Shocked. Stunned.

The two elders of the Tengu Clan froze in place.

For a moment, they even suspected that their eyes were playing tricks on them.

Ethan calmly felt the power transmitted from Zeph's fist. The violent force surged like a raging torrent, yet it was dispersed the instant it entered his arm—smoothly, cleanly, without resistance.

Not only that.

He still had energy to spare.

"The Tengu Clan…" Ethan spoke lightly, his voice flat and indifferent.

"…is nothing more than that."

The irony in those words was sharp enough to cut flesh.

Zeph's pupils shrank violently.

"How—how is that possible?!"

"How can you, a mere human, block my punch head-on?!"

Disbelief filled his face. His voice cracked, no longer as composed as before.

This was not blocking through techniques.

Not deflecting with skill.

It was pure, brutal resistance.

Even worse—

Ethan's fist felt like forged divine iron.

Zeph hadn't gained the slightest advantage. Instead, he had fallen into a passive state.

A faint numbness spread through his arm, the aftershock of Ethan's strength still lingering.

"Although the demon race has powerful bodies," Ethan said calmly, "my human race also has cultivators who specialize in physical refinement."

"I just happen to be one of them."

"Your strength means nothing to me."

He paused, then shook his head slowly.

"Honestly… I'm disappointed."

Before Zeph could react, Ethan stepped forward.

Another punch.

No fancy movements.

Just a simple, straightforward strike.

Boom!

Zeph was forced back several steps before he barely stabilized himself.

His expression changed instantly.

"No—there's something wrong!"

He hurriedly flexed the muscles in his arms, demonic energy surging to suppress the strange power that had entered his body.

But it was already too late.

Bang! Bang!

Two muffled explosions sounded from within his right arm.

The residual force Ethan had injected detonated internally.

Zeph staggered backward again, his arm trembling violently. Though no blood spilled and no bones were visibly broken, his entire arm fell limp—temporarily paralyzed and unable to exert strength.

"How can this be?!"

"What kind of technique is this?! Martial art? secret technique?"

Zeph stared at Ethan in confusion, his breathing growing uneven.

"Are you… even human?"

There was no spiritual energy fluctuation.

None at all.

Only pure physical power—

Condensed, violent, and terrifying.

That faint golden light was clearly the unique energy of body cultivators, yet Zeph had never seen such a thing before.

Never.

A human whose physical strength rivaled ancient beasts.

This alone shattered everything Zeph thought he knew.

"Zeph," Ethan said calmly, "it seems your strength doesn't quite match your mouth."

"Since you want to kill me…"

His gaze sharpened.

"…then I won't be polite."

"You can stay here forever."

The moment the words fell, a terrifying change occurred.

A murderous aura burst out of Ethan like a volcano erupting.

It shot straight into the sky.

The clouds above were instantly torn apart. The surrounding mist dispersed violently, pushed away by that overwhelming intent.

The killing aura was so dense it almost condensed into substance—A faint blood-colored haze spreading around Ethan's body.

For a brief moment, the scene resembled the arrival of the murderous tide itself.

Zeph's heart skipped a beat.

"What… is this?!"

The red light surrounding Ethan was cold—

Too cold.

It carried the same oppressive feeling as the murderous tide of the Training Trial Secret Realm.

Only far more concentrated.

Far more controlled.

"How many battles… how much slaughter…"

Zeph swallowed hard.

"How many lives must one take to condense such killing intent?"

A thought flashed through his mind.

"Could it be…"

"…the path of Killing?"

Zeph's expression turned solemn.

As the young patriarch of the Tengu Clan, his knowledge far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.

He had heard of it.

The human path of Killing.

A path that tempered killing intent itself into a weapon— condensing murderous aura into domains, even into worlds.

Once unleashed, it eroded the enemy's spirit and will, suppressing them before the battle even truly began.

"So it's true," Zeph said slowly,

"You're a cultivator of the path of Killing."

"I've long heard that the human race has such monsters."

"Today, I'll see for myself whether this so-called path of Killing is truly as powerful as the rumors claim…"

"…or just exaggerated nonsense."

Despite the shock, Zeph straightened his posture.

Demonic energy surged again.

He refused to retreat.

He was the young patriarch of the Tengu Clan—

The pride of Heavenly Palace.

He would crush Ethan head-on and shatter his confidence completely.

"I don't know whether it's exaggerated," Ethan replied calmly, "but it's more than enough to deal with someone like you."

The murderous aura thickened, turning into crimson steam that wrapped around his body.

Golden arcs around him were dyed red.

His hair fluttered violently in the raging air currents.

Since entering the Training Trial Secret Realm, Ethan had absorbed vast amounts of killing intent from the murderous tide, refining and tempering it day after day.

Now—

It was time to test the results.

Could he, in his current state, defeat the young patriarch of Heavenly Palace with just the One Word Severing Technique?

Zeph was no Lunara.

But among the geniuses of Blue-Wave City, he was already near the peak.

Barely qualified…

…to be Ethan's sparring partner.

"Ethan," Zeph sneered, "your strength is indeed impressive."

"But defeating me is still nothing but a dream."

"The power of the Tengu Clan's bloodline is something you humans can never comprehend!"

As his voice fell, demonic energy exploded outward.

Zeph spread his arms.

His body began to change.

Black, glossy fur burst forth from his skin. Muscles expanded violently. Bones cracked and reshaped.

In the blink of an eye, his human form vanished.

In its place stood a massive wolfdog—three meter tall, powerfully built, every muscle coiled with explosive strength.

┗|｀O′|┛ awoooooo...!

Zeph threw back his head and roared.

Rows of sharp teeth glistened. Two enormous canines gleamed with chilling light.

The roar carried a terrifying sonic force, rippling outward in waves.

This was no ordinary sound.

It was a mental attack.

Elara's face turned pale.

She clutched her head, dizziness crashing over her. Her steps faltered, and she nearly collapsed.

Ethan waved his hand.

A gentle barrier of light enveloped Elara, isolating the sound waves.

The pressure vanished instantly.

Elara steadied herself, breathing heavily.

"Mr. Ethan… thank you," she said softly.

Ethan nodded without turning back.

His gaze remained fixed on the giant Tengu before him.

This—

Was Zeph's true form.

For the demon race, the strongest state was always their original body.

The Tengu was not like an ordinary beast.

Its body was perfectly proportioned. Muscles were dense and powerful. Black fur shone like polished steel.

Brown-green pupils stared straight at Ethan, filled with savage confidence.

Zeph's voice rumbled like thunder.

"Ethan, I've revealed my true form."

A/N:

Extra chapters

100 power stones - 1 Extra chapters

200 power stones - 2 Extra chapters

Massage Chair - 1 Extra chapters

Luxury Car - 2 Extra Chapters

Dragon - 5 Extra Chapters

Magic Castle - 15 Extra Chapters

...

Thanks for the Magic Castle: @Chuckalotapus

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.