The Martial Paragon was buzzing with a faint sense of excitent.
However, he knew he needed the full picture. That ant finding Guardian Aether and the others to grill them on the specifics—especially regarding just how monstrous of a talent this Lance really was. According to the data from The Supre Core, there was a very real possibility that Lance’s strength had already eclipsed his own.
If he ever turned against the human race...
The thought spurred him into action. Without further hesitation, The Martial Paragon tore through the void, hurtling toward the Mother Planet. Guardian Aether was currently stationed there, at the Vanguard Elite Institute.
"Wait... what is this violent aura?"
As he breached the atmosphere of the Mother Planet, a powerful presence suddenly surged from sowhere below. The sheer intensity of the energy caused even The Martial Paragon’s heart to hamr against his ribs in shock; he could feel a crushing sense of pressure weighing down on him.
"Is this Lance? No, that’s not right. They said Lance wields Holy Light, but this is clearly dark energy."
His expression grew grim as he tracked the terrifying presence. He also noted that the power was being desperately suppressed, as if trying to remain hidden.
"Could it be an infiltrator? A spy from a powerful rival race within human borders?"
His face darkened instantly. Only soone with sothing to hide would work that hard to mask their aura.
"I need to see for myself. If this is a threat to humanity, I’ll excise it imdiately."
With a focused gaze, he tapped the air with his foot and plumted toward the surface like a falling star.
Shortly after, The Martial Paragon touched down on the ground.
"Terra First Junior High? It’s coming from in there? Could it be one of the instructors?"
He stared at the school’s sign, his mind racing. If a dark-aligned entity at or above the Stellar Class (Rank 0) went on a rampage here, the future of the human race would be snuffed out in an instant.
He blurred into motion, heading deep into the academy grounds. This hidden cancer had to be removed now, or the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Noir, these classes are so boring. When do you think my brother is coming back?"
On a martial arts training field, Lillian let out a long, bored yawn. Ever since Lance had gifted her the Holy Light Power, her talent had been steadily climbing. Such was the terrifying potential of high-level elental energy.
While her raw cultivation talent hadn't hit SS-Rank yet, it was firmly in the S-Rank category. When factoring in the Holy Light Power itself, she effectively possessed SS-Rank potential. Furthermore, that power contained a massive reserve of Battle Aura that Lance had left behind for her.
Consequently, her cultivation had skyrocketed to the Silver Tier (Rank 10) in a staggering amount of ti. For a thirteen-year-old, this level of power made her the undisputed peak of the middle school.
"Rawr!"
Noir, perched on her shoulder, let out a bored yawn of his own. He had already matured to the peak of Tier 6. Combined with his SSS-Rank Supernatural Trait, Extre Yin Power, his actual combat strength was easily comparable to a Tier 7.
It was no wonder The Martial Paragon was on high alert. Although Noir was excellent at concealing his presence, he was currently being scouted by the strongest man in the human race—a man possessing countless specialized techniques and secret arts. The Martial Paragon didn't just sense him; he could see right through to Noir’s true strength.
"Lillian! What are you daydreaming about? Don't think for a second that your back-door entry gives you an excuse to slack off!"
A shrill, arrogant voice cut through the air, snapping Lillian out of her daze. She flinched, quickly lowering her head without a word.
The instructor’s na for her was little more than a tool for belittlent. Very few people knew who Lance really was, given that his files were classified as SS-Rank secrets. While this instructor taught on Terra, he was at best a Grandmaster-level cultivator. He didn't have the clearance to know about Lance, let alone that Lillian was his sister.
Over the past few days, this so-called instructor had repeatedly insulted her. In his eyes, Lillian was a mid-sester transfer who did nothing but drag down the class average. When she first arrived, she looked like a talentless brat who hadn't even reached the Silver Tier.
In a class full of "geniuses" who had already entered the Silver Tier (Rank 0), she was viewed as the weakest link. The instructor was far too arrogant to notice that his student had already surged past them all to hit Silver Tier (Rank 10).
"Hiss!!!"
Noir hissed, baring his teeth at the Grandmaster-level instructor. He couldn't stand seeing his master's sister insulted.
The surrounding students watched the scene with sneering, schadenfreude-filled eyes. When Lillian first transferred in, they had assud she was the scion of so powerhouse. But after so digging, they discovered she ca from a backwater planet in the middle of nowhere.
The rumor was that she only got in because her family produced a "genius," whom they guessed was a student at the First Institute. The only notable newcor there was Selina—and word was that Selina had already died in a secret realm a few days prior.
Once they "realized" she had no backing, the other students isolated her. A few of the girls, jealous of Lillian’s superior looks, had spent the last few days making her life miserable.
Fortunately, Noir had beaten every single one of those "geniuses" into the dirt. He was currently masquerading as a Tier 3 Void Beast, which was more than enough to handle these small fry.
Seeing the "black lizard" that had bullied them finally snarling at the instructor, the students grew excited. They couldn't wait to see the beast get put in its place.
"Humph!"
Offended by the beast's defiance, the instructor’s face turned cold. He let out a sharp, derisive snort.
The sound carried a concentrated wave of force, hurtling toward Lillian and Noir like a physical flood. A shockwave of that caliber was enough to severely injure a Silver Tier warrior, let alone a girl who appeared to be a weakling.
BOOM!
The invisible force slamd into Lillian’s position.
"Wait... what?"
The crowd went silent. The attack had simply vanished the mont it reached Lillian. It was blocked so effortlessly that she didn't even sway.
"ROAR!"
Noir had finally reached his breaking point. Lance had sent him here to protect Lillian, and while she had repeatedly told him not to cause trouble, these people were becoming intolerable. They had actually tried to hurt her.
He wasn't going to hold back anymore. A low, guttural roar erupted from his throat. The leathery wings tucked against his back slowly unfurled as he rose into the air.
"What? You blocked my strike? And what the hell is that lizard?"
For reasons he couldn't explain, the Grandmaster instructor suddenly felt a chill of pure terror wash over him.
"ROAR!!!!!"
An earth-shattering roar erupted from Noir's throat.
In the next heartbeat, Noir’s body began to swell at a terrifying, frantic speed.
Ten ters, a hundred ters! A thousand ters!!
The expansion was so rapid it defied logic. In the blink of an eye, before the horrified gazes of everyone present, Noir’s form had ballooned into a colossal, tens-of-thousands-of-ters-long draconic entity.
His fury didn't just manifest in size. At that exact mont, Noir’s power surged, breaking through the peak of Tier 6 and slamming directly into Tier 7 One-Star.
That terrifying pressure caused the entire Mother Planet—and even the neighboring celestial bodies—to shudder violently.
"S-Seven... a Tier 7 Void Beast! It's a Tier 7 Void Beast!!"
The sight was enough to send the previously arrogant Great Grandmaster crashing onto his backside. His face drained of all color, turning a sickly, ghostly white.
How could he have possibly imagined that one of his students was keeping a Tier 7 Void Beast as a pet?
Not even the Martial Paragon had managed such a feat.
As for the other students, the sheer weight of Noir's aura had already knocked them unconscious. This was only because Noir, mindful of Lillian’s presence, had exercised extre tactical reserve. Had he not, none of those brats would have drawn another breath.
"ROAR!!!!!"
A second, world-shaking dragon's cry thundered out.
By now, Lillian was perched high atop Noir’s central head.
One of Noir’s massive maws snapped open, revealing a cavernous, blood-red throat.
BOOM!
A terrifying pillar of black fla erupted, hurtling toward the Great Grandmaster like a beam of concentrated destruction.
However, just as the Great Grandmaster was about to be incinerated, the world shifted.
"Disperse!"
A sudden, thunderous shout rang out from the heavens.
CRACK!
In an instant, Noir’s devastating attack shattered in mid-air, dissolving into a million flickering fragnts.
"Grrr..."
Noir’s expression shifted. He stared up at the sky, his gaze heavy and solemn.
"What's wrong, Noir?"
Hearing Noir’s low rumble, Lillian looked up in curiosity.
She followed his gaze toward the distant sky. There, far above the clouds, a kind-faced and very familiar elderly man had appeared out of nowhere.
"Is that... the Martial Paragon? It’s him! It’s the Martial Paragon!!"
Lillian’s small eyes instantly lit up with hero worship. In the human federation, almost everyone harbored a deep, soul-felt reverence for the Martial Paragon.
And now, the Martial Paragon was actually here.
The one who had just neutralized the attack was none other than him.
"ROAR!!"
Noir let out a wary growl at the figure in the sky. He could feel the terrifying, bottomless aura radiating from the old man.
He knew he was no match for him. With that realization, Noir’s other two heads moved instinctively, shielding Lillian behind his massive skull as he watched the newcor with narrowed eyes.
"Martial Paragon! Martial Paragon, save !!"
The mont he saw the man, the Great Grandmaster instructor—who had just been a hair’s breadth from death—scread out in desperate excitent.
"Silence!"
The figure in the sky cast a cold, piercing glare downward.
A crushing pressure instantly clamped down on the instructor, choking the words right back into his throat.
The Martial Paragon had actually arrived monts ago. He had witnessed everything. From the way the students and this instructor treated Lillian, he knew exactly how rotten the situation was.
He had imdiately pulled Lillian’s full profile, only to be stunned by the discovery that this little girl was Lance’s sister.
More importantly, it was infuriating that campus bullying was happening right here, at the Terra First Junior High.
If she had been an ordinary child, two days of such mockery, suppression by "geniuses," and insults from a teacher would have been enough to cause a total ntal breakdown.
At this mont, the fire in the Martial Paragon's heart burned far hotter than Noir’s.
"You're Lillian, aren't you? It’s alright now. I will handle this."
The Martial Paragon descended slowly from the sky, offering Lillian a gentle, reassuring smile.
Then, his expression turned frigid. He reached out and made a grasping motion toward the void.
The Great Grandmaster instructor was plucked off the ground as if by an invisible hand and hauled up into the air before the Paragon.
"Martial Paragon, please, don't let her fool you! I'm a teacher here! This student is lawless! She insulted her teacher and even raised an illegal Void Beast to cause chaos here!"
Still failing to read the room, the instructor babbled his grievances with frantic energy.
"Do you think I am blind? I didn't save you because I wanted you to live. I saved you because letting you die that easily would fail to serve as a warning to the rest of humanity."
The Martial Paragon spoke calmly, his voice flat.
Those words made the instructor’s face twist in horror. He tried to speak, but an invisible force constricted his throat, rendering him mute.
Whish! Whish! Whish!
Suddenly, drawn by the massive energy signature of Noir’s transformation, powerful guardians from all over Terra began streaking across the sky from the distance.
The sight of such a colossal Void Beast left these Planetary Class powerhouses reeling.
"Quick! Surround it!!"
"Dammit, the other High Guardians are away reclaiming the territories of the four great races! Soone go get Guardian Aether!"
"Yes! Get Aether, hurry!!"
The Planetary Class experts shouted with grim determination, each releasing their power to form a massive containnt field, attempting to lock Noir within the area.
"ROAR!!"
Their aggressive stance imdiately provoked Noir.
"Noir, don't! Stop! It's okay now!"
Lillian’s voice cut through the tension just as Noir was about to lash out.
Though clearly reluctant, Noir obeyed. He cast a freezing, murderous glance at the Planetary Class experts in the sky.
BOOM!
Noir’s aura flared for a split second, and the energy field they were trying to construct shattered like glass.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The experts involved in the containnt staggered, several of them coughing up blood as their auras withered.
Terrified and assuming the beast was attacking, they scrambled to draw their weapons, preparing for a desperate battle.
Seeing these "ants" daring to point weapons at him again, Noir’s fury spiked. He prepared to wipe them out.
"Stand down!"
Just as Noir was about to explode, the Martial Paragon’s voice thundered into the ears of every Planetary Class expert. The voice was instantly recognizable.
They all whipped their heads toward the source of the sound, and their expressions shifted from terror to total shock.
"The Martial Paragon?!"
"It really is him! Wait... was this Void Beast brought back by him?"
"It has to be. How else could it have appeared on Terra so silently? If it had co on its own, the Supre Core would have flagged it ages ago!"
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