Before Raven could catch his breath, Alex's voice rang out through the sky.
"Strike two!"
The effect was even more dramatic than before. As the sky was torn farther apart, lightning bolts poured down like rain, and a ferocious aura surged, sending a stronger wave of pressure toward Earth.
Raven's expression was frosty. He hadn't expected Alex to be so powerful, and now he realized that he was going to have to work much harder to defeat his enemy. He channeled his power, and his wings of lightning shone brighter.
Slowly, he drew a long sword enveloped in green lightning from his sleeve. Within seconds, it grew to match the size of Alex's blade. Lightning exploded around Raven's sword, and an aura shot up into the sky. It hovered over Alex's blade, attempting to block it.
"This is the Sword of Heavenly Punishment," Raven announced with a smile. "It was forged by one of my sect's most powerful ancestral masters, and it's one of our finest treasures. It has already killed seventeen immortals on Earth. You'll be number eighteen."
Alex looked on calmly. Once again, while Raven had been bragging, he had commanded his blade from afar. This time, the saber shrunk back to its original size. The purple lightning bolts along the blade condensed and turned black. The powerful saber streaked across the sky, leaving bolts of lightning in its path, and it felt as if the void had been sliced open.
"Attack!" Raven shouted, as he opened his eyes and immediately unleashed the Sword of Heavenly Punishment. Green lightning bolts fell from the sky, and each one carried a destructive spell from the divine realm. The sound of a thousand thunderstorms filled the air.
Alex invoked more power to strengthen his blade. With the powerful magic, it glowed brighter and began to advance.
At the same time, Raven drew on his own energy to empower the Sword of Heavenly Punishment.
The two spiritual weapons collided in the sky, and an intense ripping noise echoed through the air as the two bolts of lightning clashed in a frenzy.
Each bolt of green and purple lightning contained an enormous power, enough to shatter the largest mountain on Earth. As the divine blades battled, the space all around them was filled with lightning.
"Attack!" Raven roared again. His eyes blazed, and his aura shook the air for miles around.
Alex held his saber and gradually pressed down.
With the powerful force against him, Raven was unable to hold on any longer, and he started to retreat, leaving a massive hole in the sea of clouds.
Although the quality of the Sword of Heavenly Punishment was superior to the lightning saber, Alex's inner power was much stronger than Raven's. So, by drawing on that power, the lightning sword had won. Raven's sword trembled and let out an ear-splitting wail.
Raven stopped his descent to watch. How is this even possible? he thought. I'm the leader of the Thunder sect, an unparalleled master of the divine realm. With such a powerful weapon in my hand, how could I lose to a mere immortal from Earth?
"You said that was a spiritual treasure, but you can barely exchange a few strikes with me," Alex said, sneering. "What's going on here, Raven?" He strode across the sky, feeling his power rise with every step.
For thousands of years, the Sword of Heavenly Punishment had not been beaten, and now, after defeating it, Alex's lightning blade appeared to glow even brighter.
Raven's whole body stiffened. He felt weak, but he was not willing to give up yet. He needed to try another spell, or Alex would finish him off in a few seconds. There was one divine treasure he was sure could save him, but the sect only allowed it to be summoned by a disciple on the brink of death. Even as the sect master, he felt uncertain if he should try it. If Alex destroyed this treasure, then Raven would be an outcast.
What choice do I have? he thought. A moment later, he tipped his head back and roared to the sky.
A gigantic shadow with a terrifying aura appeared behind Raven. Like the man in front of him, the shadow wore a dragon robe and a flat crown.
As soon as the ghostly figure had touched down, Raven's energy had started to return. A minute later, he had reached maximum strength and was even more powerful than before.
"Wow," Alex said, "I really wasn't expecting that, but I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed. Is this all you have? Do you think this is going to defeat me?"
As he spoke, he also waved his hand. With a flash, the lightning blade slashed down, creating a blizzard of lightning bolts in the void.
Raven was quick to retaliate. He raised his sword to meet the attack. At the same time, the shadow behind him took a step forward and pulled a semi-transparent blade from the void. The weapon looked just like the Sword of Heavenly Punishment.
With the shadow working alongside Raven, Alex was battling double the power. He suspected that in summoning this divine treasure, his enemy had enhanced his ability with all kinds of ancient spells and techniques.
But Alex was not worried. He stood back as his lightning saber collided once again with the enhanced Sword of Heavenly Punishment. Then there was another almighty explosion as Alex summoned all his strength to defeat his enemy. A terrifying blade of light slashed down from the sky, cutting the enormous shadow figure in half.
Next, the light struck at Raven, and as he fell from the sky, he let out a helpless cry. Seconds later, he crashed onto Earth, reducing a mountain peak to a pile of rubble.
If it wasn't for his divine ability, he'd be mincemeat right now, Alex thought as he prepared to strike again. He descended from the sky with his blade held firmly in his hand.
Although he had survived the blow, Raven's confidence had taken a significant hit. For the first time, he began to feel truly fearful for his life because Alex's abilities had far exceeded his expectation. Even the most powerful being in the divine realm is no match for Alex, he thought. I can't possibly overpower him. I must escape.
He rushed out from the remains of the mountain, vigorously flapping his wings. As he rose upward, a streak of pale white lightning trailed behind him.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Alex roared after him. In an instant, he caught up and began to strike at him again.
Each time Raven tried to retreat, the lightning blade swung at him from the sky, so he was forced to abandon his escape plan and attempt to fight back.
He tried to cast a spell, but it had no effect on Alex's sword.
The next spell he tried also failed. None of the Thunder sect's techniques could stand up to Alex's lightning blade. In his five hundred years, Raven had never met such an opponent. No matter what spell he invoked, it was destroyed by a single slash from his enemy, and it made him feel sick to his stomach.
Alex struck again, and a powerful force descended on Raven, causing him to fall to the ground. He crashed into a highway, leaving a human-shaped hole in the road, and destroying the landscape for miles around.
With the rage boiling up inside him, Raven got a second wind. He rose to face Alex again. "Do you really think I can't hurt you?"
"Well, Raven," Alex replied, "I must admit that having to listen to all these empty promises is pretty painful."