NOVPUB
Chapter 151: The Last Strike
Before the lightning strike descended, Aldrian had already bear the immense pressure that caused the ground beneath him to crack. The thick heavenly aura surrounding him also tried to force him into submission. Yet Aldrian stood tall, his golden energy flaring to its fullest as he resisted heaven’s attempt to bring him down.
A thunderous voice echoed, and black and red lightning—imbued with the power of heavenly judgment unlike anything ever seen on the continent filled the sky. Aldrian’s smile had grown crazed. His entire body thrummed with excitement, anticipating the prospect of blocking the most powerful strike he had ever faced, one delivered by the heavens themselves.
He quickly circulated his energy, focusing it into a hardened dome shield. This final strike was different from any before; Aldrian could sense that the heavens had broken their own rules for this attack. It had deviated from their usual pattern, marking this as a special occasion. If he didn’t defend with all his might, he might truly die.
The energy in his entire domain surged in a single direction as Aldrian poured everything he had into blocking the strike. Everyone within his domain—people, spirits, and beasts alike—could feel the energy’s movement. Even nature lent its support. Some spiritual trees released vast amounts of energy from their cores, while certain cultivation resources exuded a denser, more potent energy than ever before.
This was also true for the world trees throughout the entire Ivory Empire, which released even thicker streams of energy than usual in an effort to aid their lord. Olivia and Alice, spirits of the world trees, could sense Aldrian’s call and gladly gave their utmost help, though he was far away.
With the vast flow of energy surging across Aldrian’s domain, a breathtaking phenomenon unfolded. All living beings could see streams of vibrant, colored energy, forming a grand aurora in the sky. Like rivers branching out, these radiant currents converged toward a single source.
As the controller of all this energy, Aldrian didn’t waste a single bit of what his domain was providing. The heavens themselves seemed to wait, as though recognizing this gathering of power. Only once he had fortified the dome shield with three additional layers did the heavens release their most thunderous roar.
At last, the final strike descended.
Aldrian braced himself, having created the strongest defense he could muster within the limits of his domain.
BOOM!!!
The strike landed with immense force, its thunderous sound resounding across the entire continent. Even those on the western side caught a glimpse of the intense lightning flash, and the aura of the heavens was palpable to every inhabitant of the land.
When the lightning struck the first layer of the dome shield, it shattered instantly. As it touched the second layer, it didn’t break immediately but was destroyed after holding for a second. Upon reaching the third layer, the shield held for a few seconds before cracks began to spread.
Knowing it wouldn’t last, Aldrian created an armor of golden energy around his body, activating his peak heaven-grade artifact armor. He also formed an earth barrier reinforced with his space laws, hoping the lightning might be absorbed into the spatial folds if it touched the barrier. At this point, he used every defense he could muster to withstand the incoming strike.
Finally, the dome shield shattered, and the lightning met his earth and space laws barrier. Aldrian’s eyes widened as the lightning pierced through his space defenses and destroying the earth barrier as if it weren’t there. The lightning finally reached Aldrian, with its power still strong enough to kill him.
He was instantly electrified by the force of the heavenly lightning as his peak heaven-grade armor shattered under the intense power, leaving him protected only by his golden energy armor—which soon collapsed as well. Unlike before, when he had merely touched the lightning with his finger, now his entire body felt engulfed in a sea of lightning.
He felt as if his body were on the verge of bursting from within. Dizzy and struggling to maintain focus, his energy circulation was in chaos and he teetered on the edge of blacking out. Yet his golden energy still blazed around him, trying to expel the rampaging lightning within. This was the first time he had experienced such excruciating pain, even sensing his skin beginning to melt.
But he refused to give up, roaring with all his might as his entire domain trembled from the impact.
"ARRGHH... I WILL SURVIVE!"
He wanted to declare to the heavens that he had returned and would survive this trial, even though he still didn’t fully understand their shared past. Now, he was here as Aldrian Aster.
Then he felt it— a new intent within this lightning. Amidst his struggle, a gentle warmth began to spread through his body. As for the lightning had nearly exhausted its energy, he only needed to hold on a few seconds longer.
And in that moment, amidst the heavenly lightning he struggled to endure, he felt an embrace—a genuine hug, as if two beings long separated had finally reunited. He couldn’t fully comprehend this sensation while still grappling with the lightning, but he was stunned as the intent became clearer, shaping into a form of communication he could understand vividly.
Welcome back.
It was the clearest communication he’d ever felt from the heavens, almost as if he’d heard an actual voice, though it might have been his imagination. He managed a rigid smile, still fighting to withstand the lightning’s persistence within him. Finally, after a few more seconds, the lightning dissipated, and Aldrian stood tall, still standing.
His body was covered in burn wounds, his disguise gone, revealing the true form of Aldrian Aster with his red hair. Most of his hair had been singed away, and his once-handsome face was marred with burn marks, making him nearly unrecognizable—like a man on the edge of death.
With half-closed eyes, he looked up at the sky. He felt tired, weak, yearning to fall asleep. His dantian was completely drained, every ounce of his strength exhausted, yet he remained standing.
At last, the black clouds began to slowly dissipate, allowing sunlight to break through and illuminate the earth. He wasn’t sure when it happened, but the violent phenomena around Dragon Back Mountain had ceased; the powerful winds were gone, and the mountain’s formation had stopped functioning.
Finally, Aldrian slumped to the ground. He wanted to disguise himself again, but he had nothing left to give. In this moment, he was more vulnerable than ever in his life.
"I need to stay awake!" he muttered, struggling to keep his eyes open despite the overwhelming urge to sleep. He tried to circulate his energy, but even that simple act felt unbearably heavy.
Suddenly, he noticed the shadow of someone approaching from his side. His vision was too blurry to make out who it was, but when they reached his side, he heard a muffled voice.
"So, this is you without your disguise."
Though he couldn’t hear the words clearly, Aldrian managed to guess who it was. And with that thought, he drifted into darkness.
-------------------------------
In an unknown place, a man sat cross-legged. His white robe was pristine, and his serene, aged face was untouched by any stain. All around him was a vast white space devoid of furniture, filled with a strange, rich energy so potent that any cultivator would be tempted to remain here and cultivate for eternity.
The old man was meditating with closed eyes when he suddenly opened them, frowning as he sensed a disturbance tugging at his heart. He closed his eyes once more, attempting to trace the source of this anomaly. Yet, as he tried to follow its trail, his vision was blocked by an unknown power, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"It’s coming from a small part of the First Heaven! How is that possible?! We nearly breached complete control over the First Heaven, yet this one part has somehow grown stronger! Even I can’t see into this fragment of the world! How?" he pondered.
"They must have sensed the disturbance as well. This is troubling—what kind of power can block my perception?"
The old man still felt doubt about what he had just sensed, but he closed his eyes once again, allowing his uncertainties to sink deep into the recesses of his mind.
"Whatever it may be, sooner or later, all of this will end."
