As Ryker headed towards the forest in question, Tashirn remained hidden, her stripe coat blending in with the environment, one of the natural abilities of Spirit Giant Tiger.
As they enter the forest, Ryker could feel something wrong inside, "Spatial distortion," he said to himself.
While spatial distortion is something that could occur literally anywhere, he could tell, that this is not a natural phenomenon, but instead, something created by someone with some understanding of the Law of Space.
"But it is shoddy, I can easily break this if I need to," he said, still keeping an eye on his surroundings.
He also used his Soul Sense to detect anything. With his Soul Sense likely eclipsing any of the Genesis Sea adventurers, he reckons he will be able to detect whatever, or whoever causes this spatial distortion.
-x-
"Looks like there is nothing in this direction," Ryker told Tashirn, scratching the Spirit Beast's ears.
"Maybe we sho-" he grabbed Tashirn before moving both of them away using Shadow Traversing Technique, which is a good idea, as a hole formed where they were before.
As they emerged from the shadow, Ryker locked eyes with their attacker, an old man with a big cane, snarling like a gremlin at the two of them.
"To think, an attack from this old man would fail to hit a junior at the Genesis Realm, this old man needs to kill you now to protect this old man's face," as the old man said something about murdering him, Ryker recognized the voice, or at least he think so.
"You! You are the one that bought the Spirit Giant Tiger fang!" Ryker yelled out, looking at the old man whose eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh, looks like you are there during that auction. In that case, let this old man ask, are you the one that bought the Seed of Spirit Tree?" while the old man might said it with a kind tone, Ryker could tell there was a hint of malice in his voice.
"So what if I did?" he answered back, watching as the old man's look morphed into one of joy.
"In which case, this old man will ask you to hand that thing over, and this old man will let you go," while the offer sounded good, he could not hope to handle a Noble expert, he did not think for once the old man was planning to keep his word.
"What a shame I don't think you will keep your word," Ryker said mockingly before sending a message to Sophia.
"Hahaha! In that case, this old man just needs to take it from your corpses," the old man then clawed at the two of them.
Tashirn growled before growing larger and engaging the Noble expert. Although they are on the same level, not once does Ryker believe his beast companion stands a chance against the old man, as she is just a newly ascended Spirit Beast with no battle experience against such foes.
Instead, he hoped on the reinforcement he called upon to save the day.
However, the old man laughed at him. "Do you think you can hope for anyone to save you?" he snarled. At that moment, the spatial distortion becomes larger and covers the entire forest.
Ryker could tell, the distortion had become a barrier, preventing him from escaping, or the others from coming into the area. Normally that is.
"Haha, now you are tra- what are you doing?" the old man asked, confused by why Ryker suddenly cocking his fist in the direction of the barrier he painstakingly created.
"This shoddy barrier! Do you think this can stop me?!" Ryker unleashed a punch infused with the Law of Space. The two spatial techniques clashed for a brief moment before the punch broke the barrier, shattering it.
"NOOO!"
-x-
Sophia had flown in the direction where Ryker called her. However, she did not expect to see a spatial barrier to be formed there, blocking her attempt to come in.
As she pondered whether she was strong enough to break it with brute force, she was given a shock when she watched the barrier destroyed from the INSIDE!
As the barrier was destroyed, she could see Ryker grinning triumphantly, while his Spirit. Giant Tiger was battling the old man who took part in her previous Grand Auction, looking rather beaten up. No doubt the old man was playing around, hoping to subdue the beast with force.
She flew towards Ryker, who let out a tired sigh. "That. Took a lot out of me," he said before stuffing himself with several potions.
"Take some rest, I will subdue the old man," Sophia said before flying to the old man. Ryker nodded weakly. While he could shatter the shoddy spatial barrier, it is still something made by a Noble expert, so how easy it is to be broken.
He nearly drained his entire qi reserve to destroy the barrier, and currently trying to replenish his qi reserve. He watched as Sophia began to engage with the old man, pushing him back slowly.
He then looked at the Seed of Spirit Tree next to him, having taken out the item beforehand, and hoping the mysterious young man would come and help them with the predicement.
He then decided to use his mastery of the Law of Nature to test the thing, before his eyes widened in surprise.
"So, that is what this is?" he said to himself.
-x-
As Sophia battled the old man, she could not help but feel slightly uneasy. The old man had been a 2nd Stage Noble expert, yet he was somehow able to keep up with her easily.
She still has the upper hand but is slowly losing it. The old man must have seen the look on her face before laughing.
"Do you think a mere pretty vase like you can hope to stand a chance against this old man?! Let this old man show you, the gap between us both!"
Soon, his aura grew until it broke the third stage, then the fourth, and the fifth, until he reached the pinnacle of the sixth stage.
Sophia went slightly numb, the foe she had been fighting had concealed himself so deeply.
Ryker who was watching the entire thing could only gulp. "Maybe having this thing will help," he took out another one of his Remnant Power, ready to help Sophia against this dangerous foe.
.