The Battke For His Territory

Chapter 59 — The Battle for His Territory

The forest fell silent.

Twenty-one Blackridge members stood between the trees.

At their center, the Blackridge Commander slowly raised his weapon.

A heavy black spear.

Dark Origin Energy wrapped around its blade like smoke.

Aether's eyes remained fixed on him.

[Target Analysis Complete.]

[Blackridge Commander]

[Cultivation: Origin Awakening — Stage 6]

[Weapon: Blackfang Spear]

[Threat Level: High]

Aether tightened his grip around the Executioner's Blade.

Stage 6.

The commander was stronger than him.

But Aether didn't retreat.

The commander looked toward the cave.

"Hand over the boy."

"No."

"You don't understand what you're protecting."

Aether's expression remained calm.

"Then explain."

The commander smiled.

"You aren't in a position to demand answers."

Aether raised his blade.

"Then come and make me."

The commander's smile disappeared.

"Kill him."

Twenty soldiers charged.

BOOM!

The battlefield exploded into chaos.

Gorn moved first.

The giant ape slammed both fists into the ground.

BOOOOOOM!

The earth cracked.

Several soldiers lost their footing.

Gorn charged through them like a mountain.

One soldier raised his sword.

Gorn caught the blade with his bare hand.

CRACK!

The weapon broke.

His fist followed.

BOOM!

The soldier flew through a tree.

Three others immediately surrounded Gorn.

Gorn roared.

Lyra moved before they could attack.

Lightning erupted around her body.

"Thunder Step!"

ZAP!

She disappeared.

A soldier suddenly looked behind himself.

Too late.

BOOM!

Lightning struck his chest.

He collapsed.

Another attacked Lyra from the side.

She raised her hand.

A lightning barrier formed.

CLANG!

The weapon bounced away.

Aria rushed forward.

Starfall flashed through the air.

One strike.

The enemy's weapon broke.

Second strike.

His armor cracked.

Third strike.

He fell.

Seris remained behind them.

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Her bow was already drawn.

WHOOSH!

An arrow pierced through an enemy's shoulder.

Before he could recover—

another arrow struck his leg.

He collapsed.

Aether watched for only a moment.

Their formation was holding.

But the Blackridge soldiers weren't fighting randomly.

They were slowly pushing toward the cave.

Toward Kael.

Aether's expression hardened.

"Lyra."

She looked back.

"Yes?"

"Nobody reaches the cave."

Lyra smiled.

"Got it."

Aether turned toward the commander.

The man was already moving.

BOOM!

The ground shattered beneath his feet.

He disappeared.

Aether's instincts reacted instantly.

CLANG!

The Blackfang Spear collided with the Executioner's Blade.

The force pushed Aether backward.

His boots carved lines through the soil.

The commander attacked again.

Aether twisted.

The spear passed beside his face.

Aether countered.

SLASH!

The blade cut across the commander's shoulder.

Blood appeared.

The commander stepped back.

"You're fast."

Aether didn't answer.

He attacked again.

Slash!

Thrust!

The commander blocked both.

Then—

BOOM!

A wave of Origin Energy erupted from the spear.

Aether raised his sword.

The impact threw him backward.

He landed on one knee.

Blood trickled from his mouth.

The commander smiled.

"You're only Stage 5."

Aether wiped the blood away.

"That's enough."

The commander laughed.

"Enough?"

He raised his spear.

"You're facing Stage 6."

Dark Origin Energy began gathering around the weapon.

Aether's eyes narrowed.

The pressure increased.

[Warning.]

[Target energy output increasing.]

[Estimated combat output: Origin Awakening — Stage 6 Peak.]

The commander's body suddenly disappeared.

Aether barely saw him.

He raised his sword.

CLAAAAANG!

The spear struck.

Aether's arms trembled.

The commander pushed harder.

"Break!"

Aether's eyes sharpened.

He noticed the flow of energy.

Most of the commander's strength was concentrated into the spear's tip.

Aether twisted his blade.

The spear slid past him.

The commander stumbled forward.

Aether stepped inside his guard.

THUD!

His fist struck the commander's chest.

BOOM!

The commander staggered.

Aether followed.

Knee.

Elbow.

Blade.

Three consecutive attacks.

The commander's armor cracked.

He was forced backward.

But he didn't fall.

Instead, he smiled.

"Interesting."

Aether's expression remained cold.

"You talk too much."

The commander suddenly thrust his spear.

Aether blocked.

CLANG!

The impact sent him backward.

The commander charged again.

This time, Aether moved differently.

He didn't meet strength with strength.

He avoided.

Sidestepped.

Countered.

Every attack was calculated.

The battle became a contest between raw cultivation and combat technique.

Meanwhile—

Gorn roared.

BOOM!

Another Blackridge soldier was thrown aside.

Lyra's lightning struck two more.

Aria and Seris worked together.

One forced enemies into openings.

The other punished them.

Slowly—

the Blackridge formation began collapsing.

Aether's system continued tracking the battle.

[Enemy defeated.]

[Origin Points +20]

[Origin Points: 380 / 500]

Another enemy fell beneath Lyra's lightning.

[Origin Points +30]

[Origin Points: 410 / 500]

Aether's eyes briefly flickered toward the notification.

He needed ninety more.

The commander noticed his distraction.

"You've been looking at something."

Aether's expression didn't change.

"Have I?"

The commander attacked.

BOOM!

Aether barely blocked.

The Blackfang Spear pushed him backward.

"You can't hide your weakness from me."

Aether smiled.

"I wasn't hiding it."

He twisted the spear away.

"I was calculating."

Aether stepped forward.

The Executioner's Blade flashed.

SLASH!

The commander's armor was cut.

The man retreated.

Aether didn't pursue him.

Instead, he turned toward another Blackridge soldier.

The soldier's eyes widened.

"What—"

Aether appeared in front of him.

One strike.

THUD!

The soldier collapsed.

[Origin Points +30]

[Origin Points: 440 / 500]

Another enemy charged.

Aether turned.

Their weapons collided.

CLANG!

The enemy was pushed back.

Aether stepped forward.

One clean strike.

The soldier fell.

[Origin Points +30]

[Origin Points: 470 / 500]

Only thirty remained.

The commander suddenly roared.

"Everyone! Stop him!"

The remaining soldiers charged Aether simultaneously.

Aether's eyes became cold.

"Too late."

A soldier attacked from the front.

Aether sidestepped.

Another came from behind.

Aether ducked.

A third swung his weapon.

Aether blocked.

Then—

he kicked the attacker backward.

The soldier crashed into a tree.

Before he could stand—

Aether was already there.

The Executioner's Blade flashed.

[Enemy defeated.]

[Origin Points +30]

[Origin Points: 500 / 500]

[Breakthrough condition fulfilled.]

Aether stopped.

For a moment, everything seemed to become distant.

The Origin Energy inside his body began surging.

[Origin Awakening — Stage 6 breakthrough initiated.]

[Origin Energy compression beginning.]

[Physique reinforcement beginning.]

[Origin Sea expansion beginning.]

Aether's muscles tightened.

His bones trembled.

The Origin Energy inside his body became denser.

BOOOOOOM!

A powerful aura erupted from him.

The surrounding trees shook.

Lyra stopped fighting for a moment.

Aria looked toward him.

Even Gorn turned his head.

The Blackridge Commander stared in disbelief.

"He broke through?"

Aether's aura continued rising.

The energy that had once felt difficult to control was now flowing through his body with greater precision.

His wounds remained.

His exhaustion remained.

But his strength had risen to another level.

The Origin System sounded again.

[Breakthrough successful.]

[Current cultivation: Origin Awakening — Stage 6]

[Origin Points: 0 / 650]

Aether slowly opened his eyes.

A sharp light flashed within them.

The commander tightened his grip around the Blackfang Spear.

"So you broke through during battle."

Aether raised his sword.

"Yes."

"You think reaching Stage 6 makes us equal?"

Aether stared at him.

"No."

The commander's expression changed.

Aether continued.

"You're still stronger."

The commander was surprised.

Aether's grip tightened around the Executioner's Blade.

"But the gap isn't what it was."

The commander's eyes narrowed.

For the first time, he understood.

This wasn't a reckless young man trying to prove his strength.

Aether knew exactly where he stood.

And he was still willing to fight.

The commander roared.

Dark Origin Energy exploded from his body.

The Blackfang Spear pointed directly at Aether.

"Then let's see how much stronger you've become."

Aether lowered his stance.

"Come."

The two prepared to clash again.

But before either could move—

Pulse.

The black crystal inside the cave released another wave of energy.

Aether's eyes immediately shifted toward it.

[Unknown Origin Relic resonance detected.]

[Resonance intensity increasing.]

[Connection to Northern Region confirmed.]

The commander also felt the disturbance.

His expression changed.

"What was that?"

Aether didn't answer.

The crystal pulsed again.

Pulse.

Pulse.

Then—

a deep roar echoed from the distant northern mountains.

The entire forest trembled.

Gorn stopped.

Lyra's lightning flickered.

Even the Blackridge soldiers looked toward the north.

The commander slowly lowered his spear.

"What..."

Another roar followed.

Much closer.

Aether's expression became serious.

The Origin System suddenly displayed a warning.

[Unknown existence detected.]

[Target cultivation: Unable to determine.]

[Distance: Decreasing.]

Aether stared toward the northern mountains.

Whatever was coming—

it wasn't part of Blackridge.

And judging by the pressure spreading through the forest...

it was far more dangerous.

Aether tightened his grip around the Executioner's Blade.

The battle for his territory had just become something much bigger.