might be injured. In a new and hostile environment like the outer Clan, an injured Golden List disciple would attract far too many predatory eyes. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

By appearing weaker and letting others underestimate him, Aizen could ensure that they would select opponents they thought could easily handle him. Such an opponent would be exactly what Aizen wanted.

Challenging a Golden List disciple wasn’t as simple as picking anyone you liked. While the rules said you could, in reality, those with power often bent the rules to suit their needs. Rules exist to serve power.

People made rules, and people could find ways around or even change them. The brown-robed steward clearly had the power to bend the rules. This wasn’t breaking the rules; it was an unspoken agreement that everyone understood.

Had Aizen shown too much strength, the steward would still have chosen an opponent for him but likely one of the strongest Golden List disciples on Demon Ox Peak. Aizen’s act of storming the mountain had already infringed on the interests of many outer Clan disciples, inciting their hostility.

Whether out of emotional dissatisfaction or a desire to protect their resources, many would prefer to see Aizen fail miserably and die. It was like a lone lion invading the territory of a pride, trying to claim resources and mates. Naturally, the pride would resist, driving him out or even killing him.

Aizen was that lion. But he had successfully made everyone believe he was just a sheep in lion’s clothing.

Each new Golden List disciple meant a redistribution of resources, a matter that impacted everyone’s interests. The existing Golden List disciples would worry about their status being threatened, while those who hadn’t yet made the list would fiercely compete for the chance to move up.

Aizen’s sudden emergence meant no one wanted him to succeed. Historically, those who attempted to storm the mountain and failed ended up dead.

"The three available to challenge are Ghost Whip Walter, Soul-Shattering Hook Krul , and Throat-Cutting Staff Aden," announced the brown-robed steward, listing the names of the three Golden List disciples.

Among the crowd, some people’s expressions changed slightly, looking displeased and muttering curses under their breath. However, none dared to complain to the steward, who had long been backed by a Clan elder.

"Aden..." Aizen had heard of this name. In fact, he had gathered information on all three before coming. Aden was the elder brother of the Red Lady, Ada, and Aizen had paid extra attention to his profile.

The siblings held considerable influence and were associated with the Right Faction. Aden, in particular, was the adopted son of a high-ranking Right Faction member, a formidable innate realm expert currently residing in the inner mountain.

"Hurry and make your decision," the steward commanded impatiently.

Aizen remained calm. "I challenge Soul-Shattering Hook Krul."

"He’s challenging Senior Sister Krul ! Does this kid think women are easy to bully?"

"I bet he just wants to get close to Senior Sister Krul because she’s beautiful. He must be crazy!"

"Maybe he thinks that even if he loses, she won’t kill him because she’s a woman. Poor fool..."

The surrounding outer Clan disciples whispered among themselves, most of them gloating. The three disciples the steward had chosen were no pushovers. There were nineteen Golden List disciples in the Western Courtyard, and while these three were not the highest-ranked, they were far from the weakest.

Walter, in particular, was ranked sixty-first among the top hundred Golden List disciples of the Heavenly Demon Clan and was among the top ten in the Western Courtyard. She was a formidable figure.

"This kid didn’t choose to challenge me?"

"Does he think he’s that confident?"

Both Walter and Aden, who had initially been named, breathed sighs of relief. Though they believed Aizen wasn’t strong enough to defeat them, there was always the possibility of an unexpected move or hidden trump card. No one wanted to risk injury, as it would only make them vulnerable to other rivals.

Aizen’s choice of Krul surprised even the brown-robed steward, but he didn’t dwell on it. Scanning the crowd, he saw no sign of Krul .

"Senior Sister Krul is here...!" someone suddenly called out.

Five people descended from the main mountain path. Among them was a woman in a purple robe, her smile radiant, though a glint of coldness in her eyes revealed she was far from as friendly as she appeared.