Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2881: Broken

Before leaving Terra City, there was one final matter Emery needed to address.

He descended deep beneath the palace, moving through the silent underground halls until he arrived at a chamber that had remained largely untouched for the past two decades. At the center of the chamber stood a massive structure built from black alloy and layered runic formations.

The artificial waypoint.

The device had once served as a secondary connection to the Khaos Gate.

Emery stood before it quietly.

During his breakthrough on the Astiel planet, Emery had sensed that the fractured surface of the Khaos Gate had begun slowly repairing itself. Over the last two years, he had occasionally returned to check on the gate, hoping that the connection might one day be restored. This time, he planned to use the artificial waypoint to assist his attempt to reestablish the link.

With his second cosmos layer partially recovered, he had hope that the effort might finally succeed.

Emery approached the artificial waypoint and sat down in a lotus position before it.

Slowly, he began channeling his Khaos energy into the structure.

Dark energy flowed from his body and seeped into the layered formations carved into the metallic ring. The runes flickered faintly as the system attempted to respond.

For a brief moment, the gateway trembled.

A faint ripple appeared within the center of the ring.

Then—

Nothing.

The energy faded.

The chamber fell silent once more.

Emery frowned slightly before shifting his consciousness inward and entering his inner domain.

Within that vast mental landscape, the three ancient guardians remained present as always.

The colossal dragons—Dargotoh, Chututlu, and Killgragah.

”What happened?” Emery asked them. ”What is missing?”

For a long moment, none of them answered.

Eventually, Daurgotoh spoke first.

The skeletal dragon speculated that the Khaos Gate might have exhausted most of its remaining energy when it had helped Emery escape from the Leviathan’s stomach.

Chututlu, however, disagreed.

The swamp dragon argued that the problem was far simpler. In his view, Emery had not yet fully recovered from the internal damage caused by the fracture of his second cosmos layer. Until his cultivation returned completely to its original state, the gateway might remain unstable.

Meanwhile, Killgragah maintained his usual stance.

According to the fire dragon, the root of the problem was still Emery’s Dao of Balance. The coexistence of opposing forces within his inner world must be interfering with the gate’s ability to function properly.

Each dragon had a different explanation.

None offered a clear solution.

Emery spent several more hours attempting to force the connection.

Every attempt failed.

Eventually, he released a quiet sigh and rose to his feet.

For now, the matter would have to wait.

When he exited the underground chamber, someone was already waiting in the hallway.

His newly assigned bodyguard.

Without the white mask covering his face, the hybrid grand magus known as Typhon appeared far less human. Two short horns curved from his forehead, while faint ash-gray scales spread across parts of his face and neck. His facial structure carried subtle draconic traits, particularly around the jaw and eyes.

It was a clear example of the difference between halfbloods and hybrids.

Halfbloods were humans who carried the bloodline of beasts.

Hybrids, on the other hand, were beasts who had undergone a metamorphosis into a humanoid form.

Although Emery had never discriminated against hybrids or cared about their appearance, Typhon seemed to prefer wearing his mask whenever they were in public. According to him, concealing his identity prevented unnecessary attention and complications.

As Emery approached, he paused briefly.

”Do you have to follow me everywhere,” he asked, ”or would you be willing to stay here and guard the city?”

Typhon shrugged casually.

”No, Grand Uncle,” he replied. ”I cannot do that.”

He leaned against the wall as he continued.

”The Beast Union does not care about your faction. They only care about your safety. My task is to remain within your vicinity at all times.”

Emery had asked partly because he believed Terra City might benefit more from Typhon’s presence than he would personally.

After all, Emery was confident in his own ability to survive most situations. Unless he was trapped by several three-cosmos enemies simultaneously, escaping danger was rarely a problem for him.

But after witnessing the fights earlier, Emery could not help thinking Terra City might require stronger protection.

Before departing, he reminded Rosia to increase the city’s security and not hesitate to request reinforcements from either the Karat faction or Zodiac City if necessary.

Only then did he board his old Nova-starship waiting in Terra’s orbital dock.

With Typhon accompanying him, the vessel departed the planet and began its journey toward the Alpha Quadrant.

The trip would take roughly three days.

During the flight, Emery decided to log into the Virtual Palace, reasoning that the travel time provided an ideal opportunity to continue training. Conveniently, Typhon also possessed access to the palace network.

When Emery materialized within the virtual realm, his first thought was to return to the Beast Emperor’s chamber and use the second entry he had earned after completing the first stage of the inheritance.

However, the three-day journey created a small problem.

The chamber required a seven-day training cycle, and beginning such training now might interrupt the session halfway through the trip.

As Emery considered his options, Typhon suddenly interrupted him.

”Grand Uncle,” the hybrid said casually, ”I recommend a spar between us”

He stretched his shoulders as though eager for the fight.

”Understanding each other’s strength will be useful when we face future threats.”

Emery considered the suggestion briefly before nodding.

The Virtual Palace was indeed an ideal place for combat training. Within its simulated environment, cultivators could fight at full strength without worrying about destroying real landscapes or harming bystanders.

The two of them soon entered one of the available arenas.

Standing opposite Typhon across the vast training field, Emery felt a rare sense of excitement.

After all, his opponent was a three-cosmos grand magus, a strong enough opponent to test his newly gain strength.

Emery activated his Twilight Transformation, dark energy flowing across his body as Excalibur appeared in his hand.

Yet to his surprise, Typhon suddenly showed a different expression.

All of his previously polite and respectful demeanor vanished.

”Hehe... Inside this arena.. i can say and do whatever I want.” Typhon muttered, cracking his neck.

Emery blinked in confusion.

The change in personality was so sudden that it felt almost surreal.

Typhon lowered his body into a combat stance, claws gleaming with violent energy while a predatory grin spread across his face.

”You tried to leave me in that tiny city, didn’t you?” he said.

”...”

”You thought you were stronger than me and didn’t need me, didn’t you? What an arrogant #%&#.”

Emery stared at him for a moment before muttering quietly,

”...Hybrids and their personalities. Are they all crazy?”

Typhon had already moved.

Flaming claws erupted forward as he launched himself across the arena like a blazing comet.

Emery raised Excalibur just in time to block the first strike.

BAAMM!!

The clash that followed was explosive.

Within seconds the arena filled with a storm of blades and claws.

Less than half a dozen exchanges passed before Emery realized the terrifying truth.

Typhon was overwhelming him.

Each strike carried monstrous power, forcing Emery backward step by step until he was eventually cornered.

BAM! BAM! BAM!

Three consecutive blows struck his body and Emery was thrown backward across the arena.

When he regained his footing, disbelief lingered on his face.

”What stage are you at on the Cosmic Bridge?” he asked.

Typhon answered casually.

”Me?”

He stretched his claws.

”I’m at level seven.”

Emery froze.

He himself had not even passed level five yet.

At that moment, he finally realized that The hybrid standing before him was not merely a bodyguard.

He was also a Beast Union genius.

The battle continued, and with every clash Emery found himself struggling to keep up.

Through his divine sense, he quickly realized that Typhon was wearing a special artifact covering his claws—a tier-7 weapon designed to reinforce his strikes. The artifact allowed the hybrid to block and parry Emery’s tier-7 sword directly, making Typhon’s martial prowess extremely formidable.

In terms of speed, Emery initially believed he would hold the advantage. His battlefield domain limited Typhon’s movements and should have allowed him to control the tempo of the fight. Yet the hybrid quickly adapted. At several moments during the exchange, Typhon’s body suddenly dissolved into a grey mist-like cloud, slipping out of Emery’s restraints before reforming again a short distance away.

Each time he reappeared, he launched another relentless sequence of attacks.

Forced onto the defensive, Emery unleashed his newly empowered Twilight vines, the dark tendrils erupting around him and forming a protective sphere. For a brief moment the barrier held, granting him precious seconds to stabilize his footing.

But the advantage did not last.

To Emery’s shock, Typhon once again dissolved into that strange mist-like form and flowed directly through the vines, entering the protective sphere as though the barrier barely existed.

Realizing he could not continue fighting defensively, Emery resorted to his last option.

He activated a partial primal transformation, pushing his battle power to its maximum safe limit.

Dark energy surged across his body as his aura exploded outward.

Typhon, however, remained completely calm.

Rather than continuing to rely on his mist transformation, the hybrid’s body suddenly expanded and shifted, revealing his true nature. The humanoid form collapsed and reshaped itself into the powerful figure of a Qilin beast, its scaled body radiating ancient and majestic power.

In this form, Typhon’s movements became even more terrifying.

The Qilin moved with fluid grace, its footwork combining beast instincts with refined martial technique. Each step flowed seamlessly into the next, allowing him to evade Emery’s attacks while launching counterstrikes with terrifying precision.

Emery attempted to turn the tide by unleashing his newly mastered technique.

Star-Rending Cleave.

The three devastating strikes tore across the arena with overwhelming force.

Yet none of them struck their target.

Typhon simply moved through the battlefield like a living storm, slipping past each attack with impossible precision.

Moments later, the battle ended.

Emery stood in the arena, breathing heavily.

Defeated.

Once the battle ended, Typhon immediately returned to his previous polite demeanor.

”My apologies, Grand Uncle,” he said with an awkward smile. ”I tend to go a bit... overboard during a fight.”

He scratched the back of his head before adding,

”As you can see, I’m not particularly strong. But in life-threatening situations, my abilities should at least help you escape safely.”

Hearing those words immediately after his defeat only made Emery feel even more defeated.

The loss felt like a slap across the face—a brutal reminder of the gap that still existed between him and the truly powerful cultivators of the higher realms.

Typhon was only at the second layer of the Third Cosmos Realm.

If Emery could not defeat Typhon...

Then defeating the Sky Lord would be nearly impossible.