Ch 817 - A Mighty Battle

"I'm looking forward to fighting you," the black-clothed man said.

Alex was bemused. He had no idea where the man in black had come from or how he knew him.

He tried to use his power-enhanced senses to see through the black cloth, but he discovered that his power had no effect on the newcomer.

Thanks to the lightning tribulation, he had completely established himself at the golden core level, but if the man was at a higher level, or maybe even a true immortal, then Alex knew that he had no chance of winning.

He really wanted to know who this man was. He took a step back but didn't relax. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the mysterious, black-clothed man.

With his improved martial arts skills and power, he wasn't afraid of people like Linden, but this man was different. He knew he couldn't allow the man to find any hint of weakness, or he would be finished.

The man wasn't particularly big, but he was clearly incredibly strong. Alex had used all his strength to attack Linden, and his blade had been far from ordinary, but the other man had stopped it with his bare hands.

Everybody, including Alex, had been shocked to see that.

Alex furrowed his brow as he contemplated the possibilities.

The mysterious man spoke again. "It seems you really desire power."

Alex's frown deepened.

The man was surrounded by a faint blue light and didn't appear to be an ordinary warrior, so Alex knew that he must have a powerful background. He also realized that the man probably had some connection to Linden, or there would have been no reason for him to grab the blade like he had. The golden dragon sword was the most powerful artifact in the immortal world. Any ordinary person who got close to it would be turned into ashes. And any immortal, other than the sword master himself, would feel their energy being sucked away.

"Let me ask you one more time," Alex said, not liking the thought of the man being powerful enough to stop his sword. "Who are you exactly? We don't know each other, so there's no need for you to get involved here."

He was suspicious of how calm the man was, and he was worried that he was plotting something. It was a disquieting thought.

"If you aren't willing to make the first move, then I will," the man said.

Alex decided it was better for him to attack first. The genuine essence in his body felt like a river flowing through him. He focused, and then the power surged out of him, sending terrifying energy waves sweeping through the air, creating a river strong enough to kill ordinary golden core warriors. He was determined to test the black-robed man's abilities.

He waved both arms, and the vast river shot forward like a tsunami.

His opponent's eyes were as hard as steel with not even a flicker of movement as he called out, "Freeze."

The river surged and stopped several yards away from the black-clothed man as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

Alex couldn't move it forward any further. Then the man waved his arm, and the river turned into rain, which fell harmlessly on the ground.

"Not bad," Alex said, squinting at him. The man in black was clearly not an ordinary opponent, and he knew it was possible that Linden would know some high-level practitioners. Alex had to fight the newcomer, as he knew it would be the only way he would get the chance to kill Linden.

But before he attacked, he said to the man, "I have no issues with you, so why are you stopping me?"

The man remained silent, refusing to answer.

Alex sighed as he realized he would have to defeat him before he would reveal his identity. His expression turned serious as he used his genuine essence to create something new. A circular energy shot out from his hand and filled the entire space, bringing with it waves of swirling storms that caused the man's clothes to flutter.

Then he faced the sky and roared, lifting his hand and summoning a golden sword as flames erupted from his body.

These flames made the sword even more powerful than before and could instantly kill someone at the golden core stage. His opponent's strength was unbelievable. Alex knew that he only had one chance, and that if he blew it, he would have to rely on only his martial arts skills.

He waved the sword, and the intense flames turned the sky into a sea of fire. The severely injured Linden looked surprised, thinking that Alex was truly terrifying.

Even he didn't know the identity of the black-clothed man, so he wondered why he was defending him. With the man's entire body covered, all that would be seen were his eyes, which made it impossible for anyone to see who he was.

Has someone from my family sent him to assist me? he thought. Then he realized that he knew almost all the most powerful members of his family, and he knew he had never seen this man before. He was puzzled, but he wasn't about to interrupt the fight to ask.

The man raised his head and looked at the sea of fire that surged through the sky. Alex stood in the center with every part of his body surrounded by flames.

The man in black didn't move. He simply waved his hand, and his own tremendously powerful essence flowed out and blanketed the area for a hundred miles in every direction.

Alex grew nervous, as he realized that such a display of power meant that the man must be a true immortal, which meant he was at a level far beyond his comprehension.

He wondered how someone of that stature had become his enemy.