In the central area of the Phoenix Cry sect, a towering mountain stood tall, crowned by a vast martial arena at its peak. The arena radiated an intense golden light, surrounded by a powerful protective formation.
At that moment, countless disciples stopped their activities and rushed to the site, eagerly forming a crowd around the combat stage. Almost all the disciples from the Heroic Pill Hall and the Phoenix Feather were present, creating a true sea of people.
The reason for all the commotion was Raoni’s name, which had spread like wildfire through the sect in less than a month. Practically everyone knew who he was. His incredible talent in alchemy was one reason, but that alone didn’t justify such notoriety. What really made him famous were his fighting skills.
From the moment he joined the Heroic Pill Hall, Raoni got into constant fights, rarely going a day without a brawl. More than half of the conservative faction members had already been defeated by him.
Initially, it was the conservatives who provoked him, but over time, Raoni began attacking them directly, seemingly for no reason, whether provoked or not. He even looked like a maniac who enjoyed beating up disciples and leaving them almost dead.
During this period, he was sent to the delinquent prison countless times. But to everyone’s surprise, the atmosphere in the prison changed drastically. Those who had previously been problematic started correcting their behavior and focusing on their studies. The prison, which had historically been expanded multiple times due to the high number of inmates, was empty for the first time.
Rumors began to circulate, and Raoni earned the informal title of "master of delinquents." He guided the inmates, helping them find their true paths in cultivation and alchemy. The respect he gained among those he helped spread his name even further.
Among those present in the arena, besides the disciples, were many Elders. In the reserved areas, the High Elders watched closely. For the more experienced, it was clear that this battle was more than just a simple clash between two disciples; it was a showdown between the two main factions of the sect.
"Rhyon has arrived!"
A group of disciples approached the stage, wearing the Phoenix Feather uniforms, with a shield embroidered on their collars. Leading them was Rhyon, a tall and strong man, recruited a year ago for his reputation as a fierce fighter.
Rhyon walked up to the stage entrance and presented his badge to a stone pillar, which shot out a beam of light, examining his body before transporting him to the center of the arena.
That was a life-or-death stage, reserved for resolving grudges that could no longer be mediated. According to the rules of the Phoenix Cry sect, once two disciples accepted the challenge and their superiors approved it, there was no turning back. Only one would walk away alive.
Rhyon’s aura radiated power and brutality, the result of years of fighting. The alchemists present felt the pressure coming from him and could barely breathe. Everyone knew Raoni had impressive combat skills, but he had only fought against alchemists. Against a fierce fighter like Rhyon, the outcome seemed obvious: a violent death.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the arena became dense and suffocating. A shout echoed through the crowd:
Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.
"Raoni has arrived! What a terrifying killing intent!"
The crowd erupted in murmurs as Raoni slowly emerged. A fiery energy and a murderous intent radiated from his body, distorting the air around him, but without emitting heat. Raoni’s gaze was icy, like a bloodthirsty Beast.
Inside a private room, Zemuo and the High Elders of the radical faction watched closely.
Raoni’s eyes were reddened, a clear sign of physical and mental deterioration caused by the technique he was cultivating. If this continued, he would completely lose his reason and become an uncontrollable beast.
"He’s deteriorating way too fast. We need to think of a way to make him moderate; otherwise, this won’t be good for our plan," Zemuo said seriously.
"I guarantee that won’t happen, even if we want to do it directly. It only seems that way because his power has increased so rapidly. He absorbed almost two hundred beastly fire runes. Thanks to his immense spiritual power, he managed to process all of it, but part of the energy was absorbed by his soul, exhausting his mental strength. If he stops fighting and isolates himself to cultivate, he’ll be fine," replied one of the High Elders.
"Alright. First, let’s see the outcome of the fight. I hope he doesn’t disappoint me," Zemuo said, and the others nodded.
Raoni was transported to the stage, and as soon as he appeared, the fight could begin.
But to everyone’s surprise, Raoni simply looked at his opponent with indifference. Internally, Alm and Bruno were distracted, carefully analyzing the people in the arena. They recognized many of the faces from the memories they had accessed before.
"Ignore me? Die!"
Rhyon roared, furious. The laws of fire exploded around him, and the manifestation of an Empyrean materialized. A thirty-meter-long flaming spear shot toward Raoni, ready to finish him off.
Rhyon had planned to make a typical provocation from an irrelevant character who would die quickly. But seeing Raoni distracted made his blood boil, and he attacked without hesitation.
The thirty-meter fire spear looked like a shooting star, distorting the space around it uncontrollably.
*BOOM!*
The spear exploded, filling the air with a mass of searing flames. Everyone’s vision and senses in the center of the explosion were blinded. A heavy silence engulfed the arena, and the disciples watched in shock.
"Heavens... what power... so this is a true fighter..." murmured an alchemist in the arena, eyes wide with astonishment.
That feeling of disbelief permeated all the disciples. Many of them were several realms above Rhyon, but the difference in strength was absurdly overwhelming.
Raoni was an alchemist, so he had spent more time perfecting his alchemy than his fighting. He might be strong... but there was no way to fight against this. Some wondered if he would survive a single hit.
But then, after two seconds of blazing chaos, a wave of Qi swept through the flames and revealed the martial stage. In that instant, all the spectators widened their eyes in disbelief.
A giant fire spear was frozen in mid-air. In the sky, Rhyon held it firmly. But on the ground... Raoni stood, one hand raised to head height, holding the spear like it was just a toy.
"Hm? Is that all?" Raoni’s voice came out lazily. "Come on, entertain me a bit. I’ll give you ten seconds. Hit me with everything you’ve got."
After those words, Raoni made a slight movement with his hand. To everyone’s shock in the arena, Rhyon and his spear exploded and were violently thrown back several meters, crashing against the protective formation of the arena.
In a second, the poor guy got back up. His expression was that of someone doomed, like a fish about to be cut on the board. A palpable sense of death surrounded him, and irrational despair took over his mind.
"Die!"
He screamed, summoning his fire spear again. Now, the heat radiating from it was so intense that the disciples around felt their skin burning.
Rhyon’s power had suddenly multiplied. People noticed his vital energy weakening and began to murmur. He was burning everything he had, then charged forward with everything, aiming for Raoni.
*BOOM!*
Flames covered the sky, but Raoni remained still, facing the attack with just his fist.
Compared to that massive fire spear, Raoni looked as insignificant as a fly. But... he didn’t move an inch. With a smooth motion, he dissipated the manifestation and hurled his opponent away.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Raoni, and it was then that they noticed: blood-red runes covered his entire body, melting the metallic ground around him. If Rhyon’s power was terrifying, compared to those runes, it seemed childish.
"Not bad. The merit points and beastly runes weren’t in vain. Your resistance to the laws of fire is almost supreme. Raoni has surpassed even legitimate cultivators... unbelievable..."
Seeing Raoni’s move, Zemuo spoke, confident that he was relying solely on his fire resistance. The more mastery and power a cultivator had in a law, the more resistant they became. That manifestation was composed of pure fire laws, so judging by their lack of combat experience, they thought it was just that.
"The mastery of fire within him is frighteningly powerful. Even after absorbing all those fire runes, it doesn’t seem like he’s hit his limit. If we had more time for him to absorb more runes, his power would be even greater," another High Elder added.
Zemuo nodded. "With his talent, even his physical body has been greatly enhanced. This young man is a true rarity. If we weren’t in a hurry, he would have been trained with utmost care. With power at this level, it’s impossible to lose this fight. When he returns, we need to reinforce this secret weapon."
Zemuo spoke excitedly and smiled wickedly. It wasn’t just him; all the High Elders were euphoric inside. Raoni was like a bottomless pit, a vessel of power that could be fed endlessly. It was abnormal, even frightening, but at the same time, a divine gift for them.
Some doubts lingered in the air, but they chose to ignore them. The facts of his capability were right before their eyes. Later, they would turn him into a slave; what could they possibly fear?
Plans would be revised. Raoni would be used to destroy the disciples of the conservative faction. But with the power he was showing, why be stingy? After this battle, they would give him all the merit points they had, if necessary. Raoni could not only take down the neutral disciples but also those from the Phoenix Feather.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
The fight continued in the arena. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say it was just Rhyon fighting desperately, exhausting every drop of his energy.
Raoni, on the other hand, simply made smooth movements, obliterating each attack like it was nothing. Until...
"Your ten seconds are up."
Raoni spoke slowly, and the air in the arena seemed to freeze. Everyone present forgot to breathe. Rhyon, for his part, was pale with despair.
Raoni waved his hand, and a red spear formed in his palm. "What was the name again?" he murmured as the blood-red runes pulsed across his body. "Oh, doesn’t matter."
With a single motion, he threw the spear. The laws of fire intertwined around it, and the shadow of a flaming bird appeared around the weapon.
"Is that... Ember Wings?" a disciple from the Phoenix Feather exclaimed, recognizing the technique.
Many others had heard that name; it was a combat technique of the lowest level possible. This technique wasn’t from the sect; it was something Cinoi sent for Raoni to train with. It could be easily bought in any city. Only mediocre fighters used it, and its power couldn’t do...
**KBOOOOM!!!!!!!**
The arena shook violently, like a volcano had just erupted. Everything around was engulfed in flames, and the protective formation around the spectators was shattered into countless cracks.
All the disciples swallowed hard. ’What the hell kind of power was that?’ As this thought echoed in their minds, their eyes fell on the stage... or rather, what was left of it. The ground had been completely melted, unable to withstand the fury of the flames.
Then the flames and smoke dispersed, and a figure could be seen. It was hard to even recognize it as human, so burned and charred it looked like a carbonized doll.
Raoni was right in front, his powerful hand gripping Rhyon’s neck as if he were holding a chicken, effortlessly keeping him suspended in the air.
His eyes, covered in blood-red runes, stared at Rhyon with a deadly coldness. It was the gaze of a god of death, merciless and indifferent. Rhyon’s soul nearly escaped his body, overwhelmed by an uncontrollable terror.
’If you kill me, his sister will die!’ Rhyon’s throat was crushed, preventing him from speaking, so he could only send the mental message, desperate for mercy.
Though the outsiders couldn’t feel Rhyon’s mental scream, they could clearly see his pleading expression.
"Speak. Who was the bastard that seduced her?" Raoni’s voice was cold, devoid of any emotion, as if it came straight from the depths of hell.