Chapter 171: Chapter 171: The Arrogant Descendant
Smoke still covered the battlefield. Lightning crackled among the ruins, the golden wall was shattered, and the city burned beneath a rain of dust and fire.
A figure emerged from the mist, walking with heavy steps.
Jax’s armor was broken in several places—his chest cracked, his shoulder plates barely hanging.
His divine aura, though faint, was still alive... burning with a ferocious intensity.
In front of him, floating calmly, the stranger observed him with a superior smile.
"Well..." he said arrogantly. "I’m surprised you survived that."
"You’re a fine descendant... just far too arrogant."
His gaze hardened, his tone turning almost paternal.
"I should crush you for your own good... for believing you could stand against me. You’re too naïve."
The air grew heavier. The ground trembled beneath the weight of his intent.
The foreigner raised his katana and took a flawless thrusting stance.
His voice thundered like a divine decree:
"World-Destroying Thrust!"
The moment the attack was uttered, time itself seemed to shatter.
Jax felt his entire body scream in terror, his divine instinct roaring within his chest like an ancient alarm.
He knew that if he took that hit, there would be nothing left of him—not even his soul.
"No..." he muttered through clenched teeth. "I won’t just stand here."
His left eye glowed crimson.
The air distorted.
The sky changed.
"Dream Realm."
A white mist spread around them. Ethereal clouds descended from the heavens, wrapping the stranger in a living curtain.
The visitor’s power began to drain slowly, absorbed by Jax’s illusory domain.
The foreigner frowned.
"A mind trick?" he sneered. "Pathetic."
His body tensed. Then, he unleashed his power without restraint.
Space curved.
A torrent of light poured down from the heavens—so dense it tore through the air itself, obliterating everything in its path.
The attack was so colossal that even creatures from the underworld—demon kings drawn by the power—were instantly annihilated, their flesh and bones disintegrated by the sheer pressure.
The beam surged straight toward Jax.
The god smiled.
"Now I understand your power... Let’s see who survives who."
He raised his hand.
One of the massive golden statues surrounding him came to life, its golden surface trembling as if answering his call.
The statue hurled itself forward, cloaked in divine fire.
The impact was brutal.
A blinding explosion swallowed the field, the air roaring as if the heavens themselves had collapsed.
The beam disintegrated.
Thunder’s echo was lost amid the chaos.
The stranger staggered back, shielding his eyes from the blinding light.
When the glow faded, what he saw left him speechless.
Jax was still standing.
The beam’s trace had vanished.
And the statue—sacrificed to protect him—was crumbling slowly, turning into golden dust.
The visitor clenched his jaw.
His breathing quickened.
He stared at Jax, who advanced step by step, surrounded by an aura that fused divinity and darkness.
"It can’t be..." whispered the foreigner, voice trembling. "How could you possibly withstand my attack?"
Jax lifted his gaze, his eyes gleaming with terrifying calm.
"You were wrong about me," he said coldly. "I’m not your descendant."
The sky darkened again, as if the entire world responded to his words.
"I’m the one who came... to end your bloodline."
The clouds swirled above them, and the ground cracked open all the way to the horizon.
The foreigner gritted his teeth, his katana trembling with pure energy.
Jax, however, kept advancing.
A golden flash cut through the air.
The stranger struck first—launching a flurry of lightning-fast slashes, so sharp they were nearly invisible.
Space bent with each motion.
But Jax was no longer there.
"What—?" the foreigner gasped.
A golden shadow appeared behind him.
Jax’s fist, wrapped in blazing light, struck his ribs.
The impact roared like thunder.
The visitor’s body was hurled into the ground, leaving a kilometer-wide fissure.
Dust rose. The air quaked.
Jax descended silently, eyes fixed on the crater.
"Did that hurt?" he murmured with a cold smile.
The stranger burst from the debris, blood staining his face.
He raised his katana once more.
"Don’t you dare...!" he roared, unleashing a sphere of energy that exploded in the sky, spawning hundreds of divine projectiles.
Jax dashed through them, moving at impossible speed.
His fists flashed again and again, shattering the orbs with precise blows.
Each impact echoed like thunder across the field.
The foreigner stumbled back, face twisted in fury.
"Damn insolent brat!"
With a scream, he released a massive slash—a wave of pure power that tore across the battlefield.
It was an attack capable of erasing a city.
Jax raised his hand.
A golden statue broke away from his protective circle and stepped forward.
The divine figure lifted a shield and took the blow head-on.
The clash was devastating.
The statue shattered into a thousand pieces—but the attack was stopped.
The foreigner frowned, disbelief written on his face.
"You sacrifice your own creations?"
"They are my faith," Jax replied, advancing. "And my faith protects what I swear to defend."
He leapt forward.
His fist struck the enemy’s chin, sending him soaring upward.
Jax didn’t stop. He spun mid-air, following him, each punch wrapped in golden fire.
The visitor screamed in rage, releasing a blast that pushed him away.
Barely regaining his balance, he spread his arms and roared:
"Infinite Distortion Slash!"
Hundreds of energy lines descended from the heavens, crossing one another like living blades.
Jax reacted instantly.
Another statue stepped forward.
Then another.
And another.
Each one intercepted a fragment of the attack, absorbing the power before exploding into bursts of golden light that illuminated the sky.
One by one, the statues fell—destroyed—but Jax kept moving, dodging between rays, striking whenever he could.
Ten statues had already fallen.
The ground was covered in golden fragments and divine ash.
The foreigner gasped, his breathing ragged.
His body trembled. The energy around him began to fade.
"N-no... impossible..." he stammered, stumbling back. "How...? How could a mere descendant...?"
Jax appeared in front of him.
His fist stopped the katana mid-swing, making it vibrate violently.
His eyes blazed with overwhelming intensity.
"I already told you," he said darkly.
"I’m not your descendant."
The stranger stared in horror.
Before he could react, Jax struck his chest.
The blow sent him flying through the mountains.
Entire ranges crumbled under the force of the impact.
Jax hovered in the air, watching as the foreigner’s body sank among the ruins—his divine energy fading like a fire starved of air.
His breathing was deep, steady... but his eyes burned with fury.
"That was for every one of mine you killed," he muttered.
"And I’m not done with you yet."
The wind swept the dust away, revealing the stranger in the distance, struggling to rise.
His sword was broken.
His body covered in cracks.
The battle... had only just begun.