Bruce's fist, wreathed in annihilating lightning, expanded rapidly in Raine's vision!
"Obsidian Golem Body!"
Raine roared inwardly.
The dark-gold sigils across his skin flared to their absolute peak, as though a layer of heavy, dark-gold armor had been draped over his body. At the same time, he crossed both arms and braced himself head-on for Bruce's thunderous punch!
BOOM—!!!
It was as if two iron mountains had collided!
An ear-splitting clang of metal rang out across the heavens.
Raine—along with the massive body of the Infernal Griffin—was blasted backward!
It felt as though a mountain had slammed into him head-on. His internal organs shifted violently, and his breastbone cracked under the unbearable strain!
PFF—!
A huge mouthful of blood, mixed with fragments of shattered organs, sprayed from his lips!
As he fell, Raine stared with extreme wariness at the figure in the sky growing ever more distant.
If he hadn't temporarily broken through to Master Rank 9, and if not for the formidable defense of his two-star Obsidian Golem Body, that single punch would have reduced him to dust on the spot!
Even so, he was sent flying several kilometers before smashing heavily into a cliff face, his entire body embedded more than three meters deep—completely immobilized!
"An ant is still an ant in the end."
Bruce hovered in midair, disdain flashing through his eyes.
He hadn't even used his full strength in that punch, yet it was still something no Master relying on a forbidden technique could possibly endure. The fact that Raine hadn't died instantly surprised him slightly.
But that was as far as it went.
Bruce shifted his gaze to Arlis, seated atop the Infernal Griffin.
She was his real target.
A prodigy of the human race—Arlis, one of the members of the Embers Council, and the only daughter of Commander Philippe.
Killing her would not only earn him tremendous merit, but also deal a crushing blow to human morale!
And Bruce himself would rise in the rankings of the Prodigy List because of it!
"Die."
Bruce raised his hand.
A silver lightning sphere the size of a fist condensed in his palm.
Arcs of electricity danced across its surface, yet within it was an eerie stillness—as if even light itself was being devoured.
"Oblivion Thunder."
With casual indifference, he tossed the lightning sphere toward Arlis.
The sphere streaked through the air along a silver arc, subtly distorting space wherever it passed!
The Infernal Griffin sensed the mortal danger and let out a shrill screech.
It tried to beat its wings and evade, but the aftershocks from earlier had already inflicted serious injuries—its movement lagged by half a beat!
At that very moment—
"By the pact of moonlight!"
Raine's hoarse voice rang out from within the cliff!
The blood energy inside his body ignited wildly!
"Divine Aegis—descend!"
HUM—!
A pillar of milky-white light descended from the heavens without warning, precisely enveloping Arlis and the Infernal Griffin!
Within the beam, the phantom image of the Moonlight Forest could be seen, accompanied by the gentle murmur of flowing springs.
In the next instant, a majestic creature stepped forth from the light!
Snow-white from head to hoof, bearing a spiraling horn upon its brow—
A White Unicorn!
The moment it appeared, the horn upon its forehead bloomed with soft yet unyielding moon-white radiance, forming a luminous barrier that shielded Arlis and the Infernal Griffin!
BOOM—!!!
The Oblivion Thunder struck the barrier, erupting in a blinding burst of silver-white light!
The shield shuddered violently, countless cracks spreading across its surface—yet it held, forcibly enduring the blow!
"A divine creature?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Bruce's eyes before he sneered.
"Just an infant unicorn, and you dare stand in my way?"
An adult unicorn was at least Legendary-rank—a truly terrifying existence.
Such creatures possessed rare sacred attributes, excelling in both offense and defense.
Even the royal bloodlines of the Thunderclan had to treat the Unicorn race with caution!
But the one before him was merely a juvenile. Worse still, it didn't seem like a living being at all—more like some kind of summoned construct!
Just as Bruce was about to strike again, a scream rang out behind him.
He turned—
Raine had somehow already torn himself free from the cliff and was now darting across the battlefield at astonishing speed!
He wasn't charging toward Bruce.
Instead, he was heading straight for the massive, comparatively sluggish Rampage Gorilla!
"Damn it! Kill him first!"
A genius of the Blackwater Clan roared, both hands forming dense black water arrows that rained down upon Raine!
A Shadowclan prodigy melted into the darkness, silently advancing from the ground.
The Flame Demon Descendants ignited in blazing fire, hurling a punch that unleashed a scorching shockwave!
Faced with attacks from all directions, a ruthless glint flashed in Raine's eyes.
He didn't attempt to evade everything.
Instead, he pushed Windflow Step to its absolute limit, his figure turning ghostlike as he threaded through the narrow gaps between the attacks!
At the same time, he deliberately altered his movement, using the massive body of the Rampage Gorilla as cover!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Most of the black water arrows, flame shockwaves, and shadow blades missed their mark—
But many slammed directly into the gorilla instead!
"ROAR—!!"
The Rampage Gorilla let out a howl of agony.
Its hide was thick and tough, but even it couldn't emerge unscathed after being struck by so many powerful attacks.
The next instant, it turned in fury, a colossal fist smashing down toward Raine!
"Now!"
Raine's eyes blazed.
He accelerated explosively, his body slipping past the fist and diving straight into the gorilla's embrace!
The Blackglow War Spear appeared in his grasp, the dark-gold Obsidian Golem Sigil spreading from his arm onto the spear shaft!
"Void-Rending Thrust!"
The spear transformed into a streak of black lightning, piercing precisely into the gorilla's heart!
SPLASH!
The spearhead drove deep.
Raine erupted with full power—blood energy and golem force detonating inside the gorilla's body!
[You have slain a Master-rank Rampage Gorilla. Bloodstone +8920!]
Raine didn't dare pause for breath. He yanked the spear free and retreated sharply!
Almost simultaneously—
The talons of a Tempest Blackhawk slashed through the spot where he had just been, producing a shrill sonic boom!
"Damn human! Is running all you can do?!"
The Blackhawk screeched furiously.
Its wings beat violently, unleashing countless green wind blades that sealed off all of Raine's escape routes.
The other prodigies closed in, attacks falling like a torrential storm.
While dodging, Raine rapidly assessed the battlefield.
The unicorn was already on the brink under Bruce's relentless assault.
This had to end quickly!
His gaze locked onto the Tempest Blackhawk.
It was the fastest, the greatest threat—and it had already been wounded.
In the next instant, Raine drew upon the wind attribute blessing of the White Unicorn.
A surge of enlightenment flooded his mind.
His understanding of wind leapt to an entirely new level!
When he activated Windflow Step again, his figure became unreal—illusory.
Every wind blade swept past him without so much as grazing his body!
"What?!"
The Blackhawk's pupils shrank violently.
Seeing Raine closing in, it instinctively tried to pull away—
But it was too late!
Raine appeared at its side as if by teleportation. The Blackglow War Spear, carrying terrifying blood energy, stabbed brutally into its left flank!
CRACK!
The sound of bones shattering rang out!
"SCREECH—!!"
The Blackhawk let out a piercing shriek as its body lost balance and plummeted from the sky.
Raine followed like a shadow, thrusting again—this time straight for its head!
"No—!!"
The Blackhawk frantically beat its remaining wing, trying to conjure a storm to block him.
But before the current Raine, that storm was nothing more than a joke!
He was a Master Rank 9, bolstered by the unicorn's wind affinity—slaying a low-rank Master Tempest Blackhawk was effortless.
SPLAT!
The spear pierced clean through the Blackhawk's skull.
Violent power erupted, completely shredding its brain.