Chapter 654: The Absolute

Leo moved first.

The golden lion’s enormous body shot forward, tearing through the air as he raised one massive paw and swung his claws toward Damian. The attack carried enough force to shatter the surrounding structures, and the golden light radiating from his claws left several burning trails in the air.

Damian did not move. He simply watched the approaching attack. The instant Leo’s claws were about to reach him, a black serpentine figure shot out of nowhere.

The black dragon coiled around Leo’s body, wrapping its serpentine frame around the golden lion before dragging him violently into the air.

ROOOOAAAAR!

Leo released a furious roar. His entire body erupted with amber light, and a tremendous shockwave exploded from within him. The golden radiance spread outward, forcing Abel’s coils apart and compelling the black dragon to release its hold.

But Leo had barely freed himself when two enormous figures came rushing toward him.

Rin, engulfed in white flames, charged from one side while Biron, surrounded by brilliant golden light, attacked from the other. Both spirit beasts slammed into the amber radiance surrounding Leo.

BOOOOM!

The collision produced a blinding flash.

For a moment, the golden lion disappeared beneath the combined attacks. Yet the amber light continued shining, holding back the two spirit beasts as an overwhelming pressure spread across the sky.

Abel quickly recovered.

The black dragon opened its enormous jaws, and crimson lightning began gathering between its fangs. In the next instant, a violent torrent of crimson lightning erupted, striking the amber light with terrifying force.

The sky trembled.

The four spirit beasts collided repeatedly, their roars and attacks unleashing continuous shockwaves across the Imperial Palace. Buildings that had somehow survived the earlier destruction began collapsing beneath the pressure.

Meanwhile, Damian turned his attention toward Sol.

A massive sun was already rolling in his direction.

It was roughly ten times his size, its surface covered in violently churning golden flames. The sheer heat radiating from it caused the surrounding air to distort, while the ground beneath its path melted into molten stone.

Damian raised his hand and darkness surged violently from his palm. He calmly stretched out his palm and whispered.

"Devour!"

A violent whirlpool of darkness materialized before him.

It twisted rapidly, expanding as an overwhelming suction force erupted from its centre. The surrounding debris was pulled toward it, and even the flames scattered across the palace began bending in its direction.

The False Sun slammed into the darkness and for an instant, the golden sphere seemed to resist. Then its surface began distorting.

The enormous sun was gradually drawn into the dark whirlpool, its golden flames twisting and stretching before disappearing into the abyssal vortex.

Within seconds, it had vanished completely.

Damian’s eyes narrowed and shifted to a figure that appeared directly before him

The Prince of Pride had crossed the distance in an instant, his fist already swinging toward Damian’s face.

Damian’s pupils contracted.

"White Hole!"

A powerful repulsive force exploded from his body.

The surrounding space distorted violently as the invisible force struck Sol at point-blank range, sending him flying backward. His golden robes fluttered as he was hurled through the air for dozens of metres.

Sol eventually planted his feet against the ground, dragging them across the stone before bringing his body to an abrupt halt.

He looked completely unbothered.

Several black chains suddenly emerged before his eyes. They shot through the air, wrapping around his arms, torso, and legs before tightening their hold.

Sol glanced down at them and made no attempt to resist. Instead, he allowed the chains to bind him.

A moment later, he felt his energy being drained and his eyes shifted toward Damian.

"I’m guessing the one who killed Zepar was you."

Damian smiled. "You got me."

Sol looked at the chains again.

"And you used this ability to do it."

He couldn’t help recalling the image of Zepar’s corpse. The Duke of Night had been reduced to a dried husk, with almost every trace of vitality and demonic energy drained from his body.

The resemblance was unmistakable.

Damian tilted his head. "However, no one will ever know if you die here."

Sol laughed. "Why would I need to report the deeds of a dead man?"

Golden flames erupted from his body.

They spread with astonishing speed, consuming the Abyssal Chains before racing toward Damian through their connected structure.

Damian blinked in surprise. He immediately released the chains. The moment he severed his connection, they disappeared into thin air, preventing the flames from reaching his body.

Damian frowned.

The flames were golden, resembling divine fire, but they were not divine flames.

There was something different about them.

They felt more oppressive. More vicious. Almost as though they possessed an instinctive desire to burn everything that dared stand before them.

Sol chuckled. "I like it when my victims struggle. Divine Manifestation!"

The clouds above the Imperial Palace suddenly parted as a colossal amber finger tore through the heavens.

It descended from an unimaginable height, its enormous proportions casting a massive shadow across the entire palace. Buildings trembled violently, and the remaining structures began collapsing beneath the pressure.

It felt as though a mountain had fallen from the sky.

Damian snorted disdainfully. He looked toward the descending finger and formed a single hand seal. Almost immediately, violent slashes erupted around him.

They carried a crimson gleam, each one cutting through the surrounding space with terrifying precision.

Sunder!

The spatial slashes surged upward. The moment the colossal finger entered their range, it was torn apart.

Countless crimson cuts swept across its surface, shredding the manifestation before it could reach Damian. The enormous structure disintegrated into fragments of amber light, which scattered across the sky before vanishing.

Damian lowered his hand and he pointed toward Sol. The dark whirlpool that had devoured the False Sun began spinning again.

Suddenly, the scorching sphere shot out from within it.

The same False Sun Sol had launched earlier raced toward its creator, its golden flames burning even more violently as it approached.

Sol looked at it and raised one hand, pointing his index finger toward the sky.

The False Sun abruptly stopped.

It remained suspended in the air, its surface continuing to rotate violently. Then, as though obeying an invisible command, it rose from the ground and settled directly above Sol’s outstretched finger.

Damian’s eyes widened slightly.

Sol smiled. "I possess absolute authority over my powers. You cannot turn them against me. But I’m not the only one with surprises."

He glanced at the golden sphere resting above his finger. Then his attention shifted toward the heavens, where the remnants of his Divine Manifestation had been shredded by Damian’s technique.

"That was a deadly power."

Damian nodded.

"I can let you have a taste directly if you love it that much."

He formed the same hand seal and the air trembled.

A barrage of crimson spatial slashes erupted around him, converging into a terrifying wave that raced toward Sol.

The Prince of Pride casually tossed the False Sun toward Damian and it shot forward with tremendous speed.

However, the golden sphere barely travelled a few metres before the crimson slashes swallowed it. The False Sun was torn apart, its energy scattering into countless fragments.

Sol did not retreat. Instead, he placed both hands behind his back.

"Halt your technique!"

Damian’s body reacted instinctively. The moment Sol’s words reached him, his Sunder technique stopped.

Damian’s expression changed.

’What just happened?’

He had not intended to stop his attack. Yet his body had obeyed Sol’s command before he could even process what was happening.

Sol chuckled.

"Get back!"

Damian’s body shot backward involuntarily.

The force propelled him through the air at an increasing speed. He crashed through the remaining structures of the Imperial Palace, smashing through walls and pillars as his body carved a destructive path across the grounds.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

He finally reached the edge of the barrier, where his body struck the ground and rolled several times before coming to a halt.

A cloud of dust rose around him andDamian coughed. A mouthful of blood escaped his lips as he clutched his chest.

He slowly raised his head.

Through the path he had carved with his body, he could see Sol approaching. The Prince of Pride was levitating gracefully, his hands still behind his back. A glorious golden halo had appeared around his head, illuminating his figure with an almost divine radiance.

Sol looked down at him.

"How do you like my Pride inheritance’s Imperial Decree?"

He smiled.

"Even Gods struggle to resist the decree of a God. What more can a demigod do?"

Damian’s expression twisted. Shock and anger were written across his face.

An ability that could force others to obey merely because its user had issued a command?

He had encountered countless supernatural abilities, but this was something else entirely.

He gritted his teeth and attempted to stand.

"On your knees!"

A terrifying pressure descended from above and Damian’s body immediately sank.

It felt as though an entire mountain had been placed upon his back. His legs trembled, and his knees buckled beneath the overwhelming force.

He managed to resist for a brief moment, but the pressure continued increasing until he was forced onto one knee.

His crimson eyes glowed violently.

He clenched his fists, attempting to fight the command with every ounce of strength he possessed but he couldn’t.

Sol looked down at him with an amused expression.

"It was foolish of you to think you ever stood a chance against this God. Did you genuinely believe that puny Abyssal inheritance would be enough to defeat me?"

He slowly descended.

"You simply came here to deliver this inheritance to me. And I thank you for that."

Damian’s expression darkened. He struggled against the pressure but could barely move.

He raised his head slightly. "How are you flying here?"

"Aren’t you being affected by the God-Slaying Arrays?"

Sol nodded.

"Of course I am. However, my The Absolute Skill dampens the effects of all forms of restrictions imposed upon me. That’s why I can exert considerably more power than the average God within this capital."

Damian’s eyes narrowed. " Shit..."

Sol shook his head. "It’s a pity you harboured ambitions of your own. If only you had abandoned your personal ambitions and submitted to me from the very beginning, you and your people would have been the only ones to survive the purge in this godforsaken place."

His golden halo shone brighter.

"Now, however... You’re going to be its first victim."