I alone am the Honoured One!

Zhao Tian flicked the blood off his blade as his gaze locked onto Rhudamanth Di Gardia.

Unlike the others who had thrown themselves recklessly at Zhao Tian in the heat of battle, Rhudamanth had observed, analyzed, and measured every movement.

He was not the type to engage in battles he was uncertain of, nor was he one to be provoked into rash action.

Yet now, after witnessing the full extent of Zhao Tian's slaughter and after seeing Selena reduced to a broken husk, he had finally deemed it necessary to act.

Rhudamanth's fingers twitched slightly, and the pools of blood scattered across the ground trembled.

The sheer amount of blood spilled in this massacre was immense... enough to serve as a battlefield in itself.

Zhao Tian tilted his head slightly and his grip on his sword remained relaxed, but his aura did not wane in the slightest.

If anything, the pressure in the air only grew heavier.

In the next instant, the ground erupted.

Pillars of hardened blood shot up from beneath Zhao Tian's feet, twisting and converging like fangs aiming to impale him from all directions.

Zhao Tian did not falter and his body blurred, vanishing in an instant and reappeared just above the battlefield as his sword descended in a single devastating slash.

SHHHRRRAAK!

A crescent arc of pure destruction erupted from his blade, slicing through the towering spires as if they were nothing more than brittle twigs.

*THROOM* The severed blood constructs shattered mid-air, dissolving into crimson mist that scattered in the wind.

The moment Zhao Tian's feet touched the ground, a tidal wave of blood surged toward him and its surface writhed with countless hands and claws.

But Zhao Tian's expression remained utterly impassive.

With a single step, his sword arm moved.

BOOM!

The ground beneath him exploded as a dark golden arc tore from his sword, shattering the incoming wave before it could reach him.

The blood parted, creating a gaping void within its center where Zhao Tian stood untouched.

Rhudamanth's eyes flickered 'Not even a moment of hesitation… He doesn't even consider the possibility of being overwhelmed.'

There was no fear in Zhao Tian's actions... no defensive stance, no backpedaling, no wasted movement.

Every strike, every slash was filled with absolute certainty, an unshakable belief in his own strength.

It was as if he had already determined the outcome of this battle before it had even begun.

Rhudamanth's eyes narrowed and the shattered remains of the blood wave reformed mid-air, twisting together like living monsters before launching toward Zhao Tian from all angles.

At the same time, dozens of crimson swords materialized, locking onto Zhao Tian's vital points with pinpoint accuracy.

BOOM!

The very air split apart as Zhao Tian vanished from sight, appearing directly in front of Rhudamanth with his blade already swinging.

The vampire's eyes widened slightly in shock as he had not expected Zhao Tian to completely disregard the incoming attacks.

But it was too late.

The edge of Zhao Tian's sword descended like an executioner's blade.

CLANG!

At the last possible moment, Rhudamanth's arms crossed in front of him, and a thick barrier of blood surged up to intercept the attack.

The impact sent a thunderous shockwave rippling through the battlefield, shaking the very foundation of the citadel itself.

The blood barrier cracked, fractures spreading like spiderwebs, but it held... barely.

Rhudamanth skidded backward and his feet carved deep trenches into the ground.

His arms trembled slightly from the sheer force of the strike, and a thin trail of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.

He had underestimated just how monstrous Zhao Tian's raw strength truly was.

Just as Zhao Tian was about to move, a sudden wave of searing heat erupted within Zhao Tian's chest, burning from the inside out.

"Urgh..." A pained groan escaped his lips and his body staggered forward.

His vision blurred for a fraction of a second and his knees nearly buckled beneath the weight.

His fingers clenched around the hilt of his sword, but even his grip trembled as another jolt of scorching energy surged through his back.

'Is this... the aftereffect of that explosive energy in my body…? My back... it feels like it's—'

His thoughts shattered as a cold gust of wind howled through the battlefield...

SWOOSH!

A crimson lance of condensed blood speared toward him with blinding speed, tearing through the air like a lightning strike.

Zhao Tian barely had time to react before the force of the impact sent him hurtling backward as his body crashed through the field with devastating force.

Stone and debris exploded around him as his body skidded across the ground, carving deep trenches in the bloodied earth.

THUD!

He came to a halt several meters away as he lay motionless on the ground.

Dust and embers danced in the air and a trickle of blood ran down his lips.

Rhudamanth lowered his outstretched hand and looked at Zhao Tian.

He had expected a stronger defense. Had that last surge of power disrupted Zhao Tian's body?

A golden energy pulsed from Zhao Tian's body, crackling like arcs of lightning against the ruined ground.

The dust that had settled moments ago was suddenly swept up. Discover hidden stories at My Virtual Library Empire

Zhao Tian's body twitched, his fingers digging into the ground.

A sharp CRACK echoed as his spine arched unnaturally and his bones twisted.

His skin rippled as if something underneath was trying to break free.

"URGH...." The heat that had been seething in his chest spread violently, forcing his muscles to tense and his nerves to scream under the pressure.

Then, with a sickening TEAR, two massive appendages burst from his back.

Black as the abyss, their surfaces rippled with an otherworldly sheen.

A pair of dark, angelic wings unfolded and stretched outward.

Zhao Tian let out a shuddering breath and his body was still trembling as he kneeled on one knee.

His fingers clutched his chest, feeling the remnants of the overwhelming energy still coursing through him.

"Huh?" Rhudamanth was dumfounded to see him growing wings.

'What? Is he a crow?'

"You…" he muttered, watching as Zhao Tian slowly pushed himself upright.

The pressure in the air thickened, and Zhao Tian again gripped the sword tightly.

He can feel the blood pooling from his behind, from the place where his wings tore open.

'Haa... I remember seeing wings when I first saw Mother.'

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I hope you guys liked this chapter!