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Chapter 504: End of Sparring
At the battle area, already scarred by destruction, Sect Master Kang and Aldrian stood facing each other from a distance of 500 meters. Their auras blared around them, the space between trembling under the pressure. The air felt hot, and the atmosphere was suffocating—yet both figures wore excited expressions as they smiled.
Though their bodies were already wounded and bruised, they did not seem to care.
"How about we use one technique to decide the winner?" Sect Master Kang said with a smile. "I know you’re still holding back. If we continue like this, we might end up fighting for days or even weeks."
Aldrian smiled at him.
"The same goes for you, Sect Master. But I’ll follow your suggestion. One technique, then."
Their auras thickened, but it was clear to everyone that Aldrian’s was more dominant. It could not be helped—his aura was shaped by a body that contained golden energy, and such energy had its own properties. One of them was demanding submission.
Sect Master Kang, being the closest, felt the full weight of it. His heart trembled, and for a moment, an urge to kneel surged within him.
This feeling was the same as when he first met Aldrian during their meeting at Thorny Flower Garden three years ago, but now it was even stronger.
"Hahahaha!" Sect Master Kang suddenly burst into laughter, and his own aura flared up, as if unwilling to be overshadowed.
"This is it! This is the sensation I’ve longed for—the thrill of battle, of facing a powerful opponent!" he roared, taking a stance as if preparing to unleash a devastating blow. He drew both hands to his waist, his eyes locked on Aldrian with a slightly crazed expression.
Aldrian mirrored the same stance, but this time, he added the power of another domain. With that, he believed it would be enough—one technique to decide it.
Black Dragon Fist, Third Technique: Collapsing Void.
"Ha!"
Sect Master Kang finally unleashed his fist technique, thrusting both fists forward toward Aldrian. The color of reality seemed to fade before his strike. Cracks tore through the space around his fists, revealing the void beyond.
A spatial storm erupted as his fist technique blasted forward, carrying enough power to obliterate everything in its path and surging toward Aldrian at a speed beyond what the naked eye could follow.
But Aldrian had already launched his own technique.
He was duplicating Sect Master Kang’s movements, but infused them with his own comprehension, aligning them with the technique rather than merely copying it. As he punched, space shattered around him, and the force surged forward to meet the incoming strike—his power based in his comprehension of space laws.
His punch tore open an even wider spatial crack in front of him, and it surged forward to meet the incoming attack. When the two techniques collided—
Boom!
Rumble! Rumble!
The shockwave swept through the battle area as the spatial storm raged. It was as if a different world had opened before them—the void expanding, growing larger with every passing moment. Yet even the void seemed unstable, its form flickering and trembling from the force of the clash.
Sect Master Kang stood firm, his arms still in the same position as his gaze remained fixed on the result of their technique’s clash. However, he was stunned when he sensed his technique faltering, losing in just a second before Aldrian’s attack reached him. In that split second, he swiftly raised both forearms, shielding his body and head.
Once Aldrian’s punch technique reached Sect Master Kang, the impact sent his body sliding for several hundred meters in an instant, destroying the ground beneath him. He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to resist the force and stop himself, but the power of the punch felt like being pushed by something the weight of an entire mountain, compressed into a single blow.
"Argh!" he roared, attempting to stand his ground, but it was futile. The force continued to push him, making him slide for kilometers. The ground beneath him buckled as his body carved a path, leaving deep depressions along the way.
"ARGH!" Sect Master Kang finally couldn’t hold on any longer. His body lost balance after sliding for more than three kilometers. He tumbled, rolling repeatedly, but the residual power of Aldrian’s technique kept pushing him. His body continued to spin until he was flung backward like a projectile.
Boom! Thud!
Aldrian’s punch technique finally spent its remaining energy and dissipated, and the chaotic spatial storm began to heal itself. Sect Master Kang’s body came to a stop after being hurled across the battle area, now a full 14 kilometers away from Aldrian.
Dust and debris filled the air, and the chaotic remnants of the spatial storm obscured any clear view of the scene.
The elders watching from afar could only stare in speechless disbelief. The battle area, spanning 16 square kilometers, had been completely devastated, with the landscape completely altered. However, the most shocking sight was seeing their sect master flung so far away—something none of them had ever witnessed before. It was the first time they had seen their sect master pushed back in such a way, and they couldn’t help but turn their gaze toward Aldrian.
"This young man is truly a monster," the elders thought.
Although they already knew his identity, they hadn’t seen him draw his sword at all during the battle. He fought Sect Master Kang as if he were a cultivator focused solely on body cultivation, relying on his muscles and raw strength. What kind of cultivation technique could he possibly possess to make him so powerful in every aspect?
The dust and dirt slowly cleared, and the spatial cracks began to close, but Sect Master Kang’s body remained motionless in the center of the crater. His form was covered in wounds, blood staining his skin, and a few of his bones were cracked. Yet, he seemed indifferent to his injuries as he stared expressionlessly at the sky.
He had lost.
He couldn’t block Aldrian’s attack and had been overpowered by it. In that brief moment, he had sensed the sheer power behind Aldrian’s strike. He couldn’t help but sigh. Aldrian hadn’t even drawn his sword or used any elemental techniques. He fought as if he were a cultivator focused solely on body cultivation.
Though Aldrian hadn’t gone all out, the feeling of defeat lingered bitterly in his chest.
He had still lost, in a battle fought through the methods of a body cultivator.
His vision was soon blocked by the silhouette of Aldrian, who looked down at him with a smile. Sect Master Kang gazed up at Aldrian, unable to stop himself from sighing.
"I lost."
"Well, that was a good fight," Aldrian said, his smile never fading. "I’m truly enlightened by the experience and have learned so much from it."
"You are too humble, young master. With your strength, how could—"
"I’m not lying," Aldrian interrupted. "This fight really taught me a lot, Sect Master. My strength may be greater, but there’s still so much I need to learn in combat. Fighting you truly opened my eyes to how strong and brutal body cultivators are. Even though you didn’t unleash your full power, it still gave me quite a hard time. Can you see how bad my wounds were just now?" His tone sincere.
Aldrian’s robe was torn in several places, revealing the wounds and bruises, but his golden energy had already healed his body, restoring him swiftly.
Sect Master Kang finally showed a smile. Although he still believed that Aldrian said all of that to make himself humble, he couldn’t help but feel positive because of Aldrian’s words.
Aldrian then offered his hand to help Sect Master Kang stand up, which he accepted. As soon as their hands touched, Sect Master Kang suddenly felt a warmth spread through his body, and all the wounds started to heal quickly. He was stunned by the sensation, unable to help but marvel at the golden energy’s effects and the way it made him feel.
After a few seconds, all of Sect Master Kang’s wounds had healed, and he felt completely refreshed, as if they had never fought.
"Amazing," Sect Master Kang said as he looked at his body, noticing that all his wounds, including the internal ones, had already healed.
"Anyway, it looks like we’ve caused quite a scene here and attracted a lot of attention," Aldrian remarked, surveying the surrounding destruction. The once-flat rocky land was now full of deep craters and ruined terrain. In fact, the area could now be called a mini canyon.
The elders continued to watch from a distance, their gazes filled with amazement.
"Let’s go back to the sect first, at least you can change your robe before you leave," Sect Master Kang suggested, glancing at Aldrian’s torn robe.
They made their way back to the sect, and Aldrian didn’t stay long after returning. He had a brief discussion with Sect Master Kang before finally heading back to Thorny Flower Garden.
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For the next three days, news of what happened in the Demon territory spread across the continent. However, this kind of news no longer came as a surprise. Empires like Doria and Vindas had already experienced similar events, with the devils infiltrating in large numbers and causing chaos.
The three great sects had also announced that they would begin purging traitors, gathering those who were not contaminated by the devils’ influence. From many people’s perspective, it seemed as though another civil war was about to erupt on the continent. It was expected that those who had become traitors would not surrender easily, even if it meant sacrificing their families.
Just as the purging operation was about to begin, Aldrian appeared near one of the families that had already become a target.
