"What could you possibly know about it?" Amell frowned, deeply surprised by Dyon's power. Regardless of the fact he had heard that Dyon defeated a peak saint and a dao formation expert or not, he had thought, and rightfully so, that that involved a lot of tricks and trump cards. He had no way of knowing that Dyon's base strength was this overwhelming.
"I'm just making a commentary on how you were so willing to leave what was important behind, and yet your results are so pathetically mediocre." Dyon's eyes sharpened as he looked from Nora to Amell. Only a few in this room understood what he really meant, but those words cut deep for both Nora and Amell. Although the story wasn't so simple, the bare truth was that Dyon was right.
However, that didn't mean that they were happy to hear it.
"Do you have any idea what you're talking about? Do you understand the importance of the Epistemic Tower? Do you understand how difficult it is to conquer? Do you know just how many decades of research and blood and sweat and tears it took us to gather the information we have? We did all of this for this universe and those who are important us.
"We want to grow a future for this universe and allow geniuses to lead to the path. You are clearly worthy in terms of power, but your character is wholly lacking." Amell's playful anger had completely disappeared. He was serious now.
"My character? Funny." Dyon snorted as his hand flashed once again. "You don't recognize this, do you?"
Amell froze. How could he not recognize the badge of his own restaurant?
"You"
"For a man speaking on another's character, you'd think that he would at least do his research before accusing another of stealing.
"Your very own disciple lost a bet to me and was forced to give me this. As his master, it's your responsibility to make up for his short comings. It's just a shame that your supposed pillars of the future have been losing to me for years already.
"You speak of character, yet what you've instilled in your disciples nothing but overblown and undeserved pride. Do you think I'm the only one in this universe who can beat them? Are you really so shallow? I have little doubt that my very own wives are more powerful than me right now. Any one of my demon generals can slaughter them with a thought despite their being the very same age. Caedlum Pakal. Thor Ragnor. Zabia Jafari. Even my little brother can beat them. Yet you let them parade around like they're something they're not? And you want to speak of my character?
"You left this universe for almost two decades. You were so sure in yourself and your own perception that you thought it would be impossible for anyone you have chosen to be inferior to someone else. Well, let me be the first to tell you that you are wrong. Very wrong.
"With how weak your disciples are, how are they supposed to be a trump card of any kind? Did they even watch the World Tournament? Or was that too far beneath them? If they had done at least that much, even with how blind they apparently are, they would at least have known there was plenty of competition for them."
King Acacia frowned, holding onto a pure white fox in his lap. He had long since figured why Dyon was being so hard on Amell and Nora, but he still felt like this was too far. No one was pained more than the two of them. But, they had done what they thought was best.
However, Dyon had no intentions of letting up. There was nothing in this world he knew more about than living without parents.
Madeleine had spent years with such an inferior clan. She had spent even longer crying over the strained relationship between her and people who weren't even truly related. And yet here were her real parents, still pretending not to know her, still not acknowledging her, while peddling some nonsense about 'for the greater good'? He couldn't stand it!
Until now, he had completely ignored them. He hadn't mentioned them to Madeleine. He hadn't even thought about them. But then, not only did he want to provoke him for actually spending time with his wife, he also raised such piss poor excuses for the 'saviors of the universe'? Are you fucking kidding?
"And for the record, oh great dao formation experts who think only for the sake of the future. I know nothing of Epistemic Tower? I can't understand how important it is? It took you how much blood, sweat and tears?"
Dyon forearm flashed with a blinding golden light as an intricately designed key appeared in the air. It was somehow both delicate and yet robust, carrying with it a complex structure and layered mechanism that could make one's head spin
Amell and Nora stormed to their feet. The eyes of their disciple below widened. Even Trot, who was still coughing blood stuck to a wall in the distance felt himself faint, only to wake up to see the image before him was very much real.
"This very thing you spent so long planning for is meaningless. If I had to choose between this and those that I love, I would toss it away a trillion out of a trillion times."
Dyon's key disappeared as he flapped his wings to gently land beside Ri and Madeleine, scooping them up in his arms and causing them to giggle with delight.
The anger on his features disappeared as he landed a kiss on each one of their cheeks, flying away through the broken door and not forgetting to pick up every last one of his transcendent stones.
"Call me when the campaign gates open. Don't waste your time debating strategy. I'm back now.
"Within the first few days, the Uidah will run home with their tails between their legs."