Chapter 450: The Strength He Had Hidden for Years

The Strength He Had Hidden for Years

The surrounding air began rushing toward its enormous jaws.

Dust.

Broken stones.

Weapons.

Even several cultivators were dragged toward it.

The beast intended to swallow everyone below.

A terrifying roar echoed across the battlefield.

"Impudent!"

Mike's voice exploded like thunder.

He stepped forward.

His robes whipped violently in the raging wind.

The Celestis Restoration Art instantly activated.

Boom!

The world seemed to freeze.

Mist spread across the battlefield.

The air itself began condensing.

Mana gathered around Mike's body with frightening speed.

The Celestis Restoration Art transformed the surrounding space into his domain.

Within that powerful domain, the Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast's divine power immediately began to weaken.

Its enormous jaws remained open.

Yet the terrifying suction force vanished.

The beast's eyes widened.

For the first time since awakening, confusion appeared within them.

What was this?

Why had its power suddenly stopped working?

Mike didn't give it time to think.

His gaze became colder.

He stepped forward.

The earth beneath his feet cracked.

The Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast roared.

"Roar!"

Its voice shook the heavens.

The beast swung one enormous claw toward Mike.

The attack was terrifying.

The claw descended like a mountain collapsing from the sky.

The wind alone created a shockwave.

Countless people below were forced backward.

But Mike didn't retreat.

Not even half a step.

His expression remained calm.

He slowly raised his hand.

A sword appeared within his grasp.

The weapon wasn't particularly large.

It didn't need to be.

Mike held it loosely.

Then he swung.

There was no unnecessary movement.

No wasted strength.

Only one clean slash.

Shing!

A brilliant sword light flashed across the battlefield.

The enormous claw was split apart.

Blood exploded into the sky.

The Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast's roar changed instantly.

One of its legs had been severed.

The enormous beast stumbled backward.

Its massive body slammed into a distant mountain.

Boom!

The mountain collapsed beneath its weight.

For a moment, the entire battlefield became silent.

Everyone stared at Mike.

No one spoke.

Even the flames seemed quieter.

Then someone finally whispered.

"Hiss… pinnacle Realm?"

The words spread through the battlefield.

Shock appeared on countless faces.

Only now did everyone truly understand.

Mike had broken through.

He had entered the pinnacle Realm.

The realization struck everyone like lightning.

Even Elder Smith, who stood behind him, stared at Mike in surprise.

For a moment, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

He had known Mike was powerful.

But he had never expected him to reach such a terrifying height.

The battlefield remained frozen for several breaths.

Then the Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast roared again.

Its remaining three limbs slammed into the ground.

It forced itself upright.

Blood poured from the severed limb.

Its enormous eyes locked onto Mike.

The beast was furious.

After sleeping for countless years, it had awakened expecting to devour everything before it.

Instead, its first opponent had cut off one of its legs with a single strike.

The Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast froze.

For a moment, it simply stared at the severed limb lying on the ground.

It couldn't accept it.

How could this happen?

It had dominated this battlefield for so long. It had crushed countless opponents beneath its claws and swallowed cultivators as though they were nothing more than food.

Yet one of its legs had been cut off in a single strike.

A furious roar shook the mountains.

The surrounding flames suddenly surged.

Fire erupted around the enormous body of the Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast. The temperature rose sharply, forcing the nearby cultivators to retreat.

The beast opened its enormous mouth again.

But this time, it wasn't trying to swallow the cultivators.

It was gathering power.

A strange black glow slowly appeared inside its throat.

At first, it was only a tiny point of darkness.

Then it began to grow.

The surrounding Mana twisted violently toward it.

Wind screamed across the battlefield.

Loose stones rose from the ground and were dragged toward the beast.

Even the flames around it began bending inward.

The sky seemed to darken.

Several experts immediately realized that something was wrong.

"Retreat!"

Someone shouted.

"Get away from it!"

Nobody needed to be told twice.

The cultivators began pulling back.

Whatever the beast was preparing, none of them wanted to be caught in it.

Mike, however, remained where he was.

He slowly raised his sword.

His grey hair moved wildly in the hot wind.

His black eyes were calm.

There was no fear in them.

Only determination.

The battle had already continued for one and a half days.

Nobody knew how many people had fallen during that time.

Nobody knew how much blood had been spilled beneath those burning mountains.

But now, the battle had entered another terrifying stage.

The atmosphere became heavier.

Even breathing seemed difficult.

The Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast continued gathering power.

The black glow inside its mouth grew brighter and brighter.

Mike tightened his grip around his sword.

His expression didn't change.

Then—

A strange pressure spread from his body.

It wasn't loud.

It wasn't flashy.

But every powerful cultivator nearby felt it.

Their expressions changed.

Something was different about Mike.

Something that had been hidden for a very long time.

In fact, Mike had long ago advanced to the Pinnacle Realm.

He had simply been suppressing his cultivation.

For years, he had deliberately hidden the true depth of his strength.

He had allowed others to see only the calm and unassuming side of him.

Even those closest to him had rarely witnessed him reveal his true cultivation.

It wasn't because Mike was afraid of anyone.

He simply hadn't felt the need to show it.

There had been no reason.

He had never cared about proving himself to others.

As long as he could quietly cultivate and continue walking his own path, that was enough.

But the opening of the tomb had changed everything.

The world outside had been thrown into chaos.

Powerful cultivators had appeared one after another.

Ancient forces had begun moving.

Countless people were fighting for opportunities hidden inside the tomb.

Yet Mike had never left the Academy Premises.

While the outside world descended into madness, he had remained in seclusion.

He had focused on tempering his Principle Heart.

Day after day.

Month after month.

He had quietly endured the loneliness of cultivation.

There had been no applause.

No spectators.

No one cheering him on.

Only silence.

Only himself.

And his sword.

During that period, his cultivation had continued to grow.

More importantly, his Principle Heart had become calmer.

His understanding of the world had deepened.

Things that had once seemed complicated gradually became simple.

Things that had once disturbed his heart could no longer shake him so easily.

Years of silence had changed him.

Years of restraint had sharpened him.

And now, that suppressed power was finally being released.

Mike stood beneath the burning sky of the Sky Breaker Academy.

His grey hair fluttered behind him.

His clothes snapped in the scorching wind.

His black eyes were cold and steady.

There was no hesitation in them.

No panic.

No uncertainty.

Only a quiet resolve.

The surrounding cultivators could feel the change.

Some looked at Mike with disbelief.

Others instinctively took another step back.

They had known Mike for years.

They had seen him before.

They had fought beside him.

They had spoken to him.

Yet at this moment, he seemed like an entirely different person.

The calm man they remembered was still there.

But beneath that calm was something terrifying.

A power that had been buried for years.

The Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast finally finished gathering its strength.

The black light inside its throat became almost blinding.

A terrible pressure descended upon the battlefield.

The beast roared.

The sound shook the heavens.

Mike slowly lifted his sword.

He didn't say anything.

He didn't need to.

His eyes remained fixed on the enormous beast before him.

Then he moved.

There was no complicated technique.

No unnecessary movement.

Just one step.

One swing.

One slash.

The sword moved through the air.

Simple.

Clean.

Direct.

For a heartbeat, the entire battlefield fell silent.

Then—

Slash!

A brilliant sword light tore through the darkness.

It crossed the distance between Mike and the beast almost instantly.

The Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast's pupils shrank.

It tried to react.

It was too late.

The sword light passed through its enormous body.

One of its massive legs was severed cleanly.

Blood exploded from the wound. ℯℯ𝑙.

The enormous limb crashed onto the ground with a thunderous impact.

Boom!

The earth shook.

Dust and flames were thrown into the air.

The Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast staggered.

Its gigantic body nearly collapsed beneath its own weight.

The black glow inside its throat flickered violently.

The surrounding experts stared in stunned silence.

Nobody spoke.

Nobody moved.

They had all seen what happened.

One strike.

That was all it took.

Mike had cut off one of the enormous legs of the Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast with a single slash.

The beast that had dominated the battlefield only moments ago was suddenly forced onto its remaining limbs.

Blood continued pouring from the wound.

Its roar echoed through the burning mountains.

But this time, there was something different in that roar.

Anger.

Pain.

And, for the first time—

Fear.

The surrounding cultivators slowly turned toward Mike.

Their eyes were filled with disbelief.

Some couldn't even hide the shock on their faces.

"How..."

One cultivator swallowed hard.

"How can he be this strong?"

Nobody answered.

Because nobody knew.

Mike simply stood there.

His sword remained in his hand.

His grey hair danced in the wind.

His expression was still calm.

Years of hiding his strength had finally come to an end.

The power he had suppressed for so long was no longer hidden.

He looked toward the wounded Gluttony Wolf Guardian Beast.

His black eyes remained cold.

The beast had lost one leg.

But the battle was far from over.

The black energy inside its mouth was still gathering.

Mike's grip tightened around his sword.

His gaze became sharper.

"Damn it!"