The protective golden barrier shattered instantly. Aziel was hurled backward like a kite with Its string cut, his body slamming into the stone wall with a thunderous crash. The impact carved a deep crater into the ancient stone, debris crumbling around him.
“W-What?” Dexton’s pupils shrank to pinpricks. His expression twisted in disbelief.
The hand that had been casually stroking his beard froze in mid-motion, only for to realize, too late, that he’d yanked out several strands.
A Wandering Immortal Realm Level Three… Overwhelmed a Level Five with a single punch?
From the rubble, Aziel groaned and dragged himself upright. His face was ghostly pale, a trail of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He looked down, eyes wide, at the scorched imprint of a fist burned into his chest. Disbelief flickered in his gaze, followed by a hint of dread.
Nymeria, too, was speechless. She knew Aziel’s strength. He wasn’t just powerful, was Heavenfall Pavilion’s prodigy, someone who could fight above his level.
But the sight before them defied logic. Aziel, a cultivator two realms above Jared, had been sent flying by a single punch. He had even wielded a powerful weapon, while Jared fought barehanded, yet it was Aziel who lay battered.
The contrast was staggering. Jared didn’t just overpower him, humiliated him!
Watching from the sidelines, Jemima exhaled, the knot of anxiety in chest finally easing. Relief flooded through her, followed quickly by awe. Her heart beat faster.
Strong. Handsome. Fearless. What woman wouldn’t feel drawn to such a man?
“You’ve got some skill,” Aziel spat, slowly rising from the rubble. His voice shook with fury.
“But don’t get cocky. It’s not enough!” He let out a roar of frustration, the sound echoing through the ruins. To him, this wasn’t just defeat. It was humiliation.
In the Heavenfall Pavilion, was hailed as a prodigy, revered by his peers, admired by all. But today, had been crushed by someone younger, lower-ranked, and unarmed. And the sting of that truth burned more than any wound.
Suddenly, Aziel coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Golden light burst from his body, surging like a tidal wave. Behind him, a colossal figure emerged, an awe-inspiring deity clad in radiant golden armor, gripping a halberd that shimmered with divine might.
Lightning crackled in its eyes, and its presence exuded oppression.
“The apparition?” Dexton’s expression darkened, his brows knitting tightly.
As the apparition fully manifested, the entire ruin trembled violently, cracks webbing across the stone beneath their feet. Aziel’s aura surged explosively, pushing to the cusp of Wandering Immortal Realm Level Six.
“This guy’s gone mad,” Nymeria muttered, shaking head. “Calling out his apparition this early… It’ll wreck his foundation if pushes too far…”
“Die!” Aziel bellowed.
Clasping his hands together, the golden apparition mirrored his movements. A titanic palm formed in the heavens-blindingly bright, etched with divine lines. At its center blazed the word “suppression”.
The palm descended. Its sheer size eclipsed the sky above, blotting out light as it came crashing down with cataclysmic force.
It was the Demon Suppression Palm, Aziel’s strongest move!
Even before the strike landed, the ground had already begun to collapse. Stone slabs beneath Jared’s feet shattering Inch by inch under the immense pressure.
Jared lifted his head. A flicker of solemnity passed through his eyes, but remained calm.
With practiced speed, formed seals with both hands. The energies within roared to life, swirling into a vast black vortex that encircled him. Within its depths, stars seemed to drift faintly, as though capable of devouring all power.
The golden palm crashed down with thunderous might, but the instant it touched the black vortex, it began to disintegrate, slowly consumed by the swirling darkness.
The word “suppression” quivered violently, then burst apart into a cascade of radiant fragments that scattered across the sky like shattered stars.
Boom!
The lingering force of the colossal strike slammed into the ground, carving out a ten-foot-deep palm-shaped crater.
Smoke and dust erupted into the air, blanketing the ruins in haze.
As the smoke and dust settled, Jared remained standing. A thin trail of fresh blood traced down the corner of his mouth, and his shirt hung in tatters, torn by the force of the blow.
“How… How is this possible?” Aziel gasped, face drained of all color. The other party actually withstood his strongest attack.
Jared wiped the blood away with the back of his hand, his gaze sharpening. “Now is… My turn…”
In a flash, the Dragonslayer Sword appeared in his grip. The spiritual energy within surged like a volcanic eruption, flooding the air with raw power.
With a single swing, countless sword shadows burst from his body, weaving together into a net of sword energy.
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, the swirling shadows coalesced, forming a colossal sword nearly a hundred feet long. Crimson dragon runes
spiraled along its surface, glowing with ancient might. At the tip, a cold, piercing light flickered like a star in the void.
With overwhelming force, the massive blade came cleaving down toward Aziel.
Aziel hastily summoned a golden shield, but it was sliced cleanly in two by a single blow.
