Adrian flew forward, his figure cutting through space with terrifying precision as the Source Blade formed seamlessly in his hand, its edge gleaming with a cold, indifferent light as he began to carve through the thousands of cultivators retreating before him.
Each strike found its target, severing heads, piercing hearts, bisecting torsos. Bodies tumbled through the void, trailing frozen blood that crystallized into dark red fragments.
Those whose concentration shattered under the overwhelming pressure could not even maintain their domains, let alone form defensive spells, and they fell instantly the moment Adrian's blade passed through them.
Even those who managed to hold onto their domains found themselves powerless, for they could not perceive Adrian's movements at all, their senses registering nothing more than fleeting afterimages that appeared before them an instant before death claimed them.
"Where—"
The cultivator's question ended abruptly as Adrian's blade emerged from his chest.
The four remaining High Rule Stage warriors, though gripped by fear, still maintained their composure to a degree, their domains holding firm as they attempted to analyze the situation and respond. One of them, a scarred veteran, watched Adrian's movements with intense focus, his eyes tracking the afterimages, searching for patterns.
"He's using spatial displacement," the veteran muttered, "Combined with temporal acceleration. Maybe gravity manipulation to enhance velocity."
Having witnessed enough, he thought Adrian's movements were likely supported by arcane concepts. He acted quickly, attempting to counter what he believed to be the source of his speed. He shouted in desperation, "Lock all arcane concepts! If we restrict them, he won't be able to move like that! Seal Space! Everything within three kilometers!"
Another High Rule Stage elder, a woman with silver hair braided tightly against her scalp, joined him. "I'm locking Time! Pour everything into it!"
The command spread rapidly, and the remaining cultivators who still had their domains active began to act in unison, sacrificing what little authority they possessed and pouring vast amounts of mana and willforce into locking down every conceivable arcane concept that could contribute to Adrian's speed. Some sealed space, others targeted time, while others attempted to restrict concepts such as void, force, pressure, vitality, and motion. In their desperation, they did not discriminate, attempting to suppress everything within their reach in the hope of slowing him down.
Their Mana burned, and Willforce fractured. The battlefield became a suffocating cage of suppressed concepts.
Under normal circumstances, such a coordinated effort from thousands of cultivators would have been overwhelming, even for a Peak Rule Stage being, as the collective interference would disrupt any reliance on arcane manipulation. Even Adrian felt the effect of this action, as the sheer number of overlapping restrictions made it impossible for him to directly utilize certain conceptual methods in the same way as before.
Yet despite this, his speed did not diminish in the slightest.
The Source Blade flashed. Three more cultivators fell, their bodies carved apart before they realized he had moved.
To the terrified warriors, he continued to appear as nothing more than a blur, an afterimage that manifested before them without warning, delivering death before any defensive authority technique could be activated.
"Impossible!" The veteran staggered backward, his eyes tracking Adrian's movements with growing horror. "We locked everything! Space, Time, Gravity, Force, all of it!"
Confusion turned into outright panic among the remaining forces. The veteran screamed, his voice filled with disbelief, "HOW!? How is he still moving like that? We have locked everything!"
The silver-haired woman's domain flickered as her concentration fractured. She watched Adrian cut down seven cultivators in the span of a single heartbeat, his movements as fluid as water despite the conceptual cage they had constructed. "This doesn't make sense. Even if he's using unfamiliar concepts, the overlapping suppression should affect something!"
Another elder, his composure finally breaking, shouted in realization, "It's his physical speed! It's not just arcane concepts! His body itself is that fast! Stop wasting time on locking concepts and focus on increasing your own speed! Escape before he—!"
His words were cut short as Adrian's blade ended his life before the sentence could be completed. The body drifted backward, eyes still wide with the realization that had come too late.
From that moment onward, the battle ceased to resemble a confrontation and instead became a one-sided massacre. The remaining cultivators fled in desperation, yet none of it mattered.
"Run! Just run!"
"Scatter! Don't group together!"
"Portal! Someone open a—"
The desperate shouts ended as quickly as they began. Adrian moved through them like wind through grass, his blade reaping lives.
Their authority, their techniques, all of it became meaningless in the face of an opponent whose speed placed him beyond their ability to react. One by one, they were cut down, their deaths occurring faster than they could process the inevitability of their end. Authority meant nothing if one could not even use it.
The veteran High Rule Stage cultivator, the last of the four elders, attempted one final gambit. His domain condensed around him into a dense shell, sacrificing range for absolute density. "If I can just hold long enough to—"
Adrian appeared before him.
The veteran's eyes met Adrian's, and in that instant, he saw his source eyes, which made his blood freeze.
The Source Blade pierced through the condensed domain as though it were paper, punching through the veteran's chest and emerging from his back. The man gasped, blood bubbling from his lips, his domain collapsing instantly as his consciousness faded.
Adrian withdrew the blade and moved on.
The massacre continued. Corpses drifted in every direction, thousands of them, their frozen forms tumbling slowly through space in a macabre ballet. Blood crystals glittered like dark rubies in the starlight. Severed limbs and shattered armor pieces floated among the dead, creating a field of debris that stretched for kilometers.
…
Back within the headquarters of the Crimson Vital Sect, the entire scene unfolded through the massive holographic projection, and an oppressive silence filled the chamber as every elder watched in stunned disbelief.
Torvain, who had just returned after mobilizing the disciples, stood frozen, unable to utter a single word as he observed the overwhelming display of power.
While the sheer physical speed Adrian demonstrated was shocking enough, what unsettled them far more was the change they perceived in him.
The Adrian they knew, the one who had shown extreme kindness, shared meals with them, laughed over trivial matters, and treated even minor injuries with care and attention, was nowhere to be seen in that moment. The figure on the battlefield moved with absolute decisiveness, cutting down thousands of cultivators without any visible emotion, as though their lives held no weight in his actions. It was not cruelty, nor was it rage; it was something far colder, far more detached, and far more terrifying.
Lara slowly turned her head toward Lysandra, their gazes meeting in silent understanding.
Lysandra stood with her arms crossed, one eyebrow raised slightly, her expression conveying a quiet "I told you so" without needing to speak the words aloud. When several elders' eyes turned toward her, she simply lifted her shoulders in a casual shrug, as though reminding them that this side of Adrian had always existed beneath the surface.
…
At that very moment, as the last remnants of the invading army were being killed, the void surrounding the star system rippled violently. Space distorted, folding outward as a fleet emerged, hundreds of warships materializing in formation.
The Thousand Veils Sect had arrived.
At the forefront stood Elder Kaevryn, his gaze immediately locking onto the battlefield below. They had seen the broadcasts, understood the urgency, and mobilized without delay to reinforce their newly declared alliance. But even he had not expected this.
His eyes tracked the blur of movement cutting through the scattered cultivators. Adrian's form flickered in and out of perception, leaving corpses in his wake.
As someone who had trained relentlessly in speed, refining his body for assassination, for swift execution and retreat, Kaevryn understood the limits of physical motion better than most. And yet, as he observed Adrian, even he could barely track his movements, catching only occasional glimpses of his trajectory.
"Such speed…" Kaevryn muttered, genuine astonishment breaking through his usual composure.
In that moment, any lingering doubt Kaevryn might have had regarding his sect leader's decision vanished completely. Now Kaevryn understood why his sect leader had reacted with such uncharacteristic caution.
Without hesitation, Kaevryn issued commands to his forces. "Spread out and eliminate all the remaining survivors."
The warriors of the Thousand Veils Sect surged forward, their concealment techniques activating as they scattered across the battlefield. Shadows deepened around fleeing cultivators. Throats were slit before screams could form.
With the battle effectively concluded, Adrian slowed his movements and withdrew from the battlefield, observing the final moments of the conflict before turning back.
Kaevryn approached him, offering a brief nod as he spoke. "Elder Adrian, Sect Leader Nightshade has dispatched these forces to permanently garrison the borders of the Crimson Vital Sect."
Adrian inclined his head slightly. "Pass my thanks to Sect Leader Nightshade."
"He anticipated Crimson Vital Sect would handle this," Kaevryn added, his tone carrying genuine respect. "But alliances mean standing together regardless."
The arrival of the Thousand Veils Sect not only reinforced their alliance but also served as a clear declaration of their commitment, leaving no ambiguity regarding their stance in the unfolding war. Any sect watching would understand that attacking the Crimson Vital Sect meant facing the Thousand Veils Sect as well.
With that, Adrian turned and returned to the Crimson Vital Sect's star system, appearing once more within the headquarters, in the same chamber he had departed from.
He stepped forward and stopped before Hestia, whose expression carried a complex mixture of surprise, concern, disbelief, and something he could not easily name.
Looking at her, Adrian spoke with a faint, almost teasing calmness. "That expression does not suit you, Hestia."
She blinked, her mouth opening without words emerging.
He moved closer, placing one hand gently on her shoulder as he continued. "Relax. I told you I would handle it."
Hestia's reaction came immediately. "You were reckless out there! What if there had been someone as fast as you? How would you have handled that alone?"
Adrian lowered his hand from her shoulder and instead took both of her hands in his, his expression softening slightly as he replied. "If that had been the case, then you would have been right behind me to deal with it, wouldn't you?"
For a brief moment, Hestia found herself without words, the tension in her expression easing as an unfamiliar smile formed on her lips. "You…"
Around them, the elders stood in silence, their minds still processing everything that had unfolded, from the battlefield to this quiet, unexpected moment.
Torvain cleared his throat softly, glancing toward Lara with raised eyebrows. She met his gaze and jerked her head toward the exit.
Caelum had already turned away, suddenly fascinated by the far wall.
Varcain followed suit, muttering something about checking supply inventories.
Those who understood what was happening quietly turned and began to leave the chamber without a word, recognizing that this was not something meant to be observed.
Maelis, however, remained. Her confusion was evident as she looked between them, unable to reconcile what she was seeing. "What is even—"
Before she could finish, Lara stepped in, covering her mouth and dragging her out of the chamber without explanation.
"Mmph!" Maelis struggled against the grip.
The doors sealed behind them, leaving the space behind in quiet stillness.