Pseudo-Intent Awakening

The bastard had definitely promised he wouldn't use his Pseudo-Intent, but in the end, they shouldn't have expected him to keep his word. Still, they were all taken aback by Noah's terrifying strength after his advancement.

Noah himself remained unfazed, his expression betraying no hint of emotion as the fireball raced towards him. Yet, his eyes gleamed brighter, his Soul Essence working in tandem with his Silver Dragon Eyes, pinpointing a weakness in the attack. And indeed, he found one.

Crouching slightly, Noah assumed a stance, causing the audience to gasp in shockas they realized the Half-dragon was going to challenge a Pseudo-Intent-powered attack head-on.

"Noah, you hard-headed idiot! We need to get the hell out of here!" Leonel shouted in frustration, attempting to reach his friend, only to be blown back by Noah's Gravity Will battle art.

Ignoring the outcry, Noah gathered a storm of Essence onto his blade, swirling in a vortex that continually built up, compressing over and over. The intense surges of Essence tearing through his Essence Veins threatened to collapse them, yet his body endured. He thrust his sword forward. "Violent Storm Sword: Drill Thrust."

The attack seemed to vanish, half of his sword disappearing before abruptly reappearing inside the fireball, erupting with destructive power. The concentrated Essence destabilized the fireball, causing it to dissipate, yet the threat was not completely gone.

The remnants of crimson energy continued forward, radiating a strong sense of destruction like that of Alyssa's might colored blade. This was Arnold's Pseudo-Intent, now revealed in its purest form. And for the first time, Noah found himself able to observe such raw, unfiltered power.

In that moment, a fleeting thought crossed his mind—the strange milk-white mist that now lingered around his Soul Core. Could it be? After destroying the Devilsoul master, had the Soul Essence he absorbed awakened his own Pseudo-Intent earlier than it should have? It seemed he had never had full control over it, only able to unleash it in fits of extreme emotion like his earlier bursts of anger. "So that's it…"

Noah raised his hand, swiping it downward, utilizing his Essence to manifest the mist from his mind. Bolstered by his Soul Essence, the mist spread out, smashing into the incoming crimson energy.

The crowd watched in stunned silence as Noah, a mere 1st Level Adept Stage Battlesoul master, successfully manifested his Pseudo-Intent and effortlessly thwarted Arnold's attack. 'Interesting,' Noah mused, his apathetic eyes observing the most around him. 'It seems my Pseudo-Intent shares some similarity with Alyssa's, but there's more to it.'

His eyes then shifted to Arnold, whose shock was palpable. The proud genius of the Nolan House looked utterly confounded. "Come on," Noah called, his tone cool and dismissive. "Continue. I'd like to test something."

Arnold's fury spiked. He, a prestigious genius, was being treated as a mere training dummy?! His aura flared, blazing as his power surged into the 8th Level of the Adept Stage. Without hesitation, he charged at Noah, unleashing a barrage of Pseudo-Intent-fueled attacks.

But Noah's movements seemed preordained, as though the entire battlefield existed in the recesses of his mind. He dodged the deadliest blows with ease, all the while testing the limits of his own white Pseudo-Intent, now coating his blade.

From their clashes, Noah confirmed several things. First, his Pseudo-Intent enhanced the sharpness of all his attacks—even his punches felt like blades slicing through the air. Second, it possessed a corrosive quality, similar to that of Arnold and Alyssa's Pseudo-Intents. And lastly, it amplified his control over Essence and elements, stacking with the precision granted by his Soul Essence.

He wanted more time to delve into these newfound abilities, but it seemed time was not on his side. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Arnold's teammates growing impatient, their readiness to join the battle clear. Meanwhile, Arnold himself had descended into madness, recklessly willing to accept multiple injuries just to land a hit on Noah.

Though Noah considered activating his Limit Breaker, he knew he couldn't. The Martial arts worked by taking him all the way to the peak of the realm he found himself in, which was the peak of the Adept Stage. The strain of reaching that level would simply kill him—his body was already on the verge of collapse from the massive Essence consumption driven by his Pseudo-Intent.

With a resigned sigh, Noah executed Draconic Flicker, appearing directly in front of Arnold just as the latter struck a Mirage clone and was doused with another wave of Spatial Poisoning. In one fluid motion, Noah slammed his palm downward, incorporating Gravity Will into the Dragon Slam. Arnold was pinned to the ground, unable to resist, as a spatial blade materialized and severed his right arm with the enhanced sharpness and corrosion of Noah's Pseudo-Intent.

Arnold's scream pierced the air, but Noah was unmoved. Without hesitation, he kicked Arnold's body, shattering the stage beneath them, before delivering another brutal kick that sent the defeated genius flying off the platform like a ragdoll.

In an instant, Noah appeared before Arnold's remaining teammates. The three flinched as he unleashed his Dual Circulation Art: Whirlwind Blade, forcing them to defend against his Pseudo-Intent-powered assault.

Despite their combined efforts, they were overwhelmed, barely managing to hold on by using their own Pseudo-Intents. Only then did they grasp Noah's true power. Had Noah taken the fight seriously from the start, Arnold would've stood no chance. The defeated genius had also realized the harsh truth—he had been nothing more than a practice dummy for Noah all along.

But it was too late. A powerful force suddenly took hold of their bodies, flinging them off the platform. Before they disappeared, a silver light enveloped them, teleporting them away to safety.

With a heavy sigh, Noah sheathed his sword and retrieved his token. His body, utterly drained, collapsed onto the ground, his eyes closing in exhaustion. But he had managed to activate the token just in time, vanishing from the arena.

The audience remained in stunned silence, still reeling from the display of overwhelming strength from the monster who had just been teleported away.