An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

When the black death energy entered his body, Aven felt as if his entire being was being ripped apart. The pain was unbearable, as though a swarm of venomous insects was gnawing at him from the inside. It wasn’t just his body that suffered, but his soul was being torn apart as well.

“Curse you! Get out of my body!” he roared in fury as he tried to force the black death energy out of his system.

The death energy seemed to have burrowed deep into his bones. It was invasive and siphoned away his life force with every passing second. Even his internal energy was being drained to feed it. If this continued, he would be completely drained in less than three minutes.

“Won’t leave, huh? Fine. We’ll die together!” Aven’s anger boiled over, and he went all out in his attack.

He raised his hand, and dozens of Divine Talismans shot into the air to form a formation above his head. As it spun, a massive black thundercloud began to take shape. Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled with terrifying power.

This was a demonic-banishing formation based on Stormcraft. Its power far surpassed that of a simple palm thunderstrike.

“Stormfall!” Aven formed a hand seal with one hand and pointed at himself.

From the roiling storm clouds above, a bolt of purple lightning, as thick as a man’s arm, struck him directly. His clothes disintegrated in an instant, and his skin was charred.

Aven looked drained, as if every last ounce of energy had been sucked from him. He collapsed to his knees, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

The dark energy that had coursed through him was mostly obliterated by the lightning. He hadn’t been bluffing – he had been ready to sacrifice his life to take Marcell down with him.

“Again… Stormfall!” Aven formed another hand seal and pointed at himself.

The storm clouds above rumbled again, and arcs of purple lightning began converging above him.

into a panic. They surged out of him in a desperate escape. The energy coalesced outside of him,

earlier, Marcell now looked utterly battered. His face was deathly pale, his frail body trembling, and blood streamed from his nose and mouth.

yourself killed?” Marcell’s face twisted

use such a reckless, self-destructive method drawing the purple lightning directly into his own body without regard

a reckless, self-destructive move that would harm both sides. In a strange turn of events, it

the point where his cultivation was reset to nothing. If he

myself to take you down with me.” Aven clenched his

current state, he knew he couldn’t survive

come back.” Marcell screamed in

about to strike, Aven suddenly trembled. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood and collapsed to the ground. He was drenched in sweat, and his

him, the storm clouds

Aven was in much worse shape than he was and couldn’t control the

maniacal laughter, and his expression turned arrogant. “Filthy

together? Come on. Show me another strike of that purple

feet, but

-destructive act. His injuries were too severe now.

much better shape. Otherwise, he

you’re getting out

here soon, and then you’ll meet

rush in. If he made a move too soon, Aven might strike back in desperation. That was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. Now,