Adams and his uncle faced off, ignoring the stunned onlookers. The tension was palpable, and the air crackled with suppressed energy.
"Enough with the chit-chat," Adams said, his voice cold and firm. "Let's get down to business."
Frank's eyes narrowed. "Brat, I don't know how you got this strong or what tricks you've got, but let me tell you this—you will regret ever messing with me."
Adams chuckled, a dark, mocking sound. "Hahaha, damn, I like that you aren't scared away after everything you've seen me do. Or is it that I haven't shown enough? Whatever. Would you like to come down to the stage, or do you want me to meet you up there?"
He looked at his uncle, who was floating in the air, with a sinister grin. Frank's mind raced, trying to gauge his chances against his nephew. How strong was Adams, really? Was it possible to win this fight?
Adams sighed, seeing his uncle's hesitation. "Seeing as you are silent, I will take that as a yes." He started to rise from the ground until he was level with his uncle. "Ahh, this is better, don't you agree, uncle? So now that I'm here, shall we?"
Frank readied himself, drawing a gleaming sword from his spatial ring and assuming a battle stance. "Brat, you should know when to shut up. Now, die!" he roared, slashing his sword at Adams.
To everyone's shock, the sword passed through Adams as if he were a phantom. Frank's face paled, and the onlookers gasped. Even the sect master and grand elder were taken aback.
"What are you?" Frank demanded, his voice trembling.
Adams smirked. "What am I if I am not your nephew?"
"Stop playing with me! How can my sword pass through you as if you were thin air?" Frank's frustration was evident.
Adams had used the law of space to make himself intangible, much like one of his favorite characters from an anime he had watched in his previous life. "Even if I tell you what I did, you won't be able to understand. So shut up and let's fight."
With that, Adams lunged at his uncle, their swords clashing in a shower of sparks. Frank parried the attack, barely managing to keep up with Adams' speed. Infuriated, he gathered his control over the elements of wind, increasing his speed and appearing behind Adams to deliver a sneak attack. But Adams' perception was always active, and he countered by becoming intangible again, causing Frank's blade to pass harmlessly through him.
The sect master, unable to comprehend how someone could appear intangible and impervious to attacks, decided to interfere. However, Adams quickly punched him, sending him flying.
"Old man, I have nothing against you," Adams said, not even bothering to look at the sect master. "So just stay away. This is a family matter."
Turning back to Frank, Adams smirked. "Now, where were we?"
Frank's shock deepened. His nephew had effortlessly punched a divine sage realm cultivator. Realizing Adams had been toying with him all along, he became enraged. "So you were not using your full strength in our recent exchange?"
Adams shrugged. "What can I say? You are too weak for me to fight you at my full strength."
Dark veins appeared on Frank's forehead. "How dare you call me weak! If I'm weak, then what about your father? Remember, I was the one who killed your pathetic, good-for-nothing father."
Adams' smile vanished, replaced by a deadly seriousness. "Care to repeat that again?"
Frank sneered. "I said your father was wea—"
Before he could finish, Adams sent him flying with a punch. Frank crashed into the nearest building, skidding through several sect structures, leaving destruction in his wake. The faces of many disciples and elders changed, filled with fear and awe.
Adams didn't care about the damage. He stretched out his hand, using his control over space to telekinetically drag his uncle back to him. With a powerful punch, he sent Frank hurtling into the sky, where the clouds began to darken ominously.
Meanwhile, Jack and the others had reached their families and Anderson, who were waiting for them. They noticed the darkening sky.
"What's happening over there?" Mabel asked, her voice filled with concern.
Jack shrugged. "I guess they've made him mad. Damn, when he was always smiling, he was scary, but now that he's mad, I wonder what will happen."
Janice sighed. "I guess the destruction of the imperial sect."
Her casual remark left everyone silent, except for Jack, who sighed again. They made their way to their families.
Linda, Jack and Janice's mother, looked worried. "Where is the young master?"
Jack was speechless. Why was she worrying about that monster when her children were powerless to protect themselves? "He is the one causing this mess."
Linda frowned. "What do you mean by mess?"
Janice clarified, "What he meant is that Adams is currently in an ongoing battle."
Hearing this, Anderson decided to join the fight. "I'm going to join him. You guys have the things he gave you, right?"
They all nodded. Anderson flew towards the imperial sect, leaving Awar surprised.
"What is he?" Awar asked, bewildered.
Jack replied with a hint of sarcasm, "Oh, lazy prince, you finally spoke. About Anderson—obviously, he is a human. Why do you ask?"
Awar shook his head. "He is not a human. He is a demon, but also of another race I didn't get to know before he left."
The revelation shocked Jack and Janice. The person who had been with them was not human, but a mixed breed of two races.
Back at the battlefield, Frank struggled to recover from Adams' relentless assault. He spat blood, his body aching from the impact. "So you were holding back," he muttered.
Adams descended slowly, his eyes cold and unforgiving. "You still don't know your situation, uncle. You should be begging me, not the other way around. Who are you to tell me about consequences when you should be the one preparing for what's about to befall you?"
The temperature dropped sharply, and the air grew thick with Adams' killing intent. The sect master, recognizing the danger, tried to reason with Frank. "Duke Frank, what happened between you and the young man?"
Frank's pride refused to let him show weakness. "This is a family matter and does not concern you."
Adams looked at Alec, who was still alive and gasping for air. He contemplated killing him right then but decided against it. He wanted Alec to witness his father's demise, just as he had watched his own parents die at Frank's hands.
"Uncle, you were the one who killed my father," Adams said, his voice like ice. "Now, it's time for you to pay."
Frank's eyes widened in fear as Adams advanced on him, the sky above growing darker with each step. Lightning crackled, and thunder rumbled ominously. Adams summoned a blade, its edge glowing with a deadly light.
Frank, desperate, mustered all his strength and launched a powerful wind attack, blades of air slicing through the sky towards Adams. But Adams moved with blinding speed, effortlessly dodging the attack and closing the distance between them.
"Is that all you've got?" Adams taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. "Pathetic."
With a swift motion, Adams swung his blade, and Frank barely managed to block it. The force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air, causing the ground to tremble. Frank gritted his teeth, trying to hold his ground.
Adams intensified his assault, each strike faster and more powerful than the last. Frank struggled to keep up, his movements becoming increasingly sluggish. Sweat poured down his face as he realized he was outmatched.
In a final, desperate attempt, Frank channeled all his energy into a massive wind vortex, hoping to trap Adams within. But Adams merely smiled and raised his hand. The vortex dissipated, its power absorbed by Adams' control over space.
"You're finished," Adams declared, his voice echoing through the battlefield.
With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed a torrent of energy, sending Frank crashing into the ground. The impact created a massive crater, and Frank lay motionless at its center, his body broken and defeated.
Adams descended into the crater, standing over his fallen uncle. "This is for my father,"