Bolt Atlas shot forward like a streak of violet lightning, his figure vanishing into distorted waves of space. The moment Davis perceived him in one place, he was already in another, blinking through rifts of the many layers. His speed was erratic and unpredictable, and his movement had no discernible rhythm.
A tearing sound resounded as Bolt Atlas appeared at Davis's side, his fist cloaked in spiraling dark-purple energy. The sheer destructive force twisted the space around it, causing it to crack as though glass was shattering in slow motion.
"Void Shattering Fist!"
The strike arrived instantly, bypassing distance itself. If it landed, it would collapse anything within its path into oblivion.
Davis didn't move.
A dull thud echoed.
The mighty fist carrying spatial destruction landed squarely on Davis's chest, only to come to a halt. The violent energies surged, attempting to tear through his body, but his robes didn't even ripple, let alone his flesh.
Bolt Atlas's eyes widened in disbelief. Before he could react, Davis calmly reached out, his fingers lightly brushing against Bolt Atlas's wrist.
*Boom!~*
A formless pressure erupted from Davis's touch as he used a very minute amount of chaos energy, sending Bolt Atlas flying across the sky like a spiraling comet. He twisted mid-air, space bending to his will, and stabilized himself before he could crash.
Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, but instead of fear, his expression was filled with excitement.
"Amazing!" Bolt Atlas laughed, his voice brimming with battle fervor, "You countered my destruction energy like it was nothing, but let's see if you can withstand this!"
He vanished again, his form flickering across the battlefield at impossible angles. Each time he reappeared, he struck with devastating force, his attacks folding space upon impact. Fists, palms, and kicks infused with the essence of destruction rained down upon Davis from every direction. Each blow was aimed at a vital point, and each movement honed to perfection.
Yet Davis remained utterly unshaken.
His hands were tucked behind his back, his posture completely relaxed. Every strike landed with enough power to shatter mountains, yet all Bolt achieved was the sensation of hitting an unbreakable void. Davis's very existence seemed impervious, as though he stood beyond the reach of mere physical force.
Finally, after another hundred exchanges, Bolt Atlas skidded backward, panting. He stared at Davis with a mixture of admiration and helplessness.
Davis tilted his head slightly, "Your speed and technique are commendable. However, you focus more on elegance instead of killing power, and your destructive might is still lacking. I guess this is a common disease from geniuses who come from classy and wealthy backgrounds."
Bolt Atlas clenched his fists, but he wasn't offended. Instead, he grinned, "Then I just have to watch you and improve."
Davis paused before he nodded, "If you can fuse destruction and space to a higher level, your attacks might even tickle me next time. However, watch your destruction energy from making touch with my chaos energy. The chaotic reaction from these two energies is not endurable by you."
Bolt Atlas's heart sank, but he threw his head and laughed heartily, wiping the blood from his lips, "Thanks for the warning, Divine Emperor of Death."
The two of them fought for the next few hours, breaking many areas of space, but it wasn't as dangerous as the battle before. Bolt Atlas finally seemed exhausted, but he still refused to give up.
Bolt Atlas looked quite bloodied, while Davis remained unscathed. All of these injuries were not caused by Davis punching or kicking him but by the chaotic reaction of chaos energy and destruction energy coming together. Each time, Davis only used a minute strand, but it ended up being grievous for Bolt Atlas.
However, Davis was impressed since Bolt Atlas was able to improve the execution of his techniques by a great deal. He dropped almost ninety percent of needless movements, only looking to kill with each strike.
If Bolt Atlas hadn't suppressed his cultivation to Level One Autarch Stage, then he might not have necessarily been unscathed.
"Enough. Any more, and people will start saying I am bullying a supreme genius for no reason."
Davis waved his hand. He felt like he had taught Bolt Atlas enough. However, he had also gained by observing the thousands of destructive energy punches Bolt Atlas threw at him, even taking some with his body thoroughly.
"This humble genius truly accepts defeat."
Bolt Atlas paused before he looked disappointed. However, he still cupped his hands and bowed. He dropped the jade containers in the air and was about to turn around when Davis stopped him.
"Where are you going? Since you came, leave your life behind or sit for a talk. I'm bored."
"…"
Bolt Atlas's heart nearly skipped a beat, but hearing it was only an invitation, he smiled embarrassedly and sat in front of the shoddy table Davis brought out.
Davis poured some tea for Bolt Atlas and for himself and then drank it unceremoniously as he threw the gifts into his spatial ring.
"You're good. You're comparable to an Empyreal Autarch, aren't you?"
Bolt Atlas stared at the tea, but he didn't take it.
"I didn't become an Empyreal Autarch until earlier this year. I lost to Pence Atlas when I was younger, after all."
"So you chanced upon a lucky encounter. Good for you. But you say you lost to Pence Atlas? There's no way he's in the Autarch Stage already. Isn't he in the secret realm of the Eternal Twilight Lower Realm right now? That means he's a Sovereign."
Davis frowned.
He fought Bolt Atlas fist to fist, so he knew the other party was suppressing his cultivation base to Level One Empyrean Stage. Otherwise, Davis suspected he was near the layer limit. Otherwise, he wouldn't be searching for the Divine Emperor of Death.
With a prowess that was nearly six levels higher, Davis imagined that the other party was a Level Five or Level Six Autarch.
That was considered an Empyreal Autarch.
With a prowess of five levels, that was a Kingly Autarch, and a prowess of four levels was called a Heavenly Autarch. This was the standard for supreme genius Autarchs.
It was quite low, in Davis's opinion, but that was what the majority of them were in.
By now, he figured nearly every supreme genius was scared of him. His prowess didn't drop. He was defeating peak Autarchs while being a peak Immortal Emperor. They were running for their lives.
Bolt Atlas looked hesitant but still spoke, "Well, I was in the senior generation but still a candidate to become a Patriarch. However, after Pence Atlas displayed his prowess, we had no choice but to accept our inferiority and move on or clash with him using underhanded tactics. I wasn't about to use that on my little brother from another mother, and I am not interested in becoming a Patriarch since my sights lay elsewhere, so I moved on."
"I see. You might want to drink the tea now before it goes cold."
"…"
Bolt Atlas went stiff. Was he being forced? What was this? Voluntary suicidal tea sip?
He inwardly cried but still took the tea and gulped in one move. His reasoning was if the Divine Emperor of Death wanted to kill, there was no need to toy with him. Or was he being toyed? From what he had seen, the other party didn't even fear the Covenant. Regret filled his heart.
Abruptly, he shot up, feeling his entire being rejuvenated from the inside out.
"This is…"
"Ever been healed by a Saint?"