The eighteen top winners, the crème de la crème of the Righteous Faction's younger generation were swiftly assembled on the central stage, their faces a mixture of strained anticipation and desperate hope.

Floating directly above them, the Six Saintesses: Aria, Flama Evelina, Celestine, Valeria, and Seraphina, regarded the disciples below with cool, scrutinizing, and judgmental gazes.

Among the anxious eighteen were the four winners representing the White Lotus Sanctuary: Liam, Vahn (Damien Infernos), Holy Son Veerion, and Holy Daughter Lumina. They naturally expected their own Saintess, Seraphina, to choose them first, but the rules were clear: the Saintesses could choose whomever they liked, irrespective of sect.

Valeria, Flama, Evelina, Celestine, and Aria all wore deeply thoughtful expressions, meticulously calculating the optimal choice to strengthen their respective delegations for the Secret Realm.

But Seraphina's posture was different. She seemed to have already made up her mind, her serene eyes fixed on a single figure.

Seraphina slowly extended her slender finger, prepared to make her selection. Her gaze was directed straight toward Vahn.

"I choose..."

But before the White Lotus Saintess could complete her sentence, a truly shocking event unfolded.

At that exact same moment, four other fingers belonging to Valeria Rosethorn, Flama Astoria, Evelina Frostheart, and even the victorious Aria Stormsong snapped out, all pointing directly at the same person:

Vahn!

Five of the six most powerful and beautiful women in the Righteous Faction spoke in a chaotic, synchronized flurry:

"I choose... Him!"

"He will follow me!"

"He'll be my first follower!"

"His power is necessary for my delegation!"

The entire Colosseum, filled with ten million people, went from buzzing anticipation to an absolute, deafening silence. Every single eye, from the nervous disciples to the shocked elders, was fixed on the solitary figure of Damien Infernos, who was now the subject of an unprecedented five-way selection battle among the Holy Saintesses.

Vahn, for the first time since his debut, allowed a fleeting look of genuine, if cold, surprise to cross his features. He had expected Seraphina. He had not expected the other four.

The only Saintess who didn't point was Celestine Starborn, the Oracle. She simply smiled, a cryptic, knowing look in her deep purple eyes, as if this chaotic outcome was the only destiny possible.

The silence that had gripped the Colosseum shattered into a flurry of competitive demands. Five Holy Saintesses floated above the stage, each fiercely vying for the attention of a single Foundation Establishment disciple: Vahn (Damien Infernos).

"My victory proves that only a true warrior can lead a delegation," Aria Stormsong declared, her lightning aura flaring. "His martial power is wasted on anyone else. He will follow me!"

"That is arrogance, Aria," retorted Evelina Frostheart, her voice frigid. "My delegation requires discipline and focused purity. His devotion to the White Lotus's honor shows the necessary focus. I claim him for the Frostgate Bastion!"

"Pure power is boring, darling," Valeria Rosethorn purred, her green eyes locked on Vahn. "The Secret Realm is about Nature and adaptation. His innate Fire and strength are a perfect match for my Nature Dao. He belongs with Life!"

Flama's reason for choosing him was the strange familiarity she felt. But she didn't say it loud.

Seraphina finally spoke, her serene mask cracking with quiet, intense possessiveness.

"He is a loyal disciple of the White Lotus. His righteous spirit was cultivated for our sect's benefit. He must be chosen by his own Saintess!"

Below the stage, the seventeen other top disciples, including the proud Holy Son Veerion and Holy Daughter Lumina, were utterly aghast. Their faces mirrored the envy of the entire crowd.

"Damn! Five Saintesses! For a Foundation Establishment kid? This Damien Infernos must have the luck of a true protagonist!"

"To be desired by the most powerful women in the world... I'd gladly take the insults!"

In the high-level viewing boxes, the elders and Patriarchs of the Holy Lands were utterly baffled. Patriarch Dimidium of the White Lotus was stammering, unable to comprehend his disciple's sudden, overwhelming popularity.

"Five... five Saintesses... is he the legendary reincarnated Daoist? Who is this boy!"

Into the chaos floated the silver-haired announcer. He paused dramatically, an amused glint in his eye, before amplifying his voice with spiritual energy.

"Hah! It seems our newest hero, Damien Infernos, is in high demand!" He chuckled, then gave Vahn a mock salute.

"Congratulations, young man! You have achieved what no other disciple in history has: five simultaneous requests! You must be a true prodigy of the heart, if nothing else!"

His tone immediately shifted back to formal. "However, according to the rules, in the case of a tie, the chosen disciple must make the final decision. Damien Infernos, please step forward."

The handsome announcer gestured grandly.

"This is a difficult choice, one that will certainly offend four of our Holy Saintesses. But tell us: Which Saintess do you wish to follow to the Secret Realm?"

Vahn, maintaining a veneer of humble surprise, stepped to the center of the stage. This was the moment his entire carefully constructed facade hinged upon. All eyes were on him, waiting for the choice that would either confirm his loyalty to the White Lotus or align him with a new, powerful patron.

---

Standing at the center of the vast stage, with the piercing gazes of five Holy Saintesses fixed upon him and the silence of ten million spectators heavy in the air, Vahn (Damien Infernos) executed the final, calculated move of his dramatic performance.

​He performed a deep, humble bow, first to the victorious Aria Stormsong, then to the disappointed Flama Astoria, Evelina Frostheart, and Valeria Rosethorn. He maintained the image of the devoted, honest disciple, fully aware that choosing any of them would instantly give him greater political clout but utterly destroy the carefully constructed facade of loyalty he'd just built.

​With perfect theatricality, he straightened up and turned to the one figure who truly mattered.

​"Holy Saintesses, I am humbled beyond words by your faith in this unworthy disciple. However, I entered this competition only to restore the honor of the sect that gave me refuge and purpose." Vahn declared with emotion.

​"I cannot, in good conscience, abandon the roots that have nurtured my spirit. My deepest loyalty and my sacred duty belong to the White Lotus Sanctuary."

​He then looked directly at Seraphina. "Therefore, I humbly accept the grace of Saintess Seraphina and pledge my service to her delegation alone! I will follow only the Saintess of my own Sect!"

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