The Legendary Mage (Alavin)

The torrential river of blood surged forward, roaring over the wilderness, forcefully advancing three thousand meters.

Lord Viperbane, in a fury of strikes, tore through the swathes of blood mist but was still forced back step by step until, at last, the blood dissipated. He finally managed to stop. Looking disheveled and panting heavily, he stood defiantly in mid-air, glaring at the distant horizon. "Stop messing with me, old man!"

"An old man, yet I've pushed you back three thousand meters. Where do you find the audacity to claim kingship?"

"Insolence! Do you think I fear you?!" Lord Viperbane bellowed in rage. The audacity of being publicly humiliated boiled within him.

"I indeed believe so, care to test me again?" Jarad scoffed. His eyes suddenly narrowed into predatory slits, sinister and evil. In an instant, a fierce wind howled, whipping his hair and clothes wildly, as the scent of blood returned, carried by the wind sweeping across the vast wilderness. Many hidden warriors felt their blood course violently as if threatening to burst from their bodies.

Lord Viperbane braced for battle, with a stern expression on his face. His fists creaked as he clenched them tight, and his cold gaze locked on Jarad.

From three thousand meters away, Jarad stood in cold confrontation, his vertical pupils seeming to house thunderclouds in turmoil, his killing intent palpable. His aura continued to rise, burning like flames, warping the space around him, while the clouds above once again churned, turning into swathes of blood red, enveloping the evening sky like a vast crimson river, and threatening to drown the world.

The stunning scene and terrifying divine might made all bear witness anew to the formidable power of the Bloodlore Commander.

"Archmage... Stage VIII..." Lord Viperbane's face twisted into an ugly grimace. Had that old curmudgeon broken through again?

Even the Commander of Cobalt Strike stood aghast, his face blanching. Was that the energy of Archmage Stage VIII? Was Jarad now on par with the realm of the Stellar Precepts Commander? When had the breakthrough occurred, and why was there no forewarning?

Tobin lurked in the shadows, and his teeth clenched as he whispered venomously, "Damnation, he's targeted Lord Viperbane right upon arrival. Could he be after the Kings' Acceptance?"

In the blink of an eye, high above, Jarad suddenly transformed into five blood-red afterimages, shooting toward five different directions.

Color drained from everyone's face. Lord Viperbane, the Grand Elder, the Floral Enchantress Commander, the Cobalt Strike Commander, and even the whispering Tobin all braced themselves, tense and alert, none understanding Jarad's true purpose for being there.

Whoosh!

The five afterimages split and reformed, converging deep in the wilderness at the very location where Tobin hid.

"Commander Jarad..." Tobin's pupils contracted, his heart skipping a beat in terror.

"Do you think you can meddle in the affairs of the Eight Orders and the Five Lords, you mangy cur? Begone!" Jarad's hand struck Tobin's face with a sudden, fierce, and savage blow.

With a sickening crunch, Tobin's head snapped around. His right cheek looked like a mangled mess of flesh and bone, and his teeth, mixed with blood, splattered in the air. His gaunt body was hurled from the ground, whirling through the air like a leaf caught in a tempest, spinning with alarming speed. Jarad's wrathful slap had nearly shattered Tobin's skull, and the tremendous force carried him screaming across the desolate wilderness.

"Halt!" Lord Viperbane bellowed in rage, his feet pounding the void as he lunged toward Jarad.

"Save me!" Tumbling through the air, Tobin managed to rouse himself, calling out in desperation. As an Archmage, he unleashed his energy in a furious cascade, regaining control over his body, his plea for help piercing the air. But just as Tobin halted and cried out, his body froze in place, his heart pounded, and he spun around abruptly.

Jarad was right behind him, hair flowing, vertical pupils gleaming with a demonic light, an aura of malevolence about him. In the moment of Tobin's horrified turn, Jarad's fist exploded forward, a direct hit to Tobin's head. Enveloped in a whirl of bloody energy, the fist drilled into Tobin's skull with the ferocity of a terrifying auger, solidly pulverizing his head.