The blackened sky twisted as the battlefield warped under the sheer force of their exchange. Horizon Realm Gods didn't rely on brute force; their battles wove through space itself—folding, tearing, and distorting the very fabric of reality. The 18th Heaven Domain was riddled with spatial fractures, dark voids yawning across the sky like gaping wounds, a chilling sight to behold.
The battle raged on. Amy's relentless assault forced Jade onto the defensive. Though he held his ground, he staggered more than once, barely avoiding a decisive blow. The reason? Amy had hidden void energy within her attacks, catching him off guard. His expression darkened.
"You're really determined to defeat me, huh?" Jade muttered, straightening midair as he evaded another strike. His tone was calm, yet tinged with frustration. "You even went as far as to prepare void energy in advance... Calm down, my dear niece—it's a misunderstanding."
Ella, watching from a distance, caught on to the term void energy and immediately turned to Scillia, seeking an explanation.
"What exactly is void energy?" she asked, curiosity flashing in her red eyes.
Scillia, pleased that Ella was taking the initiative to ask, answered without hesitation.
"Void energy exists outside the God Realm. You can't sense it normally because that young lady has only condensed a few drops—probably as a trump card against your father. But if she were to touch it barehanded…" Scillia paused, her voice carrying a grave note. "She would perish instantly."
Ella's eyes widened slightly. But something still puzzled her.
"If it's that dangerous… how is she manipulating it?"
Scillia chuckled softly. "That's where Horizon Realm comes in. Once you reach that level, you naturally control space using cosmic essence. And if you can control space, you can manipulate void energy—because void exists within the gaps of space itself."
Ella nodded in understanding. She didn't ask further, instead turning her focus back to the battle. The two black-robed guards standing behind her also listened in silence, but they remained expressionless, their power still limited to Inferno Realm.
—
Two hours passed.
The clash between Jade and Amy had reached its climax. Jade was disheveled, his once-immaculate robes torn and frayed, his breathing uneven. He had nearly lost multiple times—a humiliation he refused to accept.
That's when he finally played dirty.
Amy frowned as she suddenly felt something off. A sudden shift in space locked Amy in place. Her movements froze unnaturally.
"Chaotic Lock."
Jade extended his hand, his voice ringing with authority. The space around Amy solidified, trapping her completely.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"You can't run now. Did you really think I didn't have a trump card?"
Amy's expression twisted in realization. "You…" she trembled slightly, struggling against the invisible shackles.
Jade ignore her anger, his grin widening.
"Hehehe, now you'll taste my whip and finally remember your childhood, you goddamn brat," he said, reaching into his storage artifact. A metallic whip appeared in his grasp—one Amy recognized instantly.
Her heart sank.
"You old fart—don't you dare!"
But Jade didn't stop. He strode forward, the whip gleaming ominously in his hand.
With a flick of his wrist, the whip cracked through the air—
SMACK!
"ACK!" Amy groaned as the impact stung her. Her face flushed with a mixture of pain and sheer humiliation.
This bastard…!
To make things worse, when she lifted her gaze, she saw Ella watching from the distance.
Damn it! This is so embarrassing! My Baby cousin is watching! This old bastard is deliberately making me look weak in front of her!
Jade ignored her protests and struck again.
"Ugh! Stop, uncle—please!" Amy gritted her teeth, her voice carrying both pain and resentment.
But Jade? He just grinned. "Hehehe… You're still as stubborn as ever, brat. One more for old times' sake."
Another whip strike.
The sound of the whip clapping against her skin echoed through the air.
Ella, who had been observing calmly until now, finally frowned.
What the hell am I witnessing?
She turned to Scillia again.
"How did that woman get trapped?" she asked. "I can't sense anything abnormal, but I feel an unusual force. And it's not father's power."
Scillia smiled, impressed. "Sharp as ever, young miss. You're right—your father didn't use his own strength. He's borrowing the domain's laws to suppress her."
Ella's gaze darkened. "That's allowed?"
"No," Scillia replied flatly. "It's shameless, to be honest. That woman—Amy—actually has slightly greater raw strength than him."
Ella clenched her fists.
So that's it. This old man is just a cheat.
For the first time, she truly questioned how her mother had ever married this guy.
—
Back in the battle.
Amy's patience snapped. Her face burned with frustration.
"Fucking stop!"
Her voice boomed through the battlefield, raw with anger.
Jade shrugged, unbothered. "Oh? And now you're going to claim we're family and try to convince me with sweet words? Brat, just accept your loss."
He raised the whip for another strike.
Amy's eyes twitched in disbelief. "You shameless old bastard! One day, I swear I'll beat your ugly face into the dirt!"
Jade remained utterly calm. "Come now, Amy, don't be like that. I'm your uncle, after all. Your mother and I were siblings—give me some face, will you?"
His words might have sounded reasonable—if not for the whip still in his hand.
Amy's composure cracked. She turned her head toward Ella.
"You Old Bastard —!!"
She turned to Ella.
"Baby cousin, STOP HIM! Report this to Aunt—he's getting more shameless the older he gets!"
Amy plead, using both hands to shield her back from another blow.
Ella blinked.
She could stop her father now. But that would shatter the kind, composed image she had been carefully maintaining.
Tch.
Ella sighed.
This old man really needs a beating.
Clicking her tongue, she stepped forward.
Scillia instinctively moved to stop her—but Ella raised a hand. "No need. I'll handle it."
Scillia hesitated but ultimately nodded. After all, she doubted Jade would dare harm his own daughter.
Then, for a brief moment, Ella revealed her true self.
Her expression shifted.
A grin curled at her lips—a chilling, dangerous thing.
Scillia and the two black-robed guards immediately felt shivers run down their spines. Even Scillia, who had seen much, felt her heartbeat quicken in sheer excitement.
Ella… she murmured, her eyes gleaming.
Meanwhile, Jade? He still didn't care.
He dismissed Ella's presence, believing that Inferno Realm beings could never threaten Horizon Realm Gods.
As he raised his whip once more—
Ella disappeared.
Using Boundless Drifting Step, she reappeared beside him in an instant.
Jade blinked.
"Ella? What are you—"
Before he could finish, her fist slammed into his back.
BOOM!
A deafening shockwave split the air.
Jade's body flew downward, smashing through multiple mountains, sending entire peaks crumbling into dust.
Silence.
Amy's eyes were wide in shock.
Scillia and the guards were speechless.
"What… in the world?"