The Solitary Path to Divinity

As the duels on the platform continued, people kept dying one after another, and others were teleported away one by one. Among them was Draven, whose strength was second only to Ethan's. Leo's eyes remained fixed on the dark mass on the Teleportation Array that devoured the cultivators' blood and essence. Instinct told him that this dark mass was the core of the entire Array.

What he really wanted was to pry it open and see what was inside. But with so many cultivators from various sects watching, they'd never let him do it. Not a single one of them understood formations. What if he broke the Array and couldn't fix it? Wouldn't everyone be trapped here forever?

"Senior Brother Leo, it's your turn," Vera said, reminding him. "That disciple from the Raksha Sect — I've crossed paths with him once. He's lost an arm, but don't let that fool you. He's a core disciple, and not to be underestimated. Be careful."

"That's right, Senior Brother Leo," Solon added, still shaken at the memory. "That guy is fierce. He killed two from our squad with that curved blade of his. The moment he sees anyone from the Palace, he attacks. If Senior Sister Vera hadn't arrived in time, I'd be dead."

"Is that so?" Leo said. "Thanks for the warning."

He looked at the one-armed young man already standing on the platform. What a small world.

"Looks like Senior Brother Leo drew a pretty early number," Solon remarked with feeling. "I guess he'll be teleported out ahead of the rest."

Leo's number was fifty-seven. That was why Solon said what he did.

"You've got a lot of confidence in Leo," Lowell said, unimpressed. "That Raksha Sect disciple is a core disciple too. What makes you so sure Leo will win? The one-armed guy could just as easily come out on top."

"No one asked you to speak," Quincy snapped, her face dark. "Shut up."

"That's right," Frost said. "We're all from the same sect. Senior Brother Leo has saved us more than once. We shouldn't be rooting for an outsider."

She and Winnie had once admired Lowell. But after everything that had happened in the Bloody Battlefield, their views had shifted. Lowell was sharp and flashy, always drawing attention. Leo, by contrast, was wrapped in an air of mystery — impossible to read.

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Lowell's words caught in his throat. He hadn't realized Leo had earned such loyalty from these people. Even back when Lowell led his own squad, he'd never commanded this kind of devotion.

"This Raksha Sect guy is definitely going to lose," Solon said with a knowing chuckle.

"What makes you say that?" Winnie asked curiously.

"Look at his face," Vera said, suddenly understanding. "Something's off."

Everyone followed her gaze. Sure enough, the one-armed young man was staring at Leo with a mix of hatred and fear. Leo, by contrast, looked perfectly calm — with just a hint of mockery in his expression.

"That's it," Solon laughed. "The guy's scared of Senior Brother Leo. Must have lost to him before. Senior Brother Leo is something else — ordinary core disciples are no match for him."

Then he noticed Lowell's face darken. Realizing that Lowell himself had once lost to Leo, Solon quickly shut his mouth.

"It's you," Kazan said, his voice dripping with venom as he glared at Leo. He looked like he wanted to grind Leo's bones to dust.

"Do you want to end it yourself," Leo said, "or should I do it?"

Leo hadn't expected such a coincidence. Kazan was the one who had led the Raksha Sect squad that ambushed him. But the ambush had backfired — Kazan had lost his arm, and he and one other disciple were the only ones who escaped.

"You think you can beat me? Dream on. Die!" Kazan roared. His black curved blade shot through the air. His luck had run out — drawing Leo as his opponent. There was nothing left but to fight to the death.

Clang!

The Black Flood Dragon Shears clashed with the black curved blade again and again — dozens of times in the blink of an eye. Neither side gained the upper hand. Then Leo summoned his golden flying sword.

Kazan gritted his teeth and hurled out another spirit artifact — a second curved blade. But his Ice-Fire Demon Sand and Malicious Mother-Child Nails had been completely used up in his previous fight with Leo. If he still had them, he might have had a chance. After losing his arm, Kazan had found a secluded spot to heal, then wandered the forbidden ground alone. Eventually, he had reunited with three scattered disciples from his sect. Then they'd all fallen into this godforsaken place. And now — Leo. What rotten luck. Kazan hated him with every fiber of his being. If he was going to die, he'd make sure his enemy didn't walk away unscathed.

But Kazan had been alone in the Bloody Battlefield for a long time. He'd spent most of his energy fighting demon beasts and fending off hostile cultivators from other sects. His gains had been meager. Then he'd fallen into this place and fought two more battles against Bloodshadow Lizards, barely escaping with his life. His resources were nearly exhausted.

As Kazan burned through his last few mid-grade spirit stones, Leo casually pulled out another one. Despair washed over Kazan's face. The Black Flood Dragon Shears grew larger and larger in his vision. Then his head flew from his shoulders, and his consciousness faded.

Leo collected Kazan's storage pouch and the curved blade artifact. The other cultivators looked at him with envy. But Leo felt nothing. He already had six offensive magic artifacts — more than enough. One more didn't matter. Still, to avoid revealing his hand, he put on a show of wild delight.

But his attention wasn't really on the black curved blade or Kazan's corpse. He was up close to the dark mass that devoured cultivators' blood and essence — and he was studying it carefully.

Suddenly, Leo felt a faint movement from the Barrier-Breaching Insect, which had been sleeping in his spirit beast pouch. His heart leaped. He couldn't figure out the secrets of the Blood Soul Teleportation Array. But the Barrier-Breaching Insect, which specialized in breaking through strange restrictions, might have a way.

But the duels weren't over. Leo had no choice but to step down from the Array.

When he came down, the way the surrounding cultivators looked at him had changed — even Lowell's gaze had shifted. By killing Kazan, Leo had proven himself a core disciple with two magic artifacts. His combat strength had just jumped by a wide margin. Even ordinary core disciples were no match for him now.

Lowell's face had turned pale. Once Leo refined that second artifact, his strength would leave Lowell in the dust.