Leopold Reinhardt, once considered one of the strongest on Terra, now stood before an opponent he could not comprehend. Though he had seized countless powers through Drain, absorbed hundreds of hunters, and wielded abilities that could level worlds, it was still not enough.
His dreams, ambitions, and arrogance all converged into a single desperate thought: he was the emperor, and he could not lose.
Yet the crimson aura surrounding Lee Seong-jun radiated a force unlike anything Leopold had ever faced. It was weighty, commanding, almost draconic—an energy that rivaled the legendary Behemoth he had once admired from afar.
Leopold roared, swinging his hands and unleashing his gathered might.
Kwakwakwakwang-!
The explosion tore a massive crater in the ground, yet Seong-jun was nowhere to be seen. Leopold felt a prickling unease—a threat lurking too close to ignore.
"I have a good feeling," Seong-jun's calm voice carried through the chaos, and Leopold responded instinctively, summoning every ounce of power he possessed. The air trembled as he tried to push Seong-jun away, yet the latter remained composed.
Kuaaaah-!
"I am the true emperor of Earth!" Leopold bellowed, pouring everything into a single overwhelming attack.
The Jade of Destruction formed, a technique meant to obliterate even Behemoth himself, fusing augmentation, amplification, and explosion in a terrifying display. Energy surged like a violent storm, tearing the world apart. Life around him crumbled, unable to withstand the sheer magnitude of his power.
But Lee Seong-jun's expression was serene. He laughed, not with fear, but with certainty.
"To discuss destruction like this?" he sneered. "You've never seen true destruction."
Time itself seemed to slow as Seong-jun raised his internal energy. The Jade of Destruction, rushing toward him, slowed dramatically. Leopold's raging face froze mid-scream as the flow of energy became unstable.
Seong-jun's eyes gleamed.
Lines, barely perceptible, traced through the incoming energy.
'Knot.'
He recognized the structure immediately. What Leopold called destruction was merely a conglomeration of raw energy. And Seong-jun, through his mastery of blood energy and natural forces, could control it.
All at once, he summoned the Hot Flame Blood Heavenly Slash, the fourth form of the Asura Reverse Heavenly Sword technique.
Though no blade existed in his hand, a sword of energy nearly 100 meters long extended, formed entirely from his blood and internal energy. The sheer force of it was enough to sever the Jade of Destruction.
Choaaaak!
The Jade split cleanly in two, vanishing into nothingness. Black traces lingered—evidence of the power—but the immediate threat was gone.
Lee Seong-jun did not stop. He drew upon the blood energy in his body, integrating the scattered power of the environment, his upper, middle, and lower danjeons resonating explosively. The total energy accumulated reached 30 gapja, strengthened further by the flow of nature and cycles of time.
Kugugung-!
A crimson explosion erupted in the darkened sky, consuming the remnants of the Jade of Destruction. Leopold's expression twisted in disbelief and fury.
"Words… nonsense…!"
Even with the full might of the Jade, his ultimate trump card, Leopold had failed. Every ounce of pride, every plan, every ambition crumbled before the overwhelming power and composure of Lee Seong-jun.
The battlefield fell silent for a heartbeat, leaving only the resonating echo of Seong-jun's control and Leopold's stunned rage.
The message was clear: no matter the stolen powers or ambition, true strength belonged to Lee Seong-jun.
And this battle, terrifying as it was, had only just begun.