Challenging Makenrich
"Let me see. Akafu Solo, Prefect of Fengyan. Skilled in the Edicts of Destruction. His ultimate move is a sword technique called Annihilation Slash. He once killed three Asura-level experts in succession..." The Prefect of Fengyan was not a member of a special race and had no Sovereign Artifact, but his material attacks were terrifying. Moreover, most of the Sovereign's Might held by the Infernal Realm's Prefects was of the destruction attribute, giving Akafu a considerable advantage.
Using the same drop of Destruction Sovereign Power, Rog could amplify his power only about a hundredfold, while Akafu might achieve an increase of three to five hundredfold, giving him a substantial advantage without any obvious sign.
"Next, Liang'an Prefecture. Its Prefect is Temila Andrew, a supreme expert in the Water Element. Exceptionally skilled in defense, with terrifying material and soul defenses..."
"Adrian, Prefect of Indigo, an expert in the Edicts of Fate with bizarre attacks..."
"Muse Vito, Prefect of Flying Star, an expert in the Laws of Wind who possesses a Soul Defense Sovereign Artifact..."
After going through them repeatedly, Rog found that there were not many among them he had absolutely no confidence in dealing with. However, there were also few opponents he was certain he could defeat, and among these people...
"Makenrich, Lord of Tianhua Prefecture. A supreme expert who cultivates the Death Rule, with terrifying Soul Attacks. He once used only his eyes to launch Soul Attacks, killing two Asura experts in succession."
Makenrich was not weak. His Soul Attacks were unquestionably among the very best of the 108 Prefects, but he was merely an ordinary human. He was not a Sovereign's Emissary either, so he was unlikely to possess a Sovereign Artifact.
Although he was strong, Rog happened to be a perfect counter to him.
Tianhua Prefecture happened to be on the Zijing Continent, and Rog was relatively confident in his ability to deal with Makenrich.
A blood-red sun hung high in the sky. Suddenly, a streak of purple lightning flashed across the heavens and finally stopped above a castle in the city lord's estate, transforming back into a figure. He stood suspended high in the sky, his entire person appearing deeply mysterious in the blood-red sunlight.
Although Rog did not look particularly tall, the solitary, proud bearing innate to his soul gave him a distinctive aura that he freely radiated. His long purple hair drifted loosely behind his shoulders, but what drew even more attention were his black eyes. They seemed to conceal a vast Star River, and a single glance into them revealed unfathomable depths.
Rog deliberately released his aura directly above the castle in the city lord's estate. It was an obvious provocation.
He swept his gaze over the people below and said indifferently, "I am Rog, the Clouddark Fiend. I have come to challenge the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture. I request an audience with the Prefect."
His voice echoed between heaven and earth like thunder, clearly audible to the hundreds of thousands of prefectural soldiers stationed nearby and even to some tribal residents farther away.
The Lord of Tianhua Prefecture's residence was naturally heavily guarded, with large numbers of prefectural soldiers on patrol.
"Who goes there?!" Even from a great distance, they heard Rog's challenge from high above.
When Rog received no response, he continued flying down. Several squads of prefectural soldiers immediately came out to meet him, and one who appeared to be their captain shouted, "This is the Prefect's residence. Outsiders are not permitted to enter without authorization. You had better leave at once."
"Go inform your Lord of Tianhua Prefecture that the Clouddark Fiend has come to challenge him," Rog said with an unconcerned smile.
A sinister voice rang out above Tianhua Prefecture. "Rog? I know you. You're a little fellow who's only recently risen to prominence. What? You think killing a few fools makes you invincible?" The voice was dark and raspy, as though it had come from a decaying, desiccated corpse.
Across from Rog, a yellow-haired old man in a long gray robe slowly flew out, looking like a skeleton. The wrinkles on his face made him look like an old man at death's door, and his gray eyes were exceedingly clouded.
It was hard to imagine that a powerful Prefect would look like this.
He had also watched Rog's Battle Projections,
and apart from the somewhat mysterious Azure Lightning, Rog's other methods were not worth mentioning. He did not think Rog was all that formidable. The gray-haired old man, Makelich, said indifferently, "When I fight someone, one of us must die. Your strength is fairly good, but don't be blindly confident in it. I advise you to publicly withdraw your challenge and go back to cultivating."
"Blindly confident?" Rog said with a faint smile. "I'd say you're even more confident than I am, aren't you?"
He did not know where Makenrich got his confidence. He did not possess a single Sovereign Artifact, yet he still dared to act so arrogantly before Rog.
Makenrich had not expected Rog to leave no room for compromise and deliberately respond with sarcasm. He could not help frowning at Rog, then said, "Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish. Name the time."
Rog's eyes lit up. He shot a piercing gaze at the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture, a chilling smile playing at the corner of his mouth. "No time like the present. How about today?"
Makenrich fixed his gray eyes on Luo Ao and said darkly, "Boy, you're asking for death! Then let's fight now, in the Anbuli Mountain Range outside the Prefectural City!" With that, Makenrich turned into a streak of gray light and vanished from the city lord's estate.
Seeing the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture leave, Rog shot toward the Anbuli Mountain Range without the slightest hesitation.
Not long after Rog and Makenrich agreed to their duel, the news spread like wildfire-
Rog, the Clouddark Fiend who had recently risen to prominence in the Infernal Realm, was about to challenge the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture!
And the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture had already accepted the challenge!
Experts near Tianhua City raced one after another toward the Anbuli Mountain Range. They all wanted to watch this battle against a Prefect: the newly risen Seven-Star Fiend Rog against the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture, who had not fought in hundreds of millions of years!
For this battle, 99 percent of the people believed the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture was certain to win.
Indeed, the newly risen Clouddark Fiend was formidable, with attainments in the Laws of Lightning that were truly astonishing. But the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture was even more terrifying!
Throughout Tianhua Prefecture's history, more than one expert with the strength of an Asura had challenged the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture, only to meet a swift defeat and death.
All it took was a single glance, and those who challenged him died on the spot!
To this day, no one had been able to make him use a second move, not even an Asura expert!
And Rog? He was merely an expert who had recently risen to prominence. Defeat the unfathomable Lord of Tianhua Prefecture? The odds were far too low.
The Anbuli Mountain Range was the largest mountain range outside Tianhua City. At this moment, two figures slowly arrived above its highest peak.
Makenrich had deliberately slowed down along the way, so quite a few spectators had managed to follow. A good number of experts in the Water Law had even found places from which to record a Floating Shadow of this earth-shaking battle.
"Boy, are you ready?" After waiting a little longer, and judging that most of the audience had arrived, the Lord of Tianhua Prefecture spoke again in his sinister, raspy voice. He had not prepared a weapon, seemingly quite confident in his own strength.
Kill Rog? A single glance would suffice.
"Let's begin." Rog could not be bothered to use his War Saber either. Ever since his Laws of Lightning had undergone a transformation during the Fog Sea Riot, he had noticed the change in himself. Whether or not he used a weapon no longer made much difference to him.
Of course, a Sovereign Artifact would be another matter.