The storm subsided, and the deafening thunder vanished. Sunlight bathed the earth, revealing a landscape ravaged by chaos.
Silence.
Swordgate Peak was eerily silent.
For dozens of miles, not a single sound could be heard.
All eyes turned to the summit, where an unparalleled figure stood tall, like a pillar bridging heaven and earth, defying the very laws of existence.
For ten long minutes, the crowd was frozen in dead silence.
Their minds went blank.
They were stunned.
They couldn’t comprehend it. They couldn’t understand it even if it killed them.
Dario Bragg was a Semi Earthly Sovereign! Practically invincible below the Earthly Sovereign level!
A Greater Sovereign-a rarity among millions of cultivators.
A being like Dario Bragg, whose realm of power emerged only once in tens of millions, wasn’t just nicknamed “half-human, half-demon.” He truly embodied that title.
His terrifying strength, which aligned with the forces of heaven and earth, was undeniable proof. He had crushed an arctic mountain with a single strike, wielding the power of heaven and earth in his palm-a feat witnessed by many.
Yet, this demonic god had been obliterated by a single hand of Flynn’s.
Gone.
Everyone had assumed that Lord Valerian Nox wouldn’t last three moves against him. Even after Lord Valerian Nox had displayed miraculous feats, doubts lingered.
But what was the reality?
Lord Valerian Nox had dominated Dario Bragg from start to finish.
Everyone was certain that Lord Valerian Nox could have killed him with a single move. Yet, he had used four.
No! To be precise, he hadn’t even used techniques. Just slaps and kicks.
He was toying with him.
From the very beginning, Lord Valerian Nox had approached the fight with a playful mindset.
Oh, heavens!
He wasn’t even thirty years old.
Radiant, peerless, and commanding the winds of destiny!
After this battle, no one dared question him.
This unparalleled prodigy, this unrivaled monster, had undoubtedly stormed onto the Dragon Ranking!
Top five?
No one knew. That depended on how the cultivation world would evaluate him.
But one thing was certain: Vicente Clark, the newly risen star on the Dragon Ranking, paled into insignificance before Lord Valerian Nox.
To kill Dario Bragg-whether or not Lord Valerian Nox was an Earthly Sovereign-meant he was only a hair’s breadth away from that realm.
Not a step. A hair’s breadth.
Oh, my God!
Some people spend their entire lives failing to reach the Grandmaster or Great Grandmaster level.
And this man, not yet thirty, was already an Earthly Sovereign?
Mysterious.
This young man was too mysterious.
It was as if he had appeared out of nowhere. Until two months ago, no one had even heard his name.
Where had he come from?
His name wasn’t on the Dragon Ranking.
It didn’t make sense.
Was he from the military?
Everyone knew that military powerhouses never appeared on the Dragon Ranking. They were national weapons, akin to nuclear bombs-hidden and never exposed lightly.
A prominent family head, who recognized two Semi Earthly Sovereigns standing nearby, stole a glance at them.
Both of them frowned.
They didn’t know either.
So, Lord Valerian Nox wasn’t from the military.
Dear heavens!
Ostrad was about to quake.
A young martial god had emerged!
A once-in-five-hundred-years phenomenon!
His future was limitless.
An Earthly Sovereign-a true force of heaven!
Unreachable by any Greater Sovereign.
At best, Greater Sovereigns were the heavens to ordinary people or Great Grandmasters and billion-dollar clans.
But Earthly Sovereigns? They were the heavens to trillion-dollar families and Lesser Sovereigns.
Even the most prestigious families had no choice but to treat them as equals.
After today, Lord Valerian Nox’s name would echo throughout Ostrad!
Even Eahta would have to show him respect!
“He’s my age! How is he so terrifying? Just watch-after today, countless daughters of top families will flock to him.”
“Only they are worthy of Lord Valerian Nox!” Wayne practically knelt, his eyes filled with boundless admiration and envy.
Madeline gazed at the small green figure atop Swordgate Peak, stunned and lost in thought. “Indeed, only the most elite families are fit for Lord Valerian Nox.”
“If only Lord Valerian Nox preferred ordinary girls over the daughters of prestigious families,” she mused wistfully.
“If that were the case, then the girl’s family might ascend to unimaginable heights, surpassing ninety-nine percent of Ostrad’s families.”
“After all, he’s so young, with boundless potential.”
“But alas, not even someone like me stands a chance. Even Miss Layla probably doesn’t. The tale of a prince and a gray swan only exists in fairy tales…”
Madeline couldn’t help but indulge in a fleeting fantasy.
After all, who wouldn’t hope for a connection with Lord Valerian Nox?
Even just meeting him face-to-face would fulfill a girl’s greatest dream.
But even with her sky-high pride, Madeline didn’t dare to dream of seeing Lord Valerian Nox in person.
It was impossible to imagine.
Lord Valerian Nox had long since transcended her world.
From the moment he killed Stellan Wallace, he had left her far behind. And now?
She was nothing but an ant.
Even if she struggled and fought for a thousand years, she could never catch up to Lord Valerian Nox’s steps.
Layla felt the same.
Not long ago, she had believed that she could develop a bond with Lord Valerian Nox. After all, she wasn’t lacking.
She was the direct daughter of the Woods family.
A favored child of heaven.
But compared to the current Lord Valerian Nox, her identity seemed insignificant.
To dream of a relationship was impossible.
To become his disciple? She probably couldn’t do that on her own either-she would need someone to help her.
Her master! Her master could reach such heights!
But he was wandering the world!
When she returned to Slatin, she vowed to investigate and beg her master to return as soon as possible!
“Dad, we’ll go back to Slatin later. Find someone to decode the medical book as soon as you can. I need to retreat and focus!”
Vicente Clark was utterly shaken.
He hadn’t been jealous of Dario Bragg’s victory.
But Lord Valerian Nox, someone his age, was a competitor. He had wanted him to lose.
Yet, in just a single day, Lord Valerian Nox had undergone an earth-shattering transformation in his and the world’s eyes.
From an unparalleled monster to someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with Ostrad’s most terrifying ancient monsters.
He had killed Dario Bragg, the man Vicente had once viewed as a surpassable idol, leaving him eighty streets behind…
The feeling was utterly crushing.
But what could he do?
All he could do was strive for a higher realm, trying to narrow the gap between himself and Lord Valerian Nox.
Surpassing him? Impossible.
His father sighed. “Son, don’t be too disheartened. Such a person is a once-in-five-hundred-years phenomenon. We don’t need to be first. Being second is enough.”
He couldn’t help but feel envious.
Whoever Lord Valerian Nox belonged to, his family must be riding high for the next hundred years.
Even his friends would share in the glory.
Envy. Pure envy.
How he wished he had a son like that!
“Oh, my God! This… this…”
Across the river, Molly nearly lost her mind, her hands slapping her forehead as indescribable emotions surged within her.
Before the battle, she had thought Flynn could win, but it would be a grueling fight.
But the reality?
It had been a slaughter.
Her master wasn’t just strong-he was divine!
Unthinkable!
“Molly, help me…” whispered Rose, swaying as if she might collapse.
“Ms. Sharp…” Molly quickly supported her, bursting into laughter. “Surprised? Shocked? I didn’t expect the boss to be so absurdly strong either. He’s incredible…”
Rose remained silent, her heart pounding wildly, her blood rushing to her head in a daze.
For three months, she had been walking alongside a god?
Who could endure such a revelation?
No wonder her once-proud father had knelt before Flynn, begging him to come to Niarak to help her.
Her father hadn’t knelt before a man. He had knelt before a god!
Someone like Flynn wouldn’t fear even the most powerful families.
Lilia must be…
Wait, where was Lilia?
Rose scanned the surroundings and spotted Lilia fleeing into the distance…