NOVPUB
Chapter 160: Against the Greed Devil
The death laws, pulling at living souls like a devouring abyss, make the Greed Devil’s body tremble momentarily before he regains control. Any lingering doubt in his mind that Aldrian was responsible for triggering the heavenly tribulation vanishes, now he is certain that this young man is the real deal.
The same chilling sensation he felt when he saw the swirling black energy reaching the sky before the tribulation returns, though this golden-black energy feels more refined and oppressive. He doesn’t know exactly what kind of golden or black energy this is, but he knows it signals danger.
Keeping one hand hidden behind his back, he crushes a teleportation talisman to escape. While he is confident he could fight, or even kill, Aldrian, he knows that spreading word to the other devils of this singularity—someone capable of disrupting their plans across the continent—is more crucial right now. If Aldrian already wields power capable of killing an emperor-stage opponent while only at the peak of the Earl stage, reaching the peak Marquess or Duke stage would make him nearly invincible across the continent.
His lord had warned him and the other Seven Deadly Sins of an approaching prophesied event, cautioning that an unknown factor would likely emerge. Now, he realizes he’s encountered such a factor, a young man with power beyond comprehension, whose origin and name remain mysterious. With abilities like these, he should have already been known continent-wide, yet he seems to have appeared out of nowhere.
Upon crushing the talisman, he disappeared instantly but reappeared only two kilometers from Aldrian, sensing him approaching at a leisurely pace. He was shocked, as the talisman should have teleported him as far as 5,000 kilometers away.
"Wha—" He finally realizes the problem: a thin spatial barrier, invisible from a distance, is blocking his teleportation. Though the barrier appears thin, it holds complex spatial laws that prevent spatial techniques from working inside or outside of it. In short, he’s trapped.
He’d underestimated Aldrian and his methods, not noticing that a barrier had surrounded them all along.
"Why are you running? Aren’t you confident in killing me?" Aldrian’s voice cuts through his shock, already coming from behind him. When he turns, he sees Aldrian standing just 100 meters away and sighs.
"You are truly incredible. How is someone like you not famous already? Where did you come from?"
"You’ll have to make me tell you," Aldrian says, shrugging.
"I see. I don’t have a choice, then." He pulls out a mid-divine-grade sword, its blade emanating dark energy that spreads its formidable aura around them. He knows he must end this battle quickly, preventing Aldrian from releasing that strange energy. As for Aldrian, he raises an eyebrow, impressed by the Greed Devil’s collection.
"You really are a walking treasure trove. I wonder how many divine-grade artifacts you’ve stolen in your life."
He finally draws Eternal Spirit, knowing there’s no way he can face a mid-divine sword with only a peak-heaven sword. Eternal Spirit is the only divine-grade sword he possesses. When the Greed Devil sees the sword in Aldrian’s hand, he is stunned by the appearance of this unfamiliar divine-grade weapon.
"I... want... it," he murmurs, his previously calm expression twisting into a crazed smile. The sudden change is striking to Aldrian.
"I WANT YOUR SWORD!" He dashes at full speed, slashing at Aldrian, who blocks with Eternal Spirit. Their clash causes the very fabric of space to collapse, creating cracks that ripple outward.
Clang! Ting! Clang!
The Greed Devil seems like he’s lost his mind, yet each of his attacks is precise and heavy, forcing Aldrian to step back with each clash. Aldrian grins, feeling the real battle has just begun. He’s in full focus, knowing he can’t afford carelessness in such a high-speed duel. Emperor-stage opponents are no joke, and with the Greed Devil wielding numerous artifacts, even a moment’s lapse could cost him his life.
Their swords clash relentlessly, wreaking havoc on the surroundings as the ground is torn up, and space fractures, triggering a spatial storm. Debris flies in all directions, but they ignore it, clashing like madmen.
12 Movements of the Void Sword
The Greed Devil suddenly shifts stance, preparing to unleash a technique. Aldrian watches as his opponent’s sword seems to appear and disappear, becoming an elusive blur. Yet he instantly understands the technique’s intricacies.
"The sword uses the void of space to make its movements unreadable, creating the illusion of appearing and disappearing." With his mastery over space laws, Aldrian tracks the sword’s movement, blocking with ease. However, each movement creates an unpredictable pattern, giving Aldrian insight into how the sword could be wielded in this elusive way.
By now, the space around them is riddled with cracks and violent spatial storms, creating a terrifying sight of black void where the usual layers of space have been torn open. Suddenly, amid their clash, the Greed Devil throws something at Aldrian. Sensing it instantly, Aldrian raises a barrier around himself.
BOOM!
A massive explosion shakes the entire Dragon Back Mountain. A mushroom cloud reaches the top of the barrier Aldrian had created to trap the Greed Devil. At the explosion’s center, a large chunk of the space layer is obliterated, with the spatial storm pulling everything into its chaotic vortex. The Greed Devil only smiles at his masterpiece; he’d thrown an explosive powerful enough to kill even a high Emperor stage!
The ground has transformed, a vast crater now marking the explosion site. Standing at the barrier’s edge, the Greed Devil suddenly slaps his forehead.
"Haiyaa, if that explosion killed the boy, that middle divine-grade sword would be lost in the spatial storm!"
He waits for the smoke to clear and the spatial cracks to mend. When he finally sees the giant crater clearly, he’s stunned to find Aldrian still alive! Seeing Aldrian unharmed, the Greed Devil manages to regain some control over himself, realizing that he couldn’t end Aldrian in his frenzied state.
"That sword... I want it! I’ve never seen one with such unknown properties. Where did you find it? Who forged it? Tell me! No... I’ll take it myself, and you’ll tell me everything!" he declares, his expression twisted with obsession.
Aldrian looks at the Greed Devil’s current condition and can only sigh, lamenting his own weakness.
"I don’t know what other artifacts he has or what tricks he might be hiding, but it seems I’m still too weak to capture him alive." Initially, he had planned to subdue the Greed Devil and his right-hand man to extract vital information, but the reality is that they are formidable opponents as a duo.
Their numerous high-level artifacts are a significant headache, each providing them with various ways to hinder him. Capturing them alive is difficult while they are together, that’s why he needs to eliminate Erik first to lighten his burden and focus on capturing the Greed Devil. For this high-value target, Aldrian naturally chooses the Greed Devil as his final opponent, knowing he must possess valuable information.
However, after their clash, Aldrian has to admit the truth, the Greed Devil lives up to his name, boasting powerful cultivation and techniques, along with an array of artifacts. Aldrian is currently too weak to catch him alive. He could continue fighting until the Greed Devil exhausts all his energy, but he remains uncertain about what kind of trump card or artifact might emerge next.
"Well, although it’s unfortunate, I have to kill you now to reduce the devils’ fighting force." Aldrian sheathes his sword and smiles at the Greed Devil.
"You’re truly a tough opponent, but it’s a shame it has to end this way." he said.
The Greed Devil remains unfazed, staring back at Aldrian.
"Is that so? You’re an arrogant bastard who doesn’t grasp the vastness of heaven and earth. While you may be a singularity, I doubt you can withstand this." Suddenly, the Greed Devil stores his middle divine-grade sword and pulls out another. As he draws this new sword, the surrounding energy is drawn toward it, causing the space to tremble under its immense pressure.
The aura of the sword spreads throughout Dragon Back Mountain, intensifying the Greed Devil’s presence, making it stronger and more ferocious as he transforms into his devil form.
Aldrian’s eyes widen as he takes in the sword’s full glory, feeling the strongest aura he has ever sensed from an artifact. 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
"A High Divine Grade Sword!"
