“Supreme General White Blaze, what skill is that kid using?” A jagged looking solider with multiple scars on his face asked. This person was a lieutenant of the Yasha Empire’s military. He was standing behind a giant man taller than two meters whose face looks like a fierce wild wolf on top of a metallic golem. With their cultivation bases, it wasn’t hard for them to see clearly at what’s happening from afar.

General White Blaze was one of the three top commanders of the Yasha Empire. His position is only below those of royal blood. The Yasha Empire had the second strongest military force on the whole continent and specializes in war constructs which gave them superiority in battle fields.

“That must be a Specialization that deals damage in terms of ‘Time’. The poor wretch must have taken a huge blow to her longevity.” The general replied confidently. The lieutenant nodded along as if he had just been enlightened. Deep down the general had no idea so he took the only logical guess he could come up with. There are no known regular skill or magical treasure that can take away one’s longevity that fast. This piqued his interest in Ryu even more.

As an expert in the Supreme Domain, his Qi sense far surpasses almost everyone present. There were only two other Supreme Domain experts present at this entrance of the Thousand Swords Graveyard which he has to worry about. He was weighing the pros and cons of snatching up the mysterious boy.

Although Ryu displayed some outstanding abilities, he could still crush him easily. The gap in their cultivation isn’t something that can be compensated with techniques or magical items so he wasn’t worried about his own safety. The difference in their quality of Qi is so great that it can’t even be compared.

The renowned general was a fearsome monster named Kong Suun. The Kong family existed since the founding of the Yasha Empire so the resources available to Suun was far superior to the average cultivator. Although he couldn’t recognize the Destiny Defiance skill, which was normal since they come from the mystical Pandemonium Pyramids, he could deduce that the skills used against the Emotionless Witch was unranked skills! Under his experienced watchful eyes, he could tell that Ryu’s skill hasn’t unleashed its full potential yet.

What are unranked skills? They are skills that scale as one’s cultivation grew. Normal cultivators will have to throw away most skills as they level up if they hope to stay competitive against other cultivators. A ranked 5 skill is suitable for a Heaven Domain cultivator and it would take a decade to truly master on average. However once one reaches Emperor Domain, that rank 5 skill would be useless and one would have to learn a new skill. Unranked skills strengthens with the practitioners themselves and are created by godly immortals in the past according to legends.

There was no doubt in Suun’s mind that he needs to grab Ryu. Understanding the methods Ryu used to create and control multiple elements might be enticing for people looking to breakthrough or gain an above average skill but experts like Suun don’t need such petty skills. They are already in the Supreme Domain where they are focusing on a certain path to take in their road to Rebirth and Immortality. What they need is super high grade techniques that are ranked 10 or above or unranked skills.

Suun is extremely wary about making the first move though. There are three Supreme Domain experts present including himself. If he goes in first, he might be ambushed by the other two. There is also another reason why he, like all Supreme Domain expert, is hesitant to fight. A Supreme Domain expert’s Qi reservoir is the same as an Emperor Domain expert’s Qi reservoir, it has an essence. The main advantage they have over an Emperor Domain expert is not the extra longevity, or stronger Qi, or the new Specialization that comes with each new domain. It is the ability to wield soul Qi that makes Supreme Domain practitioners so dangerous. Soul Qi is basically the very life force of a cultivator. By burning just a few days off one’s longevity and using it in an attack can quadruple its prowess at least!

However a cultivator only has so much Soul Qi to spare. They need every second they can to make the breakthrough into the legendary Sovereign Domain. Besides entering a new domain, only priceless treasures can recuperate one’s lost longevity. Suun is relatively young in the Supreme Domain, he’s not too worried about using a bit of Soul Qi but if he uses too much then he might inflict irreparable damages to himself. Soul Qi can’t be burnt continuously nor could they increase an attack more than tenfold.

[Sacrifice 1 year to get the tenfold]

Before the internal debate of his could reach a conclusion, a big puff of air could be felt as a primeval skinny man in a hazy cloak appeared out of nowhere above Ryu. The man was radiating unbelievable power that rippled for kilometers. The intense fight between Wu-Ming, the Lightning Devil and the two magicians was broken apart by a mere breath from this deadly man’s sudden presence. Broken apart wouldn’t even be the right words, unexplainable fear was instilled into the four which caused them to freeze in place.

“I, Ran Yuia, have taken interest in this boy. Please give face to this old man.” The terrifying old man caused everyone below Supreme Domain to stumble backwards and have their Qi reservoirs vibrate uncontrollably. It was obvious that the weaker cultivators couldn’t sustain even a breath from such a mighty being. Ryu was no exception. Since he was in such close proximity to this archaic man, each word was like a hammer that struck his very soul. Ryu coughed out a few mouthful of blood and snapped out of the unconscious state he was in and felt an overbearing force nailing him in place.

Ryu slowly turned his head upwards to look at Yuia, the imposing figure that made claim to him. Wu-Ming who was also suppressed by the overbearing Qi of this old man saw Ryu regain his conscious and sighed in relief. He did notice something unusual though, it appears as if Ryu was somehow different. He hasn’t been with Ryu for a long time but enough to notice some features about him. Ryu wasn’t experienced in the ways of the real world, he gave off an air of naivety, innocence and immaturity which was expected since he was so young. The Ryu right now however had a composed and developed air about him. Perhaps the life and death experience changed him Wu-Ming thought.

The Infinity Tomes were auto-piloting Ryu’s body while he was unconscious. The moment he snapped back, Ryu was informed of what had transpired by the tomes. The cold Qi from the Emotionless Witch ran out and the essences failed to form inside him. This doesn’t mean the Qi went to waste, it still fortified Ryu’s internal strength.

The sense of crisis was there but Ryu did his best to remain calm. He had been in the presence of much stronger beings in the past. Right now he knows forming his essences was his top priority. If he fails to do so after starting the process, he’ll suffer severe backlashes that’ll harm his foundation. The unknown expert right now wants his secrets so he is in no immediate danger. However now that he is pinned down by his oppressive Qi, he couldn’t break free even if he entered the Superman Mode which allows him to unleash all his Qi at once.

“According to all the skills, I should have more than enough Qi to create an essence multiple times. Is it because I’m trying to form multiple essences at once or that I’m following the Path to True Immortality method?” Ryu mused to himself. He needed to gather a vast quantity of Qi fast or else he’ll suffer the backlash of failing to cross over to the Emperor Domain.

“Old man Ran, don’t get too cocky. This isn’t the Toko Empire.” General Kong Suun’s voice suddenly rang out. Unlike the Ran Yuia that came from the Toko Province, the White Flame General is native to the Yasha Province where the Thousand Swords Graveyard resides in. The perks of having a major fight in one’s own backyard is obvious.

Ran Yuia’s slight display of power earlier had the utmost restraint while Suun’s booming voice was filled with malicious Qi which caused everyone present besides his own forces to throw up blood. His unspoken warning is clear, Ryu is his prey. Supreme Domain experts number less than a hundred on the whole continent. However the number of active ones are less than a third of that amount. The reason being that some are in hibernation, they reached the end of their lives and will only wake up when their sect, clan or organization is in trouble. Some are in seclusion, trying to cultivate and break through to the next level.

There is an unwritten rule on the battlefield. Supreme Domain experts do not get involved with the weaker cultivators of lower domains. The reason being that if Supreme Domain experts went wild in a battle, they’ll most likely be the sole survivors in the outcome. Not to mention that with each battle, the precious life force, Soul Qi, would be used up quite fast. So unless a Supreme Domain was directly insulted or taunted by a weaker cultivator, they won’t take action.

The Supreme Domain experts gain fifty thousand years of longevity upon reaching their level. This might seem like a lot but in reality it is barely enough for most. To reach the next height, the Sovereign Domain, one would have to gain Enlightenment on top of cultivation. The foundation of their cultivation upon reaching the Supreme Domain might be a dead end and some will have to start on another path to breakthrough.

“Supreme Domain…!” The crowd gasped. Some might have felt it was inevitable the Supreme Domain experts would take action but others actually believe that although Ryu was special, it wasn’t enough to attract their attention. If Supreme Domain cultivator is an adult than Emperor Domain are just kids, rarely would an adult steal from a kid.

“Run for it!”

“Ran Yuia …? He’s the Spear Lord. He rose to prominence by slaying a Supreme Domain beast. His disciples are the Spear Prodigy, the Spear Fiend and the Silent Spear. No one present can beat him.”

[Note: Ryu fought the Spear Fiend in Chapter 66]

“Supreme General White Blaze has burned down mountains to ashes! He is also the patriarch of the Kong family! My money’s on him.”

“Damn it, if only my cultivation was a bit higher so I could observe!”

Despite the mass complaints and boundless curiosity, everyone start retreating. They might not purposely attack the bystanders but a single exchange between these two colossal figures would probably kill hundreds if not thousands of them.

The grand General Kong dwarfs any ordinary human with his large figure. Kong Suun purposely stood slightly higher in the air with the sun facing his back so he could eclipse the Spear Lord as he approached. Although his opponent looked like a giant warlord, the Spear Lord did not seem to be affected in any ways.

The air between the two instantly trembled and crackled. Rocks flew upwards from the ground and crumbled. A few Emperor Domain experts that have hidden in a safe distance to observe could only see their murky figures. The two were sizing each other up with just their auras. One was a reputable spear warrior whose name has reached every corner of the continent and the other was an infamous general known for his vicious flames that have melted cities and dried up oceans. Another vigorous stream of pure Qi came from the Kong Suun and slammed into the Spear Lord’s Qi that held Ryu in place.

The Emotionless Witch’s body had long collapsed near Ryu after he was done absorbing her Qi. The overwhelming Qi pressing on him from the Supreme Domain experts is now struggling with each other, slightly weakening the invisible hold on Ryu. Ryu stared intently at the two experts through his innate special vision. One’s Qi was bursting like a super nova while the other was sharper than any polished blades.

“This is perfect.” Ryu revealed a slight smile after a light-bulb moment. Anyone else present would only feel complete despair in Ryu’s shoes. They all pity the mysterious boy targeted by the Supreme Domain experts because in their mind, there is no hope in hell that he could escape.

However Ryu is not just anyone. He is an “Anomaly” according to the celestial godly Qilin beast. He has many divine arts and extraordinary lucky encounters on top of his already unprecedented innate talent.

With great risk comes great reward Ryu thought to himself. This was something that the previous Ryu, before getting stabbed, would not have thought. Something fundamental changed from within him during the time he was unconscious.

Ryu suddenly dispersed his Qi. Most experts would always emit some sort of Qi regardless of their activities they are engaged in to ensure safety. Ryu however is now Qi-less and is flimsier than a piece of paper in front of these two expert. His face was still looking up and he gave a look of submission. He folded his arms.

Did the kid finally resign to his fate? They two dominating men thought. Their attention was mostly fixed on each other so they did not notice the secret movements made by Ryu’s hands. Two small tear in space, the size of a pinky, appeared in between his fingers and Ryu clenched tightly.

To the remaining on lookers who have fled a safe distance, the scene containing the two powerhouse Supreme Domain suddenly shattered as if they were looking at an enormous piece of glass this entire time. Distorted space instantaneously slammed into the unsuspecting Spear Lord and General White Blaze. Both were ready to anticipate any attacks from each other but even if they focused a hundred times harder they could not have seen this coming. A split second later, the scene changed back but the damage had been done.

This skill had only be launched once before today. It was a skill that caught the attention of celestial beings from an unknown place far far away. This skill was Ryu’s specialization, Dimensional Destruction!

[Note: Skill first used in Chapter 27]