The middle-aged man radiated immense confidence. The moment he finished speaking, a sharp killing intent locked onto John Lopez. His piercing eyes alone exuded a terrifying aura.
At least, it was intimidating to the people of the Cinnabar Sect.
After all, this middle-aged man had reached the Golden Crystal Realm—an incredibly powerful stage of cultivation that could dominate most opponents.
But John Lopez remained calm, even smiling faintly. "I'm not afraid of a veteran at the consummation of the Golden Crystal Realm," he said. "Let alone someone like you, who's only in the early stage."
"Arrogant!"
"Ignorant!"
Those were the immediate reactions of the crowd.
Since the closure of the Circle Mountain, the consummation of the Golden Crystal Realm was widely recognized as the pinnacle of current cultivation. Claiming not to fear even that level sounded like pure fantasy.
Was John Lopez just clueless, or delusional?
The middle-aged man sneered. "I've heard that sorcerers are lawless, acting as they please. Now I see it for myself—you people truly live up to the name."
To most, sorcerers were madmen, crazed by power. No wonder this one dared to utter such reckless words.
John Lopez didn't bother explaining. "Since you insist I'm a sorcerer, then so be it."
He stepped forward and charged directly at the middle-aged man—bare-handed, without even drawing Excalibur.
"You're digging your own grave!"
The man snorted and raised his arms. Vital energy surged from his body as he struck back with overwhelming force.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fists collided in mid-air, leaving behind hundreds—if not thousands—of afterimages. The space itself trembled and buzzed violently under the shockwaves.
The middle-aged man's expression darkened.
Nancy Loop, once again, was left stunned.
This "sorcerer" was fighting toe-to-toe with a Golden Crystal Realm cultivator... and holding his own! It was almost as if the stronger his opponent, the stronger John Lopez became.
"The sorcerer is doomed! The gods will strike you down!"
The man roared, channeling all his vital energy into one decisive punch. He unleashed a martial art he had mastered over the years—aimed straight at John Lopez.
John laughed coldly. "Sorcerers may be doomed, but you are not the god. Today, you die!"
BOOM! BOOM!
Suddenly, the same eerie phenomenon occurred again—vital energy began to pour from the middle-aged man into John Lopez.
Everyone gasped in horror.
It had been shocking enough when John devoured Gavin Wenson's energy at the Foundation Establishment stage. But now—he was draining a Golden Crystal Realm cultivator?
That wasn't just surprising—it was terrifying.
There was a massive difference between Foundation Establishment and Golden Crystal. And yet, John Lopez's strange power was overwhelming even that gap.
"No! NO!"
The middle-aged man howled in disbelief, his face twisting with rage as he tried to pull away. But even as he staggered back, the life force inside him continued to flow toward John.
It was as if an invisible bridge of energy, over ten meters long, connected them.
"You damned sorcerer!" he cursed, trembling with desperation.
But it was useless.
Then, to everyone's horror, something even more dreadful happened: his Golden Crystal—the very core of his cultivation—was drawn from his body and began to drift toward John Lopez.
Gasps echoed around the battlefield.
Devouring a Golden Crystal!
That was no longer just draining vital energy. That was tearing out the essence of a cultivator's power—unforgivably savage, inhuman.
What kind of demonic technique was this?
Just then, as John's nameless divine skill continued to absorb the crystal, a flash of white light burst from his right palm.
The Lucky Mirror!
To John's surprise, the Lucky Mirror reached out and snatched the Golden Crystal for itself, swallowing it instantly.
He stood there, stunned.
His divine skill and the enchanted weapon had fought over the same thing?
That was beyond bizarre.
Still, despite the confusion, excitement swelled within him. Something unexpected had happened—something incredible.
When John first obtained the Lucky Mirror, it had four energy circles on its edges, all dim and inactive. Now, after consuming a Golden Crystal, one of those circles had lit up.
That meant the Lucky Mirror could absorb Golden Crystals to activate its abilities.
And once all four energy circles were lit, it could unleash a devouring strike once more—a powerful, life-saving trump card.
How could John not be thrilled?
His eyes burned with joy.
In stark contrast, Young Master Feather, Nancy Loop, and the others stood frozen like statues. Their eyes were wide, mouths agape, unable to process what they'd just seen.
It was...
Unbelievable.
On one hand, John Lopez had absorbed a Golden Crystal cultivator's essence without hesitation.
On the other, that strange white light had just emerged from the mirror.
What's more—hidden within that white light was a trace of sword spirit. Though faint, its presence was unmistakable.
That trace alone was enough to make even veteran cultivators tremble.
What shocked them most was the purity of that sword spirit—it was refined, honed by someone who had immersed themselves in swordsmanship for countless years.
A pure sword cultivator.
The kind that all decent sects revered.
But wait...
Wasn't John Lopez a sorcerer?
Didn't he practice demonic techniques?
How could he emit such a sacred, refined sword aura?
Could the two paths—demonic arts and sword cultivation—coexist?
The scene before them shattered all their preconceived notions.
For the first time, even Nancy Loop couldn't tell whether John Lopez was truly a sorcerer or a legitimate sword cultivator.