The man reacts the instant Kaelan's tentacles lash across the void.
Golden energy erupts around his body.
It spreads outward like a blazing aura, forming a sphere of radiant force. When the surrounding void energy touches the golden aura, it ignites instantly, burning like sparks cast into fire.
The darkness of the void flickers with streaks of gold.
Kaelan's elongated tentacles strike down upon the sphere.
The impact echoes through the void like thunder.
But the golden energy holds.
The man inside remains untouched.
He moves.
His body shifts forward through the void with terrifying speed.
His fist draws back and then thrusts forward.
Golden energy condenses around the strike.
A roaring shape forms.
A lion.
Its mane burns with radiant light as the energy beast charges toward Kaelan.
The void trembles as the golden lion rushes forward.
Kaelan retracts his tentacles immediately.
Eight massive limbs coil inward and cross before his body like a living shield.
At the same time, he manipulates the surrounding void energy.
The black currents spiral around him, compressing rapidly into a dense barrier.
Void and darkness twist together into a wall.
The golden lion slams into the barrier.
The collision detonates.
An explosion of gold and black spreads outward across the empty void.
Shockwaves ripple through the surrounding energy tides.
Fragments of golden fire scatter into darkness before fading away.
For a moment, neither moves.
Then both advance again.
The man glides forward within his golden aura, fists surrounded by burning energy.
Kaelan responds with a roar that reverberates through the void.
His tentacles surge outward once more.
They slash and whip like colossal serpents.
Each strike tears through streams of void energy.
The man counters with powerful punches and sweeping kicks, each movement releasing waves of golden force.
Energy clashes with the void.
Gold and black collide repeatedly.
Kaelan behaves exactly like a true void monster.
His attacks appear wild.
Reckless.
Tentacles strike without pattern.
He lunges again and again, roaring with primal fury.
But beneath the chaotic movements lies calculation.
Every attack is measured.
Every strike tests the man's defences.
The elasticity of his golden aura.
The density of his energy.
The speed of his reactions.
Kaelan studies everything.
Yet outwardly, he shows no trace of intelligence.
Only the rage of a void predator.
A tentacle lashes downward.
The man deflects it with a glowing forearm.
Another limb sweeps sideways.
Golden energy erupts as he blocks again.
The void around them churns violently.
Kaelan lunges forward suddenly, tentacles snapping from multiple directions at once.
The man responds instantly.
Golden energy flares brighter.
A burst of force pushes the tentacles back.
He steps through the opening and launches another attack.
This time, the golden energy forms claws around his hands.
He slashes toward Kaelan's body.
Kaelan twists through the void currents.
One tentacle intercepts the strike.
Another whip toward the man's side.
Golden sparks explode as energy and void collide again.
The battle becomes a storm of movement.
Kaelan roars again, thrashing like a maddened beast.
But every motion remains under control.
He is measuring.
Testing.
Probing the limits of the stranger before him.
In the silent darkness of the void, gold and black continue to clash.
The battle no longer resembles the chaotic struggle of beasts.
Kaelan begins to change the rhythm of the fight.
Though he still roars like a void monster, the attacks of his tentacles begin to carry deeper authority.
The power of the law starts to move through them.
Void energy thickens around his massive form.
Then the surrounding darkness twists.
The first move from the Void Monster Law appears.
Void Devouring.
Space collapses before Kaelan's body.
A dense sphere of darkness forms and compresses inward until it becomes a miniature black hole.
The black hole opens like a mouth in the void.
Its gravity surges outward.
Void energy spirals violently toward the centre.
The man's golden aura flickers as the pull reaches him.
Even a Fifth Stage Transcend cannot ignore such a force.
His armour glows brighter.
He raises one hand.
Golden energy gathers and condenses rapidly.
The power of his Law flows outward.
Light.
Purifying force.
Overwhelming power.
Several other subtle laws mix within the energy.
The golden energy sharpens.
One sword forms.
Then another.
Then dozens.
Golden swords appear in the void like radiant arrows.
With a flick of his hand, they launch forward.
The blades streak toward the black hole.
As they travel, their light burns the surrounding void energy.
The darkness shrinks wherever they pass.
The first sword reaches the mouth of the black hole.
It explodes.
A second follows.
Then ten more.
Golden detonations erupt one after another.
The void collapses violently.
The black hole trembles.
Then shatters.
Fragments of warped space dissolve into harmless currents of void energy.
Kaelan's tentacles recoil slightly.
Through the exchange, he perceives the structure of the man's Law more clearly.
Light.
Purification.
Power.
Several other refined laws were woven into the foundation.
The Law is stable.
Balanced.
And extremely aggressive.
Kaelan understands immediately.
The opponent's Law is designed to suppress corruption and darkness.
A natural counter to many void-aligned powers.
Still, Kaelan does not retreat.
His tentacles whip outward again.
This time, the strikes carry threads of Destruction Law.
Void energy condenses into cutting arcs.
They slash toward the golden aura.
The man responds instantly.
Golden shields flare to life.
The void blades collide against the radiant barriers.
Each contact releases bursts of destructive energy.
The void trembles with every impact.
The man steps forward through the explosions.
His fist glows with concentrated power.
He punches.
A beam of golden force erupts outward.
Kaelan twists through the void currents.
One tentacle intercepts the beam.
The limb blackens slightly as purification energy burns across its surface.
Another tentacle lashes downward.
Devouring energy wraps around it like a spiral.
The man blocks again with a burst of light.
The two forces collide repeatedly.
Void.
Light.
Destruction.
Purification.
Each clash warps the surrounding void currents.
They exchange attacks again and again.
Kaelan launches waves of void blades.
He forms temporary gravitational traps.
He attempts another devouring vortex.
Each time, the man counters with blazing constructs of golden energy.
Swords.
Spears.
Claws of light.
Purifying explosions tear apart void techniques before they fully stabilise.
Gradually, the imbalance becomes clear.
Kaelan begins to experience slight difficulty.
The Void Monster Law is powerful.
But the man's Law contains multiple harmonised principles.
Light strengthens purification.
Purification reinforces power.
Together, they produce overwhelming pressure.
Kaelan's techniques are repeatedly broken before reaching full effect.
Golden energy pushes back against the void currents.
Still, Kaelan roars and attacks wildly.
Maintaining the appearance of a mindless void predator.
But inside his consciousness, he studies every movement carefully.
The battle is not only combat.
It is an analysis.
And the clash between gold and black continues to illuminate the empty void.
Inside his mind, Kaelan reaches a decision.
This battle cannot continue indefinitely.
The opponent's Law holds a slight advantage, and the longer the fight lasts, the greater the risk becomes.
He must escape.
But before escaping, something far more important must be done.
The newly improved Wizard Cultivation Technique must be transferred to his clones.
The coming war between worlds will soon begin.
If he cannot remain to guide them, they must still possess the refined cultivation path.
The transmission must be prepared now.
Yet the man before him cannot notice.
Kaelan lets out a furious roar and attacks even more recklessly.
His tentacles thrash violently through the void.
Void blades erupt from every direction.
Devouring currents spiral outward like storms.
The attacks appear increasingly frenzied.
Golden light flashes repeatedly as the armoured man blocks and counters.
Amid the chaos, Kaelan squeezes a portion of his own blood from deep within his void body.
The dark blood condenses rapidly.
It hardens into a small crystalline fragment.
Within the cover of the violent battle, Kaelan begins inscribing runic structures into the crystal.
Rune after rune forms instantly.
Origin.
Stability.
Energy.
Mana evolution.
Law structure.
The entire Wizard Cultivation Technique flows into the crystal.
The process happens in moments.
Kaelan keeps the crystal pressed close to his body, hidden among his tentacles.
Waiting for the right moment.
Then he launches another attack.
The aura around him darkens.
Destruction energy gathers rapidly.
The surrounding void currents twist violently.
Kaelan unleashes the next technique.
Destruction Axe.
The aura of destruction intensifies until it becomes visible.
Void energy compresses into a colossal axe.
The blade glows with annihilating power.
Even the surrounding void energy splits apart as the weapon forms.
With a roar, Kaelan swings.
The axe cleaves forward.
Space trembles.
Void currents are sliced apart along its path.
The armoured man does not retreat.
Instead, his golden aura flares brighter.
He punches forward.
Golden energy surges outward and condenses rapidly.
A massive lion appears.
The beast wears radiant armour.
Its mane burns like a miniature sun.
With a thunderous roar, the armoured lion charges straight toward the descending axe.
The two attacks collide.
Destruction meets radiant power.
For the first time since the battle began, the explosion truly disturbs the surrounding void.
The shockwave tears through the energy tides.
Void currents spiral wildly in every direction.
Chaos spreads through the empty darkness.