Chapter 17: Mighty Power

Titus withdrew his mind from the Ancient Wilderness, feeling quite pleased with himself. This time, his gains were immense, not only had he acquired a Martial Spirit, but this Martial Spirit was also one of the six great Martial Spirits of the Nine Heavens Divine Realm, known as Illusion Annihilation. “Illusion Annihilation can absorb other Martial Spirits for recovery. In the future, my own Martial Spirit can also enhance itself by absorbing the Martial Spirits of those I defeat.” With anticipation in his eyes, Titus looked forward to having two Martial Spirits, both of exceptional power. Others could not absorb Martial Spirits for enhancement; they could only strengthen their Martial Spirits by seizing Spirit Seeds, but this method had many limitations. However, the Ancient Wilderness was different. Any Martial Spirit possessed by those Titus killed would be absorbed into the Ancient Wilderness. As Titus was contemplating, he suddenly heard footsteps. “Who’s there?” Titus called out. “Young Master, it’s me,” an elderly voice responded. An old man in a grey robe emerged from the other side of the hill. “Uncle Victor Xenos,” Titus called out. The grey-robed elder was Victor, a servant from the Sparrow Kingdom the Xenos Family assigned to look after Titus in the Heavenly Ultimate Hall. Since outsiders were not allowed in the hall, Victor, as a servant, stayed in a village a hundred miles away. Every so often, Victor would meet with Titus to ensure safety and relay any updates between Titus and the Sparrow Kingdom the Xenos Family. Titus had already informed Victor and arranged to meet here, so Victor's arrival was not a surprise. "Uncle Victor, what's the situation outside now?" Titus asked. "Young Master, you've really caused a huge disaster this time. The Skynet Sect has posted notices everywhere to capture you," Victor said helplessly. "It's bad enough that the Skynet Sect treats me unfairly, but now they're even sending people to hunt me down..." Titus wasn't surprised by this outcome. "Uncle Victor, how is Raelyn?" Titus quickly asked. "I inquired outside the Heavenly Ultimate Hall earlier. The head of the Heavenly Ultimate Hall, Malcolm, has been taken to the Inner Sect for questioning. As for Raelyn, whom you asked me about, she has chosen to return home voluntarily. Just two hours ago, she left with the sect's cloud boat and probably went back to her hometown." Hearing this, Titus let out a sigh of relief. His biggest worry had been Raelyn, and her voluntary return to her hometown wasn't a bad thing. "Young Master, I truly failed you this time," Victor suddenly said with a strange expression. "Uncle Victor, what do you mean by that?" Titus frowned deeply. "Three years ago, I followed you to the Skynet Sect and watched you rise step by step. I thought I could rise along with you. Once you became an Inner Sect disciple, my status as your servant would surely rise as well. But what happened? Your impulsiveness ruined everything." Victor said coldly, "You offended Chloe, the personal disciple of the Skynet Sect's Sect Master, and now you're wanted by the Skynet Sect. You're finished, and your whole life has no hope left, and the Xenos Family of Sparrow Kingdom is ruined because of you." "I don't want to be ruined with you, so I can only apologize. The Skynet Sect offered me a good sum of money, and I had no choice but to betray you." After saying this, Victor quickly stepped aside. A thin-faced young man in Inner Sect disciple attire stepped forward, his eyes coldly fixed on Titus. "Today, I will avenge my brother and tear you to pieces." "Your brother?" Titus's brow furrowed. "My brother, Gunner, died at your hands. Do you dare say you don't know him?" Simon Hawkins's eyes were bloodshot. "So, it was him," Titus said, realizing. "You dare to kill my only brother? Now, I'll give you a chance. Crawl to me and kowtow a thousand times to my brother's spirit in heaven, then cripple your cultivation and break your limbs. If you satisfy me, I might grant you a quick death," Simon said coldly. "What if I don't do that?" Titus replied. "Not do it? Then I'll torture you, make you wish for death, and then even if you beg me, it will be useless," Simon said coldly. Titus didn't bother to reply and quickly drew his broken sword, stepping forward with the sound of the sword ringing incessantly. Though he only had the cultivation of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Stage and only a third of his Sea of Qi left, the aura he exuded was not much weaker than the peak of the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Stage. Feeling Titus's aura, Simon was surprised, but he still scoffed, "That little skill is only good enough to deal with trash like Palmer. You think you can fight me? You're delusional, kneel down!" As he spoke, he swung a giant hammer from behind. The heavy hammer smashed down on the broken sword, and with a crisp sound, the sword nearly flew away, and Titus was shaken, spilling blood from the corner of his mouth. "Element Integration Stage..." Titus's expression turned grave. The gap between the Qi Refining Stage and the Element Integration Stage was not only a realm but also in strength. If it wasn't for Titus's already formed Blade Vein and bone, and his body far exceeding his past strength, plus the unleashing of Blade Gale, he couldn't have withstood the force of this hammer. "You have some ability, no wonder you're so arrogant. But if you can block once, can you block a second time?" Simon swung the hammer again. Titus retreated rapidly, slashing out with Blade Gale, continuously executing the peak-level Wind Shadow Slash. Whirl! Simon's clothes were torn by Blade Gale, but at the same time, Titus was hit by the hammer again, spilling a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. "But a mere Qi Refining Stage Level Nine dares to contend with me, at the Element Integration Stage? I'll show you the vast gap between us." Simon's face was etched with a sneer, and suddenly, a gigantic rhinoceros Martial Spirit surged behind him. This was a Fourth Grade Martial Spirit, unleashing a power that made Simon's body erupt with even more formidable strength. The hammer came crashing down. With a thunderous roar deafening to the ears, the air tore apart, visibly distorting the surroundings. This strike had the power to smash everything to smithereens. Victor, watching from a distance with a smirk on his lips, knew the hammer's terrifying might was such that even if Titus was a Blade Cultivation expert, he would surely be crushed on the spot. Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerged behind Titus. "What is that?" Victor was startled. It seemed like a Martial Spirit, but why was this Martial Spirit in the shape of a fragmented blade? A blade-shaped Martial Spirit? Simon's smile froze instantly. He had never seen a weapon-shaped Martial Spirit before, but he had heard that only when a Martial Spirit reached the Illusionary Transformation Stage could it achieve such a form. Martial Spirits went through several stages, starting with the Seed Transformation, known as the Transcendence Stage, followed by the complete coalescence of the Martial Spirit's form, known as the Formation Stage. Most like Simon were in the Transcendence Stage, and reaching the Formation Stage was difficult. Beyond Formation was Illusionary Transformation. In this stage, a Martial Spirit could alter its form, even morphing into a weapon for Martial Cultivation. However, reaching the Illusionary Transformation Stage required the Martial Spirit to possess exceptional talent and grade. Particularly the grade, which determined the future of a Martial Spirit. The higher the grade, the greater the probability of achieving Illusionary Transformation. Titus actually had a Martial Spirit at the Illusionary Transformation Stage... Disbelief filled Simon's eyes. With the emergence of Illusion Annihilation, Titus's body was instantly engulfed in a terrifying power. His pupils burst forth with a brilliant gleam, and he swung his blade. Boom! The broken blade couldn't withstand the force and shattered instantly. A nine-yard Blade Gale slashed out, first shattering Simon's descending hammer, then his body, followed by the giant rock behind him, all exploding into fragments. The ground was plowed into a deep trench. As the shards of the shattered blade scattered, one piece pierced through Victor's left thigh. Clutching his leg, Victor fell to the ground, howling in agony.