Chapter 176: The One Who Found Him

Chapter 176: Chapter 176: The One Who Found Him

"Found you."

The voice carried across the valley, calm and unhurried.

Ronan stood beside the ancient collection pillar, his crimson eyes fixed on the armored figure standing on the distant ridge.

Nine-Star King Realm.

The pressure coming from that individual was unmistakable. Even from this distance, Ronan could feel the difference between himself and the newcomer.

Two stars.

It might not sound like much, but the gap between a Seventh-Star King and a Nine-Star King was considerable.

And the figure hadn’t come alone.

Several other energy signatures surrounded him. Most were weaker, but none were ordinary creatures. The weakest among them was already at the Middle King Realm.

Ronan slowly withdrew his hand from the collection pillar.

He had no intention of standing around and waiting for them to surround him.

System, analyze the approaching individuals.

[Analysis initiated.]

[Insufficient information. Target’s energy signature exceeds the current detection threshold.]

[Warning: Multiple high-level energy signatures detected.]

Ronan’s expression remained unchanged.

Even the system couldn’t provide much information from this distance.

That was inconvenient.

He glanced at the collection pillar. The energy stored inside it was considerable, and the inscriptions surrounding its base were still active. Destroying it might interrupt whatever process was taking place, but doing so could also release the accumulated energy.

More importantly, he didn’t know what would happen to the creatures sleeping throughout the valley.

He wasn’t particularly concerned about their lives.

However, the pillar was a valuable resource. Destroying it before understanding how it worked would be wasteful.

Ronan looked back towards the ridge.

The armored figure raised one hand.

A moment later, the surrounding air trembled.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

A faint metallic sound came from beneath his feet.

He immediately activated Subterranean Perception.

The ground beneath the valley was moving.

Not naturally.

Something was travelling through the earth, heading directly towards his position.

Ronan stepped sideways.

BOOM!

A massive metallic spike erupted from the ground where he had been standing. It was nearly ten meters long, its surface covered in strange inscriptions.

Before the debris could settle, several more spikes emerged.

Ronan moved.

Burst Acceleration activated, sending him across the valley in an instant. His body tilted midair as Gravity Affinity altered his trajectory, allowing him to avoid another spike that emerged directly along his path.

The attack stopped.

The metallic spikes remained suspended above the ground.

Then, slowly, they began turning towards him.

Ronan looked at them.

Metallic Manipulation?

No.

The technique was too crude to be considered an impressive display of control, but its range was extraordinary.

The armored figure on the ridge lowered his hand.

The spikes shot forward.

Ronan raised his palm.

The metallic materials within the nearest spike responded to his command.

For a brief moment, the two forces collided.

Cracks spread across the metallic surface.

However, the incoming force was too strong.

Ronan’s expression changed slightly.

He immediately abandoned the attempt to control the entire spike and instead manipulated its outer surface, altering its trajectory by a small margin.

The spike passed beside his body.

He repeated the action against the second.

The third came from behind.

Ronan twisted around, but the distance was too short.

BOOM!

The spike struck his back.

His body flew forward, crashing through a section of broken stone before coming to a stop.

Dust covered the ground.

A moment later, Ronan stood up.

His clothes were damaged, and a thin crack had appeared across the skin of his shoulder.

Ironhide had reduced the damage, but the impact still carried considerable force.

He looked towards the ridge.

The armored figure hadn’t moved.

It had tested him with a single attack.

And the result was clear.

The opponent possessed far greater control over metallic materials than he did.

Ronan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Interesting.

He had only recently acquired Metallic Manipulation, and its potential was already becoming apparent.

Unfortunately, he had chosen the wrong opponent to test it against.

"Enough."

The armored figure finally stepped forward.

The distance between the ridge and the valley was enormous, yet his next step carried him several hundred meters closer.

Ronan’s eyes narrowed.

Spatial movement?

No. There was no sign of spatial distortion.

It was simply an extraordinary movement technique.

The other individuals began descending the ridge.

One of them wore a dark cloak, while another carried a long weapon wrapped in metallic chains. Their energy signatures were all different, but they moved with the coordination of an established group.

The armored figure stopped.

"You have something that doesn’t belong to you."

Ronan tilted his head.

"That’s an interesting way to introduce yourself."

"The mark."

The figure pointed towards Ronan’s palm.

Ronan glanced at it.

So they knew about the mark.

That wasn’t surprising. The collection pillar had reacted to it, and the Hollow had already demonstrated their ability to detect it.

However, this group hadn’t attempted to conceal their intentions.

"Who are you?" Ronan asked.

"Someone who has been searching for you."

"That doesn’t answer my question."

"You don’t need my name."

The armored figure raised his hand again.

The metallic spikes scattered throughout the valley began vibrating.

Ronan’s expression turned cold.

He had already understood something.

The opponent wasn’t merely manipulating the spikes. He could sense the metallic materials scattered throughout the surrounding terrain.

The valley itself was his weapon.

Fighting here would be extremely disadvantageous.

Ronan’s gaze shifted towards the collection pillar.

There was another possibility.

He could use the pillar’s stored energy to create a disturbance, perhaps disrupting the opponent’s control. But he had only absorbed a small amount of that energy. He didn’t know how much remained or how the structure would react to a sudden release.

Taking an unknown risk against a Nine-Star King was foolish.

He needed a different approach.

Ronan activated Bloodline Tracking.

The valley was filled with countless signatures, but the ability allowed him to distinguish individual bloodline traces.

His attention settled on the armored figure.

There was something strange about his energy.

It wasn’t entirely metallic.

Beneath the powerful energy signature, Ronan sensed a faint bloodline presence.

A familiar one.

Not identical to the creatures he had encountered earlier, but close enough to suggest a connection.

His eyes narrowed.

What are you?

Before he could examine the signature further, the armored figure moved.

This time, he didn’t attack from a distance.

His body appeared in front of Ronan.

A fist covered in metallic energy came crashing towards his head.

Ronan crossed his arms.

BOOM!

The impact sent him skidding backwards.

His boots carved two long trenches into the ground.

A second attack followed immediately.

Ronan lowered his body and avoided the punch. He gathered energy in his right arm and struck the opponent’s ribs.

The blow landed.

Yet the sensation was similar to punching an enormous metal wall.

The armored figure didn’t even move.

Ronan’s pupils contracted.

The opponent grabbed his wrist.

At that moment, a terrifying pressure descended.

Ronan felt his bones creaking.

The armored figure leaned closer.

"You are weaker than the reports suggested."

Ronan smiled.

"Then you should have sent someone stronger."

A violent burst of energy erupted from his body.

Crushing Roar!

The shockwave spread through the surrounding area, forcing the armored figure to loosen his grip.

Ronan immediately activated Burst Acceleration.

His body shot backwards.

But he hadn’t escaped.

The armored figure’s other hand moved.

A metallic chain emerged from the ground and wrapped around Ronan’s ankle.

He was pulled back.

Ronan’s eyes flashed.

Gravity Affinity!

The gravitational force around his body shifted abruptly.

Instead of resisting the pull directly, he increased the weight of his lower body and redirected his momentum towards the ground.

The chain tightened.

Ronan used the sudden change in force to swing his body sideways.

A sharp blade of condensed energy formed along his arm.

Annihilation Force!

He slashed.

The chain broke.

Ronan landed several dozen meters away.

For the first time, the armored figure’s posture changed.

He looked at the broken chain.

Then he looked at Ronan.

"You can interfere with metallic materials."

Ronan said nothing.

The opponent had already learned enough.

The armored figure raised his hand.

Every metallic object in the valley began rising.

Broken weapons, buried fragments, ancient nails, and the spikes scattered across the battlefield floated into the air.

The collection pillar trembled.

Ronan’s expression became serious.

This was no longer a simple exchange.

The opponent was preparing to turn the entire valley into a weapon.

And Ronan wasn’t interested in finding out how many attacks he could survive.

His gaze moved towards the northern cliffs.

He had followed the energy trail from the Ironmaw Sovereign to this valley. There were likely more structures beyond the cliffs, perhaps even another collection ground.

If he could escape, he might discover something useful about this group.

But escaping wouldn’t be easy.

The armored figure had already demonstrated extraordinary movement speed.

Ronan needed a distraction.

His eyes returned to the collection pillar.

A dangerous idea formed in his mind.

He didn’t need to destroy the structure.

He only needed to interrupt its energy circulation.

Ronan suddenly rushed towards it.

The armored figure’s eyes narrowed.

"Stop him!"

The cloaked individual behind him immediately raised both hands.

A dark formation spread across the valley.

Several energy chains emerged, attempting to block Ronan’s path.

Ronan activated Formation Sense.

The formation’s channels appeared in his perception.

He identified three major connections and immediately targeted the weakest one.

Metallic Manipulation!

A buried metallic fragment tore through the ground and struck the exposed channel.

CRACK!

The formation flickered.

Ronan continued forward.

The armored figure moved to intercept him.

But Ronan had already changed direction.

Gravity Affinity altered his trajectory, sending him towards the opposite side of the pillar.

He landed beside its base and placed his palm against one of the inscriptions.

The mark on his hand began glowing.

The pillar responded immediately.

Its energy circulation changed.

Ronan didn’t attempt to absorb the stored energy.

Instead, he used Energy Tracking to locate the main flow and Energy Devouring to draw away a small portion of the energy feeding the outer inscriptions.

The result was immediate.

The pillar released a deep metallic hum.

The floating objects throughout the valley trembled.

The armored figure’s control weakened for a fraction of a second.

That was enough.

Ronan struck the ground.

Annihilation Force spread through the damaged inscription.

BOOM!

The outer formation collapsed.

The collection pillar released a wave of energy that swept across the valley.

The sleeping creatures began stirring.

Several opened their eyes, while others struggled to stand.

The armored figure’s expression finally changed.

"You dare interfere with the collection?"

Ronan looked at him.

"Collection?"

So that was what they called it.

He had obtained a useful piece of information.

Unfortunately, the opponent wasn’t pleased.

The armored figure disappeared.

Ronan’s instincts screamed.

He immediately raised both arms.

BOOM!

A fist struck his guard.

The impact sent him flying away from the pillar.

His body crashed into the ground, and blood spilled from his mouth.

Before he could stand, the armored figure appeared above him.

"You should have remained where you were."

A metallic spear formed in his hand.

Ronan stared at the weapon.

Then he smiled.

"You should have watched your surroundings."

The armored figure paused.

Behind him, the collection pillar began releasing another wave of energy.

But this time, it wasn’t directed towards the valley.

The energy was flowing upwards.

A massive inscription appeared across the pillar’s surface.

The mark on Ronan’s palm burned.

The surrounding ground trembled.

Something beneath the collection pillar had awakened.

The armored figure turned sharply.

For the first time since arriving, his composure cracked.

"Impossible."

A deep vibration spread through the valley.

Then a voice emerged from beneath the earth.

"...The marked one."

Ronan’s smile disappeared.

He looked at the pillar.

The voice continued.

"Finally... another bearer."

The armored figure immediately retreated several steps.

The other members of his group lowered their weapons.

One of them even dropped to one knee.

Ronan slowly stood up.

He didn’t understand what was happening.

But he recognized the implications.

The collection pillar wasn’t merely storing energy.

It was connected to something beneath the valley.

Something that recognized the mark on his palm.

The armored figure turned towards him again.

His voice was no longer calm.

"Don’t let it speak to him!"

The ground split open.

And from beneath the ancient pillar, a massive black structure began rising.