"What a terrifying young man..."
Von Hohenheim, who had been observing in secret, silently left after seeing Jiaren retreat.
The shock in his heart was beyond words.
This was the most exceptionally gifted alchemist he had ever seen!
Even he, who could practically be called a synonym for alchemy, did not possess such talent.
The limit of what his current projection could achieve was merely what the other party had displayed earlier.
Or rather, that was already the ultimate manifestation of alchemy itself!
To wield even greater power, one would need to use the power of the Upper Realm for an Equivalent Exchange.
That was a price he was absolutely unwilling to pay.
"Still, there is ultimately a difference between us. When he performs at the same level as I do, it means he has reached the limit of his own power. When I perform at that level, it means the world itself has reached its limit."
Though still carrying that sense of shock, Von Hohenheim quickly steadied himself. As an Upper Realm Authority with some standing, he regained his composure fast.
Facing that brat head-on would undoubtedly be a huge problem if he still had the support of that military formation!
So those defeated dogs still had some use after all.
Judging by their performance, they likely had an even more powerful trump card.
That man who had originally been preparing to exchange and ascend seemed to be a Crown Prince.
If so, the military formation serving as his final safeguard might very well be able to draw upon Dragon Qi and national fortune.
A military formation of that caliber was absolutely at the ceiling of the lower realm.
Furthermore, from some of their conversations, it was clear that they were fighting on their home ground.
So even under