Earth's Greatest Magus

A sharp sting spread across Emery’s left forearm as the poisoned needle embedded within his flesh continued to release its venom, the toxin already beginning to circulate through his veins and disrupt the flow of his spirit energy.

Without hesitation, he pushed a surge of energy through his arm, forcing the needle out with controlled precision. The thin silver spike shot free and curved back through the air, returning obediently to Skylark’s hand.

Even so, the poison had already taken effect.

Emery could feel it creeping inward, attempting to destabilize his meridians, but he remained composed as he called upon Chututlu once more.

A stream of Khaos energy spread through his arm, devouring the invading toxin and suppressing its effects before it could fully take hold.

This action let the green skin man Skylark in bewilderment.

Emery’s moment of focus left him no time to react to what came next.

Maldrin lunged again.

The Midnight Demon burst forward with overwhelming force, his body cloaked in swirling blood mist as his demonic aura intensified. This time, there was no feint, no diversion-only raw power condensed into a single devastating strike as his claw tore through the air toward Emery.

Instead of evading, Emery chose to meet it head-on.

He raised his arm and blocked the attack directly, the collision sending a violent. shockwave rippling across the swamp as the ground beneath his feet fractured. The sheer force pushed him back several steps, but his stance remained firm, his body absorbing the impact without breaking.

Maldrin’s grin widened, his voice filled with savage confidence.

“Drop to your knees, beg for mercy! And I might give you a quick painless death!”

As he drew back to strike again, Emery moved swiftly and caught Maldrin’s arm mid-motion. Their forces collided once more, but this time it turned into a contest of strength, their arms locked as power surged between them, distorting the air with the pressure.

For the first time, surprise flickered across Maldrin’s face.

He had expected resistance-

But not this.

“Huh!! Feel my true strength!!

Maldrin roared, his demonic power surging once more as his muscles expanded and his aura intensified. The sudden increase in strength forced

Emery’s arms backward, the balance of power shifting as the ground beneath them cracked further under the strain.

The pressure grew heavier-

Until Emery spoke, his tone calm and almost indifferent.

“Is this all?”

In the next instant, his body transformed.

Stage 9 The Immortal Gate activated.

A surge of power coursed through him, his muscles tightening as his control sharpened to an entirely new level. The overwhelming pressure reversed instantly, Emery regaining dominance in the clash as his grip tightened.

With a swift motion, he contorted his arms, redirecting Maldrin’s force and throwing him off balance. Emery then stepped in and delivered a devastating punch straight into his chest.

BAMM!!!

The impact exploded outward, sending Maldrin staggering back, his body reeling from the force.

Emery pressed forward without pause, his movements fluid and relentless as he drove into Maldrin’s space, refusing to give the Midnight Demon even a moment to recover. Each strike flowed seamlessly into the next, his fists moving like a storm unleashed at close range, forcing Maldrin into a purely defensive position.

Sensing the danger, Skylark acted.

From a distance, several silver needles shot toward Emery once more, but this time he already understood the pattern-there would only be one concealed among them that truly mattered.

With his current physique, he allowed the rest to strike his body, trusting his durability to withstand their impact, while his divine sense focused on the single needle that slipped silently through the battlefield, aiming not at his front, but at his blind spot.

Without breaking his momentum, Emery twisted his body slightly, spatial energy bending around him as he evaded the hidden needle by mere inches. The attack passed through empty space, missing its mark entirely.

The second of respite allowed Maldrins to react, raising his arms to counter with rapid claws attack

What followed was a blur of close combat, the two figures exchanging rapid strikes at a speed that distorted the air around them. Claw met fist, force collided with force, and shockwaves rippled outward with each impact.

Yet despite his efforts-

Maldrin was losing ground.

One blow landed cleanly.

Emery’s fist crashed into Maldrin’s abdomen, forcing the air out of him in a violent burst, before shifting upward into a sharp strike to the neck, followed immediately by a crushing punch to the jaw.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

The sound of impact echoed across the swamp, mixed with the unmistakable crack of bone under pressure.

The countless hours Emery had spent training under Typhon these last few years revealed their value, every strike calculated, every transition seamless,

leaving no opening for his opponent to exploit.

Under the relentless assault, Maldrin was steadily driven backward, his footing faltering as the pressure mounted-

Until finally-

He was slammed into the ground.

For a brief moment-

Silence.

Emery stood over him, his breathing steady, a faint smile forming as he felt the difference within himself. This was not the same fight as before. Compared to their last encounter, his growth was undeniable-not only had he advanced further in cultivation, but his physique had undergone profound refinement

through the Stellar Beast legacy.

This time-

Even without relying on his half-blood transformation-

He could overpowered a peak Two Cosmos expert.

Without hesitation, Emery raised his hand.

The ground responded instantly.

Twilight vines burst forth, thick roots surging upward as they coiled around

Maldrin’s body, wrapping tightly around his limbs and torso. The bindings thickened and tightened, layer upon layer, attempting to suppress him before

he could recover.

But once again, he was interrupted.

“No you won’t!!!!”

Skylark’s voice tore through the battlefield, sharp and filled with malicious

intent.

This time, he did not rely on concealed needles. Instead, he drew out a new

weapon-a long steel whip formed of interlinked barbed chains, each segment coated in writhing dark energy that pulsed like something alive. The weapon exuded a suffocating aura, its surface glistening with venomous intent as it

coiled briefly in his hand.

Then it struck.

The whip lashed forward like a living serpent, snapping through the air with

terrifying speed, its trajectory erratic and unpredictable. As it cut through space, the energy surrounding it distorted the air itself, leaving behind faint ripples as though reality struggled to contain its passage.

The force behind it was immense.

Emery reacted instantly.

His figure blurred as spatial energy contorted around him, folding space just

enough for him to slip past the incoming attack by the narrowest margin. The barbed whip tore through the spot where he had stood a fraction of a second earlier before slamming into the ground with explosive force,

The impact carved deep into the swamp, leaving behind a jagged scar of corrupted earth as the dark energy continued to writhe along the fractured

surface.

Yet-

That single moment was enough.

Behind Emery, the Twilight vines that had bound Maldrin began to tremble, then rupture under an overwhelming surge of power. One by one, the thick roots snapped apart as a violent demonic aura erupted outward.

With a furious roar, Maldrin tore free.

The Midnight Demon rose from the ground, his body battered but far from defeated. Instead, his presence grew heavier, darker, more oppressive as rage

consumed him.

Then-

He moved his hands.

Seals formed rapidly, each motion precise and practiced as his demonic energy surged to a new height. The blood mist around him thickened, swirling violently as his body began to change once more.

His frame expanded further, muscles bulging unnaturally as his already massive

form grew even larger. His skin darkened into a deeper crimson, veins glowing

faintly beneath the surface as power coursed through him.

And then-

More arms emerged.

Two additional pairs tore free from his back, forming four extra limbs, each

ending in clawed hands that flexed with terrifying strength. His silhouette twisted into something monstrous, something no longer entirely human. But it did not stop there.

His neck convulsed, bone and flesh shifting grotesquely as two additional heads

forced their way into existence beside the original. Each face bore the same demonic features, their expressions twisted with rage, their eyes glowing with

a savage, unified intent.

Three heads

Six arms.

A monstrous demonic body.

At the same time, his aura surged explosively, his battle power rising to an

entirely new level as the ground beneath him cracked under the pressure. The air itself trembled.

All three heads slowly lifted, their burning gazes locking onto Emery at once.