Nura Bayajidda started contemplating deeply. He was certain that any invisible wall used to protect a town had its limitations. He believed that if he could continue soaring in the air, he would eventually reach the end of the barrier and find a way to escape. He knew that no invisible wall could extend into space. Such walls were not created yet. Hence their creations are not born yet.
The Association of Seal Makers was responsible for creating these protective barriers. They crafted invisible walls in the form of seals, which came in four pieces. Each piece of the seal needed to be buried at one of the cardinal points around the town. Once all four seals were buried and activated, they would generate an invisible wall that shielded the town from threats. These seals, however, had their limitations. If someone continued soaring upwards into the sky, they would eventually reach the point where they could break through the barrier and exit.
However, he believed that this particular invisible barrier that he encountered now was designed to prevent anyone who had not reached the fourth stage of Deva from escaping. Even for those who have achieved this level, the barrier might still pose a significant challenge.
Nura sighed once more as he estimated the distance he had traveled in the sky. His current cultivation level was at the first stage of Deva. Despite this, the toughness of his body allowed him to soar to heights typically achievable only by those who had reached the third stage of Deva. Without such a resilient body, he would not have been able to reach this altitude. The fact that he had reached this distance and still could not escape confirmed that the seal was constructed to prevent those below the fourth stage of Deva from exiting.
Nura Bayajidda was uncertain whether individuals who reached the fourth stage of Deva could break free from the invisible walls. His cultivation power had not yet advanced to the stage where he could soar to the heights attainable by those at the fourth stage of Deva. This left him pondering the true extent of the seals’ power and the potential freedom that awaited those who surpassed his current limitations.
As he was deep in contemplation, he suddenly heard the sound of someone moving above him. Quickly, he raised his head and was startled to see a large face looming over him. In an instant, he realized that this person had come extremely close, causing the face to appear much larger than normal. Before he could utter a word, the person clenched their fist and delivered a powerful blow to his chest. Blood spurted from his mouth immediately. Despite his tough physique, the strike was imbued with a significant amount of cultivation power, which is why it caused him serious injury.
At that moment, he understood that this assailant was indeed at the fourth stage of Deva and was not alone. Just before losing consciousness, he managed to count three individuals, all of whom were in the fourth stage of Deva. These people were strategically positioned to guard the top of the invisible walls, ensuring that no one could escape.
Nura became increasingly frustrated. It dawned on him that every measure to prevent their escape had already been put into place. From the moment they entered the town, they had been ensnared in a meticulously laid trap. All their actions, starting from the delivery of the letter to the headquarters of the King’s Legion, had been closely monitored by these individuals. This realization hit him hard—did this mean he had no way to save himself? Did he have to surrender to this legion and comply with whatever they demanded? With these troubling thoughts swirling in his mind, he slipped into unconsciousness before he could fully process his contemplation.
Nura Bayajidda was not the only one facing a dire situation. The five Devas who had accompanied Commander Silaini were also trapped in a similar predicament. Each time they attempted to leave the town by soaring into the sky, they discovered there was no escape route. No matter how high or far they flew, they were met with resistance. People were stationed at the top, ready to intercept and prevent their escape.
It didn’t take long for all six individuals, including Nura and the five Devas, to be captured. Despite their best efforts, none of them succeeded in breaking free from the town’s confines. The invisible walls, along with the vigilant guards at the top, ensured that escape was impossible.
In the middle of the town, where sparks of fire emanate from the intense combat, the fierce battle between Prince Abalu and Commander Silaini has reached an unprecedented level of ferocity. Commander Silaini is no ordinary soldier; he leads the entire battalion of Armand, not out of mere favor but because of his exceptional prowess and strategic mind. Presently, if one observes the condition of Prince Abalu, despite being enveloped in a mystical white fire, there are clear signs of injury. Blood seeps from various wounds on his body, and the trickle of blood escapes from the corner of his mouth. Although it is a small amount, it is significant enough to indicate the severity of his injuries. At the outset of the battle, the white fire had completely covered his body. However, as the fight drags on, it appears to be losing its potency and is gradually fading.
Prince Abalu is not the only one in dire straits. Commander Silaini is also in a grievous condition. His right-hand hangs by a thread, almost completely severed, forcing him to switch his sword to his left hand. The exact circumstances that led to this are unclear, but it is evident that the commander has sustained severe injuries, including the loss of one hand and numerous other wounds scattered across his body.
“Indeed, you are a good cultivator since you can push me to the extent that I need to use my full power,” Prince Abalu remarked. As he spoke, he laughed, almost as if this brutal fight were merely a game or a source of amusement for him.
As Prince Abalu’s words echoed, Commander Silaini’s face darkened with realization. He could sense the surge in cultivation years within Prince Abalu’s body. The energy cycled through the prince, and Silaini could hear the unsettling sound of bones cracking under the pressure. Before he could fully grasp the implications, Prince Abalu’s cultivation had already surged from the ninth stage of core formation to the pre-deva level. In a breathtakingly short period, it continued to ascend to the first stage of the deva level. Within moments, Prince Abalu’s cultivation had skyrocketed by over 1,000 years and showed no signs of stopping. It relentlessly climbed until it reached a staggering 13,333 years before finally stabilizing.
Commander Silaini found himself perplexed, unable to pinpoint the precise moment when he began to feel the urge to retreat. If this prince had possessed the power to sever one of his hands while still at the core formation level, what fate awaited him now that the prince had ascended to the level of deva? Yet, despite the gravity of the situation, this was not the immediate concern on his mind.
“By what means did you manage to enhance the power of your cultivation? Don’t tell me you defied your father’s decree. Are you extracting cultivation from others?” The commander’s face darkened further as these words left his mouth. Initially, he had been uncertain, but now it was clear: the prince had indeed utilized the forbidden skills that the emperor had specifically banned. Although the emperor had prohibited certain powerful skills, he had still allowed members of the King’s Legion limited access to some of them. However, this prince was not a member of the King’s Legion. Additionally, the commander was confident that the skill the prince used was not among those permitted even to the King’s Legion.
Before the major tribes agreed to cease their turmoil, the emperor summoned their leaders and demonstrated the skills he had authorized the King’s Legion to use. The commander observed that these sanctioned skills were not nearly as powerful as the one the prince had just employed. This realization sent waves of panic through the major tribes, who feared that the Wilberforce tribe might begin extracting cultivation not only from them but also from their progeny. To ensure lasting peace on the First Earth, the emperor had signed a decree barring anyone outside the elite members of the King’s Legion from using specific skills capable of boosting their cultivation or extracting it from others.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
This situation begged several urgent questions: How did Prince Abalu come into possession of such a potent skill, one likely more powerful than those granted to the King’s Legion? Did he somehow infiltrate the emperor’s secure treasury and steal one of the hidden, forbidden skills? What exactly was happening here? How had the prince managed to increase his cultivation by an astonishing three thousand years in such a short period? Such a feat seemed impossible, defying all known laws of cultivation.
If Abalu can acquire such skills that can rapidly increase his cultivation, what about his elder brother, the crown prince Ikenga? What is happening? Where did they find these skills? Is there something clandestine at play within the Wilberforce Empire, unbeknownst to Emperor Ayrion? The commander is convinced that the emperor is not involved, as he knows the emperor would never go back on his word; it is a matter of dignity for the emperors of the Wilberforce Empire. Everyone is aware that the emperors of Wilberforce do not break their promises. It is unimaginable for the emperor to bestow such skills upon his children after promising the people he would not. Indeed, there is something hidden at play.
A small, sinister smile appeared on the face of Prince Abalu. “Since you have witnessed this, you know you cannot leave this place alive. Come down, and I will kill you in a manner so excruciating that you will suffer immensely. I will torture you so severely that even in the afterlife, you will not dare to reveal this secret.”
Any remaining courage and hope of escape vanished from the mind and eyes of Commander Silaini. Regardless of the circumstances, he understood that his prediction was accurate. It was highly likely that the prince did not acquire these skills through legitimate means. Although he had not seen it with his own eyes, he was certain they had extracted the cultivation from other people. If this were true, they would not let him escape to expose this secret. This indicated that today, either he would kill the prince, or the prince would kill him.
The commander waved his hand, and suddenly, a black pill appeared in his palm. It was an extraordinarily dark pill, one that seemed to absorb all light, giving the impression that staring at it for too long would cause one to vanish into it. Without hesitation, he placed the pill in his mouth and began chewing it in front of everyone. Miraculously, his severed hand began to regenerate. In no time, a new hand emerged, all his wounds healed, and his cultivation was fully restored. He discarded the sword that had been destroyed by the white fire and drew a new one. He shook the sword and then pointed it at the prince.
At this moment, he sent a mental command to his demon, instructing it to enter his magical bag and incinerate everything it contained. He wanted everything burned so thoroughly that no trace of their existence could be found. This was because the bag contained many of those energy-boosting herbs and numerous secrets of Prince Armad. If he did not emerge victorious in this battle, he did not want to die in a manner that would expose his master’s secrets. The demon hesitated briefly, understanding the gravity of his master’s request. However, given their dire situation, there was no alternative.
The demon and the commander locked eyes within the commander’s core for several tense seconds, an unspoken exchange passing between them. A solitary tear slowly emerged from one of the demon’s eyes, a rare display of emotion that spoke volumes. After what seemed like an eternity, the demon silently withdrew from the commander’s core and, without uttering a single word, teleported to his magical bag. The entire sequence of events went unnoticed by others, as it was a matter deeply entwined with the essence of their beings.
Throughout this cryptic interaction, the commander’s gaze remained unyieldingly fixed on Prince Abalu. The prince, observing this, erupted into laughter with a sense of cruel satisfaction. “This is exactly how I envision the warriors of Wilberforce,” he proclaimed. “I want them to be brave, willing to lay down their lives so their masters may continue to live. Rest assured, your sacrifice will not go unrewarded. I will inform your master of your valorous act before I end his life.”
With those words, Prince Abalu launched himself into the air with an effortless leap. Eschewing the use of any sword, he unleashed a powerful smash aimed directly at Commander Silaini. In response, the commander struck back at the prince with his attack. To everyone’s astonishment, the prince did not attempt to evade the commander’s blow. Instead, he absorbed the strike on his shoulder, right beside his neck, while his hand connected forcefully with the commander’s chest.
Both attacks found their targets with precision. However, instead of wounding the prince, Commander Silaini’s sword shattered into two pieces upon impact, as if the toughness of the prince’s body had exponentially increased. Conversely, the prince’s smash sent the commander’s body hurtling through the air, as if it had been launched by an immense force. The commander sailed through the air for about 100 meters before coming to a sudden halt, suspended in mid-air. The violent impact had broken several bones in his body, and his face darkened with a mix of pain and frustration.
“This power... it cannot belong to someone at the first stage of deva,” Silaini thought, bewildered. “This is a force that surpasses even the fourth stage of deva and rivals the peak of deva. How can this prince wield such immense power with his bare little hand?”
In that moment of realization, Silaini detected another insidious threat within his body. He quickly examined himself and discovered that the white, ethereal fire had infiltrated his system without his notice. This fire was not just any fire; it was burning through his cultivation veins, the vital channels through which his life force and power flowed. Panic set in as he realized the severity of the damage. Blood began to trickle from his nose and ears, a clear sign of internal devastation. A groan of agony escaped his lips before he lost consciousness and plummeted from the sky, crashing to the ground below.
With a single, decisive smash, the commander is eliminated without even realizing what transpired. The attack was swift and lethal, leaving no room for the commander to comprehend his fate.
What the commander fails to grasp is that the attack sent by Prince Abalu is far more devastating than any he has faced before. At Prince Abalu’s current level of 14,000 years of cultivation, he has mastered the ability to conceal his potent white fire within his strikes. This fire remains undetectable until the moment it is unleashed, entering the target’s body stealthily and then burning them from the inside out.
“Hmmmmm, he has already fallen,” Prince Abalu murmurs, the words barely escaping his lips. The statement is laced with a hint of dissatisfaction, as if the battle did not live up to his expectations and he desires the commander to rise and continue the fight. Following this, he issues a command, “Arrest him.”
Immediately, a battalion of about 100 soldiers materializes at the location where the commander lies motionless. It is as if they had been waiting in the shadows, observing the events unfold. The battalion swiftly moves into action, enveloping the commander’s body with a net and binding him with cultivation ropes. The state of his life remains uncertain; no one can tell whether he is dead or alive.
Prince Abalu then gives another order, his voice cold and commanding, “Make sure that before he dies, he discloses all the secrets he knows. Do not let him die without revealing everything.”
“Consider it done, Your Highness,” responds one of the hundred soldiers. A closer look reveals that this individual is a leader within a segment of the king’s legion stationed in the town, likely the one who received the document Nura delivered to the headquarters.
While still airborne, Prince Abalu directs his course north and soon arrives at the location where Nura Bayajidda lies. Nura is already unconscious, surrounded by devas of the fourth stage who have thrown him to the ground.
Prince Abalu approaches, extending his cultivation sense to examine Nura Bayajidda’s condition. He discovers that Nura is still breathing, and his injuries, though severe, are not fatal.
Until now, Prince Abalu has been in the dark about his big brother’s intentions. He does not understand why his brother ordered the gathering of all individuals with the blood of Bayajidda. This lack of clarity drives Prince Abalu to conduct his investigation before submitting these people to his brother. He is determined to uncover what unique qualities or secrets the members of the Bayajidda tribe possess that have piqued his brother’s interest. He knows that whatever his brother is concealing is of great importance, and he refuses to remain ignorant of such significant matters.