Beams of light shone in front of Twisted Mountain, highlighting the seven men and women who were the rulers of the divine realm. Each of them had an imposing presence, but it was the middle-aged man at the front of the group, dressed in black, that drew everyone's attention. They had all recognized Kaden.
Everyone looked up in awe. Kaden hadn't done anything noteworthy in over a hundred years, but his strength was legendary.
The older man next to the young woman said, "In the past three hundred years, Kaden has fought nine opponents at the peak of Twisted Mountain and won all nine battles. Only two of his opponents survived. Today will probably be his tenth win."
When the young woman heard this, she felt a chill down her spine, and she grew worried about Alex.
Kaden slowly walked across the sky to the top of Twisted Mountain.
"Great One," he said, his voice carrying to everyone. "Please come to the top of the mountain for a chat with me."
Everyone turned to look at Alex, who was standing by the river.
Verity was pale as she gnawed at her lip.
"Don't worry," Alex told her. "Watch your teacher defeat the most powerful person in the realm with one hand behind his back."
He waved a hand. A loud splashing sound preceded a dragon rising from the Dark River, supported by a pillar of water. He stepped on the dragon's head and soared into the sky. The pillar grew and grew until it reached the top of Twisted Mountain.
The onlookers were stunned, and even the seven great sect masters were taken aback. Although they had never seen Alex fight, the simple fact that he could command the water dragon meant that he was on an equal footing with them.
One of the seven masters shook his head. "When did such a freak appear in our realm? He's far too young to have such astonishing strength."
Kaden's wife, Kelsey, shrugged. "No matter how strong he is, he's no match for Kaden."
"Oh, of course not," said another. "Kaden was invincible three hundred years ago, so I can only imagine how much stronger he's gotten since then."
**
At the foot of the mountain, Agatha, Fern, and the rest of Alex's group were more than a little concerned.
This once-in-a-hundred-year battle was finally about to start, but very few people thought Alex had a chance. Even Verity was just hoping that he wouldn't be killed.
**
The flat top of Twisted Mountain was a thousand feet across. When Alex stepped onto it, a clang rang out as if he had stepped onto a giant steel plate.
Kaden stood on the far side with his back to Alex. Somehow, he looked as immovable as the mountain itself.
He spoke without turning. "Great One, you shouldn't have come. In the past three hundred years, nine people have climbed to the top of this mountain to meet with me. They all fought me and lost. Only two of them survived, and few people don't even remember their names anymore. You're still young. If you have any sense, you'll come back a hundred years from now. By then, you might be able to ascend this mountain and fight me."
"Is that so?" Alex replied, unconcerned.
Kaden was still keeping his back to Alex. "If you choose to stay, then you have two options. You can enter my Crimson sect and swear to serve me. Or you can die." He spoke as calmly, as if he pronounced death sentences every day.
"You aren't worth my time," Alex said, sneering at him.
"Stubborn child." Kaden snorted. "Everyone in the world thinks that this mountain is just a strange peak, but I know differently. I searched through the ancient books and built a shelter beside it to cultivate my power for a hundred years. I'm not sure if it is Lord Twisted's weapon, but it truly is an indestructible artifact. Either way, it's about to be stained with mortal blood again."
With that, he finally turned to face Alex.
There was a piercing light shining from his eyes, and the air nearby sizzled as if lightning had sliced through it.
"In three hundred years, no one has ever dared to speak to me the way you have," he said. "I'll honor your foolish courage by leaving your corpse intact."
The light in his eyes grew stronger, and the rest of his body started to glow. It quickly built up to the point where gazing at him was like trying to look at the sun.
He stared at Alex, and the air at the top of the mountain started to feel thick and heavy.
Most of the immortal realm warriors didn't understand what Kaden was doing.
But there was one person among the great sect masters, Barney Landis, who knew what was happening. He had reached a high enough point in his studies that it made sense to him.
He explained it to the others. "According to the legends, celestial immortals and true gods each have their own personal domains. Anyone standing inside their own domain controls everything within it—even the air and the energy—and is impervious to harm. I had no idea that Kaden had developed that ability."
Kelsey smiled. Alex was a dead man.
Then, she saw something very unexpected happen.
Alex reached up and brushed the hair out of his eyes. He showed no signs of being controlled as he smiled at Kaden with contempt.
"Is that all you've got?" he asked.
A trace of surprise appeared on Kaden's face. But he quickly recovered, determined he would not be defeated by this young upstart. He focused his power once again, and the air at the top of the mountain grew even heavier. Before, it had felt like they were underwater, but now it was more like being under the deepest part of the ocean, and the pressure was tremendous. Even a piece of iron plate would crumple like tin foil.
Kelsey's smile was chilling. She knew that her husband had finally used his full strength, and anyone in the realm would be crushed into nothing.
But Alex's expression didn't even change. He pointed his finger like a knife and slashed it through the air.