Kenric and Lara, being the closest to Adrian and Marivelle, were the first to notice the sudden shift in the situation.
Lara's expression remained unchanged, her blade steady in her grip. She already knew Adrian's strength. Kenric, however, froze for a brief moment, shock flashing across his expression.
That single lapse in concentration was all Lara needed. She surged forward, her compressed domain flaring around her as she closed the distance in an instant. Her blade became liquid mid-swing, the edge rippling as she thrust toward his waist. Kenric's defensive technique collapsed under the sudden assault, and due to his concentration being elsewhere. The liquid sword cut cleanly through his robes and tore into flesh.
Kenric cried out, blood spraying from the wound as he stumbled backward through the air.
"You—!"
He regained his composure almost instantly, his divine essence erupting around him in a defensive shell. He retreated as far from Lara as possible, forcing distance between them whilst clutching his side. Blood seeped between his fingers as it evaporated in the chaotic surroundings. His face twisted with pain and fury.
The remaining two elders of the Everlasting Pill Sect sensed the situation as well.
Rhezan stood frozen near the city's collapsed entrance, his eyes wide with disbelief. His voice trembled as he spoke, barely above a whisper, "How is this even possible?"
He stared at the white-grey domain engulfing Marivelle, at the calm figure standing at its center. "Why is a being like that accompanying such a worthless sect?"
Velkor's expression darkened, "It doesn't matter anymore. We need to retreat. We stand no chance against someone as strong as the sect leader."
Rhezan's gaze snapped toward him, anger flashing across his features, "But Marivelle is trapped there! If we leave now, she will die."
Velkor shook his head, "Do you think we can save her?"
He moved closer, lowering his voice so the nearby disciples wouldn't hear.
"Charging in will only get us killed. And the Crimson Vital Sect having this kind of backing means our entire sect is in danger. We need to report this back to the sect immediately."
Rhezan clenched his fists, his divine essence flaring involuntarily around him. He was not someone who abandoned allies, no matter the odds.
Meanwhile, Kenric hovered in the sky several hundred metres away, two hands pressed against his bleeding side, whilst another hand gripped his sword. He watched Adrian through the chaotic energy storms, his expression a mixture of pain and calculation. He understood just as clearly that there was no chance of victory here.
Survival came first.
He glanced at Marivelle, trapped within that terrible white-grey domain. Regret flashed through his eyes. She was one of their strongest elders, a pillar of the sect's power. Losing someone of her caliber was a devastating blow. But there was nothing he could do.
With a final, hateful glare toward Lara, who still hovered calmly in the air, Kenric turned and fled toward the city entrance. His divine essence propelled him forward in desperate bursts, leaving a trail of blood that kept evaporating in the air behind him.
Lara watched him retreat. It was a perfect opportunity to pursue him and end his life. He was injured, and his mind was not in a stable state. She could catch him if she chased him. But she chose not to.
Chasing him through this chaotic environment was risky. The energy storms could interfere with her techniques, and she had no way of knowing what traps or formations the Everlasting Pill Sect might have established throughout the ruined city. Their true objective remained the Core-Reforging Lotus. Now that they knew its location, unnecessary risks could not be justified.
Once their sect leader was healed, they could deal with Kenric later.
She lowered her blade and turned her attention back to Adrian's domain.
As Kenric rushed toward the entrance, he saw Rhezan suddenly break away from Velkor and fly toward Adrian and Marivelle.
Kenric understood Rhezan's intentions immediately. He was going to try to save Marivelle. But this was nothing more than a suicidal act.
"Rhezan, you fool!"
Kenric changed direction mid-flight, ignoring the burning pain in his side as he intercepted Rhezan. He grabbed the other elder by the shoulder, his grip like iron, and forcibly dragged him back toward the city entrance.
Rhezan struggled violently, his divine essence flaring against Kenric's grip.
"Let me go! I can't just—"
"You fool!"
Kenric's voice cracked with pain and fury as he tightened his hold, pulling Rhezan further away.
"Stop letting your emotions decide everything! Come with me!"
He could feel his wound tearing wider with the exertion, blood soaking through his robes. But he didn't let go. He couldn't let Rhezan throw his life away for nothing.
Even with his injury, Kenric continued dragging Rhezan whilst shouting orders to the disciples scattered throughout the ruins. "Everyone retreat! Return to the sect immediately! If we stay here any longer, we will all die!"
The Everlasting Pill Sect's forces scattered in desperation. Disciples abandoned their positions without hesitation, their forms vanishing into the energy storms as they fled. Velkor followed close behind, his expression dark with shame.
Within seconds, the city ruins stood empty save for Adrian's group.
Marivelle watched it all unfold from within the white-grey domain. She saw Kenric drag Rhezan away. Saw Velkor disappear into the storms without a backward glance. Saw the disciples abandon her and flee like scattered insects.
A bitter sense of betrayal rose within her chest, yet she could not deny the truth. Had Kenric or the others been in her place, most likely she would have made the same choice. This was the only logical conclusion even she would reach.
Her hands trembled at her sides as she forced herself to accept it. Her gaze returned to Adrian.
Marivelle knew that escape was impossible. She was fully within his domain. Even if she attempted to use a movement authority technique, Adrian would negate it instantly. His surplus authority gave him much higher control over reality.
And even if, by some miracle, she managed to slip beyond the domain's radius, it wasn't as though this person would simply stand there and allow her to leave. She had nowhere to run.
She activated her spatial ring, and a spear materialized in her hand. Pointing it directly at Adrian, she declared, "You are strong enough to kill me. But don't think it will be easy."
Her willforce surged violently as she spoke, pressing against the confines of his domain. The air between them thickened with her intent. If she was going to die, she would not go down that easily. At the same instant, an unfamiliar emotion welled up in her chest. She did not care about the other sect members, but Rhezan had still tried to save her despite everything. Even if not for herself, she decided to buy him some time to escape.
Adrian observed all of this silently. He watched Rhezan charge forward despite knowing the odds, and now Marivelle was standing her ground, fully aware of her fate.
As Marivelle stood before him and spoke, he sensed something intangible emanating from her. For a brief moment, Adrian felt as though he was reading her thoughts. She was not fighting for herself. She knew she would die. She was fighting to give Rhezan a chance to live.
The sensation was strange, foreign. Not words, but impressions, sharp and vivid, layered beneath her expression and stance. The intangible energy from her carried something more than raw pressure. It carried meaning.
Adrian did not fully understand how he could perceive this. He could only guess that it was related to will, something deeply connected to willforce, that he had yet to fully explore.
Before he could dwell on it further, Marivelle attacked.
She moved with terrifying speed within the narrow space between them, her motion creating three afterimages that struck simultaneously from different angles. The spear became a blur, each phantom trajectory aimed at different points.
Adrian was instantly surrounded by attacks. His Source Blade materialized in his hand, and he extended it to intercept one of the strikes. The afterimages didn't fool him. He could clearly sense essence, authority, and life force from only one of the attackers, making it obvious which Marivelle was real.
His blade blocked the spear successfully. The impact rang out sharp and clear, metal shrieking against condensed Source essence.
But at that same instant, pain exploded through his shoulder.
Adrian saw two other strikes land on him, attacks he had dismissed as mere afterimages. The spear tips tore through his robes and bit deep into flesh, one piercing his shoulder whilst the other grazed his ribs. Blood welled against his skin as it evaporated.
How was this possible?
He was not slow, and he had clearly sensed which Marivelle was real. Yet now, all three attackers had struck him as if they were tangible beings.
He forced himself backward immediately, creating space while ensuring Marivelle remained within the thirty-metre radius of his Source domain. His wounds burned, though they were shallow, more shock than true damage. As he distanced himself, Adrian saw the two additional figures vanish, leaving only the single Marivelle he had originally identified as real.
She lunged at him again without hesitation. Her spear thrust forward in a straight line this time.
Adrian's eyes sharpened with realization, "So this is an advanced offensive authority technique."
He had mastered countless arcane concepts, even time at the basic galactic level. Maybe with time manipulation, he could do something similar to this. But with just speed, or any other concepts he had, he couldn't make the mere illusions of afterimages into something real. They could never strike, never harm, never become real.
Adrian could clearly see there was no arcane concept at work here. Not even the rules of the time concept were used. What Marivelle had done was entirely different. She had turned afterimages into reality itself.
This could only be achieved through authority. This was an offensive authority technique!
His pulse quickened from anticipation. The chance to witness and comprehend an offensive authority technique of Rule Stage combat spread before him like an open text.
This time, Adrian cleared his mind completely of any stray thoughts. He focused solely on the oncoming Marivelle, shutting out everything else. His Source Eyes were activated, prepared to reveal the truth behind this technique.