Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 461

Chapter 461: War XXXIV
Ivan staggered back, his shield cracking but holding. His eyes burned with madness. “You think your tricks can stop me?!” He raised his hand, and dark lightning gathered above him, forming a massive spear of condensed demonic energy. “Let’s see you survive this!”

The spear shot toward Aiden like a comet, its sheer force warping the space around it. Aiden’s Spirit Sense screamed a warning, but he stood his ground. He raised his hand, summoning the Destiny Thread of Million Miracles, weaving golden threads of fate around him.

The spear struck, but instead of exploding, the threads coiled around it, twisting its trajectory. Aiden redirected the attack back at Ivan, the spear turning into a spiral of chaotic energy.

Ivan’s eyes widened. “Impossible!” He barely managed to dodge, the attack grazing him and ripping through his left shoulder.

Aiden didn’t give him a chance to recover. He unleashed the Reaper Scythe, a wave of deathly energy slicing through the air. Ivan blocked with his demonic sword, but the impact sent him flying into the side of the crater, a deep gash running across his chest.

Ivan coughed up blood, his body trembling from the damage. His transformation was incomplete, and his aura flickered like a dying flame. “You… You won’t win, Aiden!”

Aiden landed a few feet away, his scythe resting on his shoulder. “You’re out of time, Ivan. This is the end of your path.”

Ivan’s gaze flickered toward the fragment in Aiden’s spatial ring. His lips curled into a desperate grin. “Then I’ll take you down with me!”

He began chanting in an ancient demonic language, his body glowing with dark symbols again. The air grew heavy, and cracks appeared in the ground as a massive portal began to form beneath him.

Nexus’s voice was urgent. “He’s summoning a forbidden ritual! If he completes it, he’ll detonate all the demonic energy inside him. It’ll destroy everything within miles—and he’ll take the fragment with him!”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “Not on my watch.”

He raised his hand, calling on the full power of his Million Soul Emperor Physique and Nine Ethereal Soul Emperor Physique. His aura surged, merging with the surrounding energies, and his golden eyes glowed brighter than ever. “I’ll tear that portal apart before you can finish!”

With a single step, Aiden vanished, reappearing right in front of Ivan. His scythe swung down in a blur, aiming for Ivan’s heart. Ivan tried to dodge, but Aiden’s speed was overwhelming.

The scythe pierced through Ivan’s chest, golden and dark flames erupting from the wound. Ivan gasped, his eyes wide with shock.

“You… how…?”

Aiden’s gaze was cold. “I told you—this ends here.”

He twisted the scythe, and Ivan’s body exploded into particles of light and darkness, his demonic energy dispersing into the void. The portal collapsed, the air returning to an eerie calm.

Aiden stood silently, his scythe dissipating into golden mist. His Spirit Sense swept the area one last time, confirming that Ivan was gone for good.

Nexus’s voice broke the silence. “It’s done. Ivan… is no more.”

Aiden exhaled slowly, the weight of the battle settling on his shoulders. He glanced at the fragment in his ring, its glow now subdued. “One less threat to worry about.”

But as he looked up at the sky, a faint ripple of energy caught his attention. His eyes narrowed. “Looks like someone was watching.”

Far in the distance, a shadowy figure disappeared into the clouds, their presence barely detectable.

“Let them come,” Aiden muttered, turning away. “I’m ready for whatever’s next.”

Aiden descended from the sky, landing on the edge of the crater. His senses remained on high alert, even as the chaotic energy around him faded. Nexus’s voice echoed in his mind, cautious yet calm.

“Whoever that was, they weren’t just watching for fun. That energy felt… ancient.”

Aiden nodded, his Spirit Sense expanding outward in a vast web. His perception stretched far beyond the horizon, scanning for any lingering traces of the observer. However, the presence had vanished without a trace—like a ghost lost in the wind.

“It doesn’t matter,” Aiden said, his tone resolute. “If they’re after the fragment, they’ll have to face me eventually.”

He glanced at the fragment glowing faintly within his spatial ring. Despite the battle, it seemed relatively stable, its energy pulsing gently in sync with his own. “I’ll need to secure this somewhere safe… somewhere they can’t reach.”

Suddenly, his Spirit Sense flickered with movement. A group of figures approached from the distant forest, their auras powerful and disciplined. They were clad in elaborate robes marked with the insignia of a phoenix surrounded by flames—the Mystic Flame Sect.

The leader of the group stepped forward, his eyes sharp and glowing with golden fire. His voice rang out with authority.

“Traveler! That battle shook the entire region. Identify yourself!”

Aiden didn’t answer immediately. He studied the group carefully. There were at least ten of them, all at the Immortal Lord level, with their leader clearly a High-tier Immortal Sovereign.

“Great,” Nexus muttered. “And here comes the cleanup crew.”

Aiden wiped some dust from his coat and finally spoke, his voice calm yet commanding. “Just a passing cultivator. The disturbance is over. No need to concern yourselves.”

The leader’s eyes narrowed. “A passing cultivator, yet you wield power strong enough to tear the sky apart?” He pointed at the faint cracks in space still visible in the sky above. “We’re not fools. You’re clearly not from around here. Who are you, and what was that fragment’s energy I sensed?”

Aiden’s expression remained neutral, though a flicker of annoyance crossed his mind. These types never knew when to back off.

“Like I said, it’s none of your concern.” He turned, preparing to leave. “If you want to stay alive, you should walk away now.”

The leader clenched his jaw, but before he could respond, one of the other elders whispered in his ear. The leader’s eyes widened slightly, and his demeanor changed almost instantly.

“Wait!” he said, his tone far more respectful. “Did you say… Aiden?”

Aiden paused, a slight smirk forming on his lips. “You’ve heard of me?”

The leader nodded slowly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. “There’s… been talk. Rumors of a cultivator with unparalleled abilities, one who severed a Heaven Inspector’s arm and lived to tell the tale.”