A grimace of pain distorted Cain's features, and he struggled to maintain his position in the sky. A gaping wound emerged on the right side of his chest, so profound that his ribs were exposed. The flesh surrounding the injury was charred, complicating the healing process.
Meanwhile, the Metal Flame Roc remained eerily silent, its wings flapping weakly. The once-luminous glow in its eyes had dimmed, and moments later, it started to plummet, seemingly devoid of strength. At first glance, the beast appeared unharmed, but upon closer inspection, a slender incision could be discerned on the upper part of its skull.
Cain's blade had successfully penetrated the skull of the King Beast, cleaving its brain in two, obliterating its soul dimension with a surge of dark force.
That was a strike utilizing every ounce of Cain's power. Not only did he push his body to the limit by triggering Third Gear, but he also unleashed his Astral Wave and Blood Energy to enhance his physical might. Furthermore, he set his Ego Wave ablaze to gain the power necessary to pierce the beast's skull.
Cain clenched his teeth to endure the pain, swiftly returning to the Metal Flame Roc and placing his hand over it, sending it to his [Devourer Dimension]. To any onlooker, it would appear that Cain simply stored the corpse in his space ring.
Although taking time to devour the entire body would have been more beneficial, Cain was pressed for time and opted to use the [Gluttony Module] that would constantly flood his body with energy and vitality without the need for active participation.
After handling this, Cain's body morphed into a mass of shadows, splashing onto the ground and vanishing from sight.
Those observing the battle from a distance or through supernatural methods were stunned as they lost sight of the young man. Some speculated whether they had been detected, but most concluded that Cain simply concealed himself due to the severity of his wounds.
A few powerhouses attempted to locate him, but finding him from their hidden positions proved impossible, and thus Cain vanished from everyone's sight.
Half an hour later, Cain emerged from the shadow of a tree nearly five hundred kilometers from where he fought the Metal Flame Roc. While his face was pale due to energy depletion, the wound on his chest was nearly healed already.
Although the wound was serious, it had not affected any vital organs, and the Radiance of Life was more than capable of healing it once Cain focused solely on it. As he sensed the state of his body, a small smile appeared on Cain's face.
'Good. After attaining the third level in the Biometal Herculean Technique, my body can endure Third Gear for a few seconds without suffering crippling backlash. As for the Sundering Concept, while powerful, I am still too weak to use it without drawbacks, so I will save it as a trump card.'
Sensing the state of his body, Cain sat down and began to recover, using a high-quality wave crystal to regenerate his Astral Wave while taking advantage of the energy and vitality that the [Gluttony Module] flooded his veins with to push his body back to its peak.
Simultaneously, Cain's Ego Wave silently flooded the surroundings, ensuring there was no one watching him. The main reason he vanished into a stream of shadows was to lose those who were observing him.
After an hour, Cain regained enough strength and, having made sure no one was watching, he made his way through the Cicada Forest, nearing the Azure State.
Although Cain couldn't use his full speed since he was concealing his aura, it took him less than a day to reach his destination and soon notice Krane.
The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed as he sensed a presence and turned to the left, only to see Cain less than one hundred meters away from him.
Krane had grown very powerful after his Evolution Core was healed and with his new Lineage, but he was still surprised to see that Cain had managed to conceal himself so well from his senses. Not to mention, he was certain that the young man wasn't really trying to hide from him.
"My Lord,"
Krane clasped his hands and performed a bow as he saw Cain, who nodded before looking into the distance, towards the Azure State.
"How confident are you in the fact that the intercontinental teleportation formation is inside the main castle?"
Krane didn't answer immediately and thought for a moment before coming up with an answer.
"An intercontinental teleportation formation is not easy to hide due to the energy waves it unleashes and the strong presence of the Space Law. I doubt there is another place in the entire Azure State where they could hide it, as I am sure they do not want anyone to know about it."
Cain nodded, agreeing with Krane. He stood silent for a few minutes before the final parts of his plan came to mind.
"You have surveilled the comings and goings of the Azure Royal Family from the State as I instructed, right?"
"Yes, my Lord. Every time they exited, it's registered. I have even used the Wood Law to keep track of their presence inside the Cicada Forest."
Cain couldn't help but look at Krane with surprise when he mentioned that. The Wood Law might not sound as impressive as the Fire Law or Lightning Law, but that was clearly the mentality of a novice when it came to the Essence Evolution Path of Power.
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There was no such thing as a weak Law, only cultivators who lacked imagination and the dexterity to use it well.
"Great. Tell me, is there an Early Wave King present in the Cicada Forest?"
Krane didn't know Cain's plan, but he didn't need to, and immediately provided an answer.
"Yes. Right now, there is an old man named Ocius Azure guiding a young girl into battle not very far from our location."
Cain nodded, and the duo immediately set off in the direction of the members of the Azure Royal Family.