Chapter 144:The Difference in Strength

Chapter 144: Chapter 144:The Difference in Strength

Selvara stood before Ronan, her crimson eyes fixed on him as the wind swept across the bloodstained plain.

Behind her, several vampires spread out, surrounding him from different directions. Each possessed considerable strength, and their auras were powerful enough to make ordinary Sovereign Realm beings tremble.

Unfortunately, their opponent was no ordinary Sovereign Realm being.

Ronan glanced at the vampires before returning his attention to Selvara.

"You’re here to capture me, right?"

Selvara smiled faintly. "That’s correct. If you cooperate, I might even spare your life."

Ronan stared at her for a moment.

Then he laughed.

"Spare my life? You must be joking."

His aura erupted.

The ground beneath his feet shattered as an overwhelming pressure swept across the plain. The surrounding vampires immediately stiffened, their expressions changing as they felt the terrifying power radiating from his body.

Seventh-Star King Realm!

They had already received reports that the Ghoul Lord was a Sovereign Realm being, but the information was clearly outdated. Somehow, he had advanced to the Seventh-Star King Realm in the short time since his return to the Abyss.

Selvara’s expression darkened.

However, she quickly regained her composure.

"So you’ve grown stronger. That changes nothing."

She raised her hand.

"Capture him!"

The vampires moved simultaneously.

Several rushed toward Ronan from the front, while others circled around him, attempting to attack his blind spots. Their movements were coordinated, and each attack was intended to restrict his options.

Ronan didn’t even bother dodging.

He stepped forward and threw a punch.

BOOM!

The vampire leading the charge was struck so hard that his body exploded in midair. Blood and flesh scattered across the battlefield, while the force of the punch continued forward, sending the vampires behind him tumbling across the ground.

Before they could recover, Ronan disappeared.

A moment later, he appeared beside another vampire and grabbed him by the throat.

"You’re in my way."

Crack!

The vampire’s neck snapped.

Ronan tossed the corpse aside and turned toward the remaining attackers.

Their expressions changed.

They had expected the Ghoul Lord to be troublesome, but they hadn’t anticipated such a ridiculous difference in strength.

They were King Realm vampires, yet they couldn’t even force him to take a step backward.

Ronan, meanwhile, looked almost disappointed.

"Is this really the best you have?"

Selvara’s eyes narrowed.

"Enough!"

Her figure blurred as she appeared directly before Ronan. Her claws flashed toward his chest, carrying a terrifying force capable of tearing through the defenses of ordinary King Realm beings.

Ronan caught her wrist.

The sudden movement caused Selvara’s expression to freeze.

Before she could react, he twisted her arm and drove his knee into her abdomen.

BOOM!

Her body folded around the impact before shooting backward like a cannonball.

She crashed into a rocky hill, sending stones tumbling down its slopes.

For a brief moment, silence descended upon the battlefield.

Ronan looked at his hand.

"That’s it?"

He had expected a Vampire Lord at the Seventh-Star King Realm to offer at least some resistance.

Instead, she had been sent flying by a single attack.

Selvara emerged from the rubble, her crimson hair disheveled and a trace of blood running from the corner of her mouth.

Her expression had become ugly.

She had underestimated him.

No, that wasn’t entirely accurate.

She had underestimated just how ridiculous his physical strength was.

Both of them occupied the same realm, yet the difference between their combat abilities was enormous.

Ronan’s body had been strengthened by his hybrid bloodline, numerous traits, and the recent evolution of Blood Sucking. His physical attributes were far beyond what an ordinary Seventh-Star King Realm vampire could achieve.

And Selvara had just experienced that difference firsthand.

"Don’t get too arrogant!"

She reached into her storage ring and produced a crimson spear.

The moment the weapon appeared, its surface lit up with strange runes. A powerful aura spread across the battlefield, and the surrounding air began to tremble.

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

"A treasure?"

Selvara didn’t answer.

She thrust the spear forward.

A crimson beam tore through the air, carrying enough destructive power to pierce a mountain. Ronan shifted aside, but the beam changed direction in midair, pursuing him with astonishing speed.

He clicked his tongue.

"Annoying."

He activated Wind Step, evading the attack at the last moment.

The beam struck the ground behind him, creating an enormous crater.

Before the dust could settle, Selvara appeared above him and swung the spear downward.

Ronan raised his arm.

BOOM!

The impact forced him several steps backward, cracking the ground beneath his feet.

For the first time since the battle began, Selvara managed to push him back.

A triumphant smile appeared on her face.

But it lasted only a moment.

Ronan looked at the weapon, then at her.

"So that’s how you intend to fight."

His expression became cold.

He vanished.

Selvara’s pupils contracted.

Before she could react, Ronan appeared beside her and struck her across the face.

Her body spun through the air.

He followed immediately, catching her by the ankle and slamming her into the ground.

BOOM!

The earth collapsed beneath her.

Selvara coughed up blood, but before Ronan could deliver another attack, the spear in her hand released a brilliant flash of crimson light.

A protective barrier appeared around her body.

Ronan’s fist struck the barrier.

CRACK!

Several fractures spread across its surface, but the barrier held.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

The barrier shattered a moment later, yet the brief delay had given Selvara enough time to escape his grasp.

She landed several meters away, breathing heavily.

Her expression was no longer arrogant.

She had already used two of her treasures, and neither had given her a meaningful advantage. The first had barely helped her land an attack, while the second had only bought her a few seconds.

Meanwhile, Ronan appeared almost unharmed.

His physical defenses were absurd.

Selvara gritted her teeth.

She had come prepared to capture him, bringing several treasures specifically intended to restrain powerful enemies.

She had never imagined that she would be forced to use them merely to survive.

"You’re stronger than I expected," she admitted.

Ronan smiled.

"And you’re weaker than I expected."

His words struck harder than any attack.

Selvara’s face twisted with anger.

She raised her free hand, revealing a small black crystal between her fingers.

The moment she crushed it, a dark mist spread across the battlefield.

Ronan’s senses immediately detected the disturbance.

The mist distorted his perception, creating dozens of false auras that moved in different directions. At the same time, Selvara’s presence began to fade.

An illusion treasure.

Ronan narrowed his eyes.

"Do you really think something like this can stop me?"

He activated Predator’s Sense.

The false auras flickered.

Then his gaze locked onto a figure attempting to retreat through the mist.

"There you are."

Ronan moved.

Selvara barely had time to turn around before his fist struck her shoulder.

CRACK! ℯ

The impact shattered the protective armor covering her upper body and sent her crashing into the ground.

Her spear slipped from her hand.

Ronan appeared above her, his expression indifferent.

"You’re quite troublesome for someone who wanted to capture me."

He raised his fist.

Selvara’s expression changed dramatically.

She immediately activated another treasure.

A golden talisman burned between her fingers, releasing a blinding light that forced Ronan to narrow his eyes.

At the same time, a powerful force pushed Selvara away from him.

She retreated several dozen meters, coughing up blood as she struggled to maintain her balance.

Her crimson hair was disheveled, her armor was broken, and several wounds covered her body.

She had never suffered such a humiliating defeat.

Not only had Ronan overpowered her in direct combat, but he had also forced her to consume multiple precious treasures simply to keep herself alive.

And he still looked as though he hadn’t exerted himself much.

Ronan stared at the golden talisman, which had already turned to ash.

He clicked his tongue.

"How many treasures do you have?"

Selvara didn’t answer.

Instead, she glanced toward her subordinates.

Unfortunately, they were in no position to help her.

Ronan had already turned his attention toward them.

The vampires attempted to flee, but their efforts were futile. Some tried to use movement techniques, while others transformed into streaks of crimson light.

Ronan’s Blood Trail had already locked onto their auras.

He appeared among them.

One vampire barely managed to turn around before Ronan’s fist crushed his head. Another attempted to stab him in the back, only for Ronan to catch the weapon and drive it through its owner’s chest.

The remaining vampires watched in horror.

Their mistress had brought them here to capture the Ghoul Lord.

Now, they were being slaughtered.

"Run!"

One of them shouted but it was already too late.

Ronan moved through their formation like a predator among helpless prey. Within moments, the battlefield was littered with corpses.

Selvara watched in disbelief.

These were her strongest subordinates, vampires who had followed her through countless battles. Yet before Ronan, they were little more than insects.

And now, he was approaching her again.

Her heart sank.

She couldn’t win.

No matter how many treasures she used, the difference in their strength was simply too great.

Ronan stopped before her and smiled.

"Now, about that capture you mentioned..."

Selvara’s face paled.

She crushed another talisman.

A powerful spatial distortion erupted around her body, and the surrounding air twisted violently.

Ronan’s expression changed.

He lunged forward, but a barrier appeared between them just as his fist struck.

BOOM!

The barrier shattered.

However, the brief delay was enough.

Selvara’s figure disappeared into the distortion, leaving behind only a trace of blood and a rapidly fading aura.

Ronan stood amid the shattered remains of her treasures.

He stared at the empty space for several seconds before clicking his tongue.

"How irritating."

He had nearly killed her several times, yet those treasures had allowed her to survive long enough to escape.

Still, he hadn’t come away empty-handed.

Ronan turned toward the battlefield.

The corpses of Selvara’s subordinates lay scattered across the ground, their blood staining the earth.

A smile gradually returned to his face.

"Well, at least I have these."

He crouched beside the nearest corpse and activated Blood Sucking.

Crimson streams rose from the dead vampire’s body and entered him. Ronan moved from one corpse to another, absorbing their blood until not a single drop remained.

He devoured their blood and extracted everything his evolved trait could gain from it.

By the time he finished, the battlefield had become eerily silent.

Ronan stood and looked toward the direction in which Selvara had escaped.

She was seriously injured.

Her treasures had saved her life, but they hadn’t erased the damage he had inflicted. She would need time to recover, and he now knew that her strength in direct combat was far below his own.

A cold smile appeared on his face.

"Run as far as you want, The hunt alreadystarted and won’t stop till the prey is dead."

He turned away from the battlefield.