Chapter 384: Battle of Kings

BOOM!

The Frostbite Pass erupted into chaos. King Bjorn lunged at King Alaric, his greataxe blazing with absolute-zero frost, while Alaric’s longsword ignited with a searing, golden radiance.

CLANG! CRASH!

The two kings clashed in the sky, their rule powers colliding in a devastating explosion of ice and light. The shockwave shattered the surrounding cliffs, sending massive avalanches cascading down the mountainsides.

On the ground, Caelum, Garrick, and Ferris immediately engaged the three Britannian generals. SWISH! CLANG! Caelum’s wind arrows rained down, forcing the warhammer-wielding general to raise a hasty earthen barrier. Garrick charged the other general—a slender woman wielding twin daggers—his greatsword BOOMING against her blades. Ferris slammed his hands into the ground, raising massive stone pillars to cut off their escape routes as he attacked the injured general.

Meanwhile, Varkos and Alaric’s Right Hand clashed in a blur of shadows and silver, their daggers and rapier sparking violently with each exchange. SHING! SHING! SHING! They moved so fast they appeared as mere blurs, the snow around them melting from the friction of their blades.

Kael watched from above, hovering on the Void Behemoth’s back. His eyes were locked on the aerial battle between the two kings.

Origin Realm cultivators truly are different, Kael thought, analyzing their movements.

Unlike lower cultivators, Origin Realm masters possessed a terrifyingly dense mana pool. They didn’t need flying swords or treasures. They simply expelled massive amounts of mana from their bodies like jet thrusters, propelling themselves through the air with incredible speed. They could also use "Mana Threads" to pull themselves toward distant objects, changing direction instantly.

And for Tier 6 body cultivators like Bjorn, their physical bodies were so dense and powerful that they could literally step on air. By compressing the air molecules beneath their feet with their immense physical aura, they created solid footholds in the sky. They could jump with enough force to shatter the sound barrier and reach high altitudes, or survive in the vacuum of space by wrapping their bodies in aura.

But some cultivators could fly even before reaching the Origin realm. For wind and gravity cultivators, they could fly if they had great control over wind or gravity similar to Kael by manipulating gravity around their bodies to negate their own weight. Kael used the Cloak of Flight early on, and other cultivators use flying swords or spatial treasures.

CRASH!

Bjorn swung his greataxe in a massive arc, unleashing a wave of frost rule power that froze the moisture in the air. Alaric countered with a beam of pure, searing light, the two attacks colliding in a blinding explosion.

"You’re too weak, Bjorn!" Alaric roared, his golden hair whipping in the wind. "Surrender and let’s end this charade!"

WHOOSH! Alaric vanished, his body transforming into a streak of golden light. He reappeared directly behind Bjorn, his longsword thrusting toward his back.

CLANG! Bjorn spun, his greataxe barely deflecting the blow. But Alaric was already gone, reappearing above him with his sword raised. CRASH! Bjorn was forced to block again, his arms trembling under the force of the blow.

He’s too fast, Kael observed. Light Rule Power is about speed and piercing. Alaric’s attacks are nearly instantaneous. Bjorn’s frost is powerful, but it’s a slow, creeping law. He can’t keep up.

Bjorn roared, slamming his greataxe into the air. FZZZZT! A massive dome of absolute zero frost erupted around him, attempting to freeze Alaric’s light. But Alaric just laughed, his body glowing brighter.

"Light Rule: Photon Dash!"

WHOOSH! Alaric became pure light, bypassing the frost dome entirely. He reappeared in front of Bjorn, his sword carving a deep gash across Bjorn’s chest. SPLURT! Blood sprayed into the air.

"ARGH!" Bjorn roared, staggering backward.

Alaric pressed his advantage, his sword a blur of golden light. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Bjorn was on the defensive, his greataxe struggling to keep up. The runes on his body flared, boosting his strength, but Alaric’s superior mana cultivation and battle experience gave him a decisive edge.

I need to end this quickly, Kael thought. I have less than five months left. Three kingdoms to conquer. And the Clown is still out there.

THUMP. THUMP.

Kael activated Heart of the Carnage Deity. His Slaughter Intent and Wrath Intent surged into his bloodstream, his eyes turning a violent crimson. Simultaneously, a Void Core formed in front of his chest—a dense, black sphere of compressed mana—and slammed into his body. BOOM! His aura skyrocketed to Spirit Soul Rank 9.

"Shadow God Transformation. First Form: Fiend."

FWOOSH!

Abyssal armor materialized over his body, a crown of black flames appearing above his head. Twin, curved horns extended from his temples. But this time, two massive, demonic wings sprouted from his back—dark, leathery wings that radiated a terrifying, oppressive aura.

Kael launched himself off the Behemoth’s back, his wings beating once, propelling him forward with blinding speed. He raised his hand, a deep purple-black orb with swirling rings forming in his palm—a miniature accretion disk of pure destructive energy.

QUASAR!

WHOOSH!

The Quasar shot toward Alaric, a spiraling vortex of gravitational annihilation. Alaric’s eyes widened. He spun, his sword glowing with light rule power. "Light Rule: Prism Deflection!"

CRACK!

A prismatic barrier formed in front of him, reflecting the Quasar at an angle. The attack was sent careening into the sky, exploding harmlessly above the clouds.

BAM!

Bjorn appeared behind him, his massive boot slamming into Alaric’s chest with the force of a meteor due to the moment distraction. "ARGH!" Alaric was sent crashing down, CRASHING into a nearby mountain with a deafening BOOM! The mountain peak shattered, a massive crater forming at the point of impact.

Kael hovered above, his crimson eyes watching the dust cloud.

The dust cleared. Alaric stood in the center of the crater, his clothes torn, blood dripping from his lips. But a powerful, golden armor now covered his body—a Tier 1 defensive artifact, glowing with intricate runes.

He looked up at Kael, his eyes blazing with fury. "Just a weak Rank 9 Spirit Soul rat..." he spat, wiping the blood from his mouth. "And who the heck are you even?"

Kael shrugged, his demonic wings folding slightly. "I keep saying it. I’m just a concerned third party."

WHOOSH!

Alaric moved. His light acceleration technique made him nearly impossible to track. He appeared directly in front of Kael, his sword thrusting toward his heart.

But Bjorn was there.

SHLICK!

Bjorn took the sword directly into his side, the blade piercing through his stomach. He grunted in pain, but he didn’t fall. He grabbed Alaric’s sword arm, locking him in place.

Kael didn’t hesitate. "Soul Spike Barrage."

BUZZZZZT!

Dozens of invisible soul spikes shot forward, slamming into Alaric’s mind. "AGHHHH!" Alaric screamed, his hands flying to his head. Blood trickled from his nose.

THUD!

Bjorn headbutted Alaric with his massive, frost-iron skull, sending him flying backward across the sky. Alaric tumbled through the air, but he quickly stabilized himself, his golden aura flaring.

"Enough!" Alaric roared, his voice echoing across the frozen valley. "Let’s end this!"

He brought his hands together, his golden aura blazing brighter and brighter. He began to chant, his voice resonating with ancient, divine power:

"In the beginning, there was darkness, and the darkness was shattered by the first dawn. I am the heir of that dawn. I am the light that pierces the abyss. By the authority of the First Sun, I command the laws of this world to bend. Let the shadows flee. Let the frost melt. Let all that is impure be burned away in the furnace of absolute radiance..."

Kael and Bjorn immediately attacked, launching a combined assault of frost and darkness.

But Alaric was already moving. "Light Steps."

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

He flickered through the air, dodging their attacks with ease, his body becoming a series of afterimages. He reappeared high above them, his hands still locked in a hand seal.

His eyes glowed with a terrifying, blinding light. He murmured the final words:

"Reality Annex: Radiant Throne of the Sun God."

FWOOSH!

A massive, blinding sphere of golden light erupted from Alaric, expanding outward and consuming everything in its path. The Frostbite Pass, the mountains, the sky—all of it was swallowed by the light.