The entire arena fell into a deathly silence, making that miserable scream sound especially harsh and shrill. Everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, because the one who had been sent flying… was actually Animoch!
Animoch's body flew uncontrollably for several meters until it slammed into the barrier of the martial stage and fell to the ground. On the other hand, Darian barely moved.
The moment Animoch hit the ground, he immediately dropped to his knees, grabbing his right arm with his left hand. His face was twisted in shock and pain, and his entire right arm hung limply, bent in an extremely grotesque way. Almost all the bones in his right arm were broken.
Most of the people from the Chaos Elementals Sect were staring in horror and disbelief at what had just happened… The scene they witnessed was like seeing an ant throw a massive elephant.
In the VIP room, all those figures had been watching the previous fights with a bit of boredom. They were mostly chatting with their sect Elders about random things rather than properly watching the battles. But at this moment, everyone straightened up in their seats and stared at Darian with shining eyes.
"What was that just now!?" asked the young leader of the Yinblood Sect, Purina.
Everyone there had clearly sensed that when Animoch's attack was about to hit Darian, a subtle force within that human suddenly surged dramatically, to the point that it far surpassed the power of Animoch's attack.
The moment it made contact, the amplified energy within Darian calmed down and vanished just as suddenly. That made those people doubt whether their perception of Darian's cultivation had been wrong.
"Hehe," at that moment, everyone heard a light, amused laugh. They all turned toward that 'Demoness' who was watching everything with fixed eyes. Everyone took a deep breath, extremely confused by all of this.
Back on the martial stage, the more powerful people in the stands evaluated Animoch's condition. Those who could sit in the stands were all individuals of great experience and status.
"Darian didn't even move, and Animoch ended up like this just from the rebound of his own energy…" People nodded in agreement; they had all reached the same conclusion.
Animoch himself was even more incredulous. His eyes were wide open, and it took him five or six seconds to recover. Suddenly, he said in a hoarse voice, "He… he cheated!! He definitely used some kind of body protection artifact!"
It was the only possibility he could imagine, the only explanation for such a setback.
But upon hearing that shout, the demonic Elder in charge of the tournament only gave him a serious look, without saying anything.
How could it be possible for Darian to use some kind of body protection item without high-level figures in the arena noticing? And besides, what would be the problem even if he did?
At that moment, Darian raised his hand and casually patted his chest where Animoch had struck him, with a look of disdain. Then he began walking slowly toward Animoch, with a mocking expression on his face:
"You act like you're above everyone, so I thought you'd actually be capable. But in the end, this is all you are."
Darian would always respect his opponents… as long as they respected him. In the case of someone like Animoch, he wouldn't hesitate to give him a proper beating, leaving him looking like a pathetic idiot who almost drowned in a shallow river.
"You…" Animoch spat, as pain spread through his entire body. He still couldn't believe what had happened.
Darian smiled, then took a quick step.
His figure suddenly appeared right in front of his opponent.
Animoch's pupils shrank at that. He reacted instantly, getting up and retreating several hundred meters at lightning speed. However, Darian chased him relentlessly and closed the distance again so fast that he had no time to react.
Darian's palm grabbed Animoch's broken arm, and a massive surge of energy burst out, instantly disintegrating the power Animoch had hurriedly released to resist.
Grabbing his crippled arm, Darian immediately lifted Animoch into the air and slammed him hard against the ground.
**BANG!**
A deafening sound echoed everywhere. Animoch let out a scream several times more piercing than before as his body bounced across the ground for a few meters.
"Young… Young Master!"
"Animoch!!"
All the disciples from the Chaos Elementals Sect turned pale in shock. The Sect Leader in the VIP room also stood up from his seat with a dark expression at that moment.
Animoch wasn't the most talented young member of his sect in this tournament. The Sect Leader's son held that position. Even so, he had immense status, being considered almost on equal footing with him. Despite being arrogant and cruel, no one in the sect put him in his place, because he truly had the talent and power to back it up. But now…
Everything about this felt so brutal that it made the hearts of everyone present pound violently. This was complete humiliation for the entire sect.
"Aaah… You… Ah…"
Animoch stuttered as he slowly, painfully stood up. His hair was disheveled, his face twisted into a horrible expression, and his pupils fully dilated.
"Y-You… Impossible… impossible…"
If he had been defeated by other disciples from the top 3 of the universe, no matter how miserably, he would have been able to accept it calmly. But his opponent was Darian… the same person he had called mediocre and trash.
Even though the Elders of his sect had told him to keep an eye on Darian and that he could be a legitimate opponent, he believed he could crush him at will. But not only did his attack fail to injure him, but he himself had been hit by the rebound. Meanwhile, Darian had only attacked once… and he was already in such a miserable state.
Seeing the "mediocre trash" he had mocked and humiliated so freely slowly approaching him, he felt an unprecedented fear in his heart. His mind was in complete chaos as he let out a strange scream, and a grayish light began to shine all over his body.
"Chaos Fusion! He's gone mad!"
People from the sect shouted in shock. As for Darian, he just looked at it and immediately understood what it was.
It was a sacrificial technique, where the Chaos Heavenly Elemental Spirits burned their vital energy to create the purest and densest Chaos power possible. Once activated in battle, if the user didn't win quickly, their life would burn away at an extreme rate, and they would die without any chance of recovery.
In mere seconds, the body created by Animoch's metamorphosis became covered in full gray armor. A spear made of Chaos power materialized in his hand, and he immediately charged at Darian.
Darian snorted, then a mocking smile spread across his face.
He waved his hand; then his eyes flashed. In the next second…
"!"
A grayish aura rose around his body, covering him and condensing like armor.
The people from the Chaos Elementals Sect were completely stunned. That… was extremely similar to Chaos Fusion!
They weren't entirely wrong. In the past, Darian had learned everything he could about Chaos power from Lian, who was the greatest expert in that power in the world. Not even his own father dared to say he knew more than him.
On top of that, Darian had obtained several techniques created by Lian that used this power. The technique Animoch was using was something new, but it was quite simple, and Darian immediately understood how it worked.
So, he created a replica of the technique using his own vital energy. In just a second, he was quite satisfied with the result. 'It's a good training technique, now I can train my vital energy too.'
Darian had methods to practice the power of the mind and the soul, but he had never learned anything that used vital energy, since he always had the white power to heal himself. Now, this technique would help him improve in that aspect as well.
As for running out of vital energy… that was completely impossible. His Celestial Bloodline could replenish vital energy faster than he could burn it. He could keep this technique active all the time, and nothing would happen to him.
"Die!!"
Animoch roared and attacked with his spear, not thinking about anything else.
When the spear was about to hit him…
Darian calmly extended his hand and grabbed the weapon.
Using a weapon created from Chaos power against him? That was a joke.
The moment he grabbed it, Darian activated his control over all of his opponent's Chaos power. At that instant, Animoch completely froze in front of him, with both body and soul locked in place, unable to move even a single millimeter.
"…" Animoch remained still, his face filled with pure terror.
The audience watching everything was silent, equally stunned. The entire arena had gone completely quiet.
"So that's all you've got, huh?" Darian mocked, twisting his wrist. "Let me give it back to you."
*CRACK!*
A terrifying sound echoed, like space itself was tearing apart. It was as sharp as a rock being shattered. Both the spear and the power covering Animoch shattered violently, as he was sent flying through the air with his limbs and body twisted.
At that same moment, Darian's figure disappeared, then appeared in the air right above him.
Without hesitation, Darian's elbow slammed brutally into his abdomen.
*BOOM!*
As if a massive mountain had exploded inside his body, Animoch went completely stiff, and his face turned deathly pale in an instant. Right after that, several jets of blood burst uncontrollably from his mouth and nose.
The entire arena remained in a deathly silence, as everyone stared straight ahead.
Darian stood calmly, raising his arm diagonally and blowing on his elbow as if brushing off dust.
Just a step away, Animoch lay sprawled on the ground, twitching, while fresh blood — which was actually gray, since it was the essence of his true body — gushed out from all over him.
"Meh… I thought a dog that barks that fiercely would have some bite to go with it. Didn't expect him to drop so fast," Darian frowned, speaking in a low voice that everyone could still hear. Then his voice suddenly rose. "Animoch, is this all you've got? In that case, you'd better surrender already."
"Oh, no, no!" Darian suddenly changed his tone, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I almost forgot. Animoch just said that a real cultivator only has the option to fight to the death and would never surrender, no matter what. Only the lowest trash would beg to surrender… So, giving you the chance to surrender wouldn't that be the same as slapping you in the face? I really shouldn't do something like that."
As soon as he finished speaking, Darian suddenly extended his arm. The back of his hand struck Animoch's right cheek hard.
*BANG!*
His entire body was sent flying uncontrollably, spinning like a top until it slammed violently into the barrier and stopped.
His once handsome face was now completely disfigured, with the right side caved in and his jaw completely tilted to the left. Lying on the ground, he coughed nonstop, and every cough brought out large amounts of blood along with several broken teeth.
Many people let out a deep breath. It was said you could beat someone, but not their face. Yet Darian hadn't just hit his opponent's face; he had destroyed it to the point of being unrecognizable… On top of that, he had humiliated and disfigured none other than the second greatest talent of the fifth strongest organization in the universe!
He and his face represented the entire sect in the Tournament. And this struck all of its members like a thunderbolt.
"Animoch!!"
The people from the Chaos Elementals Sect had never experienced such shame and humiliation. Even if the Sect Leader's self-control were ten times stronger, he still would have exploded in rage after what had just happened.
He let out a deafening roar and tried to rush straight toward the martial stage.
"Boy Darian, you're courting death!!"
But before he could even leave the VIP room, a tyrannical aura blocked him, covering his entire body like a blade ready to slice his neck.
A cold female voice said, with an indifferent gaze, "Sect Leader of the Chaos Elementals Sect, return to your seat immediately. No one is allowed to interfere in the battle, and I believe you're already aware of that rule."
"Purina," the Sect Leader of the Chaos Elementals Sect forcefully suppressed his anger, "this boy… is clearly going too far because of his malicious intent. It's obvious he's humiliating my Chaos Elementals Sect!"
"So what? You can humiliate others, but you can't stand being humiliated?" that Dire Fey said coldly, with a stern expression. "If that brat Animoch finds it unbearable, he can shout that he surrenders. In that case, Darian won't be able to attack him anymore. But since he hasn't surrendered yet, it means he still wants to keep fighting. I won't say this twice, if you try anything funny… I guarantee your sect will have to choose a new leader."
That leader snorted coldly but nodded. "Very well, then we admit defeat in this battle! I admit defeat on behalf of Animoch!"
Purina immediately replied, "Only he himself can admit defeat. No one else has the right to do that for him."
"..." The corner of the Chaos Elementals Sect Leader's mouth twitched, but he couldn't say anything else. He took a deep breath and turned around, furious.
He was about to sit down when, suddenly, a desperate scream echoed from the stage.
"Uaaaaahh!!"
He instantly turned back and saw a scene that made his eyes almost pop out from rage.
A gray spike shot up from the ground, pierced through Animoch's abdomen, and surged toward the sky, impaling him.
Ten meters… fifty meters… one hundred meters…
In the blink of an eye, Animoch was mercilessly skewered and lifted into the air. It was like a wicked sinner being punished for heinous crimes across the ages. The second greatest genius of the Chaos Elementals Sect was put on display, impaled high in the sky for all living beings in the universe to see clearly.
"Animoch, I'll give you five seconds. Die as an honorable cultivator, like you claim to be… or as a mediocre one begging to live. The choice is yours." Darian spoke slowly, his words echoing like thunder in people's souls.
Suspended in the air, Animoch groaned hoarsely. It felt like ten million needles had pierced his body, causing indescribable pain.
But even if the physical pain increased tenfold, it still wouldn't compare to the humiliation. It wasn't just his body nailed to the sky; all the glory and dignity he once had had been shattered. This scene would never leave his mind, and it would undoubtedly become a stain he could never erase.
Even so, he could surrender at any moment.
Meanwhile, Darian still wore that indifferent smile, as if he felt absolutely nothing… He didn't even glance toward the people of that sect.
Pity those bastards acting together with cultivators of the Evil Path? How much suffering and how many lives had been ruined because of them? Darian still remembered that old man and that little girl he had helped before. Like them, there were countless others who had suffered even worse.
"Darian!!"
A thunderous roar echoed from the VIP room at the top of the arena.
The Chaos Elementals Sect Leader felt like a volcano had erupted inside his chest. How could he allow his sect to be humiliated like this?!
All the members of the Chaos Elementals Sect also stood up with dark expressions. If they were anywhere else, they would've already acted in blind fury.
"Darian… I'll… Ah… kill you…"
Animoch shouted with all his strength, but each word sounded more painful than the last. His final words were filled with pure despair.
At that moment, the demonic Elder in charge of the tournament took a deep breath before speaking loudly, "Animoch, a true cultivator must know when to yield or stand firm. Victory and defeat are common. Even if it means losing the battle, calm your mind and admit defeat. There's no need to force yourself to continue."
He had to try to settle things. If Darian really killed this young man, chaos would erupt in the tournament.
"No, no, no! The Elder is completely mistaken…"
The moment he finished speaking, Darian suddenly turned and said in a loud, clear voice, not giving Animoch a chance to respond, "Real cultivators fight until the very last moment, even if it means dying. Only mediocre trash would beg to live, surrendering like an insect. We're talking about the Great Young Master Animoch! He's a 'real man,' an honorable cultivator who would never do such a thing!"
"If he actually admitted defeat and surrendered, wouldn't that mean he acknowledges himself as 'mediocre trash'? That wouldn't just be humiliation for him, but for the entire Chaos Elementals Sect. How dare he?"
"You!" A furious roar came from the VIP room.
"Oh, right," Darian continued, completely ignoring the enraged voice. "It's not like I'm forcing Animoch to do this, since he's the one who said those words earlier. Everyone sitting here, and everyone in the universe watching, must have heard him say it very clearly. I'm not exaggerating at all."
"Besides, when Animoch was giving that wonderful speech, the Chaos Elementals Sect Leader didn't say a single word to stop him, which clearly shows he approved of those words. It's likely… that's a principle your sect has followed all along, right? I truly admire that."
He didn't just humiliate Animoch to the extreme; he cornered him with his own words while ridiculing the Chaos Elementals Sect along the way.
The Sect Leader looked at Darian and said in a low voice, "Boy… you've got some nerve!"
"Hahahaha!" The moment the Sect Leader finished speaking, he was interrupted by an uncontrollable burst of laughter.
The laughter came from very close to him; Remira was clapping as she laughed, without any dignified posture. "Now this is quality entertainment! What a delight!"
Her laughter was an even harder slap to the face of the Chaos Elementals Sect Leader. His expression turned dark, but he didn't dare to respond. He spoke in an extremely low voice:
"Honorable Lady, my disciple Animoch has already suffered defeat. That wicked creature, Darian, is clearly humiliating him on purpose. This isn't just an insult to my sect, but to the entire Celestial Tournament."
"Humph! Animoch was the one who humiliated the other first. He can only blame himself for suffering revenge like this!" Purina replied coldly, pointing at him.
Near the martial stage, the Elder was already sweating coldly. He then spoke again in a deep voice:
"Animoch, the power in your body has been completely sealed, and you no longer have the strength to fight. This one considers it your defeat. Do you have any objections?"
Darian and many people in the arena narrowed their eyes. What the hell was that? The disciple himself should be the one to admit defeat—that was a clear rule of the battle.
But Darian could tell this Elder had no ill intent and just wanted to resolve things without screwing up the entire tournament. He was just trying to do his job, despite everything.
The Chaos Elementals Sect Leader roared, "Animoch!"
Animoch felt extreme pain as he remained pinned to the sky. However, he had been forced not to surrender because of what Darian had said. He was in complete despair. When he heard the demonic Elder's words, they felt like his only salvation, and he gathered all his strength to shout, "…no objections!"
The Elder snorted and waved his hand, relieved. A faint sound echoed as the spike holding Animoch in the sky instantly dissipated. Immediately, Animoch fell straight to the ground and lay there like a broken puppet, his entire body twitching nonstop.
For him, dying would've been the easiest way out… but even that wasn't allowed. Now, he would become a laughingstock for a long, long time.
