Strength

Era of Order, Year 1138.

"Father... I have returned..."

Aise revealed a hideous smile at Xia Lun. "I hope you still remember me."

"Of course I remember." Xia Lun looked at Aise in front of him, casually twirling the fiery sword in his hand. With a low hum, golden-red flames burst forth, scattering sparks like falling rain.

"I thought you wouldn't acknowledge me as your son." Aise's arm hung limply, seemingly broken. But following a series of twisting cracks, the limb moved like a puppet controlled by invisible strings, contorting and snapping back into place in a way that defied anatomy, quickly healing as if nothing had happened.

"A thousand years unseen, and you have grown even stronger..." Aise's gaze fixed on Xia Lun, never wavering for a second. "It truly makes no sense... I spent a millennium slaughtering all sorts of bizarre entities in other worlds just to survive and barely obtain the power I hold today..."

"Why did you impersonate me?" Xia Lun ignored Aise's rambling and questioned him directly. His tone was surprisingly devoid of anger, sounding more like a parent scolding a child for making a mistake.

"You really can't blame me for that, Father..." Aise shrugged with a hint of grievance. "The long wandering and endless slaughter made my past memories fade... The only thing I remembered was you. I subconsciously took it as my own identity, and it wasn't until I saw you that everything fully came back to me."

"Why... did you bewitch so many people into sacrificing themselves for you?" Xia Lun's gaze sank, turning cold like a frozen lake. "I do not sense the power of others upon you."

The lives sacrificed by the Apostles of Twilight were by no means few.

The power currently radiating from Aise was incredibly pure, an unfathomably dense magical energy. If the various offerings sacrificed by those Apostles of Twilight had become his power, his aura should be quite chaotic right now.

"Isn't it obvious? Father, do you still not understand me?" Aise feigned a look of great surprise. "Why did I have those believers sacrifice themselves for me... Because it brings me immense joy, of course, hahaha... Listening to their wails, witnessing their demise, watching souls sublimate in despair and then annihilate. Is there any play in this world more wonderful than that..."

Xia Lun said no more.

All the sacrifices made by the Apostles of Twilight were merely a game this guy played to amuse himself.

Sure enough, this guy was an absolute madman who only followed his murderous desires.

The magical power around Xia Lun erupted violently, the ground beneath his feet cracking inch by inch as he lunged toward Aise.

The fiery sword in his hand gathered momentum, flames churning and trailing like the tail of a shooting star through the air.

"Careful, Father. If this body gets burned to a crisp, the little guy I'm possessing will be dead for sure." Madness flickered in Aise's eyes as a chaotic longsword, wreathed in faint black mist, materialized in his hand, clashing with Xia Lun once again.

Xia Lun remained silent, his torrential onslaught forcing Aise entirely onto the defensive.

The golden-red flames and chaotic black mist collided fiercely, erupting with deafening roars. Shockwaves spread in rings, snapping the trees within the manor in half.

The house had been reinforced by Aina, so it remained unscathed for now.

"What exactly did Mother do to you? Father, with such power, even outside this world, only those few strongest evil gods could rival you..." Aise still had the spare energy to hiss out a question amidst the dense barrage of attacks, his voice laced with twisted curiosity. "I sacrificed so much... Why is your power still above mine?"

Although Aise's weapon was formless, it possessed unparalleled sharpness. Even a mere graze could cause severe injuries, so Xia Lun fought with great caution, dodging all attacks and absolutely refusing to use any mutual destruction tactics.

Furthermore, Xia Lun had to be careful not to damage this body belonging to Mian.

Though it seemed Xia Lun was controlling the battlefield, in reality, he had no effective way to deal with Aise.

...

"It seems something has happened outside." Mo Lini stood by the window, her small hands unconsciously gripping the curtains, her voice carrying an imperceptible tremble.

Watching the two rapidly flickering figures outside that were becoming a blur, a trace of worry couldn't help but rise in her heart.

Luo Lun stood to the side, nodding with a solemn expression. The turbulent magical currents produced by the collision of those two terrifying powers permeated the air like tangible pressure.

Little Lan also stayed on Mo Lini's head, hopping up and down, looking very uneasy.

It could also sense the powerful magic from the battle outside.

"Mo Lini, want to play chess?" Liyana sat on the sofa, dangling her legs. She called out to Mo Lini, trying to make her tone sound a bit more relaxed. "I can mercifully keep you company and play for a while right now."

"No thanks." Mo Lini shook her head. "Aren't you worried? Liyana, it looks like there's an enemy outside."

"Worried?" Liyana showed a hint of dissatisfaction. "Don't look down on Xia Lun, you jerk... Besides, Aina is there too."

Mo Lini remained somewhat anxious. "I know... but this enemy seems very troublesome. He actually dared to come knocking on our door..."

No one had ever lasted this long against Xia Lun before.

And even Yisi was forced back by that guy.

"It's fine, nothing will happen." Liyana glanced at the two watching the battle by the window. There were also barriers set up by Aina in the house, so it should be very safe here.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Luo Lun couldn't help but ask. This situation really made it hard for her to just sit still.

"Well, you see... Look, it's like when adults are doing business, kids shouldn't go and cause trouble," Liyana quickly advised, speaking quite tactfully. "It will only add to the mess."

Luo Lun felt the terrifying energy fluctuations outside and nodded gently. This was indeed not a battle they could interfere in.

Yisi, bringing Anana along, walked in through the front door.

"Yisi, what's happening outside?" Mo Lini hurried over to greet them.

"Woo... A really tough guy showed up, and even I couldn't beat him." Yisi looked a bit crestfallen. "His abilities are too much like cheating... I guess only Master Aina can deal with him."

"What about Xia Lun? Even Xia Lun is no match for him?" Yisi's words instantly surprised Liyana.

The gap in strength was too vast; she only had a vague concept of Xia Lun's power... whereas Yisi could barely touch upon their level.

"Hmm... I'm not sure." Yisi tilted her head. "If Master Xia Lun uses his full strength, he should be able to win, right?"