At one end of the arena stood the statue of the First Progenitor. It wasn't the same statue Max had seen in the sealed hall, but it carried the same face, the same posture, and the same strange calmness.
This statue was far larger, standing above one whole end of the arena like a silent judge watching over every descendant of the Four Sacred Clans. Its eyes were closed, its robes carved from dark stone, and its presence made the whole battlefield feel like something more than just a competition ground.
The other four ends belonged to the Four Sacred Clans.
One end belonged to Valerius. It was built from white-gold stone, covered in sunlike patterns and sharp sacred banners.
The people seated there carried proud, brilliant auras, and many wore robes decorated with golden flame-like markings. Their presence was bright, domineering, and noble, as if they'd been born to stand beneath a higher light.
