Chapter 277: Confrontation
- Name: Aurelius, Guardian of Seraphis Vali
- Level: 280
- Race: Seraphis Vali
- Power Core: Faithwarden
- Rank: King Tier
Lein looked at the panel with a slightly raised eyebrow. "A Guardian? So this man is a protector like me?" he thought while observing the man named Aurelius more closely. However, one thing puzzled Lein.
"Level 280… But why does his aura feel so weak?" he muttered inwardly. Lein realized the man's level was 30 tiers higher than his own, yet there was no sign of the power that a King Tier Guardian with such a level should possess.
Shifting his attention, Lein now focused on an old man with a dark, dense aura standing a few steps beside Aurelius. His face was lined with wrinkles, but his sharp eyes radiated wisdom and danger. The dark aura surrounding him was so thick that the air nearby felt suffocating.
- Name: Zkeron Vyral, Guardian of Nerothar
- Level: 254
- Race: Voidborn
- Power Core: Cultivator
- Rank: King Tier
The old man noticed Lein's gaze. With a friendly smile, he clasped his hands together and gave a slight bow.
"Greetings, Guardian. My name is Zkeron," he said politely, though there was a dangerous calmness underlying his words.
Lein narrowed his eyes. Inwardly, he muttered, "Hah, this old man is cunning. His smile is friendly, but his aura reeks of death. Only the gods know how many lives have been extinguished by his hands."
Lein didn't respond to Zkeron's greeting, choosing to ignore him and shift his focus to a burly man with fiery red hair and gleaming scales that stood out on his neck. The scales appeared sturdy, with intricate patterns that resembled magical carvings.
[Status Panel]
- Name: Kaelath, Guardian of Drakmorath
- Level: 267
- Race: Drakmorath
- Power Core: Bloodline
- Rank: King Tier
The scaled man showed no reaction. He simply stood there, but his pitch-black eyes stared at Lein with intense focus, like a dragon evaluating its foe.
While observing the three Guardians in front of him, Lein sensed the presence of another equally strong aura in the distance. His expanded awareness swept across the entire area, capturing every living being and object around him. All this information flooded his mind, though most of it remained faint.
One of the things that caught Lein's attention most was a massive fleet hovering in the distance. The battle fleet was shaped like a flat planet floating in the void of space. Millions of beings moved across its surface, busily preparing themselves. Smaller ships surrounded the main fleet, each equipped with high-level towers and combat weaponry.
"They're seriously planning to invade my realm," Lein muttered coldly, his eyes narrowing in anger. For now, he shifted his gaze away from the fleet and refocused on the three Guardians before him.
Still standing atop the Dream Bubble, Lein finally spoke. His voice was calm but carried an air of authority.
"I just want to ask you all: is it true that you're the ones attacking my realm?"
Aurelius seemed startled by the question. His face turned pale, and his body trembled slightly. However, he tried to hide his fear behind a haughty tone.
"So what if we are?" Aurelius replied, folding his arms.
But before Aurelius could say more, Lein had already moved. With a swift motion, he raised his holy sword. A bright light flooded the space, creating a 10-kilometer-long sword slash that shot directly toward Aurelius.
Slaaashhh!
The slash tore through the air with immense force. There was no hesitation or mercy in the attack, only a pure intent to annihilate.
Aurelius didn't remain idle. In a fraction of a second, he raised his right hand. A transparent sword radiating sacred energy appeared in his grip.
The space roared as Lein's radiant sword collided with Aurelius's holy energy, creating shockwaves that reverberated far beyond their battlefield.
"How arrogant," Aurelius declared loudly, his voice brimming with pride. Without hesitation, he swung the holy sword in his hand to block Lein's slash. The slash emitted extraordinary sacred energy, though its length was only a few kilometers, far shorter than Lein's.
BOOM!
The collision of the two energy swords created a cosmic explosion. The tremendous boom echoed, shaking the void. The dazzling light from the clash of the two sacred energies illuminated the entire area, while its vibrations spread to the farthest corners of the emptiness.
The battle fleet, which had previously been on standby, immediately switched to defense mode.
"Quick! Activate the ship's protective shields!" one of the captains shouted in panic, his voice ringing across the deck. His body trembled, and his eyes couldn't look away from the distant battle.
A wave of fear swept through the soldiers watching. They knew that a battle between Guardians was not something that could be resolved quickly or without massive casualties.
Aboard one of the main ships of Seraphis Vali, Serai stood with fervor. Her gaze was fixed on Aurelius, her eyes blazing with burning hatred.
"Go on, my lord! Destroy that lowly creature!" she shouted passionately. A long-standing grudge against Lein burned within her, especially after the forces she had sent to the Divine Sky Realm were annihilated without a trace.
Meanwhile, Lein remained seated calmly atop his Dream Bubble, his face full of serenity despite being surprised by the result of the earlier clash.
"Hmm... it seems my basic skills have improved," he murmured with a small smile, silently praising himself.
However, his gaze returned to Aurelius. Even though the earlier attack had been blocked, Lein was unbothered. He knew it was just a casual slash, not his full power.
"I will ask you one more time," Lein's voice echoed, enveloping the void with overwhelming pressure. "Are you the ones who attacked my Divine Sky Realm?"
The voice thundered like rolling lightning, spreading far to the ships in the distance. The lower-tier troops who heard its reverberation immediately dropped to their knees.