Chapter 159: One Down
The Greed Devil is a cultivator with high attainment in the space element. Since childhood, he has possessed a natural compatibility with it, marking him as a once-in-a-millennium genius. Few cultivators can match his mastery of the space element—those who can could be counted on one hand. This makes him feared for his spatial control.
His space laws have saved him from countless situations, and they are one reason why he has never been captured or killed by his hunters. To this day, capturing him seems almost impossible, given his vast collection of artifacts and high-level cultivation, combined with his profound understanding of space laws. Whenever he steals or kills, he relies on his space laws—his source of pride.
However, as he looks at this young man, who regards him and Erik with the casual confidence of an adult restraining a child, he feels an irritation he hasn’t experienced in a long time. The sight almost feels like a dream, beyond anything explainable by the logic of this world.
The space laws he so prizes—his foundation and his strength—are useless before this young man. Both he and Erik have tried numerous attacks, especially after Aldrian effortlessly destroyed a low divine-grade artifact with a single sword slash. By now, they realize that this young man cannot be assessed like a typical cultivator. They constantly have to remind themselves that Aldrian is only at the peak of the Earl stage!
Initially, they suspected Aldrian of using an artifact to hide his true cultivation level. The power of his heavenly tribulation could have killed the Greed Devil a thousand times over, yet it wasn’t enough to convince the two devils that Aldrian could survive on his own. But after battling him repeatedly and experiencing his strength firsthand, they are left with no choice but to acknowledge Aldrian as a true singularity.
How could an Earl-stage cultivator possibly fight on par with an Emperor-stage cultivator? Forget holding his own—Aldrian still seems to have energy to spare even while battling Erik with the Greed Devil has mainly been supporting the fight. Greed Devil still assessing Aldrian’s abilities and trying to see what he has up his sleeve but he finally realizes it’s pointless. Aldrian is an existence beyond understanding.
A peak Heaven-grade sword destroying a low Divine-grade armor? That would be impossible unless the technique Aldrian uses is extraordinarily powerful, amplifying the sword’s strength.
The Greed Devil attempts to restrict Aldrian’s movements with his spatial control, even using his domain to make his control over space smoother. Yet, this young man casually breaks free using his own control over space. When the Greed Devil tries to crush Aldrian with condensed space, Aldrian merely slices through it like it’s tofu. This makes it clear: Aldrian’s comprehension of both space laws and sword technique surpasses even his own.
And yet, this young man is only at the peak of the Earl stage, practically an ant compared to Emperor-stage cultivators like them. Meanwhile, Erik continues attacking Aldrian with his spear technique, seeking an opening. Finally, when an opportunity arises, the Greed Devil throws a mid-Divine artifact with a trapping function. This artifact can create a cage that isolates its target, cutting off their access to external energy supplies and capable of imprisoning even high Emperor-stage cultivators. Now, he wants to see if Aldrian can escape without drawing on surrounding energy.