“Boom~”
“Boom~”
“Boom~”
The black clouds in the sky seemed enraged.
The black clouds that had just been split in two gathered back together, condensing into a black sphere ten meters in diameter.
Even from far away, you could faintly sense the immense energy it contained.
“Boom~”
A thick black beam wrapped in purple-black lightning shot out of the sphere toward Xiaobai.
Everything the black beam touched along the way turned into black particles and faded away.
“Seriously? This is the fourth time, and you’re still at it? Ever heard the saying ‘three strikes and you’re out’?”
“If you want to keep going, I’ll gladly play along. Just don’t regret it later.”
“Still, that move of yours is pretty interesting. Let me learn it.”
One white light after another appeared all over Xiaobai, growing more numerous until they shimmered like the Milky Way.
The lights gradually formed a band. One end flowed into the hilt of the black sword, passed through its blade, and gathered at the tip into a dazzling sphere of light, just like the black sphere in the sky.
But there was one difference.
As time passed, the sphere of light grew larger and brighter.
It had already grown far bigger than the black sphere in the sky—seven or even eight times its size.
Even the sun would have paled beside its radiance.
When the sphere could expand no further, Xiaobai aimed the tip of his black sword at the black beam and shoved it forward with all his strength.
“Pew~”
(Xiaobai’s sound effect)
A white pillar of light shot from the very center of the sphere in an instant, carrying an utterly terrifying aura.
The space around the pillar warped, and the nearby ground was torn up.
Everything it touched vanished into nothingness.
The white pillar of light met the black beam head-on. The latter was clearly no match for it.
In less than half a second, the white pillar swallowed the black beam, blasted apart the black sphere, and shot straight into the sky.
Wave after wave of energy from the pillar instantly wiped out every black cloud in the sky.
◇
Demon Beast Mountain Range, a mountain peak.
Suddenly, a thick pillar of white light shot up from the mountain peak. The violent aura it contained made the space around it explode in an instant.
Wave after wave of invisible force spread out in every direction.
(Image for reference only)
Mountain of Heaven.
The Black Sacred Dragon Emperor had been having a rough few days.
Ever since Xiaobai’s pressure had overwhelmed him several times, his head would go dizzy at the slightest thing. He could barely take care of himself.
Suddenly, a pillar of white light appeared before him.
“What... is that...”
Before the Black Sacred Dragon Emperor could finish speaking, the force from the pillar struck him. His vision went black, and he fainted.
A little while later, the Black Sacred Dragon Emperor came to. He stared at the pillar of white light before him, his body trembling nonstop.
“That wasn’t that kid...”
“This energy is far stronger than the aura released by that human kid last time...”
“This is... coming from the forbidden zone...”
“Could it be...”
“...”
Silence...
The energy was simply too strong, and he fainted again...
......
At the edge of the Demon Beast Mountain Range.
An old man was leaping from tree to tree through the forest.
Anyone watching would’ve seen nothing but a blur flashing past the branches.
Suddenly, a pillar of white light rose from the forest behind the old man.
The invisible force passed straight through him.
“Thud~”
The old man immediately fell from the tree, hitting the ground hard enough to leave a deep crater.
But the powerful aura left behind by the force kept him from moving.
“Again...? You rotten disciple, are you trying to kill me...?”
“Wait, this pillar is so white... It’s completely different from last time, and its aura is more than twice as strong.”
“If the one last time was my rotten disciple, then who’s behind this one?”
“I know pretty much all the top experts in the world. This aura...”
“...”
The old man, who’d been about to keep muttering, fell silent...
The force was too strong, and this guy was too close... so he fainted too...
......
Far away, in a merchants’ guild meeting room.
An old man was in a meeting when an invisible wave passed through the room.
No one but him sensed it.
The old man lost his focus and nearly fell over. The report in his hand flew straight out the window.
“President, are you feeling unwell?”
The female secretary noticed her president’s face suddenly turn deathly pale and stepped forward to ask with concern.
“N-no, I’m fine. Something just came to mind.”
“Then, President, shall we get back to what we were discussing?”
“Uh... well... the documents... just now... they’re gone...”
The old man blushed, thoroughly embarrassed.
But his mind was still on the wave he’d just felt.
“That wave... I could feel it all the way here, and it was so... powerful... What on earth happened...?”
......
Free Region, an alchemy workshop.
An old man was hammering away at a piece he was almost finished making.
Suddenly, a wave of energy swept over him.
The old man grew dizzy, and the hammer in his hand came down hard. His work was ruined on the spot.
“Aaaaaah!!!”
“Who sent out that wave?!”
“I spent a whole year making that sword!!!”
......
Sword Domain, a Swordsman academy.
A burly man was practicing his swordsmanship. He was one final downward slash away from finishing the routine.
Suddenly, a wave of energy arrived without warning.
It slammed straight into the blade just as the burly man was about to bring it down.
His sword shattered in an instant, and the man himself was sent flying dozens of steps back before he finally stopped.
“Guh...”
He spat out a mouthful of blood.
“W-what... is... this... power...”
......
Elemental Realm, a Magic Academy.
A woman stood atop a magic tower, chanting a newly created forbidden spell.
“O great spirit of flame, I offer my magic as a sacrifice. Answer my call, become a crimson blade, and destroy all things beneath the heavens!”
Just as the spell was about to be completed, wave after wave of invisible force arrived without warning.
The woman’s heart lurched. Her magic wavered, surging and ebbing.
She nearly toppled from the tower.
The greatsword of flame that was forming in the air was instantly scattered, vanishing without a trace.
“H-how... could this... happen...”
“What... is... this... power... This is... a nine-star... forbidden spell...”
......
At the same time, one calamity after another unfolded in places across the Deep Azure Continent.
Every ninth-level powerhouse could sense these waves of invisible force.
But not one of them could withstand the waves.
Some got dizzy. Some vomited blood. No one was spared.
◇
Deep underground.
As Xiaobai withdrew his power, the pillar of white light gradually narrowed, then disappeared.
Only the conspicuous hole in the sky remained to prove that something had happened.
“Not a bad move. I’ll gladly take it.”
“It just uses a tiny bit more power than before and takes longer than a Sword Qi Wave. Doesn’t feel like a great deal.”
“Still, even so, I’m grateful to you.”
Xiaobai bowed to the black clouds that were no longer in the sky, expressing his heartfelt gratitude.
As for the enormous impact the white pillar of light had just had on the outside world...
Xiaobai would never know.
All he knew was that his Kitty seemed to have disappeared.
Kitty wasn’t in front of him, or to the left or right, or behind him.
Where had Kitty gone?
“Kitty~ Where are you~ Come out, it’s time to go~”
Xiaobai shouted into the empty surroundings. He couldn’t be bothered to look, so he hoped Kitty would come running out on its own.
......
“Rustle~”
A white creature crawled out of a pile of rocks in the distance. A little gloomy-colored dirt clung to its body.
“M-Master, are you... done fighting...?”
It was, of course, the White Tiger.
The moment Xiaobai withdrew his barrier of light, the White Tiger had been blown away by the powerful shock wave.
It had struggled to its feet, only for the surrounding ground to be torn up. Rocks, dirt, and who knew what else buried it underneath.
“It’s over. Those black clouds were so weak. I’d only just started getting serious.”
“I wasn’t even warmed up yet.”
Xiaobai shook his head and replied with a look of deep disappointment.
Hearing this from afar, the White Tiger trembled with fear.
Yikes... What kind of monster is this?
If that was him only just starting to get serious... then what had he been doing before?
I can’t afford to offend this guy... If the big shots on the Mountain of Heaven do something stupid again, I’ll have to stop them even if it kills me. If he gets any more serious, the whole Mountain of Heaven might disappear...
Just then, as it was thinking, a wisp of black smoke suddenly emerged from the dirt and stared straight at the White Tiger...
The scene fell completely silent.
“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!!”
“Don’t come any closer! Don’t look at me! I don’t know anything, meow!”
“Help~ Master~”
“Your Kitty’s about to die, meow~”
“There’s black smoke over here too, Master~ Come help, meow~”
Those black clouds had used lightning, black whips, a greatsword, and even a beam of light...
There wasn’t a single one of those attacks it could’ve survived.
The thought made the White Tiger shudder.
“Huh? There’s black smoke?”
“Where? Where’s the black smoke?”
Unlike the White Tiger, the moment Xiaobai heard the words “black smoke”...
His spirits soared. His gloom vanished, and he strode toward the White Tiger, black sword in hand.
He was faster than lightning.
The black smoke facing the White Tiger seemed almost sentient. It shuddered as if it had seen something terrifying, then shot off into the distance in the blink of an eye.
“Kitty, where’s the black smoke?”
The instant the black smoke left, a dark figure flashed into view.
“It... ran away...”
“Ran away?”
“Yeah. It went that way.”
“Wham~”
A blow came down.
“How could you let it get away? Kitty, you’re so useless...”
“Meow...”
I’m just useless... I’m really sorry...
“Wham!”
Another blow.
“Meow...”
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and chase it!!!!!!”
“Forget it, let’s go together. You’re way too slow...”
With that, Xiaobai grabbed the White Tiger and raced off in the direction it had pointed.
◇
Underground.
A wisp of black smoke raced ahead while a figure chased after it at full speed. It was a rather absurd sight.
“Stop!”
Someone roared, but the black smoke didn’t slow down. It sped up instead.
“You...”
The figure behind it blurred, picking up speed as well and staying right on its tail.
“Whoosh~”
A Sword Qi Wave flew past, leaving a ten-thousand-mile-long chasm in the ground.
“Boom~”
A pillar of white light shot out, leaving a bottomless pit of darkness in the ground.
“Whoosh~” Another chasm.
“Boom~” Another deep pit.
Someone:
“Why run? Fight me head-on!”
“Don’t run! Where’d all that bravado from earlier go? Weren’t you the one who provoked me first?”
“Come on, don’t chicken out! Let’s keep going!”
Black smoke:
“...”
