The explosion of power, anger, and rage was sudden and unexpected, startling the other cultivators who had arrived. Without warning, both John and Asuros had unleashed their might and dashed towards each other, roaring with furious rage.
Their auras overlapped as they arrived before each other, fists about to collide.
Flash!
Two flashes of light suddenly appeared, enveloping both John and Asuros just before they were about to collide. The expected explosion of power from the collision did not occur, as both suddenly froze in place.
"What?" both John and Asuros were stupefied, as they had instantly been locked into place, unable to move an inch. At the same time, their power had been restricted, making them unable to fight back against the unexpected restriction.
"Release me!" Asuros roared furiously, his hateful eyes glaring at John who was mere feet away. John glared back with equal hatred in his eyes as he too wanted nothing more than to cut Asuros down right now.
"Any unsanctioned fighting will result in disqualification from this realm," the monotonous voice from the artifact spirit sounded out, revealing it to be the one that had restricted them.
John had been initially surprised that he was restricted so easily, but when he realized it was the artifact spirit, it made sense. The artifact spirit seemed to have full control over the entire realm, which was beyond mysterious, as well as powerful.
"Fuck off! Let me kill him, or I'll destroy you after I kill him!" Asuros roared, his eyes bloodshot with rage. He squirmed, trying to break free of his restrictions, but found himself bound tightly, unable to break free even a tiny bit.
John's rage and anger still stirred, but it simmered down as he realized he would not be able to touch Asuros right now. He could not afford to get removed from the realm, as he knew finding out the secret of the realm was more important right now than killing Asuros. He would have plenty of time to kill Asuros, but would only have one opportunity in this realm. He could not afford to be removed.
With a click of his tongue, John withdrew his aura and power, indicating that he would oblige by the artifact spirits command.
"Fine. I'll comply…for now," John said begrudgingly.
He felt the restrictions binding him vanish, and the urge to pounce forward and slay Asuros rose within him once more. He was mere feet away. But John knew the artifact spirit would be able to react before he landed a blow, and so he could only breathe out an angered breath instead.
He fought the urge to unleash an attack on Asuros, and instead turned around. He couldn't guarantee his self control as long as he looked at the traitor who had killed so many of his clansmen, friends, and family.
"Let me go!" Asuros roared, still unable to control his rage.
"You will be released when you have agreed to my conditions," the artifact spirit said, to which Asuros replied with a furious roar, like that of a beast. It took him quite some time to calm down, but Asuros eventually managed to withdraw his aura and rage, and was eventually released from his restrictions.
Boom!
He dashed forward towards John instantly, massive saber in hand, and swung out towards John with his full power. John watched him approach with unconcerned eyes, as he knew the attack would never reach him.
Flash!
The formation of light restricted him once more, instantly halting his movements, causing Asuros to roar with a belly full of rage.
"Fuck off! I'll kill you both!" he boomed.
"If you cannot comply, then you will be restricted until the next trial starts," the artifact spirit said.
John watched Asuros struggle against the restrictions like a raging beast, and realized he had become much more feral than when they had met months ago. A frown appeared on his face as he thought back to that war, and he couldn't help but ask the artifact spirit a question that lingered on his mind.
"Artifact spirit. I will comply with your rules, but answer me one question," John said.
"I will answer if I can," the artifact spirit replied, voice still monotonous and without emotion.
"Will I be able to fight this bastard in this realm or not?" John asked while staring at Asuros.
"You might," the artifact spirit replied after a short silence. "For the next trial will be a combat trial against the others who have entered this realm."
"Oh? Is that so?" John's eyes lit up as he heard this. "Can you provide the details?" he asked.
"Not until the trial starts," the artifact spirit replied.
"Well, that's good enough for now. The hope of killing this bastard is enough for me to calm my rage for now," John muttered, and his gaze shifted about, noticing that new people had arrived. His drifting eyes suddenly stopped as he spotted a familiar figure standing a few hundred yards away, one he had not seen for years. His heart warmed up and his rage faded away as a small smile appeared on his face.
'Master!'
She looked exactly the same as when he had last seen her. Her long blue hair lined her beautiful yet icy face. Instead of the white and gold dress she normally wore, she wore a much less grand dress that looked almost more like a robe. It was black with blue trimmings on the edges.
A frown lingered on her face as she stared directly at a man who stood before her. John had never seen this man before, but could instantly tell that Lilian did not like this man. He quickly moved towards her, their voices growing louder as he approached.
"What do you want?" he heard Lilian ask, her voice cold and unwelcoming.
"What do I want?" the man replied with an amused tone. "To think my own sister would treat me with such cold disdain. It makes my heart ache."
'Sister?' John frowned, and instantly realized who the mysterious man was. It was the man who shared the same last name as her. It was Zeras Celestria, the foremost genius of the Astral Empire.
And his words had confirmed one thing for John. A thing that he had guessed since he met Laia, but had yet to confirm. Lilian truly was a child of the Astral Emperor!
