Zera Haster looked at the four masters in front of her—calm, almost bored.
Then she vanished.
A fraction of a second later, her voice echoed behind them.
"Where are all of you looking?"
Before anyone could react, Zera grabbed one master by the head. Her fingers tightened.
Boom.
His skull exploded like fragile glass. Blood, brain matter, and shattered bone sprayed through space. Veins wrapped around her hand like thick ropes, soaked in crimson.
She let the lifeless body drop and slowly turned toward the remaining three.
"Who's next?"
One master roared and raised his sword, charging straight at her. Zera didn't move. She simply extended her hand and caught the blade mid-strike—barehanded.
Metal screamed.
She stared into his terrified eyes.
"You really think a normal sword can defeat me?"
With a casual twist of her wrist, the sword snapped into two pieces.
Her cosmic energy surged.
The universe trembled.
Space itself shook as waves of power rolled outward like invisible storms.
The three remaining masters formed a battle formation and attacked together, shouting in desperation.
"We will kill you!"
Zera disappeared again.
She reappeared behind one of them and punched straight through his back.
Her fist burst out of his stomach, drenched in blood and torn organs. She pulled her hand out slowly, letting his body collapse into nothingness.
Another master screamed and lost consciousness as the pressure of her cosmic energy crushed him.
Zera raised her hand.
Reality erased itself.
The third and fourth masters ceased to exist—no bodies, no souls, no trace.
She turned to the final two, her expression cold.
"Any last wish?"
One of them gathered all his remaining cosmic energy and charged at her, attacking her physically. Zera met him head-on.
Punch after punch collided.
Every strike created massive shockwaves, ripping through space and shaking the universe itself. Stars trembled. Dimensions cracked.
Zera stepped back once.
Then she stepped forward.
Her punch landed.
The second master vanished—erased completely.
"Hmm." Zera exhaled lightly. "This one was quite powerful."
She turned to the final master. For a brief moment, there was a hint of breathlessness on her face—but it disappeared instantly.
Her eyes sharpened.
"Now… it's your turn."
The master gritted his teeth and teleported behind her.
"Take this!"
His punch landed squarely on her back.
Nothing happened.
Zera didn't even flinch.
She turned her head slowly.
Caught his arm.
Ripped it clean out of his body.
"You can't defeat me."
She forced the severed arm into his mouth, straight through his body, and detonated her cosmic energy.
The master exploded from the inside.
Silence returned.
Zera looked around once, then teleported away.
She appeared in the Omni Realm, calmly taking her seat upon her throne among the sixteen Omnis.
"That was quite easy."
On the other side of the battlefield, Rien effortlessly dodged Zian's attacks. Every strike passed through empty space.
Frustration twisted Zian's face.
"How can you dodge so easily?!"
She gathered her power and formed a massive, glowing arrow, launching it straight at him.
Rien calmly activated Source Lock.
The power fueling the arrow vanished.
The arrow struck Rien—
and did nothing.
Zian froze in horror.
"How… how did you do that?!"
Rien smiled and teleported in front of her.
"There's nothing I can't do."
Without touching her, he slammed her into the ground using pure force.
An old man charged at Rien, releasing an overwhelming amount of cosmic energy.
"You can't kill us that easily, kid!"
Rien stepped forward and placed a finger on his chest.
The old man vanished—erased from reality.
Four more masters released their full power.
Rien nullified it effortlessly.
Gravity multiplied.
Their bodies crushed inward, collapsing and exploding into bloody fragments.
The surrounding clan cultivators and masters stood frozen in shock, blood floating through space.
"Keep moving. Stay alert." Rien said calmly.
"The Soul Organization's chief could appear anytime—with his army."
The clans snapped back to reality, storming the towers, slaughtering cultivators and destroying the Soul Towers one by one.
Miss Yin looked at Rien sharply.
"You could've just killed them. Why did you blast their bodies like balloons?"
Her tone was strict.
Rien smiled calmly.
"It helps establish authority."
"You're going to become the Emperor of the Han-Huo Empire, after all."
Miss Yin rolled her eyes.
"I'll forgive you this time. Don't repeat it."
She walked back toward the other clan masters.
Rien nodded politely.
"Understood, ma'am."
He then gave Kuto a deadpan stare.
"What are you looking at, kid?"
Kuto grinned.
"Looks like you've become Miss Yin's personal security guard."
Rien rolled his eyes and glared.
"Did you say something?"
Kuto immediately ran away with Lan Xia.
Rien watched them go, a faint smile appearing on his face.
Then he teleported onto the aircraft.
Tian Master stepped inside the aircraft, his robes still vibrating with residual energy from the battlefield.
His expression was grim.
"We don't have much time."
"The Soul Organization won't stay silent after this."
He looked directly at Rien, determination burning in his eyes, and sat across from him.
"I've already ordered the allied clans."
"Their armies are mobilizing. We will go to war against the Soul Organization."
Rien nodded once, calm and unshaken. He pointed downward toward the void outside the aircraft.
"There's no rush."
"Even if they move immediately, it will take them at least an hour to arrive."
He leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed.
"Teleportation into this zone is restricted."
"They can't simply appear here."
Tian Master absorbed the words, then slowly nodded.
"Understood."
He turned slightly, already preparing to issue commands.
"I'll inform the other cultivators."
Tian master walk towards the other clan cultivatiors outside the aircraft—
silent, steady, and carrying the weight of an approaching war. On the other side of the aircraft, Lan Xia looked down at Kuto, her expression calm but firm.
"You need to rest."
"You used too much cosmic energy. Your body couldn't handle it."
She knelt beside him and activated her Cosmic Lotus Medicine. Soft, glowing lotus petals bloomed around her hands, releasing a gentle yet powerful healing aura that flowed into Kuto's wounds.
Kuto flinched as the energy seeped in.
"Ouch—! That hurts."
Lan Xia rolled her eyes and stood up.
"Good."
"Let the pain teach you how to become stronger."
Without looking back, she walked toward Miss Yin.
Kuto watched her go, the pain still lingering—but a smile slowly spread across his face.