Cultivation Through Artifacts

Clang!

BAM!

Tremble!

Ripples flew everywhere and the surrounding treasures were blasted away whenever Khal and the weapon collided with each other.

Jas watched the sight from afar with awe, but couldn't help feeling lost and helpless.

Although he decided that, he would help Khal if things changed to that of the worst, he realized he was rather naive. Not only was the two moving with speed which made his head a little bit dizzy even with his cultivation base, but the strength they fought was on a completely different level too!

Jas knew for sure that if this fight would have happened anywhere else, the entire surroundings would have been leveled to the ground in seconds if not instantly!

While Jas spectated the fight with the slightly loosened jaw, Khal on the other hand sweated like crazy. His eyes shone with a sharp glint showing his level of concentration while he used everything he possibly could to beat the scythe.

However, no matter if he used every ounce of his physical strength which was a scary thing to think about, or if he used his Talents, the scythe seemed to be always on par with him, sometimes even taking the advantage to push him back.

Khal even tried to use his Stellar Domain, seeing if it could influence the weapon's movement or not, but unfortunately, the results were disappointing. His ability was completely useless, not even affecting it in the slightest.

What was even worse, that because he fought a weapon, which was made out of metal instead of flesh and blood, Khal's Bloodshed Touch and Life and Death Sword became a good-for-nothing.

'Just how strong is this weapon? It's obviously stronger than me yet it still fights me.' Khal thought as he defended against the weapons attack with his fan, and then continued, 'Or did it challenge me just to bully me? If that's the case I won't hesitate to consume it and destroy it!'

[If I were you, I wouldn't do something so foolish. Or at least not until you have a death wish.]

Just as Khal was ready to use his World Devourer Physique to consume the weapon with one swallow, Nova's voice sounded in his head.

'Foolish? Why?' Khal asked Nova as he avoided another attack just barely enough to miss his right eye.

[Just think about it. That weapon originates from a Higher Realm, so it is obviously stronger than you. So what will happen if you, who couldn't even be considered as a mere ant before the weakest entity from the Second Realm, try to consume it?]

Realizing his mistake Khal sucked in a mouthful of cold air. 

'Then I would be killed from the inside without the chance to regret my decision...'

[Precisely.]

Khal remained silent as he continued to defend against the attacks and sighed. It seemed irritation has taken a roll on him and he almost made a rash decision that could have cost his life!

'Then what should I do? How do I beat it? I can't use half my abilities, my Secret Arts are useless here and even my enhanced strength is only enough for me to keep myself alive.'

[Did you forget what I told you?]

'You told me I have to beat it.'

Hearing that Khal was silent Nova sighed and continued to talk.

[Then let me correct myself. When I said beat, I didn't mean it in that way. You have to beat it not in an all-out fight but with a single exchange. You have to show it that you have potential and you can truly become its master.]

Khal remained silent. He has to beat the weapon with a single move but not with an all-out attack? How was the even possible?

Khal pondered and soon his eyes widened and thought about something.

[Yes, exactly that. If you do that and succeed, you will win.]

'I see, then I will give it a try right away.' Khal smiled and after taking a deep breath unsummoned his weapon and took up a firm stance. Right now, he looked like an immovable mountain that will not collapse not even if the heavens fell on it.

"What is he doing? He is completely wide open!" Jas frowned, but became shocked to see the scythe in the air stop its barrage of assaults and float motionlessly.

However, because soon the weapon exploded with a terrifying aura, pushing its strength twice above what it was previously!

'Here it comes!' Khal immediately noticed the excitement inside that suffocating presence and readied himself. It seemed the weapon waited for this very moment, and everything will be decided right now.

"Come!" Khal yelled at the weapon, even gesturing toward it with his raised hand. And the weapon needed nothing more than that and burst toward Khal with the speed that was twice if not thrice as fast as before!

Khal watched the approaching golden flash with a nonchalant look, pushing his Heaven's Eyes to their limit.

The very moment the scythe appeared a meter before him, Khal's eyes flashed with a mysterious glint, and moved, extending his arm toward the weapon.

'Dance of the Celestial Serpent Second, Fourth, and Sixth Form- Azure, Sapphire, and Apricot Snake Dance!'

Whoosh!

Using his Secret Art's second form to summon a protection field created from his essence around his palms while using his fourth and sixth form to boost his body speed, strength, and flexibility, Khal twisted his body in an unnatural way to the side and grabbed the handle of the weapon that already cut a deep wound into the side of his chest!

BOOOM!

With a firm grip, Khal tightened his fingers around the weapon and pushed every ounce of his physical strength into his arms and legs, holding it in one place.

CRACK!

Deep fissures formed below his feet once he grabbed hold of the weapon, but because the scythe traveled with speed and power that was inhumanly impossible to replicate in the First Realm, Khal was dragged forward while his feet were left deep and long trenches in the ground.

"STOP ALREADY FOR GOD DAMN SAKE!!!" Khal roared like a vast as veins bulged from below his skin on his arms, legs, and neck, using everything he could to make the weapon stop.

However, as it was still not enough Khal felt aggravated and angry at the same time, thus stomping on the ground powerfully, yelled and poured every fraction of his Body Essence into his hands.

And exactly as he did that, he felt as the remaining three sealed gates popped open while something inside him snapped.

"THIS... ENDS... NOW!"

KA-BOOOM!

TREMBLE!!!

With a quick raise of his hand, Khal slammed the weapon powerfully into the ground, sending a wild shockwave around the air that blasted everything away, including Jas, while cracks began to spread all over the ground and the walls in the distance akin to a spider web!

It was, without a question, a perfect knockout that not even the weapon was capable of defending against, burying it deep into the jade floor, halting it's movement completely!