–Hal's soul world–

"Tiberius, what are you jumping around for," Myra asked in an exasperated voice

Tiberius turned around to look at her, barely able to keep his excitement in check

"Hold it whore, I didn't berate when you were watching the little orgy"

"I was bored"

"As am I"

Myra closed her eyes in reminiscence, but her expression soon turned sad.

"Tiberius, have you been feeling stronger?" She asked suddenly still with her eyes closed

"*sigh* It's barely perceptible, but yes I have"

Their cultivation was gone along with their bodies which the Devil Queen had destroyed to seal their soul essence inside Hal's soul world, luckily though their cultivation could be regained as they very well knew. The issue lay in being free from the soul world, unfortunately, it did not matter how strong they were, the only way they could be free was through the Devil queen.

While the seal was a source of hope for them that somewhere, the Devil Queen was still 'alive'. The slow increase in strength ( Soul strength) did not truly bring them joy, it was just another remembrance of their present circumstances. (Not like they could truly forget it)

"Why are we here?" Myra asked

"To aid him, my dear succubus, it's just the information we can provide him won't help him much right now"

He turned back towards the darkness

"Now shh, it's starting" He shushed as he watched the burgeoning battle with interest

Meanwhile...

Marlon kicked off with his feet and let out his cultivation base as he went after Hal. Reason had no place with him at that moment and only one thing mattered and that was to wipe away that smug smile on Hal's face.

Hal on the other hand saw in this many opportunities, one of which was to test the power increase that came with his advancement as well as the strength of his flesh so he let out his cultivation base as well.

The pressure of his cultivation base seemed pathetic compared to Marlon's who was giving off the pressure of someone at the Early stage of the Cosmic Armament Realm.

Marlon could not help but thank his lucky stars that Hal's strength was way beneath him, being at the mid-stage of the Cosmic Pearl realm. He had never been the fighter of the family, focusing his attention on other things such as the smooth running of the Edgar family.

Darryl was the true cultivator of the family. In all honesty, he had been a tad bit worried because Hal's cultivation seemed to be increasing too quickly. But seeing as the increase was not to his level, he could go to town on beating him up.

Bam!!!

His fist hit Hal's crossed arms and sent him flying backward at a speed that seemed to define reason.

As Hal smacked into the array and was thrown back into the center, he nodded in his mind at the strength gap and the fact that if an early-stage already outstripped him so, what hope could he possibly have against someone at the peak stage.

Luckily for him, he still had a few trump cards. Not to mention that so far in a confrontation of simple physical prowess, his flesh still seemed up to the task.

Hal's eyes widened as he rolled to the side and avoided Marlon's right foot from crushing his face and stood up.

Crack!

was the sound Marlon's foot made as it broke through the ground, but he did not wait around as he turned and went after Hal who retreated as quickly as he could...

Swoosh!

Whoosh!

Were sounds Marlon's fist made as it met nothing but air and he wondered how Hal with low cultivation could have outmaneuvered him.

Hal on the other hand knew he could not keep it up for long so he stood his ground...

The duo became embroiled in a physical battle as they went on to exchange a few moves before a Cosmic attack would hit a quick shield of astral energy Hal had raised to protect himself.

He was able to successfully brush some of the attacks but not all, but yet Hal's smile was ever-present.

Thinking of Hal's smile as a taunt, Marlon sent cosmic attack after cosmic attack all in the hope of putting him down. With every Cosmic attack, Hal became more battered but he continued to smile.

Why was he smiling?

Well, it pleased him that his flesh could take such punishment, further advancement and he could be invincible but that was in the future, and allowing himself to continue getting punished was incredibly dangerous. As quick as his regeneration had become it could not resurrect him should he end up dead.

As soon as a determination to counterattack came upon him so did frustration come upon Marlon...

"2nd-grade skill: Darts"

...and he summoned a two circled ring out of which came dark darts that shot all shot towards Hal.

Theoretically, these were skills of the level that could affect a cultivator at the Cosmic pearl realm but the suppression that it produced was a joke to Hal, he freed himself easily and dodged the darts after which he vanished.

Not as a result of speed. No, he simply disappeared and to every sense that Marlon had, Hal was no longer in the array, but that was impossible.

"A trick" Marlon muttered as he paced carefully

"Hahahahahaha" laughter sounded boisterously in the array but as Hal was {Invisible} pinpointing the source was nigh impossible.

Of course, going invisible was a double-edged weapon. Ham could not attack Marlon as any use of cultivation would undo his invisibility.

However, Hal could still play mind games

"Show yourself" Marlon yelled as he stared around frantically for the 'bogeyman'.

Suddenly, Hal's presence came up behind him, but before Marlon could effectively turn around...

Bam!!

...a foot smacked him in the back sending him into the array. When he picked himself up, Hal's presence was gone again.

The rage in Marlon's eyes spoke volumes.

"I'm going to kill you" He yelled

"But I have no interest in killing you" Hal's voice was calm and when his presence appeared again...

Smack!

...it was to hit Marlon on the back of his head.

"You are no use to me dead. You are simply misguided and I want you back on the right path. My path" Hal said with a mild chuckle

"SHUT UP!!" Marlon yelled and summoned his Cosmic Armament, a crimson red sword, and with it came a sudden intensity that caused Hal to sigh

"Is it time to get serious, *sigh*" A shimmer later and Hal appeared with his hands behind his back

His appearance brought Marlon some much-needed focus as he gripped his Armament tighter but there was something different about Hal.

Hal stretched his hand...

"Rise for the blood of my foes, Executioner"

...and summoned the diabolical broadsword that was the Blood fiend's bloodline Armament.

As soon as Executioner appeared, Marlon became flushed and...

-Puchi-

...he had a blood spurt.

Hal's cultivation base remained the same but the pressure that he now emitted was bloodcurdling.

What caused the change?

Marlon could not care less, wiping the blood at the edge of his lips, he went after Hal with a jab of his sword, a jab that Hal caught on the flat side of Executioner and pushed him back.

Marlon stumbled backward and then made use of his superior speed to close the distance quickly with a swipe at Hal's head, but Hal would parry with Executioner.

Even without the hindrance of weight, Executioner remained a weapon for slaughter and not really for combat but Hal had no interest in killing Marlon.

Summoning Executioner was simply to increase his battle power.

Marlon once again relied on his superior speed to continue to press Hal who was satisfied with being on the defensive, as he allowed Marlon to spin, kick and stab making sure to catch it all on the flag side of Executioner.

Then Hal's eyes finally made the change; shifting from his sapphire blue to a blood red and fog of the same color spread out of the fiendish Armament and coiled around Marlon who instantly tried to escape but was unable to outrun it.

So he tried to fight it back with his Cosmic Armament but he was far from strong enough. The fog coiled around Marlon's arms and thighs, dragging him down to the ground essentially and pinning him there, and eating away at his strength until his armament dispersed and Marlon was left defenseless.

Hal dispersed Executioner as well and went low until he and Marlon were face to face and chuckled

"You know, I really should thank Gregory. Here I was starting to wonder how to proceed with my plans and he just delivers you to me. Maybe he really does care about me"