Chapter 42: Ascendance (2)

I am a Tianjiao, the pride of the Blood Clan.

As a Tianjiao of our generation, we must grow stronger to avoid bringing shame to our clan in the eyes of others.

Every day is all about training, training, and more training.

The clan only provides cultivation resources to those deemed worthy.

This results in fierce competition among the Tianjiao.

Being strong is enjoyable, but it gets boring if you're the only one at the top.

This is what I learned after killing countless members of my own clan.

In the end, I reached the final stage of the Quasi Realm.

All that remains is ascending to the sixth floor and heading toward the seventh.

Here, I met countless Tianjiao from other races.

Each of them fights for their own cause—power, wealth, treasures, thrones, or even women.

Truthfully, we're all just battling here out of boredom while waiting for the transport to the Seventh Heaven.

Since it takes one to three years for the barrier between floors to weaken, the higher-ups created a massive continent as an arena capable of withstanding even a Sage-level assault.

"I'm curious, why did you attack me?"

"I just wanted to fight. Are you seriously asking that question?"

Now, I've encountered this strange person.

He came along with a strong Tianjiao from the Yggdrasil Clan, even holding hands with a child whose power radiates catastrophe.

Clearly, he isn't an ordinary monster.

"Die!"

"Hundred of Thousand Blood Sword Tornado Attack!"

A storm of blood swords spun at extreme speed toward Arov.

"Skill Creation."

A brief visualization and imagination occurred in Arov's mind.

[Wind + Flame]

"Tempest Flame."

[A new skill has been created: Tempest Flame (Quasi Realm—Profound Stage)]

A rapidly spinning flame tornado formed in Arov's hand.

Its heat felt like molten magma.

Tempest Flame launched and collided with the Hundred of Thousand Blood Sword Tornado Attack.

The collision obliterated the ground, painting the sky red and orange.

The two tornadoes clashed, wind against wind, fire against blood, their forces destroying and corroding one another.

Finally, they couldn't hold their power any longer and exploded mid-air.

Thankfully, due to the chaos caused by Minerva earlier, the monsters in the area had already moved far from the blast zone.

Crimson mist and fiery embers spread with the wind, scorching forests, corroding mountains, and leaving destruction in their wake.

The sky trembled as a powerful sonic blast swept across hundreds of meters.

Xue Shaoran unsheathed his blood sword once again and struck at Arov.

"You're not an ordinary Quasi Realm cultivator. Let's see more of your strength!"

Xue Shaoran kicked at Arov's stomach, but the latter deflected it with his sword.

Still, the impact sent Arov flying.

"Relentless Chains of Blood."

Hundreds of massive chains with sharp ends emerged from spatial cracks, piercing Arov's body one by one.

"Flame Incarnation."

[Skill Flame Incarnation (Grandmaster—Entry Stage >>> Quasi Realm—Profound Stage) has been activated.]

The space around the chains fractured wherever they passed.

In an instant, the shattered space healed, leaving no trace of its damage.

Xue Shaoran narrowed his eyes.

"Where did he go?"

His instincts as a Tianjiao warned him of imminent danger.

"Heh, fool."

A sharp slap landed on Xue Shaoran's face, sending him flying.

"You… How dare you?!"

The thin crown above Xue Shaoran's head erupted, energy radiating uncontrollably.

The blood element around his body surged wildly.

"I'll kill you!"

"Crimson Dominion."

Blood energy spread across the horizon, weakening every living being within its range.

Arov frowned.

Thirty percent of my strength has been reduced!

The blood element gathered into a vortex around Xue Shaoran.

Is it because I'm the only one here?

"This is worse than I thought."

The blood tornado was torn apart from within by a clawed hand encased in iron.

"It's just the two of us here, so it's pointless for me to use this technique."

[Fire + Absorption]

A murderous aura spread across the battlefield.

Because I'm the target, the pressure I feel is much greater than anyone else would.

[A new skill has been created: Flame Devourer (Quasi Realm—Innate Stage)]

A faint black flame appeared in Arov's grasp.

"Advance, Flame Devourer."

The black flame flared, forming an immense web that matched the spread of the blood element.

The Flame Devourer collided with the blood element, consuming it entirely!

Some sparks of the black flame hit the mountains, reducing them to ash instantly.

The blood element spread further from Xue Shaoran, threatening to engulf him if he didn't sever his energy flow.

"Hmm? A flame that burns by consuming its target's power? You're no ordinary opponent."

Xue Shaoran clenched his fists, chanting a complex incantation.

His glowing red eyes shimmered with intense light.

"Bloodforged Aegis Shield."

A magnificent shield formed from blood enveloped Xue Shaoran.

The shield quickly covered the areas consumed by Flame Devourer, extinguishing the seemingly endless flames.

"Wow, how did you do that?"

"Haha, don't be too surprised. This isn't over yet!"

In the next moment, the black flames engulfed Arov's entire body.

"W-what?!"

"Let me tell you something. Bloodforged Aegis Shield can reflect half the damage it absorbs. Ah, don't think I'm foolish for revealing my technique's effect—just consider it a gesture of friendship."

The trait of Flame Devourer, which devours its target's energy to sustain itself, was now being turned against its creator.

Arov gathered water energy at a single point and spread it across his body.

"Voidforged Eternia."

A purple portal opened to the void, slicing away the damaged parts of Arov's flesh and discarding them into the abyss.

This process lasted only a second.

"Verdant Regrowth."

[Skill Verdant Regrowth (Grandmaster—Profound Stage >>> Quasi Realm—Innate Stage)]

His injured skin and flesh began to regenerate.

"Fighting an Elementalist is always troublesome."

Xue Shaoran's gaze burned with intensity.

Suddenly, an idea came to me.

I have a good feeling about this.

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Yes?"

This moment marked the beginning of their friendship.

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Sorry for the delay in uploading, I forgot I didn't set the chapter for yesterday. Tbh, thx for reading ~