The golden sun of the Azure Vault began to dip toward the horizon, painting the floating islands in hues of deep crimson and bruised purple. The air in the central plaza was no longer just thin; it was heavy with the metallic tang of blood and the lingering pressure of Blake's Void-Sovereign Domain. Though the battle at the Restricted Archives had concluded, the resonance of his power still made the stone pillars hum with a fearful frequency.
Blake Harrison walked through the quieted streets of the Inner Sect, his expression remaining completely unconcerned. To any onlooker, he did not appear like a man who had just annihilated the top prodigies of three major factions. He walked with a calm, measured pace, his hand resting lightly on the jade scroll tucked into his belt. With each step he took, the earth beneath his boots seemed to tremble, a rhythmic vibration that echoed in the hearts of the disciples hiding behind ornate doorways and jade screens.
"Not only is he not dead, but his strength has become so terrifying that even the peak 7th-layer experts were killed like melons and vegetables," a voice whispered from the shadows of a nearby tea house. "I wonder what kind of monster he has truly become!"
Blake ignored the murmurs. His gaze was fixed on the horizon, toward the three highest peaks of the Academy—the locations where the "Hidden Ancestors" of the Shadow-White, Arcade Drake, and Numen Star sects resided. He knew that by killing Guar and the other prodigies, he had not just broken the rules; he had shattered the very foundation of their pride.
Suddenly, the sky darkened. It wasn't the setting sun, but an overwhelming aura of power that erupted from the northern peak. This aura was infused with the cold, ghostly intent of the 8th Layer—the Soul Transformation Realm.
"Blake Harrison! You have stained the history of this Academy with the blood of its future!"
The voice arrived in an instant, carrying a power that was beyond description. The next moment, everyone present heard a terrifying, resounding tremor as a figure descended from the sky. He landed in the center of the path, thirty feet ahead of Blake.
This was Ancestor Mo of the Shadow-White Sect. He was an ancient figure, his hair as white as frost, but his body radiated a terrifying ghostly aura. Countless ghostly figures appeared in the void around him, their vengeful spirits frantically devouring the surrounding light as they fixed their sightless eyes on Blake's location.
Ancestor Mo looked at Blake with a sarcastic expression, his pupils flashing with a cold light. "A 2nd-layer stray who has found a shortcut through the dark... you should consider yourself honored to die by my hand!"
Faced with the terrifying pressure of an 8th-layer master, Blake seemed completely unconcerned. He stopped walking and adjusted the wrap on the handle of Silence.
"You talk a lot for a man whose sect is running out of heirs," Blake said, his voice as calm as the mountain air.
Ancestor Mo's face turned ashen with rage. He suddenly stepped towards Blake, his movements so fast they were unbelievable. He joined forces with the vengeful spirits in the void to unleash an attack. His strike was an extremely terrifying ghost claw, the destructive power of which was meant to shred Blake's body and soul simultaneously.
The ghost claw arrived in front of Blake's body in a short time. The vengeful spirits merged with the claw, completely enveloping Blake's body and giving him no chance to dodge.
Many eyes from the surrounding buildings were fixed on this location, their hearts still reeling from the shock. They wanted to know how a 2nd-layer warrior would face off against a True Master of the Soul Transformation Realm.
"You should have stayed in the Iron-Gate," Ancestor Mo hissed.
However, Jack—no, Blake—remained calmly standing in place. Just as the ghost claw was about to land, he unleashed a punch.
The power contained in this punch was indescribable. It was not just physical strength; it was the manifestation of his Martial Intent refined to a terrifying peak. The next moment, the crowd heard a terrifying rumbling sound as the punch collided with the ghost claw.
Under Blake's fist strike, the destructive power spread through the void. The ghost claw and the vengeful spirits were shattered and destroyed in a short time, turning into nothingness as if they had never existed.
Ancestor Mo let out a scream, his body blasted away. He coughed up mouthfuls of blood as he landed, his face turning ashen. His 8th-layer cultivation, which was supposed to be unfathomable, had been completely bypassed by the destructive power contained in Blake's punch.
"How terrifying! Even Ancestor Mo was suppressed with a single strike!" the crowd involuntarily uttered a sound of disbelief.
Blake continued to step forward, each step causing the earth to tremble and Ancestor Mo's heart to vibrate with fear. He remained completely calm, as if it were all to be as it should be.
"Did you really think that three years of meditation on a mountaintop would make you my equal?" Blake asked with a hint of mockery.
"Buzz, buzz, buzz..."
Before Ancestor Mo could respond, two more figures descended upon the scene. One was a tall, muscular man holding a huge bronze hammer that shimmered with a reddish luster—Ancestor Gan of the Arcade Drake Sect. The other was a woman with a silver longsword that flashed with a cold light—Ancestress Ling of the Numen Star Sect.
Both were 8th-layer masters. Their auras erupted, converging in the void, and together they pressed down on Blake's body. The pressure generated by the three 8th-layer masters releasing their auras together was so strong that the marble tiles of the plaza began to crack and disintegrate into dust.
Blake, however, remained unconcerned. His expression remained unchanged, and an overwhelming aura of power erupted from his body. This aura was infused with his mid-stage Soul Realm intent, which he had begun to digest from the jade scroll. When it was released, everything in this space seemed to freeze.
The auras released by the three Ancestors were all frozen in the void, unable to descend upon Blake's body. This caused the three powerful figures to freeze in shock. They hadn't expected that even when joining forces to exert pressure, they still couldn't achieve their goal.
"His strength... it far exceeds the reports!" Ancestress Ling shouted, her face full of apprehension. "We must attack together and stop him before he reaches the main temple!"
Ancestor Gan roared, his bronze hammer flashing as he slammed it down towards Blake's body. The void trembled violently, and terrifying hammer shadows rained down from all directions, each containing an extremely powerful physical attribute.
Simultaneously, Ancestress Ling slashed her silver longsword, a beam of light aimed directly at Blake's throat. The sword light was not only extremely fast but also incredibly powerful.
Blake remained unconcerned. Just as the attacks were about to land, he had a sudden thought.
An astonishing domain power erupted from his body. The "Void-Sovereign Domain" instantly expanded, enveloping the three Ancestors. Sensing the terrifying power of Blake's domain, their attacks were completely swallowed up.
A terrifying cold light suddenly flashed within the domain. The speed was so fast that even the 8th-layer masters could not react.
The next moment, they heard a scream. Ancestor Gan's bronze hammer was shattered into pieces of scrap metal, and an arm flew out from the mist. Ancestress Ling staggered backward, her other hand clutching a deep bloody gash across her throat.
Ancestor Mo, who had just regained his footing, looked at Blake with a gaze filled with endless resentment and despair. "Why... why did you act so quickly?"
Blake didn't answer. He simply looked at the three of them with a sarcastic smile.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
The three peak-level experts of the 8th Layer fell straight down, their bodies completely enveloped by the destructive power. Death energy permeated their bodies, gradually stripping away their life until they became corpses.
The space returned to calm. The ground was littered with the remnants of the silver sword and the bronze hammer. The air was thick with the stench of blood.
Everyone present was reeling from the shock. They never dreamed that the young man who once struggled in the entry trials would return and casually kill three Ancestors of the Academy as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.
Blake ignored the piles of flesh and directly helped himself to walk toward the outer edge of the plaza. Many people's eyes were fixed on his back, their hearts still trembling.
"Jack—no, Blake Harrison... he has killed the Ancestors," a student whispered in a trembling voice. "The three top forces are gone. He has annihilated the leadership of the Vault!"
After Blake left, the news spread so quickly it was astonishing. In less than half an hour, every corner of the Autarch Academy was in an uproar. His sensational actions continued to reverberate, and many people realized that the era of the three sects was over.
However, Blake did not stop. He knew that the Academy was just one part of the world. He led his path toward the main gate, each step causing the earth to tremble. His expression remained unchanged. Even after killing the most powerful figures in the region, he remained completely calm, as if it were all exactly as it should be.
"What's next?" Malachi asked, appearing beside him as they reached the Great Ascent. "You've killed the masters. You've stolen the manual. The entire continent will be hunting you now."
Blake looked at the horizon, his pupils flashing with a cold light and a hint of disdain.
"They can try," Blake said, his voice echoing in the hearts of those who survived. "But they should consider themselves honored if they even see the flash of my blade before they die."
He continued to step forward, the golden light of the setting sun casting a long shadow behind him. The "Great Warrior" had returned, and the world was beginning to understand that his return was not a homecoming—it was a reckoning.
His sensational actions in the Azure Vault were only the beginning. As Blake Harrison walked out of the Academy gates, the entire continent felt a shiver of apprehension. A new power had risen, and its strength was beyond description, arrival in an instant, and ready to destroy everything in its path.