The battlefield was tense, shrouded in the echoes of destruction and the scent of scorched earth. Lord Shen's expression was a mixture of determination and malice as he turned toward his remaining Xeon warrior guard. "Use Burning Art: Cosmic Soul Inferno," he commanded with a smirk.
The Xeon warrior bowed silently, distancing himself from Lord Shen. Standing alone amid the rubble, he muttered under his breath, "Burning Art: Cosmic Soul Inferno." Instantly, his aura surged, climbing rapidly beyond its natural limits.
Inside the Xeon warrior's inner world, his core was engulfed in raging flames. Cracks began to form on its surface, releasing bursts of raw energy. The warrior let out a guttural scream, his body trembling under the immense pain.
From a distance, Lord Shen observed with satisfaction. "This technique temporarily elevates one's power beyond the peak Xeon warrior level. Of course, the cost is permanent—losing all cultivation. But for now, Reo is finished."
A blinding pillar of white light erupted from the Xeon warrior, piercing the sky and shattering the clouds. The sheer brilliance of the technique forced Lord Shen to shield his eyes. As the light subsided, the Xeon warrior knelt, glowing with a blinding radiance, his energy crackling like lightning.
Lord Shen stepped closer, his voice filled with authority. "The technique is a success. Search for Reo. I will deal with that pest myself. Go!"
Without hesitation, the Xeon warrior, bathed in cosmic energy, vanished from sight in a blur of light. Lord Shen chuckled darkly. "So this is the power level beyond a Xeon warrior... Reo, nothing will save you now."
Meanwhile, Reo sat in the shadows of a crumbled building some distance away. He pulled the monster core from his storage bag, its green glow reflecting in his eyes. A faint smile played on his lips. "Once I refine this core, I'll reach the Xeon warrior level. Then dealing with Lord Shen and his guard will be child's play."
But suddenly, his instincts screamed danger. A chilling sense of impending doom washed over him. Reo's hand tightened around his blade, and purple flames began to wreathe its edge.
The ground beneath him trembled violently. Cracks spread like spiderwebs across the floor as the building began to collapse. Reo leaped backward, retreating just as the structure crumbled into a cloud of dust and debris.
When the dust settled, a glowing figure hovered in the sky above the ruins. Reo's eyes widened in shock. "How did Lord Shen's guard find me here, this far from their position?"
A voice answered his unspoken question, emanating from the distance. "Because he used a special method to enhance his level. You probably thought you could run, but there's no escape, Reo."
Turning toward the voice, Reo saw Lord Shen standing atop a distant structure, a smirk plastered across his face. "You've been a persistent little insect," Lord Shen sneered. "But now, you're just a fly caught in my web."
The Xeon warrior unleashed a suffocating pressure upon Reo. It was overwhelming, unlike anything Reo had felt before. Blood spurted from his mouth as he struggled to stand under the crushing weight.
Lord Shen descended gracefully, retrieving Reo's storage bag with a smug grin. Opening it, his eyes gleamed with triumph as a golden light flashed from within. But his victory was short-lived.
The Xeon warrior, still cloaked in his blazing aura, suddenly shouted, "Master Shen, put down the bag!"
Lord Shen's instincts screamed too late. From within the bag, six golden shurikens, concealed with radiant cosmic energy, shot out with deadly precision. Reo's secret ability, Spirit Reader, had activated flawlessly.
The golden blades struck true, decapitating Lord Shen in an instant. His lifeless head rolled to the ground, his face frozen in shock and disbelief.
Reo, still under the crushing pressure of the Xeon warrior's aura, revealed a faint smirk as his eyes glowed with intricate golden patterns. "You underestimated me, Lord Shen. Your arrogance was your downfall."
The Xeon warrior, oblivious to the unfolding disaster, roared in rage and turned his full attention to Reo. The aura surrounding him surged even higher, threatening to consume everything in its path.
But Reo, despite his injuries, began channeling a new energy. A golden cosmic aura erupted from his body, radiating with a celestial brilliance. Condensing the energy into a fine, razor-thin filament, Reo infused it onto the edge of his blade.
The Xeon warrior paused, his expression shifting to one of confusion and dread. "Who are you? Why is your cosmic energy golden? How can you suppress my aura?"
Reo didn't respond. His blade, now glowing with an ethereal blend of golden light and volatile purple flames, began to hum with unimaginable power. The air crackled, and the ground quaked beneath him.
The Xeon warrior raised his own sword, its brilliance matching his enhanced state. Both combatants poured every ounce of their energy into their weapons, their auras climbing to cataclysmic levels.
With a deafening roar, the two warriors clashed. The resulting explosion shattered the ground and reduced the surrounding structures to ash. The shockwave rippled through the battlefield, sending both Reo and the Xeon warrior flying in opposite directions.
As the dust and smoke settled, Reo emerged from the rubble, blood dripping from his mouth. His armor was cracked, and his body trembled from the strain. Still, he smiled wearily, his spirit unbroken.
Struggling to his feet, he staggered toward the remains of the battlefield, searching for the Xeon warrior. What he found stopped him in his tracks.
The Xeon warrior's body lay torn apart, charred and lifeless. Burn marks and gaping wounds marred his once-formidable frame.
Reo exhaled deeply and collapsed to the ground, his energy completely drained. His blade, still faintly glowing, clattered beside him. "Finally," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "It's over..."
As the silence of the battlefield settled in, Reo's mind raced with thoughts of the monster core still hidden in his storage bag. With renewed determination, he whispered to himself, "This is just the beginning..."