The void was torn, and worlds shattered.
This was the terrifying aftermath of the battle between Ethan and Abraham. When Ethan swung the greatsword in his hand, even if Abraham dodged and the blade struck only the void, the power it contained wasn't wasted.
At their level, "cleaving the void" was no longer just an exaggeration.
In only a few exchanges, several nearby worlds had already been destroyed. Some were reduced to nothing, others shattered into fragments by the terrifying impact, and some were swallowed by the power of rules.
"I didn't expect your strength to grow this much."
Abraham's expression was grim. Ethan's rate of improvement far exceeded his expectations. Even at his peak, Abraham couldn't say with certainty that he could kill Ethan, much less now that his strength had diminished.
"But your control over your power is still lacking."
Ethan had only just begun to integrate and master these powers. As a result, he needed to blend various rules with divine power and then turn them into weapons or offensive spells.
In truth, once integration reached perfection, a god's every movement could contain countless rules. At a higher stage, a god could completely control the powers and rules within their body, ensuring that even a casual sneeze wouldn't destroy countless worlds.
Ethan's current condition was such that he couldn't control his power well. So instead, he directly channeled it into weapons focused on killing his enemy.
The downside of this method was that it wasted a lot of power, evident from the number of attacks that went to waste.
However, this discovery did little to help the current situation. Abraham hadn't reached the perfect state either. While he didn't need to convert rule power into weapons or spells like Ethan, his attacks still caused massive destruction and wasted nearly as much power.
Ethan could also see this. In terms of combat ability (as opposed to overall strength), the gap between them was smaller than he expected. This increased the likelihood of killing Abraham.
"Even if it's not perfect, it's more than enough to kill you."
The greatsword in Ethan's hand had already disintegrated. With his arms extended, he now held two pistols, one black and one white. He aimed at Abraham and unleashed a downpour of bullets, each one infused with divine power and rules.
Abraham knew he couldn't block this barrage. Even if he could, once Ethan took the initiative, he would be placed on the defensive.
He raised his right hand and twisted it gently. The storm of bullets shifted direction, raining down on another area. Several more worlds were riddled with holes, then completely destroyed.
At this point, Ethan felt a bit fortunate that the battlefield was on the opponent's turf. At this rate of destruction, no number of worlds would be enough to withstand them.
As the battle dragged on, the damage to the void worsened.
This world had once been incredibly stable. If one imagined it as a giant tree, it was a thriving world with flourishing branches and leaves.
Now, two people were fighting on the trunk, not only breaking many branches but also damaging the trunk itself.
The once calm void had become a perilous zone filled with chaotic energy and storms. Even Ethan and Abraham were avoiding those areas. If they were swept in, not even they could guarantee their safety or avoid being hurled elsewhere.
The two continued battling like this, dodging increasingly hostile areas. But the fight itself created more chaos in the void. Without realizing it, more than half of the entire Main God World had already collapsed, and they had gradually drawn close to the core region.
By now, both Ethan and Abraham had realized a frustrating truth: neither could kill the other.
Ethan didn't mind. If Abraham couldn't kill him, then Abraham would eventually die. As long as he was given a little more time, Ethan's strength would continue to rise rapidly. Meanwhile, it would be extremely difficult for Abraham to grow stronger.
Abraham realized this as well. That was why he refused to let Ethan leave. For him, this was the best chance. If he couldn't kill Ethan now, his fate was sealed.
Abraham stared hard at Ethan for a moment. Then he suddenly turned his head toward the core of the Main God World. After a brief moment of hesitation, he seemed to have made a decision and charged toward the core.
Ethan didn't know what Abraham planned to do, but he didn't need to. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good for him.
All he needed to do was disrupt it.
Ethan followed closely behind, chasing toward the core.
Abraham noticed Ethan's pursuit. With a resolute expression, a red light burst from his body. Then, countless clones of Abraham rushed toward Ethan, while the real one turned into a stream of light and accelerated again.
Ethan could sense that although Abraham's speed had increased, his aura had weakened. This guy had once again damaged himself to force a breakthrough. Whatever he was about to do had to be critical—and very likely lethal to Ethan.
With that in mind, Ethan no longer held back. He released his power without reservation, clearing away all the clones in one go, despite the considerable energy loss.
He also transformed into a meteor and sped forward.
However, even though the clones were instantly wiped out, they still managed to delay Ethan for a split second. The resulting energy shock also slowed him down. That tiny delay was enough for Abraham to reach the core first.
"Damn you. Disappear along with this world!"
Abraham stood beside a white sphere of light about five meters in diameter. Clenching his right fist, he gathered all the energy in his body and prepared to strike it.
In that instant, Ethan's instincts screamed in alarm. He could clearly sense that if Abraham succeeded, even if he didn't die, he would suffer serious injury.
But what confused him was—would Abraham survive this?
This wasn't the time to think. He needed to act. Just as he prepared to do something, he suddenly saw Abraham's fist stop.
He hesitated? Was he afraid of being destroyed as well?
The next second, Ethan realized he was wrong. A thin thread was wrapped around Abraham's wrist, and an inconspicuous figure appeared behind him, holding the other end of the thread.
Abraham also noticed the newcomer. His expression shifted dramatically. Ethan saw surprise, wonder, disbelief... and even a hint of joy?
"Who is that?"
As if hearing Ethan's question, the mysterious figure turned and replied softly.
"I am Abraham's father. As for my name... I don't have one."
"..."
Ethan remembered Madeline had once said Abraham was a second-generation god. But few knew anything about Abraham's father. Most assumed he was just an ordinary Main God, or that he had already fallen or was in deep slumber.
Clearly, they were all wrong.
"What fallen... what ordinary... with this kind of entrance, isn't he obviously the ultimate boss?"
This mysterious Main God looked extremely unremarkable. The type that would blend into any crowd, someone you would overlook completely if you didn't already know him.
He wore an old, slightly worn casual suit and carried a cane that bore obvious signs of wear. It had been used for who knew how long, with scuffs and cracks. His silver hair was somewhat tidy, somewhat messy, giving off the feel of a down-on-his-luck gentleman.
Nothing about his appearance, clothing, or demeanor was special. Yet this was the kind of person who could appear right in front of Ethan, and Ethan still couldn't sense what method he had used. No matter how he tried to perceive or observe him, everything indicated he was just a regular old man.
The mysterious Main God didn't continue speaking to Ethan. Instead, he looked sternly at his son.
"Do you know what you're doing, Abraham? Do you know this could damage the Source Sea?"
"..."
Ethan didn't know what the Source Sea was. But judging from the man's expression and Abraham's earlier hesitation, it had to be something extremely important... and not just important to a few Main Gods.
The mysterious figure gave the thread a light tug. Abraham was forcibly pulled away from the sphere of light and brought to a spot not far in front of Ethan.
He looked around and saw the Main God World nearly in ruins, the void almost completely collapsed into chaos. He shook his head helplessly.
"If you two keep fighting, you'll eventually harm the Source Sea. I can't let that happen."
Abraham didn't respond, and Ethan couldn't be bothered. They were family—no matter what he said, it would be pointless.
But the old man didn't think so. He seemed to sense Ethan's displeasure and suddenly turned to face him.
"Young man, you might think I'm here to protect my son, but that's not the case..." He paused. "If your battle had no impact on the Source Sea, I wouldn't care even if you beat him half to death."
"..."
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)