“Hahaha!” The Grand Lord leading the group burst into laughter. He turned to Kayden and said, “Let’s see if you’re really capable of what you claim.”
“Brothers, prepare!” he barked.
With a fierce shout, the four elders immediately sat down cross-legged, their expressions grim and focused. Kayden clenched his fists, a whirlwind of energy gathering between them. Chi swirled through the air, relentless and powerful.
In this world, there was no cage that couldn’t be broken. A mere iron cage? Even if it could confine his Chi, so what? Kayden snorted coldly and muttered to himself, “The Nightshade serves no purpose in this world anymore.”
“Hahaha! Hahahahahaha!” The Grand Lord’s laughter grew wilder, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. Fixing his piercing gaze on Kayden, he sneered, “You can talk big once you’ve made it out of there! Our Zenith Power has never been breached. Do you even know what Zenith Power is?”
“Zenith Power is the ultimate art-able to summon the winds and rains. Once you’re trapped in this cage, not even gods, not even the heavens themselves, can withstand it. Zenith Power and this cage complement each other perfectly. Throughout history, no one who has been suppressed by Zenith Power within this cage has ever survived. There’s a legend that The Nightshade once used this cage to imprison a celestial being. A cage that even gods can’t escape-tell me, do you think you’re capable of breaking free?”
The Grand Lord’s smugness grew as he spoke. He threw his head back and let out a triumphant howl, his voice echoing across the desolate arena.
When his laughter subsided, his expression turned cold. “Enough!” he commanded sharply. “Brothers! Kill him! Let him understand the consequences of defying The Nightshade!”
At his command, the four elders raised their hands. Sharp beams of light shot toward Kayden, aiming for him like deadly arrows. The cage was small, but Kayden’s survival instincts were strong. Though his internal energy couldn’t break free from the cage, it created an impenetrable barrier that kept his attackers at bay.
When the beams reached the edge of the cage, they were abruptly severed. With a loud crack, the energy disintegrated into ash.
The four elders didn’t stop. This time, they shifted tactics. Instead of aiming directly at Kayden, they began forming a formation above his head. Four beams of light connected, weaving into a massive, glowing net that hovered around the cage.
The elders moved in perfect unison. Each held up their left hand to support their right, raising two fingers to their lips. Chanting an ancient mantra, they suddenly pointed their fingers toward Kayden, releasing a surge of energy.
A colossal wave of force surged toward him, crashing like a tidal wave. The oppressive power descended upon Kayden, heavier than anything he had ever felt. He had spent a lifetime using his internal energy to dominate others, but now, for the first time, he was the one being crushed beneath its weight.
He understood their intent. They wanted to use their combined energy to crush him from within-to shatter his internal organs piece by piece until he was dead. Brutal and merciless, their tactics left no room for escape.
So this was Zenith Power. No wonder they were so confident in their ability to kill him. The might of Zenith Power was overwhelming, capable of destroying everything in its path.
The four elders attacked with practiced precision, their energy thick and relentless. It was clear they had honed this technique over decades. Compared to The Nightshade’s eight Enforcers, these Grand Lords were in another league entirely.
Kayden’s face grew darker as he fought to resist the force bearing down on him. But despite his best efforts, he could feel an invasive energy creeping into his body.
Above him, the disciples gathered on the plaza watched as the glowing net tightened around the cage. The sight filled them with grim certainty-Kayden was doomed.
Firestone, standing among the crowd, chuckled coldly. He turned to Lucy and said, “In just a few seconds, he’ll be nothing but a corpse. No one can withstand the Zenith Power of four Grand Lords, let alone a desperate man trapped in a cage. He doesn’t stand a chance.”
He glanced at Lucy, his eyes cold and disdainful. “Lucy, you should never have betrayed The Nightshade. And after betraying us, you had the audacity to bring this upon yourself. Let me make one thing clear-the price of opposing The Nightshade is death! No one in this world dares to challenge us. The Nightshade will stand eternal, unshaken for all time!”
His voice echoed across the plaza like the wail of a demon, shaking the valley and startling birds and beasts alike.
Lucy bit her lip, her gaze locked on Kayden’s caged figure. Once a man of strength and honor, the embodiment of righteousness, he now appeared powerless and cornered.
Kayden was the strongest man she had ever met-her beacon of hope against The Nightshade. But now, he seemed trapped in an inescapable death.
Her heart raced. She knew that if Kayden died, she wouldn’t survive either.
The four Grand Lords, their energy reaching its peak, began to glow with an otherworldly light. Above them, their formation blazed with fiery brilliance, a radiance so intense it forced everyone to avert their eyes.
The lead Grand Lord’s expression shifted to one of excitement. Yet beneath his exhilaration lay a trace of regret.
What a waste, he thought. Kayden was a Master-level cultivator-one of the few to achieve such a level at just twenty-five or twenty-six years old. Killing him felt like destroying a rare gem.
But the survival of The Nightshade came first. If Kayden didn’t die, The Nightshade would fall.
The Grand Lord exhaled deeply, his breath carrying the weight of the heavens. Above them, the sky began to darken.
Thunder rumbled. With a deafening crash, lightning streaked across the sky. Clouds, heavy and black, rapidly gathered over The Nightshade. The air grew thick with an ominous energy.
This was Zenith Power-the technique that could command the forces of nature. It was The Nightshade’s proudest achievement, and its strength was unparalleled.
Thunder roared again, shaking the heavens as if the sky itself was tearing apart. Beneath the darkened clouds, The Nightshade seemed like the epicenter of an apocalyptic storm.
Zenith Power was on full display. Its sheer force shattered the disciples’ understanding of power. Even Kayden, his body trembling under the assault, felt the limits of his strength nearing.
He looked up at the glowing formation above. Lightning struck the net, and with a resounding crash, it fell toward him.
“Argh!” Blood spurted from his mouth as the crushing force drove him to one knee. He looked like a deflated balloon, his energy drained.
“Kill him!” the Grand Lords roared in unison.
The earth trembled as their combined power surged forward, waves of destruction rolling toward Kayden.