241 The Situation Escalates

Frost and Fire blended with each other and formed a concentrated beam of light that surged towards Danilo's direction. Not having the time to react amidst his astonishment. Danilo unsheathed his sword and hurriedly placed it in front as the beam collided with his body in a great explosion that shook the entire Entertainment Block.

Fragments of rock, wood and dust flew towards the air in all directions. Fortunately, not any other soul was present or it would be impossible for them to escape unscathed. At the epicenter of this destruction stood Mathias whose expression revealed a comical one as he stared at the distance.

At the forefront of these destruction stood Danilo whose expression looked bedraggled and miserable. His brilliant armor that made him looked dashing was chipped and the blade of his sword was covered by a layer of frost and fire. His expression twisted into madness and anger as he dashed and shouted.

"How dare you deceive me, you old fucking bastard?!" He violently cursed as the Artifact on his feet burst into a greenish light that amplified his movement speed. Appearing right next to Mathias, his sword exploded into a brilliant light and supported by his cultivation base, he hacked at Mathias's torso.

Regardless of how powerful Danilo's strike was. Mathias remained composed and idle with a slight smirk on his face. Stretching his right hand towards Danilo's sword. His movement looked and felt suicidal but when Danilo's sword collided with Mathias's hands. Nothing fancy occurred. The Spiritual Energy embued within the attack just instantly dissipated into nothingness.

"Wha..." Danilo exclaimed out of shock but before he could retreat. Mathias stretched his other hand and smacked his face to the side. Sending his body flying towards the skies like a kite that lost its strings. Crashing harshly on the ground, Danilo's figure rolled like a ballfor a moment before stopping.

Wiping the blood on his lips, Danilo's pupils constricted. He couldn't understand how Mathias possessed such a dominating strength when they both had the same cultivation. Clenching his fists, he was unwilling. He was unwilling to be defeated just like this!

"Look at you, Danilo. You're supposed to be a righteous cultivator yet you're consumed by hatred. When cultivating such a righteous cultivation method, distractions are not permitted and the heart should remain clear..." Mathias crossed his arms together and casually said. His expression looked leisurely and nonchalant.

"Why... Just why... Just why and how did you become stronger than me..." Danilo's tone became filled with sorrow, resentment and envy. Ever since the Paradyne Academy came from the other continents and invaded his territory, everything turned into a downward spiral. He gradually lost control over his territory and in the end, the half a continent wide Empire of Eternal Faith became a small land on the continent.

Mathias sighed and felt sympathetic about Danilo's situation. It's not like he hated Danilo to the core that he didn't want to stay under the same skies as him. The truth was if not for the fact that the Headquarters from the other continent ordered him to establish a branch of the Paradyne Academy then Danilo's life wouldn't have become so miserable.

"Now that I think about it... Everything became worse from me ever since you came here along with the Paradyne Academy..." Danilo's voice turned murky and dark. One could feel the deep-seated resentment and anger that he forcefully suppressed within his heart, boiling at this moment.

Rage flashed through his face and his expression contorted as veins popped out from his temples. His shoulders intermittently trembled and his eyes sparkled with darkness comparable to the abyss. His cultivation base silently came to light, as Mathias who detected his actions stared at Danilo with astonishment.

"Old geezer, what the hell are you doing?!" Mathias blurted out of shock when he noticed the brilliant light of Danilo's cultivation method surging with power. Light distorted and wind screeched as a tempest gradually swept his figure and Danilo's.

"You.... You better not activate that Forbidden Technique, Danilo! Do you understand the consequences if you die?! Your Empire will lose a leader and it would just be a matter of time until the Headquarters orders me to take control of what you left!"

Mathias warned, his expression turned tense as the light from Danilo's body transformed into a searing heat. His body emanated a light comparable to a sun's supernova. It was visible even from the Core Disciples Region.

"It's your fault... Everything is your fault... Ever since you came here and brought the Paradyne Academy with you, my life has turned to shambles and everything was ruined. My territory, my direct descendants, you took them all. Even the most patient God has a bottom line, Mathias!"

Danilo madly roared, his clothes and his armor melted into molten due to the heat that his forbidden technique exuded. Even the lava flow from a volcano couldn't possibly melt a Heaven Grade Defensive Artifact yet the heat from Danilo's body alone melted it into a thick viscous liquid that resembled lava.

The Forbidden Technique of the Imperial Clan's cultivation method, the Final Brilliance of the Dying Sun enables a cultivator to ignite their life's remaining potential for a chance at their last stand. Witnessing Danilo's actions. Mathias asked once again.

"Foolish bastard! Hurry up and stop! You still have the chance! The Technique still hasn't reached your cultivation reservoir!" Unfortunately for Mathias, his voice fell into deaf ears as Danilo disregarded his advices and continued on rotating his cultivation base.

On both of his hand laid the prized treasure of the Imperial Clan, a Peak Heaven Grade Defensive Artifact. Staring at the Artifact, Danilo's crazed and reckless eyes turned mellow and soft, filled with incredible longing and regrets as he slowly mumbled towards it.

"You have done your best, Celline. Per your wishes, I shall strike at the Paradyne Academy using your soul as the catalyst, so that they may feel the despair, hopelessness and fear that they felt before your inevitable and untimely death..."

A single tear fell from Danilo's eye and as soon as it struck the blade, his cultivation base rotated faster than ever, its rotation comparable to a typhoon that desired nothing but utter destruction. Observing the typhoon from the outside, Mathias stood with a solemn expression on his face.

Even as a Peak Divine Ascendance Realm that had control over the Laws of the Heaven and Earth. There's no way that he could stop such a crazed attack from someone that had the same cultivation as him.

Taking a jadeslip from his Spatial Ring. Mathias crushed it within his palms and a crimson light flew towards the skies and exploded, forming into three words written in a domineering cursive style that instilled fear at those who stared at it.

[Full Emergency Alert!]

Back at the Core Disciples Region, every disciple and Elders who saw the words at the skies felt their blood run cold. Since the Imperial Clan has just recently invaded. They didn't expect that the situation would escalate that swiftly so they acted nonchalant and composed with their evacuations. After all, the Paradyne Academy was still one of the strongest force within the continent and not even the Emperor himself could easily damage their foundations.

"Hey... Isn't that the highest Emergency Alert that only the Headmaster himself could declare?" A Core Disciple that had a gist of what was going on within the upper echelons blurted out. Those that heard his words stared at him in fright.

"Nah, don't joke around, Senior Brother. The Imperial Clan has just invaded and our Elders just arrived here earlier with the Golden-Clawed Guards as captives, shouldn't we be winning the battle?" A Core Disciple replied to what he said and another disciple supported the latter's claims with a nod.

"Yeah, that's right. Maybe the Headmaster's hands just slipped and he inadvertently announced the alert by mistake, there's just no way that the situation would reach this point in such a swift manner..." He said with confidence, yet his slightly trembling knees gave out what he truly felt.

"Everyone, listen! Please don't panic! I have confirmed from the Headmaster himself that the Emergency Alert is indeed genuine. From now on, the Paradyne Academy will enter a state of complete lockdown as we employ various formations to protect us from the intruders!" A middle-aged man clad in the robes of the Elders announced with a dignified and solemn voice.

The disciples who heard his voice burst out into murmurs. One could feel the shaking within their tones as the middle-aged man continued, "Fear not, for the Paradyne Academy will definitely ensure the safety of each and every disciples. I just need you all to stay calm and follow the process as slowly and as surely as you can so that no one will suffer injuries!"

His voice rang loud and clear yet it failed to calm the anxiety of the disciples. Particularly those Inner and Outer Disciples who stared at him with worry and apprehension within their eyes. Opening their mouths, they wanted to say something but in the end, the closed their mouths and hung their heads low. Deciding not to speak for fear of provoking the higher authorities.

"Ermm..." A timid young man who looked to be at his fifteen years of age raised his hand. Among the Outer Disciples that hung their heads low. His actions of raising his head and hand garnered everyone's attention as the middle-aged Elder said.

"What's wrong? Do you have something to say? Speak now or be silenced! We don't have the time to engage in pointless talks!" The middle-aged man locked his eyebrows. His tone deep and commanding, yet the timid young man didn't back out either as the said in a low voice.

"Ermmm, Sire... May I ask about what will happen to the commoners within the Academy?" Though his voice sounded low, when it reached the ears of the Outer Disciples, all of them turned to look at him with gratefulness in their eyes.

"What do you mean by what will the Academy do to the commoners?" The middle-aged man had a gist of the timid young man's point but he didn't confirm it.

"Ermmm, If I'm right, that shining ball right there should be the reason why the Headmaster declared a state of highest Emergency, judging from the energy fluctuations and the heatwave alone, everyone could tell that it's something that even the Headmaster himself cannot possibly block..."

The timid young man replied in a courteous voice as he pointed towards the horizon.

"Then? What's your point?" The middle-aged Elder became impatient and asked.

"Ermmm. what I wanna ask is what will the Academy do to the commoners residing within the territory of the Academy? Once that thing explodes, there's no way that any Artifact at any tiers could save their lives. Perhaps, only the Grand Barrier of the Academy could save them... That's why this disciple is asking..."

The timid young man struck realization within the hearts of the disciples around him. And all of them turned to look at the middle-aged man as they shouted.

"Yeah, that's right, that's right! Our families lives within the territory of the Paradyne Academy, since they are in your hands, don't tell us that you guys won't do any actions to save their lives, right?" An Inner Disciple who stood at the top of the rankings said. His expression severe for his family also lived within the borders of the Paradyne Academy.

Witnessing their Senior Brother's actions, every disciple suddenly erupted into protest and in the end, since the middle-aged Elder didn't dare to answer their questions. They forcefully went out of the Core Disciples Region and rushed out to their families, intent on bringing them with them at the Core Disciples Region for protection.