Whoosh!

A flash of golden light erupted—it was Gabriel. Yet, unlike his usual commanding presence, he looked disheveled and chaotic this time.

His robe was tattered, his face smeared with black, and his normally calm expression had twisted into one of pure rage.

The sight made everyone gulp. Gabriel was an exceptionally powerful figure.

It was no exaggeration to say he was among the strongest on the continent.

And now, such a formidable man had been thrown into disarray by a single strike.

Instantly, their fear and vigilance toward the mysterious white-haired man spiked to their maximum.

"Who are you?" Gabriel demanded, his voice cold but trembling with anger.

The white-haired man radiated a mysterious and powerful aura. His attack had been so swift that Gabriel couldn't react in time.

Facing such a formidable opponent, he didn't dare act recklessly.

"Me?" The white-haired man smirked. "You don't need to know who I am, Gabriel Solayne. But one thing is certain: I've come to defeat you and complete my mission in this era."

Gabriel frowned, perplexed by the man's words. But since the intruder had made his intent clear, Gabriel decided he no longer needed to hold back.

He opened his right palm, and a golden sword slowly materialized in his grasp.

The blade was long—about a meter—with intricate patterns carved along its length and a red crystal embedded in the hilt.

Its sudden appearance drew gasps from the onlookers.

The soldiers of Avernia might not have recognized it, but those of the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria instantly understood the significance.

"Is that the Vanguard of Light Holy Sword?" one of them shouted hysterically.

The Vanguard of Light Holy Sword was a mythical artifact belonging to the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria.

It was said to have been forged by the first king, Arthur Solayne, using the essence of the Dragon of Light's blood and flesh.

Rumor had it the sword's power could split mountains and oceans. Of course, no one knew whether that was true or not.

Still, there were so many legends that many believed in its overwhelming strength.

"Oh? What a powerful sword. If I'm not mistaken, that sword was supposed to be destroyed in the past," the man said with a playful smile.

As soon as the sword materialized, Gabriel lifted it high and slashed forward.

Slash!

A golden arc, even stronger than before, tore through the air and shot toward the man.

The temperature around them spiked, and the atmosphere tightened under the pressure of the strike.

If that attack hit someone at the Second Spirit Core stage, both their body and soul would be shattered instantly.

Yet the man didn't show fear. He raised his right hand, and just like before, space condensed.

The slash of light froze midair, then shattered into countless particles.

Gabriel's eyes widened for an instant, but he quickly steadied himself.

He launched attack after attack toward the man.

The battlefield descended into chaos as shock waves blasted outward, hurling soldiers in every direction.

Yet no matter how many times Gabriel struck, not a single attack managed to land on the man—let alone injure him.

"Damn it!" Gabriel growled. He tried to unleash his full power, but the space around him suddenly froze.

Within moments, the scenery on both sides shifted, turning into forests and towering mountains.

"Your attacks may be weak, but they're enough to kill innocent creatures. So I changed our battlefield. Do you like it?"

A playful voice echoed from about forty meters away.

The mysterious white-haired man slowly materialized in the air, a faint smile curling on his lips.

Feeling insulted, Gabriel raised his sword once more. This time, the blade radiated an intense golden light.

"Don't be arrogant! I'll make you pay for getting in the way of my plans!"

"Heaven's Slash!"

He swung downward, releasing a slash of light over a hundred meters tall that surged toward the man at terrifying speed.

The man simply yawned and brought two fingers together. Instantly, two enormous fingers materialized from the sky and pinched the slash.

Under Gabriel's horrified gaze, the mighty attack cracked—then shattered into nothing.

"What? Impossible! How can my attack be so useless against you?" Gabriel shouted like a madman.

He could no longer keep his composure. Every attack he unleashed had been effortlessly stopped.

This was something he couldn't accept.

"Impossible? Nothing is impossible in this world. You just haven't seen this world from a broader perspective."

A calm voice came from behind him. Gabriel's eyes widened in horror.

He tried to dodge, but his body wouldn't move—completely locked in place. A split second later, a heavy punch smashed into his face.

Bang!

His body shot forward like a bullet, tearing through the trees below.

The man vanished and reappeared behind Gabriel as he was still bouncing through the air.

He stopped Gabriel's back with his knee, twisted, and kicked the right side of his face.

Bang!

Gabriel flew upward again, and the man repeated the merciless assault over and over.

Moments ago, Gabriel stood like a radiant sun god on the battlefield—but now he was nothing more than a helpless punching bag.

"Argh!"

Boom!

Gabriel exploded with dazzling golden light. The air swelled violently, and the pressure within a hundred-kilometer radius skyrocketed.

He vanished from his spot and appeared right in front of the man, swinging his sword down at his head.

Slash!

The attack hit cleanly—yet the man's head reformed instantly, as if the slash never happened.

"Oops. It seems you failed," he said with a mocking tone.

"Argh!" Gabriel roared as he unleashed a flurry of slashes, tearing the man's body apart faster than the eye could track.

When he finally stopped, the man's body had been chopped into tiny cubes.

But a moment later, every piece snapped back together effortlessly.

"Impossible…" Gabriel muttered, stunned.

"Tsk. Such a powerful attack, yet still… weak." The man stretched lazily, completely unbothered.

He looked at him with an appreciative gaze and said, "You're strong, but unfortunately, you're facing me. No matter how hard you struggle, it's all pointless."

His words stabbed into Gabriel like a sword. Ever since advancing to the First Spirit Core, he had confidently viewed every creature in this world as weak.

He was the most gifted among his grandfather's descendants and the only one capable of forming a contract with the Spirit of the Dragon of Light.

In his entire life, he had never known defeat. This was the first time he truly felt what it meant to be powerless.

"No… I haven't lost yet!" Gabriel's eyes blazed with light. "Answer my call—Calystron!"

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