Chapter 43: What Is Wrong With This Aura?
The Shadow Claw Bear felt it, too. Its feral eyes flickered with a rare glimmer of hesitation, and it took a step back as the forest grew silent. His gaze met the beast's—calm, steady, and filled with a power that did not waver.
He raised his sword, channeling his Spiritual Qi with unwavering focus. The Sword responded instantly, humming with power as a fierce, dark color aura surged forth from his sword, swirling around it like a living shadow.
The black aura intensified, crackling with latent energy, casting an ominous glow that danced along the edges of the sword.
It pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat, raw and terrifying, filling the air with a sense of dread that seemed to make the very ground tremble beneath him.
Reon stared, stunned, at the dark Sword Aura radiating from him. In all his knowledge of the novel, he had never encountered a mention of such a color.
In the world of Weapon Cultivation, the radiance one displayed during awakening was a declaration of power and potential, each color ranking from weakest to strongest: Silver, Yellow, Sky Blue, Green, Orange, Red, Violet, Purple, and finally, the revered Golden.
This sequence determined strength and potential, with each hue signifying a step closer to mastery and legend.
Although Sword Aura was only the first step on the Path of Sword Cultivation, it laid the foundation upon which future strength would be built.
The stronger one's Sword Aura at awakening, the greater their potential to progress, unlocking even more powerful forms as they ascended.
A weak aura meant limited prospects; one who awakened with Silver, for instance, would struggle to advance beyond the basics, unable to wield more profound manifestations of the sword's essence.
In the novel, the protagonist Yang Lie had awakened the legendary Golden Sword Aura, marking him as only the third in the Supreme Dao Sect's history to wield such immense potential.
But this—this dark aura radiating from Reon—was something else entirely.
As Reon sifted through his memories, he found no mention of this color. Though the novel had hinted at many unique auras within the two hundred chapters he'd read, none described anything close to this dark hue.
If such an aura existed beyond what he knew, its significance was unknown, veiled in mystery.
Did this aura surpass the legendary Golden rank, or was it lower, even weaker than Silver? For all he knew, it might as well be a curse. And yet, if it even matched the strength of Sky Blue, he would be grateful.
A cold certainty gripped him: if his aura had truly dyed the skies with this dark color, every powerful creature in the forest would soon be drawn to him, compelled by the scent of an unranked, unknown aura.
To them, devouring a cultivator with such a rare awakening could mean an extraordinary leap in power.
"Did the clouds really darken when I awakened?" he wondered, casting a wary glance at the forest canopy above. His heart pounded with urgency; he couldn't linger here.
Whatever his power was, it needed to end this fight swiftly. If he stayed, he risked drawing a legion of beasts, all seeking the strength of his strange, uncharted power.
As Reon unleashed his Sword Aura to its full potential, he locked eyes with the Shadow Claw Bear, his gaze cold and unyielding, fueled by anger for the beast that had toyed with them so mercilessly.
Dark flames now radiated from his sword, fierce and sharp, crackling with an intensity that felt as though it could slice through anything.
The bear, massive and powerful, began to tremble, instinctively sensing the deadly aura that poured from Reon.
While its monstrous strength made it a formidable opponent to avarage Inner Sect disciples, it was still among the weakest of the Demonic Soldier Beasts.
Its brutish power was unmatched, but it lacked the ability to wield elemental forces—an edge Reon would exploit fully.
In one smooth, almost dismissive motion, Reon swung his sword, as if swatting away a mere insect.
The dark aura from his sword surged forward with terrifying force, the Qi erupting in a dark wave that sliced through the bear's thick hide as though it were butter.
With a sickening whoosh, the bear's massive arm was severed cleanly from its shoulder.
Booooom!
As the colossal limb fell, the ground quaked beneath its weight, trees splintering and toppling like matchsticks for miles.
It was a sight to behold—this creature, an embodiment of raw strength, rendered helpless by Reon's relentless sword.
The beast, so formidable moments before, had not even registered the loss of its limb until the pain finally hit.
Its roar of agony echoed through the forest, a furious cry that shook the very air. Reon's lips curled into a cold smile as he took another step forward.
He swung his sword once more, and another limb fell to the ground with a resounding crash.
Booooom!
This time, the trees on the opposite side of the bear fell in a similar wave, the destruction carving a path for miles.
Blood gushed from the bear's shoulders, spilling in torrents that drenched the ground—and Reon—in a rain of red. His clothes were soaked, stained in the blood of his enemy, a chilling testament to the power that had awakened within him.
Reon's gaze remained fixed on the beast, unflinching.