Lightning exploded outward from Lizarius's body.
Not ordinary lightning—
but violent, dark-blue destruction condensed to such an extreme degree that it distorted the surrounding sky itself.
**BOOOOM!!**
The clouds above shattered instantly.
The shockwave alone tore through the heavens like a hurricane, while arcs of lightning spread outward in every direction.
The nearby Golden Core elders reacted immediately.
"Move!"
Their figures blurred apart across the sky.
Sect Leader Yuan's robe whipped violently in the storm as spiritual energy erupted around his body.
A golden barrier expanded outward in an instant.
The lightning crashed against it with deafening force.
**CRACKLE!!**
The barrier trembled violently.
Another elder slashed downward with a crimson flying sword.
The blade split into hundreds of sword-lights mid-air before raining toward Lizarius like a meteor storm.
At the same moment—
another elder unfurled a black formation banner.
Runes ignited across its surface.
"Earth-Sealing Heaven Formation!"
Massive chains of condensed spiritual energy erupted from the forest below.
They shot toward Lizarius from every direction.
Fast.
Precise.
Sealing space itself.
But at the center of the storm—
Lizarius's golden eyes remained calm.
Cold.
Calculating.
His massive wings spread wider.
**BOOM!!**
A wave of compressed wind erupted outward, powerful enough to scatter the descending sword lights.
Several were shattered instantly on contact.
The remaining attacks slammed into his scales, bursting into sparks of fire and spiraling spiritual energy.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound echoed like divine weapons striking steel.
Then—
the chains arrived.
Dozens of glowing restraints surged toward his limbs, wings, neck, and tail simultaneously.
The surrounding space distorted heavily as the sealing formation activated fully.
One elder shouted sharply.
"Hold him in place!"
Another immediately formed hand seals.
"Azure Flame Spear!"
A gigantic spear of jade-green fire condensed above the heavens before crashing downward toward Lizarius.
The sky itself was painted green.
Yet—
within the center of the storm—
Lizarius slowly raised his head, maw opening wide.
Then—
he roared.
The sound exploded across the heavens like the wrath of an ancient calamity.
**BOOOOOOM!!!**
The roar became a visible shockwave.
Space distorted violently around his maw as the sonic force erupted outward.
The descending Azure Flame Spear shattered instantly on contact.
Not deflected.
Destroyed.
The massive jade flame construct twisted apart violently before exploding into countless fragments of spiritual fire across the sky.
**BOOM!!**
The surrounding clouds were torn apart.
Several Golden Core elders were forced backward from the pressure alone.
"…What a monster…?!"
The sealing chains around Lizarius trembled violently under the roar while lightning continued to erupt endlessly from his body.
Then—
his golden eyes shifted sharply.
Toward the edge of the battlefield.
There—
one of the elders floated farther away from the main confrontation.
Tiny glowing flags continuously flew from his sleeves, each one taking position across different points in the sky.
One after another.
Each flag embedded itself into space before vanishing.
Formation anchors.
Lizarius's gaze narrowed slightly.
*A formation.*
So that was why they were still holding back despite surrounding him from all directions.
They were stalling.
Restricting movement.
Buying time.
The true killing move had not yet been activated.
Interesting.
Then—
movement.
Sect Leader Yuan suddenly vanished.
The air exploded where he had been standing.
A massive golden spirit tool appeared in his hand.
A halberd.
Ancient.
Heavy.
Covered in dragon-shaped inscriptions that glowed with terrifying spiritual pressure.
The surrounding space warped around its presence alone.
The moment it appeared—
every nearby elder instinctively retreated.
Because even they could feel the danger radiating from it.
Sect Leader Yuan's voice echoed across the heavens.
"Starfall Dragon Halberd."
The weapon flared with golden light.
Then—
he swung.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
A colossal crescent of compressed spiritual force split through the heavens toward Lizarius.
The clouds parted instantly before the strike even arrived.
The forest below collapsed in a straight line beneath its pressure.
Yet—
Lizarius did not dodge.
His body twisted slightly within the lightning storm.
Golden eyes locked directly onto the incoming strike.
Then—
his wings folded inward.
Lightning condensed violently around his claws.
Compressing.
Densifying.
Until even the surrounding sky began to crack under the unstable pressure.
And then—
Lizarius struck.
He swung his wings outward.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
A torrent of dark-blue lightning erupted forward like the collapse of a heavenly storm.
The beam tore through the sky directly toward Sect Leader Yuan's halberd strike.
The two forces collided instantly.
The heavens shook.
For one terrifying moment—
gold and dark-blue light consumed the entire battlefield.
Then—
detonation.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!**
The shockwave exploded outward with enough force to flatten entire sections of forest below.
Mountains cracked.
Trees disintegrated.
Several Golden Core elders were thrown backward through the air as violent spiritual turbulence ripped across the battlefield.
Sect Leader Yuan's eyes narrowed sharply.
Because his halberd strike—
had stopped.
Not shattered.
Not pushed back.
But held.
Directly against the creature's lightning.
Meanwhile—
within the center of the collision—
Lizarius remained motionless.
Golden eyes gleaming coldly through endless arcs of destruction.
Then—
the sky darkened.
Suddenly.
Violently.
Dawnlight vanished beneath layers of enormous black storm clouds forming overhead.
Lightning crackled endlessly across the heavens.
The air grew heavy.
Oppressive.
Several elders looked upward in confusion.
"…What?"
"When did—"
Then—
the clouds moved.
No.
Something within them moved.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
A gigantic serpent head formed from storm clouds and lightning, descending with a deafening roar.
Its eyes burned like living thunder.
Its body stretched endlessly through the storm above.
Then another appeared.
And another.
Massive lightning serpents emerged one after another from the storm clouds, roaring across the heavens like divine calamities descending upon the world.
The Golden Core elders froze.
Shock finally surfaced across several faces.
"…A domain?"
Another elder's pupils contracted violently.
"…Storm Domain!"
The realization struck immediately.
This was no longer elemental manipulation.
This was territorial control.
A true domain manifestation.
Something countless Golden Core cultivators spent their entire lives failing to comprehend fully.
Yet this creature—
this monster—
was using it instinctively.
The storm churned overhead while gigantic lightning serpents descended like heavenly executioners.
The pressure alone became suffocating.
Sect Leader Yuan's expression finally shifted.
Because the danger level had escalated far beyond expectations.
One elder suddenly roared.
"Don't let it complete the domain!"
His spiritual energy erupted violently.
Behind him—
a massive phantom manifestation appeared.
Golden light exploded across the sky.
A gigantic armored ape materialized, towering like a mountain given form.
Golden Core Manifestation.
The phantom roared and charged toward one of the descending lightning serpents.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
Its massive fist collided with the serpent's head mid-air.
Lightning exploded outward.
The heavens trembled.
But the serpent did not disperse.
Instead—
its jaws opened wider.
And bit down.
**BOOOOOOM!!**
The Golden Core manifestation trembled as dark-blue lightning erupted across its body.
The elder controlling it coughed blood instantly.
Yet before anyone could react—
Lizarius vanished.
Not speed.
Not movement.
Simply gone.
The remaining elders' expressions changed sharply.
"He vanished again!"
"Find him!"
Their gazes snapped instinctively toward the faint crimson tracking seal flickering in the distance.
Then—
they all turned at once.
Toward the formation master.
The elder secretly stabilizing the sealing array at the rear of the battlefield.
Too late.
**BOOOOM!!**
Something slammed into him like a falling mountain.
The sky erupted from the impact.
His protective barrier ignited instantly, barely absorbing the collision.
Even so—
his body was hurled backward across the heavens.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
His eyes widened in shock.
So fast?!
He barely stabilized before thrusting both hands forward.
"Sevenfold Spirit Breaker Seal!"
Seven massive spiritual arrays unfolded before him simultaneously.
Each rotated rapidly, unleashing condensed beams of spiritual destruction toward Lizarius.
They tore through the sky like collapsing stars.
Yet—
within the center of the barrage—
the creature tore straight through them.
Untouched.
The beams shattered against his scales in bursts of light and sparks.
Not a single wound appeared.
The elder's pupils contracted violently.
*Impossible—!*
Then Lizarius arrived directly before him.
One massive claw descended.
**BOOOOM!!**
The barrier shattered instantly like glass.
Cracks spiderwebbed across it for half a breath—
then it exploded completely.
The elder was thrown backward once more, spiritual energy spiraling chaotically around him.
Panic finally surfaced across his face.
Without hesitation—
he summoned a defensive spirit tool.
A bronze shield etched with ancient runes.
The moment it appeared—
golden light erupted outward.
Dense.
Heavy.
Protective.
But—
Lizarius merely opened his maw slightly.
Dark-blue lightning gathered between his jaws.
Compressing.
Condensing.
The surrounding space warped violently.
Then—
he roared.
**BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!**
A sonic shockwave erupted alongside a concentrated beam of compressed lightning.
Not ordinary lightning—
but a destructive blue-white lance of condensed storm energy.
The bronze shield lasted less than a second.
**CRACK!!**
It shattered instantly.
The beam pierced through the shield—
through the elder's chest—
and continued onward into the heavens beyond.
Silence.
For a brief moment—
the elder remained suspended in mid-air.
A massive hole burned through his body.
Smoke drifted upward slowly.
Then—
his corpse split apart and fell from the sky.
Far in the distance—
the beam continued until the mountains themselves exploded from its remaining force.
The battlefield fell silent for half a breath.
Shock spread across the remaining Golden Core elders.
Another elder dead.
And once again—
almost instantly.