Far away from the world Arthur currently was, beyond countless stars and separated by distances so vast it would require millions of light years to traverse.
The planet itself was a harsh and unforgiving place, dominated by endless deserts that stretched toward the horizon in every direction. Only scattered regions of vegetation managed to survive amidst the scorching climate, and among those rare pockets of life, the thorn forest was one of the largest.
Gigantic cacti covered in razor-sharp thorns rose from the dry earth while dangerous beasts lurked beneath their shadows. For thousands of years, this planet had remained largely untouched due to its inhospitable environment.
Today, however, the peace of the forest was shattered when the sky suddenly distorted and split apart. A jagged tear appeared in space and moments later a blood-red figure stumbled out before crashing heavily onto the forest floor below.
Malphas landed on one knee, blood dripping from multiple wounds across his body. The diagonal slash Arthur had carved across his chest with the Holy Light Sword still glowed faintly with Holy Element, and every attempt at regeneration only resulted in fresh flesh being burned away by the lingering holy energy. He even tried to tear apart the wound to remove the effect of the holy element, but it was still persistent.
Smaller wounds across his arms, shoulders, and abdomen suffered the same fate. The Infernal slowly pushed himself back to his feet while clutching his chest, his expression twisting with fury as he remembered everything that had happened inside the Violet Heaven Secret Realm.
"Bastard..." he growled through clenched teeth. The image of Arthur appeared in his mind, followed immediately by the memory of the Origin Flame. Fifty thousand years, he had spent fifty thousand years imprisoned, waiting for freedom.
Then after finally escaping, he discovered the greatest treasure he had hidden was gone and the culprit had nearly killed him using power that should have belonged to the Celestial Sect. The more he thought about it, the more unbearable his anger became.
Crimson energy swirled around his body while killing intent leaked from him uncontrollably. "Just you wait for me to recover," he snarled. "I'll rip your throat out and devour your soul."
Just then, a calm voice sounded from somewhere behind him. "Hmm... What got you so worked up?"
The effect was immediate, Malphas froze, every muscle in his body tightened while a cold sensation crawled down his spine. He spun around and instantly retreated several hundred meters, creating as much distance as possible between himself and the source of the voice.
Standing amongst the thorn trees was a young man who appeared to be in his early twenties. He wore simple dark robes and looked completely ordinary. Yet that ordinary appearance only made the situation more terrifying.
Malphas couldn't sense his cultivation, he couldn't sense his aura, he couldn't even sense his life force. It was as though the person standing before him didn't exist. A cold sweat immediately formed on his back.
If he had been at full strength, he would have confidently crushed any opponent standing before him. He was an Infernal Lord from the Blood Demon Tribe, a conqueror of worlds and a veteran of countless campaigns across the Primordial Chaos.
But now he was severely injured and vulnerable. And most importantly, completely unable to understand the person before him. "Who are you?" Malphas demanded while secretly circulating what little energy remained in his body.
The young man tilted his head slightly and appeared genuinely confused by the question. "It should be me asking that," he replied calmly. "What exactly are you?"
Malphas didn't answer. Instead, his eyes moved across the surroundings while his mind searched for a way to escape, every instinct he possessed screamed danger. The young man remained standing where he was without making any move to attack. Seeing this, Malphas immediately made his decision.
Without another word, he exploded into motion and shot into the sky.
BOOM!
The ground beneath him shattered as he accelerated away at maximum speed. Ten kilometers disappeared behind him in moments, then twenty, then thirty. The distance continued growing rapidly while the thorn forest shrank beneath him.
Only after putting significant distance between himself and the strange young man did he dare glance backward. To his relief, the young man still appeared to be standing exactly where he had been originally. Malphas felt a small sense of relief, perhaps he had overreacted and the man possessed some strange concealment method but wasn't actually powerful. Perhaps…
"Where are you going?" The voice suddenly sounded directly above him. Goosebumps erupted across his entire body. Slowly, almost mechanically, he raised his head. The young man was standing in the air directly above him.
One moment he had been dozens of kilometers away. The next moment he was here, looking down at him with mild curiosity, genuine fear exploded within Malphas. Before he could react, the young man casually raised one hand and slapped downward.
There was no technique involved in his action or any terrifying energy fluctuations, just a simple slap.
BOOOOOOOM!
The sky in front of his eyes disappeared and Malphas crashed into the ground like a meteor. The impact created a massive crater a hundred meters wide while shockwaves tore through the surrounding landscape.
Thousands of thorn trees exploded into splinters and the earth collapsed inward. At the center of the devastation, Malphas lay embedded within the ground. Every bone in his body had shattered.
Blood poured from every orifice in his body. His organs had ruptured and even his soul felt unstable from the impact. "ARRRGGGHHHH!" He tried to heal his body and struggled desperately to rise, but before he could even push himself onto one knee, a shadow fell over him.
The young man had already landed nearby and was slowly approaching. "Step… Step… Step."
Each footstep sounded impossibly loud within Malphas's ears. For the first time in thousands of years, the Infernal experienced genuine fear. The kind of fear prey felt when confronted by an apex predator. He tried to crawl away but his body refused to obey.
The young man eventually stopped before him and casually grabbed him by the head before lifting him into the air as easily as picking up a child. "W…Wait..." Malphas stammered. Genuine terror was visible in his eyes. Unfortunately for him, the young man had no interest in listening.
"Devour." The young man muttered and a black vortex suddenly appeared around his hand. The moment it emerged, Malphas's expression transformed into absolute horror. The vortex expanded instantly and swallowed his entire body.
"NOOOOOOO!" His scream echoed across the shattered forest. Malphas felt everything being torn apart, his flesh, blood, energy, his soul. Everything was being consumed by the black vortex. The pain exceeded anything he had experienced before. He struggled desperately, but it was useless.
Piece by piece, his existence disappeared into the darkness until finally there was nothing left. Several moments later, silence returned. The black vortex vanished and Malphas no longer existed. The young man closed his eyes and remained motionless while countless memories flowed through his mind.
The Infernal race, the Blood Demon Tribe, the Celestial Sect, the Violet Heaven Secret Realm and the Origin Flame. Several moments passed before he opened his eyes once more. A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. "Hmm... interesting." His gaze shifted toward the distant stars. "An Immortal Flame, huh?" A faint smile appeared on his lips. "I should check that world sometime." The next moment he disappeared without a trace, leaving behind nothing except the massive crater.
…
Several days later, Arthur sat inside the workshop of his shop while countless materials floated around him. Since deciding to visit one of the rogue worlds Chen Yuze had told him about, he had spent nearly every waking moment preparing for the journey.
Rogue worlds were dangerous and unpredictable places. There were no established teleportation channels, no major organizations maintaining order, and no guarantee of rescue if something went wrong. Once he entered one of those worlds, he could remain trapped there for months or even years depending on the circumstances.
Because of this uncertainty, Arthur wanted to ensure that the shop could continue operating smoothly during his absence. Thousands of formation diagrams floated around him while ores, beast materials, and rare metals continuously moved through the air under the control of his telekinesis and Matter Manipulation.
One artifact after another emerged from his hands. Swords, spears, defensive treasures, storage rings, and formation plates, the process continued nonstop. Arthur's current artifact refinement speed had reached a level that would leave most grandmasters speechless.
Multiple refinement processes occurred simultaneously while part of his attention analyzed formations. By the end of the preparation period, thousands of completed artifacts filled the workshop. After organizing everything, he divided the products into two groups. Half remained within the shop's storage while the other half was sold directly to the Artifact Refiners Union. The transaction earned him a considerable amount of resources while also further strengthening his relationship with the Union.
After completing all preparations, he met Chen Yuze one final time. The Union Head sighed after hearing Arthur still intended to visit a rogue world before participating seriously in the Grand Tournament. "You really don't know how to take things easy, do you?" Chen asked helplessly.
Arthur simply smiled. "I will be fine." Chen shook his head, normally he would have considered such a statement arrogant. But after witnessing Arthur fight Malphas despite being weaker than him, and after personally experiencing the younger man's insane growth rate, he could no longer dismiss those words.
"Just try not to die," Chen muttered before handing over the payment. Arthur thanked him and after exchanging farewells, left the city. His destination was another world connected through an interplanetary teleportation channel.
However, before continuing his journey, there was somewhere he wanted to visit first. Standing alone outside the city, he took out the Obelisk. Several weeks had passed since he left Thyrandel. He didn't know how long he would remain away this time. Between the rogue world expedition and the Grand Tournament, it could easily become months. And if he was being honest with himself, he missed home. A few moments later, space twisted around him and the scenery changed.
The familiar landscape of Thyrandel appeared before him. The moment he arrived, however, his expression changed slightly. Something felt different, he stood silently while carefully examining the world around him.
Then his eyes narrowed, the suppression had weakened. Previously, Thyrandel only allowed him to utilize power roughly equivalent to a demigod. Any higher and the world itself would begin forcing him toward ascension. Now, however, he could clearly feel that limit had increased significantly.
He slowly clenched his fist while sensing the surrounding laws. He could release noticeably more power than before without triggering rejection from the world. Numerous questions immediately appeared within his mind.
Had Thyrandel evolved? Had something changed within its foundation? Or was the change connected to his own growth? Unfortunately, before he could investigate further, he sensed a familiar presence.
A smile immediately appeared on his face, it was Selene. All other thoughts disappeared from his mind. In Avalon, Selene was already waiting on the terrace. She had sensed Arthur's arrival the moment he entered the world.
When he landed on the terrace, she immediately stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. "Welcome back." Arthur smiled and hugged her tightly. For several moments neither spoke.
The familiar warmth, the familiar scent and the simple comfort of being home soothed his mind. Eventually he spoke with a helpless and guilty smile. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting."
Selene shook her head gently and looked up at him. "It's okay, I'm fine as long as you're safe."
Arthur's smile softened, part of him wanted to tell her everything. About the cultivation world, about the tournament, about the rogue worlds. More than once he had considered bringing her with him, yet every time the same concerns stopped him.
The cultivation world was dangerous, far more dangerous than Thyrandel. Malphas alone had proven that fact and there were Immortal Kings, Immortal Emperors, ancient monsters, hidden factions, and also the unknown agent of Ahriman still searching for him.
The faster he climbed the tournament rankings, the more enemies he would inevitably attract. He could accept those dangers for himself but he couldn't accept them affecting Selene's safety. Not until he possessed enough strength to stand above everyone else.
Selene seemed to understand his thoughts even without him saying anything. She simply squeezed his hand and smiled. "Let's go inside."
Arthur nodded and together they entered the residence. As they walked inside, Selene immediately contacted the others and informed them of Arthur's return. Within minutes, messages spread throughout Avalon.
And for the first time in several weeks, he allowed himself to set aside cultivation, battles, tournaments, Infernals, hidden conspiracies, and rogue worlds. Whatever awaited him in the future could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, he was simply returning to the people who mattered most.
***
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