Fueled by anger, Clifford burst forward, charging at the elder irrationally. His body slowly expanded while his human features faded, replaced by a wyvern's. His gigantic form barely fit in the hallways, effortlessly destroying some pillars as the old man dodged his attack.
The elder watched in amusement as Clifford's relentless attacks rained down on him. However, the one fighting him had a fatal weakness. Clifford's movements were easy to read, and his huge body left him at a disadvantage. Every time he missed, his body would hit a wall, spreading cracks through it.
"What a disappointment. You have such power but cannot utilize it effectively." Watching Clifford stand up, the elder spoke as Clifford's head hit the ceiling, forcing him to come down again. Hearing the elder's words, Clifford realized that what he had done so far was nothing but foolish behavior with no direction whatsoever.
Calming down, he reverted to his human form. The elder's words reminded him of all the training he had with Kheon. Clifford clenched his right hand and charged at the elder once again. Placing all his weight on it, he circulated his Qi, focusing all he could in one spot as he came close. Aiming for the elder's head, Clifford threw his fist like a hammer.
Tired of wasting his time, the elder decided to end the fight. Underestimating Clifford, he used his free hand to block the incoming fist. Hearing a creaking sound the moment the fist made an impact with his hand, the elder's facial expression changed rapidly as pain swept like a wave through his arm. The bones in his hand shattered into small pieces, and fractures spread through his arm bones as the violent Qi swept through, destroying his arm and rendering it useless.
Reacting instinctively, the elder threw himself back, creating distance between them. However, Clifford didn't allow him the chance. A massive wing smashed into the elder's body, sending him flying and crashing into the wall. Pain and anger clouded the elder's mind as a huge killing intent, far surpassing Clifford's, burst from within.
"Let's see how long you can last!" Gritting his teeth in pain, the elder vanished from his place, shortly reappearing next to Clifford with his sword raised high. Swinging down, the elder used his wind element to pressure Clifford, making him kneel on the ground. Clifford's bones creaked, feeling as if a boulder had suddenly fallen on his back.
Pushing himself up, Clifford tried to stand, which further infuriated the elder. Raising his sword high once more, the elder gripped it tightly before swinging it down again. Suddenly, Clifford felt as if a hundred needles were embedded in his body. His clothes were torn, revealing the mark of the elder's technique as he fell to the floor.
Determined to win this battle and pushed to the edge, Clifford started absorbing the dark force within to reinforce his body and reduce the gap between them. Contrary to what Clifford thought, the elder felt no fear facing him in this state. Instead, feeling Clifford's aura change, the elder raised his eyebrows, contemplating dissecting Clifford's body to uncover his secrets.
Unaware of Clifford's true potential, the elder responded defensively to Clifford's attacks, curious to see how long he could last in this state, given that he should be nearing his limit as a second-stage cultivator. Deep inside, he thought the boy could only mimic beast forms, aside from that strange aura emanating from him.
Remembering the result of his Qi fist, a dangerous idea hatched in Clifford's mind, prompting him to employ his dark force along with the Qi to strike the elder. Attempting to circulate both energy types simultaneously, Clifford leaned forward with his left arm aimed down at the floor.
Vanishing from his place, the ground shattered, followed by Clifford's figure appearing behind the elder. Unable to bear the pain of both energies wreaking havoc inside his arm, Clifford slammed his fist into the elder's back, catching him off guard.
Unexpectedly, due to the way it was done, the energy tore the flesh surrounding Clifford's hand as it left his body. The uncontrollable energy burst through the elder's back, tearing everything in its way and forming a massive hole through his chest. Enduring the pain, Clifford smiled as he watched the elder's body fall to the ground, satisfied with the result of his attack regardless of the outcome.
Suppressing his urge to torture the corpse, Clifford picked it up and carried it on his shoulder. Using all the dark force he had left, he disappeared from the scene, fearing that someone might catch him after all the ruckus he had caused.
Jumping from roof to roof, Clifford navigated his way, looking for a place to hide. A few minutes passed at his current speed, and he finally found a dim, abandoned street where he could remain temporarily. Throwing the corpse to the side, Clifford leaned against the wall, his remaining strength fading away as his dark force reserve was exhausted.
After resting for a bit, Clifford dragged his weakened body to the elder's corpse. Devouring it, Clifford savored the taste until nothing was left behind. Cruel intentions consumed him as the elder's memories flooded his brain. Anger flared within him as he stomped the floor, witnessing the deal between the elders and a hooded person.
"Memories don't lie." Drowning in anger as rage gripped him, Clifford chose to trust his ability and the elder's memories over his own until he found the hooded person to extract his memories as well. At this moment, Clifford felt that his life with his parents was a lie, given he witnessed the conversation between both parties.