Chapter 402 - The Path

The aggressive demeanor of Lebius left Bologue somewhat bewildered. In Bologue’s script, they were supposed to ambush here, using the experience from the last time reversal to catch the King’s Shield Guard off guard.But now, Lebius’s actions were undoubtedly declaring his position and strength to everyone.

"Words are merely words; it’s better to let you see for yourself."

Lebius said as he walked forward, with Bologue standing behind him. Only then did Bologue understand Lebius’s intention.

The path of advancement for every Condenser is accompanied by countless important choices—hovering between narrow and sharp or broad and blunt, the choice of a derived school...

Through these continuous decisions, and with the experience of their predecessors, Condensers gradually explore a perfectly optimized path of advancement based on their own Secret Energy school.

The closest to Bologue are the Violence Suppression Action Group. As a group entirely composed of the Origin School, they follow paths constructed by the Origin School, such as the Path of Silence or the Path of Extreme Techniques.

However, due to the advancements in Secret Source Technology, new Alchemy Matrices are developed every year, giving rise to new Secret Energies. As such, many new-generation Secret Energies do not have paths from previous generations to learn from, and they can only advance based on similar Secret Energies.

For example, Geoffrey’s Secret Energy·Tiger Eye was elevated following the Path of Command created by the Commanding School.

There are also ancient family-inherited Secret Energies. Through generations of optimization and improvement of the Secret Energies, their paths of advancement have gradually perfected to the extreme.

An example that fits this is Palmer, whose own Secret Energy·Wind Source will follow the Path of Wind Fury created by the Clarks family.

The Order Bureau also has many well-defined paths of advancement, but this obviously has nothing to do with Bologue, who carries the Alchemy Matrix of Overlord Xilin.

This mysterious Secret Energy is not well understood even by the Sublimation Furnace Core. Bologue still remembers Teda’s evaluation of the Summoning Hand.

Perhaps this Secret Energy does not belong to the Commanding School. It is categorized there only because its current capabilities closely align with those of the Commanding School.

Bologue is like a treasured species, the kind with only two in the world, one of which has already died.

His path of advancement has no references, so he must make his own decisions and progress.

Now, Lebius proposes suggestions for Bologue’s advancement path. Of course, more than suggestions, witnessing this power firsthand is of greater significance for Bologue.

In the distance, the rapidly moving Fast slowed down. He clearly felt the Ether reaction of a Negative Power User ahead, something that he, as a Prayer Believer, could not contend with.

Others also sensed Lebius’s Ether reaction and quickly approached him, and soon Gold also penetrated the mist, appearing beside Fast.

Both of their expressions appeared extremely grave, as they had investigated the target well before the assault operation began.

An enemy of this Negative Power User Tier should only be Teda, yet now another Negative Power User has emerged.

Fast and Gold naturally thought of the same enemy.

The Order Bureau.

Their pursuit came to a halt. Faced with this suddenly appearing Negative Power User, the two could not make a decision, and the next actions needed to be handled by someone of a higher rank.

In a few seconds, another figure followed behind them, appearing at their rear.

Hood looked toward the thick mist where Lebius was located. At this moment, Lebius’s Ether reaction remained very prominent, like a torch in the night.

He arrogantly announced his location to everyone, waiting for their attack.

Fast asked, "What should we do?"

Hood did not ponder for long and instructed, "The Negative Power User... he may affect this operation, so it’s best to eliminate him quickly."

"Fast, Gold, you two move forward for a feint. No need for a life-and-death battle—just probe the opponent’s Secret Energy, and I will find an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow."

Hood was also a Negative Power User. He assumed that given the same Tier, with his own Secret Energy·Profound Evil Sound, a direct hit would be enough to deal a heavy blow to Lebius.

Another concern was that Hood was uncertain whether their opponent truly consisted of only Lebius or whether they had also set a trap waiting for them to fall into.

They all remain absolutely loyal to the Shadow King, unquestioningly dedicated to the cause. Hood slowed his pace, trailing behind the two, while Fast and Gold quickly closed in.

Lebius waited for a while at his original spot. He could not see Fast and Gold’s figures, but he could clearly sense their Ether reactions.

Geoffrey sometimes joked that Lebius need not worry about going blind since even without sight, he could precisely perceive through Ether.

Breaking through the Sea of Mist, Fast immediately noticed Lebius, but Lebius disappeared in the next instant.

It wasn’t a disappearance in the visual sense; it was as if Lebius’s etheric reaction was continuously decreasing, nearing nothingness, reverting from the extraordinary to the mundane.

Had he relinquished his secret energy? Giving up resistance at a time like this?

This thought flashed through Fast’s mind, and then he realized, this wasn’t the termination of secret energy at all; it was the Ethereal Concealment enveloping Lebius, compressing his etheric reaction to the extreme, making it undetectable even at such a close distance.

A chilling cold swept over Fast’s mind, and he realized something was amiss. Although the opponent was a Negative Power User, the fear he felt was beyond what a Negative Power User could invoke.

"Gold..."

Fast tried to call out to his teammate, but before he could speak the words, Lebius vanished.

Bologue was also stunned, one moment Lebius was beside him, uttering "watch closely," and then he vanished.

After a brief disappearance, the next second was filled with the roar of fragmentation, the ground where Lebius had stood collapsing into countless fissures, as if trampled by a giant.

Bologue attempted to chase Lebius’s shadow; he was as fast as thunder, only the sound could be heard, while the figure could not be captured.

"Is this the limping one?"

Bologue cursed inwardly.

Under absolute Ethereal Amplification, Lebius was immensely quick; when Bologue next observed Lebius, he was already before Fast.

A piercing killing intent surged forward, and Fast awakened all his ether; in an instant, his secret energy reached its peak.

The Shadowless Barrier enveloped Fast, continuously compressing, gathering, compressing again, sealing Fast within this suffocating coffin.

Lebius swung his Staff Sword towards him; this Staff Sword wasn’t any powerful Alchemy Armament, just an ordinary weapon.

Yet now the abundant ether channeled through Lebius’s hand into it, imbued with ether, protecting and sharpening it in the simplest manner.

Casually swinging it, like swinging a club at a ball, Fast’s figure froze, dense sparks flared and burst from the blade’s edge, after which Fast collided heavily with the ground, shattering it into pieces.

The fierce ethereal shock mixed with pain almost made Fast faint; he tried to rise but found his body paralyzed, unable to muster any strength.

The Shadowless Barrier had defended against Lebius’s sword strike, or more accurately, part of it; a gap had been slashed into the sturdy barrier, a shallow wound blossomed on Fast’s chest, had it penetrated a few more inches, the sword would have been fatal.

How could this be? Even if Lebius was a Negative Power User, he seemed absurdly powerful.

Fast could not comprehend any of this, but he saw Lebius approaching again with descending sword light; he could block it once, but could he do it a second time?

The ground trembled, thick roots coiled around Fast’s body, dragging him out of the shattered ground.

At a critical moment, Gold extended a helping hand, his usual arrogance gone, his face filled with repressed fear. Lebius’s strength surpassed their imagination; in an instant clash, this guy hadn’t even activated his secret energy.

Perhaps the opponent was an Origin School Condenser? Only an Origin School Condenser could be so proficient in Ethereal Skills.

No time to ponder, Hood instructed them to make a feint attack, but at this moment, the question was whether they even survived this predicament.

Lebius landed, and the moment his foot touched the ground, the earth crumbled again as he charged towards Gold like thunder.

Thick roots rose from the ground, trying to intercept Lebius’s steps, but Lebius seemed to predict the attack trajectories, dodging easily and bypassing the attacks.

This was not some foresight ability; rather, Lebius could clearly sense the flow of ether, adept not only in Ethereal Amplification and Concealment but also in this sharp Ethereal Perception.

Before Gold initiated his attack, Lebius could detect the direction the roots would coil from the ether’s pathways.

Roaring booms erupted, sound waves almost entirely engulfing the battlefield, turning all traversed zones into clouds of dust.

Hood made his move at that moment, aware that if he didn’t, both Gold and Fast would be mercilessly slain by Lebius.

As the rolling dust settled, Lebius stood unblemished in the distance, gazing at Hood, who launched the assault.

"If the enemy is only of this calibre, deploying me alone indeed suffices."

Lebius gripped the Staff Sword tightly, murmuring to himself.