"Remember. The choice is yours. Either lay down with me and have some fun while getting a shot at not only absorbing some energy but also impregnating a beautiful woman like me, or just scram. If you can't help me, I will have to make do with the others."

With her body falling to the back and clasping against the body of the poor boy under her, she once again spread her legs wide, showcasing her former treasure and now just a commodity right to my eyes.

With the snap of her fingers - the only part of her body that had any chance of staying delicate after everything that she went through - all the boys that managed to run away before, suddenly appeared back in the middle of the garden. Looking at their state, they really believed that they would be able to escape the grasp of this devious woman!

"You don't need to remind me. I don't have any intention to fall for your tricks. If you will ever find some time and enough humanity in you to pay my dearest a visit, feel free to contact me through Neterian."

Sweeping my robes, I turned around with the intention of leaving. Regretfully, as soon as I was about to make my first step towards the freedom, my path got blocked by a barrier.

"Did you really think that you would be able to get away from me?"

Before I even realised, she was already standing right beside me, with her arms flying in the direction of my throat.

"Blop!"

"Predator's mindset activated!"

"Blop!"

"Deploying the shield."

"Deploying the shield."

"Deploying…"

Thanks to my earlier directives, as soon as the messages turned repetitive, the system stopped showing them in front of my eyes and simply added a counter. In less than a second, it skyrocketed to thirties!

Not even noticing when I was already holding my Mage's stick in my hand. When you can't compare with opponents quality, just drown them in quantity.

While my weak shields were far too… weak to stop Nadia's advance, when she had to consecutively crush them one by one with me constantly deploying the new ones as soon as the previous one broke down, it took only a moment for her to completely tire down.

Only now did I realise how useful ignoring the cast time was!

Who cares if I can't defend myself with an all-powerful shield? Just make them appear instantaneously and endlessly and my defences will never be broken!

"You sure have some guts to dare to pick your weapon inside the foreign sect! Don't you fear retaliation from the elders?"

With her eyes already wide open and shining as if someone set a fire in them, it was clear that she was either on the brink of losing her rationality or she already lost it. Wasting my time here would be pointless at this moment.

"No, I do not. They are not as stupid as to attack a Heavenly Sect elder's proxy!"

Not caring whether those words would be sufficient to wake Nadia's up from her rage, I infused some of my mana into my stick and waved it against the shield.

While that was what I did openly, I also cast shockwave several times when the tip of my weapon touched the energetical barrier.

Instead of just falling apart as my own barriers did under the assault of Nadia, the force field that she set up crumbled at first only to suddenly dissipate!

At least I gained some knowledge from this meeting. My shockwave can either influence the energy in the air, or Natural's got to the point where their important disciples can afford placing down a formation!

"Okay, stop it before you will completely break it!"

Suddenly sobering up, Nadia backed out and raised her hands in the gesture of surrender. I guess my other assumption was right. Or maybe she didn't want to draw attention? Maybe her small mansion wasn't all that sturdy? No matter what was the reason for her giving up, it worked for me.

"I hope I won't be forced to exert my strength to leave a place I went only to visit. Remember, if you will like to contact me, you can do it through Neterian only. Farewell."

Having a completely clear path in front of me, I decisively moved away from the garden and went through the mansion with my top speed. Even if I didn't run, it was clear that I was trying to leave this place as soon as possible.

The same second that I finally managed to leave the mansion behind me, I felt enormous energy sweeping through the area. With the predator's mindset still guiding my moves, I instantly deployed five diffrent shields, separated by only a thin layer of air between them.

Even if I could instantaneously regenerate my shields and do it for far longer than Nadia should be able to go against me, I knew that if she attacks me with force powerful enough, the strength of her attack could find its way through the shields!

Without any prior testing, I couldn't tell whether my defences would manage to block her attack!

I guess I wasn't meant to leave Nadia's place at all. But that didn't mean I would not do so.

As soon as the strike connected, I could feel the ground disappearing from under my feet. While I considered the option of a single but powerful attack, the woman came up with her own way of breaking my shell. Instead of barraging me with the series of moves in hopes of overwhelming my speed of casting the barriers, she somehow managed to twist her attacks in a way than after executing them, some of the leftover energy would linger in the air, preventing me from creating another shield! In that case, I had to let her push me away to gain the distance and change the position!

"Don't you dare overstep your bounds!'

Just as I thought that the only way out of from the sect would be to face her fair and square for as long as it would take to drain her entire energy, I heard a familiar voice starting behind me, but the end of the sentence resounded already from the place that I only swept through when Nadia's attack sent me flying.

"Do you really think you can block me?"

Looking forward, I saw Neterian clashing with Nadia roughly fifty steps away from the doors of her mansion. Wielding the sword that I just recently presented him, he somehow managed to force her to a clash instead of being just swept aside!

"I don't care what you are doing in your own place, but if you dare to attack our guest on the sect grounds, even your teacher won't be able to protect you!"

Despite the intense situation that he was in, this guy was able to calmly explain his attitude! If I were in his place, I would just let the events happen, only going as far as reporting the troubles to the higher authorities!

"Fine! I get it. Now get out of my sight!"

With her aura suddenly erupting, I cast over forty shields around me while ignoring the message indicating that I managed to level this ability up. Surprisingly enough, when the dust fell down on the ground and allowed me to see the spot where they stood again, only Neterian remained with Nadia already showing her back as she walked to her mansion!

"Thanks for the help."

Lowering down my shields, I approached Neterian, only to be stopped halfway by his raised hand.

"Stop right there!"

With his weapon still raised as if in wait for a sudden attack, the young genius started slowly walking backwards. Only when he reached my side did he allow himself to hide his weapon and turn around to face me.

"One step further and you would enter the land that officially belongs to her. As long as you are outside, you should be safe."

Looking at his face up close, I could see huge beads of sweats falling down from his face. I guess facing off against someone who was at least an entire cultivation level stronger wasn't an easy deed, even with my utopy in hand!

"Once again, thanks for your help."

No matter what, he helped me immensely. If not for him, I would not only risk turning the entire sect against me but even after leaving the sphere of Nadia's influence, I was going to enter it again! I will have to make sure to let him profit from the auction a bit more than I intended!

"Sure thing. While I said you need to take responsibility for stepping inside by yourself, no one can imagine how ferocious beast this woman is! I'm sorry, but this clash took all the strength that I had in me. I hope you won't mind if I guide you directly to the exit now."

Just one look at his sweating face or trembling hands was enough to see it for myself. Picking out a single energy stone from my storage ring, I placed it in his hand.

"Take it as a small token of gratitude. Additionally, I don't want you to collapse halfway through the sect. If that were to happen, who would help me get away from this place?"