The Battle Arena was filled with grayish Destruction energy. A large number of Energy Avatars spread out around Electra, making it impossible to tell which one was the real him.
Although the Shadow Clone Technique was most commonly used with the Darkness Law, that didn't mean other Laws couldn't achieve similar effects. They simply emphasized different aspects. What mattered most was how one used the Mysteries to refine a technique.
Electra cultivated the Law of Destruction, whose techniques were primarily suited to physical attacks. Releasing a large number of Energy Avatars could temporarily conceal his true body, but it consumed a great deal of Divine Power. Besides, the Avatars were weak and couldn't inflict any real damage on an enemy, who could easily destroy them and expose the real one.
So, at most, this move could distract his opponent for a split second. But that was enough for Electra. All he needed was that brief opening to unleash his ultimate move and take down his opponent.
"Light of Destruction!"
With a thunderous shout, the hundreds and thousands of Energy Avatars circling overhead vanished at once, leaving only the real Electra. He appeared directly above Ren, and a dark, eerie glow suddenly surfaced on his right hand before merging into his whip in an instant.
"Vmmm—"
The space rang with a series of rumbles. The black whip spun rapidly like a top, then extended from its tip and shot straight toward Ren's brow. The dark glow burst from the whip, moving far faster than his previous attacks.
"Come on!"
Ren raised his head at once and flipped his right hand, bringing an ice-blue longsword into view. Divine Power surged, forming a faint layer of icy armor over his body, while hundreds of green ice blades appeared around him. He charged toward the dark glow, the blades surging alongside him.
"Boom!"
Vast waves suddenly surged through the sky, sweeping in like an endless tide and turning into white mist that swallowed the dark radiance. The collision of black and white Divine Power sent rumbling echoes through the space.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Ren burst through the mist. The remaining gray energy struck him, dimming his armor but failing to break it. Wrapped in green ice arrows, he hurtled forward at high speed, his sword pointed straight at Electra's head.
Damn it, how can he be this strong? Electra cursed inwardly and immediately retreated, doing everything he could to put distance between himself and Ren.
Even so, several ice arrows grazed Electra's shoulder, drawing thin trails of blood.
The head-on clash made the difference in their strength obvious. Ren had countered Electra's ultimate move, Light of Destruction, head-on. By combining Water Element with the Mystery of Mist and the Mystery of Roundness and Softness, he had turned around and swallowed up the Destruction Divine Power in the attack, wearing it down.
Then Ren fused the Mystery of Ice with the Water Body Technique to form armor, relying on its formidable defense to withstand the Destruction Divine Power's attack. He struck back at Electra's head; if Electra had reacted any slower, he would already have fallen.
For the first time, Electra felt a trace of panic. He had never imagined that Ren could break through his ultimate move, his most powerful physical attack, head-on. He cultivated the Law of Destruction, which excelled at physical attacks. Did this mean Ren was far stronger than he was?
Meanwhile, in the audience seats below the Battle Arena, a group had just taken their places among the Four Divine Beasts Clan's people. Emmanuel's face was terribly dark, so gloomy it seemed as though water might drip from it.
Not long ago, Emmanuel had finally arrived in Liang'an City with the younger generation of the Four Divine Beasts Clan. He had immediately heard about the most sensational thing in the city: a powerful fighter named Ren had suddenly appeared at the Battlefield.
Emmanuel at once thought of the man he had encountered earlier, the one who had made him lose face in front of the clan's younger generation. So he brought his clansmen to the Battle Arena. Registration for today was already closed, and he had originally planned to go up tomorrow and deal with that man named Ren.
But when he heard that a Seven-Star Demon with a Hundred-Battle Victory record was stepping forward, he figured the brat would be defeated today. So he stayed in the audience with the younger generation to see how things turned out.
If Electra killed Ren, that would settle the matter. If he didn't, Emmanuel would find another chance to kill Ren himself. He didn't care whether Ren was suffering an undeserved misfortune. All he knew was that Ren had made him lose face, and that was a capital offense.
The outcome was beyond his expectations. This Ren seemed to be stronger than he'd anticipated. Especially that move just now—he had broken through Electra's Light of Destruction head-on. Emmanuel did the math and realized he probably wasn't Ren's match.
"Big brother, that Ren looks so strong. That Seven-Star Demon with a Hundred-Battle Victory, Electra, doesn't seem to be his match. Is Elder Emmanuel really stronger than him?"
The red-haired girl of the Vermilion Bird Clan looked shocked. Unable to hold back, she sent her older brother a Divine Sense message.
"I'm not really sure. I've heard that Elder Emmanuel isn't one of the strongest members of the Council of Elders. But even though that Ren is strong, he can't possibly be stronger than our Four Divine Beasts Clan's clan leaders and talented elders."
The short-haired young man sitting beside the girl heard his younger sister's question. He first replied uncertainly, then sent another Divine Sense message with firm conviction.
Although the two youngsters had whispered to each other through Divine Sense, Emmanuel had already guessed what they were thinking from their expressions. His face darkened further, and his hatred for Ren grew even stronger.
"What a fine Ren. You'd better pray that Liang'an Prefecture Lord kills you. Otherwise, I won't let you get away."
Emmanuel's icy gaze swept over the Battle Arena as killing intent filled the air. He was a Highgod who cultivated the Mysteries of the Water Law, yet his bare scalp looked as though it were about to burst into flames.
After watching the fight, Emmanuel had realized that Ren was probably stronger than he was. But he didn't care. He was an elder of the Four Divine Beasts Clan, the foremost clan in Hell and across the Divine Planes. His status meant that if he wanted Ren dead, Ren was as good as dead.
In the past, Colclough Reynalds, a Seven-Star Demon of the Reynalds Clan, an Asura of Hell, and the son of Rernas—the Blood Peak Sovereign's emissary—had clashed with an elder of their Four Divine Beasts Clan. Afterward, Rernas had personally brought his son to apologize and bow his head. He had even personally killed Colclough's most powerful Divine Clone.
Outsiders called the Four Divine Beasts Clan arrogant and overbearing, but Emmanuel had never cared. In his eyes, those people were simply jealous. Their clan was powerful and protected by their ancestors, so their so-called arrogance was only natural. Anyone who objected could be killed. Ren might not have done anything to him, but he had made Emmanuel lose face in front of the younger generation—and that was Ren's crime.
Before you continue