The first patriarch received the Albedo Destroyer Shiny Art through a divine light from the forest, while Lian, in the clan's library, dismissed it as a fantasy created by his descendants. Upon activating Wunu's divine art, Lian felt a familiar discomfort. However, He had experienced this feeling before, when a divine art that didn't belong to the laws of this world was activated.
During that overwhelming battle, where he nearly lost his life, Lian realized that the Divine Emperor emitted a similar sensation when using his art. It's just that this sensation wasn't completely identical. As he reflected and closely observed the circulation of laws around Wunu, Lian began to speculate.
He suspected that this divine art had originally been created in another world but was modified to be used in this one. His mind grew increasingly confused. It was inconceivable that an art of this level could be created by mere mortal cultivators. 'Could it be that this continent was taken out of its original world? And why did mortal cultivators receive such a powerful divine art?' After a brief pause of contemplation, Lian decided to investigate this art in practice. Later, he would personally read the complete crystal with it.
Lian's thoughts raced, but Wunu noticed a change in Lian's gaze. This boosted his confidence, and he was now determined to kill Lian in the most brutal way possible to cleanse his honor and become the patriarch. Wunu pointed his golden spear forward while a brilliant Qi emanated around him.
This Qi grew denser by the second until it took on a solid, hard physical form that could be used as a weapon. Lian observed everything with curiosity, surprised to see the shining Qi transform into a floating spear hovering beside Wunu. Determined to personally experience the Qi of this divine art, Lian decided to receive the attack directly. He wanted to feel the impact of this power in his own body.
The two spears struck Lian's torso directly. Riria let out a small cry of fear, despair appearing in her tear-filled eyes. There was no reason for her tears, though. That's because Wunu hit his target but felt as if he had struck a steel wall when piercing Lian's body. He looked at where the spear penetrated and was astonished by the incredible hardness of Lian's bones.
With all his strength, Wunu attempted to pull the spear. However, the spear didn't budge an inch. Suddenly, a powerful kick came from below, throwing Wunu three meters away by the impact of the kick. Wunu fell to the ground, contorting in agonizing pain. Ridiculous sounds escaped his mouth, resembling the squeals of a slaughtered pig. Following that, a sharp pain spread through his legs, intensifying his suffering.
Lian delivered a precise strike between Wunu's legs, causing intense pain and leaving him in agony. Wunu's father, consumed by anger, expressed his rage at what could have been a serious injury, depriving his son of the possibility of having children in the future. As the audience watched the scene in complete silence, Wunu's humiliation was amplified as his suffering was exposed to everyone.
All the men present gulped, as they were well aware of how devastating this pain can be. The shining spear dissipated in the air before everyone's eyes as a result. But it wasn't because it went away. Instead, the divine seed within Lian's body devoured it completely. Holding the golden spear in his hands, Lian remained motionless, sadistically observing Wunu's struggles.
After a few minutes, Wunu slowly raised, still battered. His eyes were red, reflecting the humiliation he felt, aware that this experience could not be erased. The entire audience shared a feeling of ridicule and shame toward Wunu. Some even wished to laugh at his misfortune, but in the presence of his father, everyone did their best to maintain composure, suppressing their emotions with difficulty.
Suddenly, Lian infused his Qi into the golden spear. For just a second, everyone present felt a chilling shiver run down their spines. Although the spear was not aimed at them, the destructive power contained within it was capable of causing instant death if they were the ones in front of it. Sensing the imminent threat of death, Wunu became desperate and resorted to his last move. Runes appeared and started glowing on his body, revealing a previously unknown power.
Wunu's father had married a cultivator from a weak clan in exchange for numerous divine crystals. This woman possessed a lineage with exceptionally pure earth runes. It was almost unbelievable that such a small clan could produce something so extraordinary. As a result, Wunu inherited this lineage directly. The earth element in his veins was extremely powerful for defensive divine arts. His conception was planned with the expectation of combining this great power with the Albedo clan's divine art.
Lian realized that he was about to witness another facet of the clan's divine art but decided to challenge his limits and explore this otherworldly power. The divine spear flew from his hands, released in a swift motion. Only a few of the more experienced cultivators present were able to vaguely grasp the trajectory of the spear. Its speed was as fast as a flash of light, perceived only instinctively, as it could not be seen clearly.
The aura of death drew closer to Wunu, causing him to tremble intensely. With desperation taking hold of him, he activated the second stage of the clan's divine art, known as "Shiny Reversal." In terms of raw power, the Albedo clan was considered only average. However, due to the reputation and respect that they gained through this second stage, members of this clan were revered as if they were among the greatest on the continent.
This power allowed the user to instantly reflect any attack, regardless of its strength and form. However, the price to be paid was that the user would receive the blow directly themselves. This technique required extraordinary defense to be used against powerful opponents or face imminent death.
Interestingly, any member of the Albedo clan, even the weakest, possessed the ability to reflect a blow and kill a cultivator several realms above their own. This divine art was extremely troublesome to deal with, making other cultivators more inclined to treat Albedo clan members well rather than antagonize them.
An earth armor formed around Wunu's body as he focused all his Qi into this defense, aiming for a chance of victory. However, the impact of the golden spear hitting his chest echoed with a thunderous sound. The earth's defense was completely shattered, allowing the spear to pierce through his body. He didn't die, though. Sure, the injury was severe, but Wunu would survive the onslaught.
With a bloody smile on his face, a bright Qi emerged from his body, radiating a threatening aura. It manifested as a bloodthirsty blade, swift and deadly, relentlessly aimed at Lian. Lian was astonished by all of this for a change. He had witnessed various counter-attack divine arts before, but all of them required the user to possess Qi as powerful as that of the attacker. However, this divine art completely defied the laws of his world. It did not rely on Qi, going against all established conventions.
It was capable of annihilating anything that opposed the user since, after a powerful strike, the attacker would have little capacity to defend themselves. If Lian had this divine art against the Divine Emperor, he would be able to kill him with a single blow. Even if it meant his own death after receiving the attack directly, it would still be as powerful as an infallible trick.
Lian swiftly extended his hands. His spatial ring shone brightly, releasing dozens of bones that appeared in the blink of an eye. These bones quickly merged in front of him, forming an imposing shield. The bones exuded a sinister black Qi, filling everyone in the audience with instinctive fear that echoed in their souls.
Upon witnessing the appearance of the bones, their bodies trembled, understanding that these bones belonged to a demonic beast of much greater strength than theirs. This creature could even be more powerful than the patriarch himself.
*Boom!*
Contrary to Wunu's expectations, the Shiny Reversal Skill was effectively blocked. Wunu's eyes widened in disbelief. Now, he found himself without Qi to fight, as he had used all of it for the earth's defense in order to ensure his own survival. A sense of complete surrender grew in his heart as the fear of death loomed over him.
Desperation consumed Wunu as a fierce desire for revenge rooted itself within him. Suddenly, his eyes were filled with a dark glow as black Qi surged intensely. The earth runes in his blood resurfaced vigorously, pulsating with overwhelming energy. An explosive power erupted, leaving everyone present astonished and captivated by the vastness and ferocity of this untamed power.
Wunu's mind was nothing but fury, hatred, and violence, consumed by these overwhelming emotions. Lian watched, perplexed, as all these strange transformations unfolded before his eyes. Wunu's soul seemed to be fracturing as earth Qi mixed with black Qi grew incessantly, showing no signs of stopping.
Wunu's father was stunned, as he understood better than anyone the power his son possessed. What was happening inside Wunu should not exist. Something was clearly wrong, something beyond everyone's control and comprehension.
Lian understood that an external force had taken hold of Wunu's body, corrupting the earth runes within him. His power was rapidly intensifying but at the cost of his own life. He was destined for condemnation.
Initially, the audience did not fully comprehend what was happening, but soon they became enthralled by the newfound power emerging from Wunu. Cheers and applause of encouragement echoed all around. However, only the most observant advisors noticed a sinister and corrupting energy surrounding Wunu, stirring concern in their hearts.
Riria tightly gripped her saber, feeling fear coursing through her body. She seemed on the verge of rushing into the arena at any moment, willing to risk her own life to protect Lian. However, since the beginning of the fight, she had sensed a presence...