Nexus Ascension: My Comprehension Defies the Heaven

Chapter 258: A powerful sword technique unleashed

The heavenly flames descended as if nothing in the world could stop them.

And that was indeed the case.

There was no stopping the heavenly fire.

It crashed down toward Albert without pause, without hesitation, carrying annihilation in its wake.

”Tch.”

Albert moved instantly, forming a seal with his hand.

”Seven Rings of Burning Heaven!”

Spiritual energy erupted violently around him. The golden light flickered—then, for a split second, turned pink.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

Explosions echoed across the barren land as flower-like barriers formed one after another in front of him, stacking rapidly, barely keeping pace with the descending flames.

Boom!

The first Eastern Dragon slammed into the formation with ferocity. Several rings shattered in a single breath. Before the fragments could even fade, new rings emerged, only to shatter again under the relentless impact.

One after another, the barriers collapsed.

Until the final ring surged forward—

And shattered.

”Another technique?” Grey’s eyes lit up in surprise.

[Your comprehension defies the heavens! By observing a 2nd-rank spell, you’ve gained insight into the technique: ’Seven Rings of Burning Heaven’.]

”Not bad, City Lord Albert,” Grey laughed loudly as he formed seals once more. ”But can you dodge it again?”

”Go, my flaming dragons!”

The great heavenly fire descended once more.

”You—!” Albert was momentarily dumbfounded.

Hey, what happened to not spamming the same ability again?What happened to ethics?What happened to dignity as an evolver?

Of course, none of that existed.

Albert was just exaggerating.

Gritting his teeth, he activated the technique again. Spiritual energy surged as his eyes flashed, pink light spreading across the sky. Rings formed in a straight line before him, layered and reinforced, ready for impact.

The flames struck with the same ferocity as before.

But this time, they were safely diverted, intercepted by the straight-lined rings before they could reach him.

However—

Grey had never intended to injure him in the first place.

[Your comprehension defies the heavens! By observing ’Seven Rings of Burning Heaven’, you have comprehended the defensive technique: ’Ten Rings of Burning Heaven’.]

Information flooded Grey’s mind.

In mere seconds, the technique was fully comprehended, refined, and optimized.

Recently, improved versions had been rare. Most of his transformation techniques were already pushed to their limits. Yet now, not only was he gaining new techniques—he was receiving improved versions of them.

It was exhilarating.

The Ten Rings of Burning Heaven differed fundamentally from the seven-ring version. First and foremost, the energy cost was reduced. As usual, improved techniques were more efficient, more refined.

Which suited Grey perfectly.

Less energy consumption meant sustained dominance.

”Alright,” Grey said casually, nodding. ”City Lord Albert, your turn to attack.”

”...”

Dark lines crept across Albert’s face.

What is wrong with this guy?Is this a turn-based battle now?

What do you mean I can attack now? I know I can!

Still, Albert inhaled deeply.

”Watch out, City Lord Grey,” he shouted. ”I won’t hold anything back. There will only be one victor!”

Sword energy erupted from him in a violent surge.

”Sword energy?” Grey raised an eyebrow, sensing the vast, razor-sharp force rolling out of Albert’s elixir field.

This guy was a technique-farming NPC.

The realization made Grey’s eyes gleam.

Someone like this wouldn’t rely on a single move. If Albert had reached this level, then buried within his mind had to be a sword technique worth fearing.

”Then let’s see how far you can go.”

”Ten Rings of Burning Heaven.”

Nexus energy detonated outward.

Pink light flooded the air as energy flowers bloomed around Grey. Rings formed—not in a straight line, but in every direction. Above. Below. Left. Right.

They interlocked into a radiant floral domain.

Albert’s gaze sharpened.His breathing slowed.

Boom!

Sword energy around him twisted unnaturally.

Grey’s instincts screamed.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Nexus Overclock surged to full throttle. Without hesitation, he froze time.

In that frozen instant, Grey transformed.

Scales erupted across his body. Purple-black circuits ignited along his horns. Power stacked upon power as his dragon form completed.

The moment time resumed—

The sword energy vanished.

No pressure.No presence.Nothing.

Albert stared at the transformed Grey, his eyes cold.

Then he spoke.

”Heaven Opening Sword Line.”

Whrmmm!

The world fell silent for a split second.

Grey’s vision darkened as a frown formed on his face.

His interface had already reacted.

A thin, impossible line manifested in the world.

It simply existed.

As if space itself had been instructed to become a sword.

ZZZNNNG—

Along that predetermined line, every molecule of air converted instantly into pure sword energy. No buildup. No transition. Matter surrendered and became intent.

Everything turned into sword energy.

ZZZNNNG—!SHRAAAK!KRRT—KRRT—KRRT!

Sword lines erupted simultaneously.

Grey’s perception accelerated to its limit, his mind working like a supercomputer as numbers flooded in.

Millions.

There were millions of sword lines shooting toward him.

It wasn’t an attack.

It was disintegration.

”No way?” Grey’s eyes widened—not in fear, but excitement.

The next instant, the sword energy converged.

Countless fine threads closed in from every direction, enclosing him completely.

The Ten Rings of Burning Heaven began collapsing like glass.

Boom!Boom!Boom!

They exploded endlessly, shattering from all sides. There was no stopping it.

Grey was trapped.

Completely inside the technique’s area of effect.

Then, a thought surfaced in grey’s mind.

Time froze.

The world halted.

The next instant, grey’s eyes widened even further.

While it looked manageable in motion, frozen time revealed the truth.

He was surrounded by infinitely stretched dots of sword energy, layered endlessly, overlapping without gaps.

There was nowhere to escape.

He reached a conclusion.

Even if he used time stop to flee—

He wouldn’t make it.

And right now, he was capable of stopping time for a full six seconds with ease.

He had already tested it before arriving at Mandate Province.

This increase did not come from Nexus Overclock, nor from the Saint Eye itself.

It came from True Dragon’s time authority.

After activating the Saint Eye’s ability, Grey could temporarily switch his traits, accessing the innate authorities embedded within the True Dragon lineage. Among them was dominion over time.

Using the Saint Eye beyond his current limits placed immense strain on his mind. A splitting headache would follow, thoughts becoming sluggish, consciousness threatened with collapse. That power was borrowed through perception alone, forced open by comprehension.

But the True Dragon’s authority was different.

Its ability to stop time did not originate from his mind where his seal of sainthood and his saint’s eyes was connected to.

Hence, It did not tax his mental processes.

It came from somewhere deeper.