'Did he really just snap his fingers and cancel a spatial jump as well as destroy that globe of spatial energy?!' Yumi could not believe it.
'A complete anomaly. A monster.' Byron could only describe him as such. He tried deluding himself into thinking that he was weaker but he proved him wrong with ease.
The white haired man was not affected by his comments because he knew within himself who he is and what he can do. This was not just confidence in oneself but also an innate pride that he actualized!
This man was far stronger than all of them combined. He knew that they needed to escape now.
"While it was entertaining to see you scamper around, I will have to return the favor to my benefactor." The white-haired man glanced at Victoria who was too stunned from his feat just now.
Using his left hand which executed a grasping motion, he was able to manipulate the residual power of the Void Flicker Stone that he destroyed! It gathered around Yumi and Byron as they levitated and looked as if their entire body was being tied up by an invisible hand!
The space the somewhat solidified to the point where two near-transparent left hands had materialized which had captured Yumi and Byron.
"We... ugh... can't... move!" Yumi tried her best to struggle but this new feat from that godly figure further discouraged Byron.
"Yumi, I may not have a choice but this situation compels me to sacrifice this incarnation for us to escape..." Byron immediately told Yumi the escape plan.
"But that would..."
"It is far better than if we died!" Byron tried to move but his body was suspended in mid-air by solidified space. He stopped struggling and then started focusing and meditating.
'Am I seeing things or are those hands?!' Kris could not believe anything that was happening right now.
'He is even able to control spatial energy that is not his? Wait does that mean he is a master of the Law of Space?' Michael deduced while being simultaneously being rattled after every shocking action that this white haired man was doing.
"Allow me to show you a sliver of true power." He raised his right hand this time. He opened his palm as though he had something on it.
*Tzzk*
With a grin, the residual lightning that was still lingering around his body was being gathered around the space above his palm!
'That's the heavenly tribulation lightning! He's controlling it too?!' Alistair could not comprehend someone who could control space and heavenly tribulation lightning as both were aspects of heaven's mandate!
The pure white divine lightning became a tiny ball of lightning that was the size of an apple. Then, it started spinning and revolving at ridiculous speeds to the point where the apple-sized divine lightning energy became more an even more condensed energy.
*Vwoom*
This time, the energy ball was only the size of a walnut. But the quality it possessed was far more pure and refined. It seemed to finally match the demeanor and aura of the white-haired man.
The space around it was fluctuating like a heart beat and it seemed to be distorting the very fabric of reality itself as everything around it was either being stretched horizontally, vertically, or even diagonally...
"Finally, true divine energy! Cosmic Energy although in a very trace amount. But it seems this realm won't be able to handle any thing more than this amount." The white haired man had a grin on his face.
'Someone managed to refine heavenly tribulation energy...' Victoria did not know how formidable this man he met as 'Dylan' was but it seemed like he had the power to even go against heaven themselves!
There was actually a form of energy that was purer than the heavens...
Just its presence made everyone present kneel involuntarily. Victoria, Michael, Alistair and Kris all knelt as if to welcome the creation of a Cosmic Energy.
This was absolutely incredulous but it was the reality that was being presented to them right now!
===
In the short span that the white haired man was refining the heavenly lightning, Victoria was already going towards Byron and Yumi so she can get Kaiden, "I need to save Big Bro!"
Kaiden only laid under Yumi's suspended body, wrapped in her Hell Cocoon. With her speed, she had already appeared beside them and was going to retrieve Kaiden!
"Get away from Kaiden, you bitch!" Yumi shouted!
She materialized her Soul Avatar once more as she tried to stop Victoria but she was too weak to fight Victoria now.
All of her Hell Arrows and Hell Needles were stopped!
Victoria was going to destroy Yumi's Soul Avatar.
But it was also that at that moment, Byron had opened his eyes! His entire body was bursting with Innate Energy.
Byron's Avatar, the Lich, materialized itself and used Byron's move which was Advent of Darkness!
'Damn it. They are still able to fight back despite being contained in a spatial lock?!' Victoria who was caught off guard, managed to defend herself but she managed to block only to be once again blown away!
She wanted to retaliate but the atmosphere around Byron changed! His original calm aura had suddenly started to become more aggressive and explosive! His aura rose significantly!
It actually approached the peak of the Half Saint Realm!
The Lich Avatar was also responding to this change as its white bones started being corroded by darkness itself!
It was as if he was becoming Darkness itself!
===
The white-haired young man noticed something occurring with Byron, "Trying to escape by burning up your incarnation, eh? I know what you're trying to do here, old man! But I'm afraid you're far too slow.."
'"It matters not if you know what I'm doing! I will prevail!" Byron right now was exploding with darkness energy!
"Is that so?! Let's see what you can do?" The white haired man was seemingly amused so he decided to wait it out.
The shadows of the forest were now being sucked into Byron's body. His entire body was melding with the darkness even more. The lich behind him also turned pure black with glowing runes attached to its body as it fused with him!
Horns have now manifested itself on its head while three pairs of bone wings started appearing on its back! This was like the death reaper form of a seraphim!
"Essence-Soul Unity: Abyssal Lich!"
The potency of the darkness became so potent that it was actually able to affect the hardened space that was imprisoning him and Yumi!
Bit by bit, the space around seems to be being gradually eaten by darkness! But the rate of devouring was nowhere near as fast as it was with other elements.
"Forbidden Technique, Ubiquitous Darkness!"
The darkness that Byron absorbed had been unleashed in one fell swoop! His power reached the late stages of a Half Saint at this point as well!
This time, it was not only the ground that was being corroded with darkness. It was growing even in the air and in all directions! Even the sky was not spared!
The darkness seemed to attempt to devour all that there is!
The trees turned black in an instant and eventually turned into darkness! The tiles from the main road also got corrupted and assimilated into darkness. The very ground itself is being devoured into the darkness!
*VWOOSH!*
It covered the entirety of the area of the forest in the main road!
But Victoria, Alistair, Michael and Kris all had been protected by an invisible barrier. They all looked at the white haired man who was the one who they thought was responsible to it.
The white-haired man continued to observe the "performance" that Byron was showing with a calm and relaxed expression. Around him, the darkness energy do not even try to get near him!
From afar, it was giant mass of darkness that covered the main road was ever growing! It was over two kilometers in size. If it grew a few more hundred meters, then it would reach the Northern Gates of Soaring Cloud.
"Black Hole!" Byron roared!
The giant mass of darkness was now twisting and creating a terrifying gravitational pull! It was as if a true black hole had appeared in the flesh!
The giant mass of darkness tried to absorb everything there is as the twisting motion was devouring a huge amount of landmass with ease!
Then, the shift happened.
"Goodbye."
"I've seen better. That was kind of boring." Then, the white-haired man pulled back his middle finger as it was supported by the thumb.
He aimed it on the almond-sized Cosmic Energy and flicked it towards Byron, "Bang!"
*Zwip*
It was a moment ago that Byron who was performing a catastrophic attack. The gigantic mass of darkness energy that was grinding such a large surface area disappeared completely!
It was pierced through by an almond shaped ball of energy!
There was no intense clash whatsoever. Just a complete and one-sided domination...
When Victoria and the others looked at Byron, he no longer had a torso. It was only his head hands, and legs that were left.
"You're too powerful... But I still..."
But even that cracked as it eventually broke down to ashes and faded into the wind...
===
Somewhere, far away from the country which Soaring Cloud City was in.
In a dark and mysterious castle, there was someone who looked completely identical with Byron. This was because this was his true self. Byron cultivates a peculiar cultivation technique that allows him to create incarnations of himself through his darkness.
This is why he is near unkillable and even dubbed as The Immortal Baron of his sect. Yes, it would cost him greatly losing one of his incarnations like decreasing his cultivation.
The incarnations will always be a realm lower than the original. But that would at least mean that he would be able to live as he will always be able to just cultivate another incarnation of his in the future.
Byron's true body was sat in a skull bone throne that was made from the skeletons of his enemies. It seems as if the souls of those he killed were still trapped inside the skulls as all of their eye sockets were glowing with misty green light.
He thought that he was invincible or so he thought... "It is quite unfortunate that one of my incarnations have die-"
"Blergh!" He suddenly threw up blood. Probably the last time he ever will...
"Ugh... what is this?!"
The damage that was incurred to his incarnation had actually also been incurred to the main body! His stomach was disintegrating quickly as his entire body was breaking down visibly.
"Is this really how I will meet my demise...?" He thought as he sat on his throne.
"How unlucky of me to have met such a godly figure.... But at least, I managed to save you, Yumi..."
In front of him was Yumi who has also successfully brought along Kaiden with them!