Cosmic Ruler - Chapter 465

Chapter 465: War XXXVIII
The ruins of the Black Sun Sect trembled as Aiden and Ivan stood across from each other. The dark vortex behind Ivan pulsed, its energy seeping into him, amplifying his already formidable strength.

Aiden gripped his Reaper Scythe tightly, its edge gleaming with a dark radiance. He activated Spirit Sense, mapping the battlefield in intricate detail. Every crack in the stone, every fluctuation of energy—nothing escaped his perception.

Ivan sneered. “Still playing the hero, Aiden? You don’t understand what you’re up against.”

He extended his hand, and his Throne Martial Spirit emerged behind him. The massive, ornate throne pulsed with ominous light, its aura imposing enough to crush weaker cultivators with sheer presence. Dark chains coiled around its frame, glowing with blood-red inscriptions.

Aiden scoffed. “I’ve seen enough of your tricks, Ivan. And I’m sick of your theatrics.”

Without hesitation, Ivan vanished, reappearing directly in front of Aiden with a palm strike infused with dark laws. The force shattered the ground beneath them.

Aiden reacted instantly, twisting his body mid-air and slashing downward with his Reaper Scythe. The weapon clashed against Ivan’s arm, generating a shockwave that sent dust and debris flying.

“Space Rend!”

Aiden swung his scythe again, this time using his authority over space itself. A tear in reality opened, warping everything in its range. The attack was devastating, but Ivan merely grinned—

BOOM!

A wave of black energy exploded from Ivan’s body, neutralizing the spatial attack before it could fully reach him.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed. “That wasn’t just defensive… You absorbed my attack, didn’t you?”

Ivan’s grin widened. “Took you long enough to notice.”

The inscriptions on his throne flickered, and Aiden immediately realized the truth—Ivan wasn’t just using the vortex as a power source.

He was absorbing every attack Aiden threw at him.

Aiden’s mind raced. He couldn’t just overpower Ivan. He had to find a way to disrupt the throne’s absorption ability.

Summoning his Golden Sword Martial Spirit, Aiden infused it with the power of his Million Soul Emperor Physique. The sword glowed with an ethereal radiance, a stark contrast to the oppressive darkness surrounding them.

“I’ll just have to break your throne before you can use it.”

Aiden vanished in a burst of speed, reappearing above Ivan. With a downward slash, he unleashed a technique fueled by his mastery of multiple energies.

“Heaven’s Sundering Blade!”

A blinding arc of golden energy shot toward Ivan, slicing through space itself.

Ivan reacted instantly, raising his arm as his throne materialized behind him.

CLANG!

The throne absorbed the attack again, its glow intensifying.

Ivan laughed. “Haven’t you learned yet? Your attacks only make me stronger!”

Aiden’s expression didn’t change. Instead, he smirked.

Ivan frowned. “What—”

CRACK.

A sudden rupture formed on the surface of Ivan’s throne.

The inscriptions flickered violently, their glow dimming.

Ivan’s smug expression shattered. “What did you—”

Aiden twirled his scythe and pointed at the throne. “You were so busy absorbing my attack that you didn’t realize what I was really doing.”

“Your throne has limits, Ivan. I just overloaded it.”

The cracks widened. The throne trembled violently.

Ivan staggered backward, his face twisting in rage. “Impossible!”

Aiden’s eyes gleamed coldly. “It’s over.”

With a single motion, Aiden swung his Reaper Scythe, unleashing a slash of pure annihilation energy.

“Requiem of the Forsaken.”

The attack crashed into the fractured throne, completely shattering it into dust.

Ivan screamed as the throne’s destruction sent a backlash through his body, blood spraying from his mouth.

Ivan collapsed to one knee, his aura flickering, his strength fading rapidly. The dark vortex behind him trembled, its energy fluctuating wildly without Ivan’s control.

Aiden approached slowly, his blade still dripping with annihilation energy. “You’ve lost, Ivan.”

Ivan’s breathing was ragged, but his eyes still burned with defiance. “You think this is the end?” He grinned despite the blood trailing down his lips. “You don’t even know… what’s really coming.”

Before Aiden could respond, the vortex behind Ivan suddenly surged.

Aiden’s eyes widened—something was trying to pull Ivan in!

Ivan’s expression twisted in panic. “No—wait! Not yet!”

Dark tendrils erupted from the vortex, wrapping around Ivan’s body. He struggled, clawing at the ground, but the force was too strong.

“AIDEN!!” Ivan roared, his voice filled with hatred and desperation as he was violently dragged into the abyss.

Aiden remained still, watching as Ivan disappeared into the void, his screams fading into silence.

The vortex collapsed moments later, leaving behind nothing but empty space.

Aiden exhaled. “Tch. What a dramatic exit.”

The ruins of the Black Sun Sect were eerily silent. The oppressive darkness that once loomed over the area was gone.

Aiden turned away, gripping his scythe. “He’s not dead. That much, I know.”

Wherever that vortex led, Ivan was still alive. And if he survived…

He’d come back even stronger.

Aiden sighed. “Well, guess I’ll have to kill him next time.”

Activating his spatial authority, he disappeared from the ruins, leaving behind only the shattered remains of Ivan’s throne.

Aiden reappeared in a secluded valley, his figure flickering like a mirage as he stabilized himself. His battle against Ivan had drained more energy than he cared to admit. Even with his monstrous recovery abilities, he wasn’t invincible.

He glanced at his hands, still coated with traces of dark energy.

“That vortex… It wasn’t normal.”

Aiden wasn’t sure what had pulled Ivan away, but he knew it wasn’t just some random dimensional collapse. Someone or something had intervened.

His Spirit Sense flared, scanning his surroundings. He didn’t detect any immediate threats, but his instincts screamed at him—he was being watched.

Aiden smirked. “Come out already.”

Silence.

Then—a ripple in space.

A cloaked figure emerged, standing atop a jagged rock formation. Their presence was concealed, yet Aiden could feel an overwhelming sense of authority radiating from them.

“That was an impressive battle,” the figure spoke, their voice distorted, as if layered with countless echoes. “But you’ve interfered with something far beyond your understanding.”

Aiden tilted his head. “And who might you be? Another one of Ivan’s sponsors?”

The figure chuckled. “Ivan? That foolish child was nothing more than a pawn. The real game is just beginning.”

Aiden’s grip on his scythe tightened. “You talk a lot. What do you want?”

The figure extended a hand, and a black sigil manifested in the air. Aiden’s Spirit Sense immediately detected the sheer density of laws imbued within it—this wasn’t something ordinary.

“Join us, Aiden. With your strength, you could rise far beyond your current limits. Beyond even the so-called Heaven Inspectors.”

Aiden stared at the sigil. He recognized it.

It was the mark of a Forbidden Sect.