Journey to Become the Zenith

The Path Beyond Mana

A few seconds later Anos, who could no longer feel his body, finally sensed something again.

At first, it was only faint awareness.

A distant pulse.

A strange warmth spreading through emptiness.

Then came sound.

Then breathing.

Then weight.

His consciousness slowly surfaced from the endless darkness like a drowning man clawing his way back toward the light. The white world around him gradually returned, blurry at first before sharpening into focus.

Anos tried opening his eyes and saw a smiling Azriel.

The vampire emperor stood casually a few steps away, his twin blades gone, his hands tucked inside the pockets of his black coat. His long black hair swayed gently despite the stillness of the empty white realm, while those crimson eyes looked at Anos with obvious amusement.

”Welcome back. So how was it?”

Hearing what Azriel said confused Anos.

For several seconds, his mind still felt sluggish. Fragments of the previous moment replayed inside his head.

The slash.

The distortion.

The feeling of space itself splitting apart.

And then...

Nothing.

Anos lowered his gaze toward his own body. His fingers slowly clenched and unclenched.

No wounds.

No pain.

Yet he still remembered the sensation of being cut apart down to the soul itself.

A slow breath escaped his lips.

”So I died...” Anos muttered quietly before lifting his head again. A grin slowly formed on his face despite himself. ”That was an amazing technique Azriel. I’m just confused how it was able to bypass my barrier. Also I’m quite interested with that thing that looks similar to mana.”

Azriel smirked faintly.

The expression on his face carried the pride of a warrior who knew exactly how monstrous he was.

”Well I guess, I could answer your questions.” He stretched his shoulders lazily before continuing. ”So first off, that was my ultimate technique, Heavens Destruction.”

The moment those words left his mouth, the surrounding white space trembled faintly as if the realm itself remembered the attack.

”It’s a technique that could slash through space and time. There is no possible way to avoid getting hit...”

Azriel paused midway before narrowing his eyes thoughtfully.

”Hmm, well I guess that’s a wrong statement. I bet the Original One has a few ways to evade that move. Even that lackey of the Universal Emperor was able to avoid it once, though I still don’t know how he did it.”

A dangerous smile appeared on his face.

”Whatever. Basically, my attack can bypass anything I want. Even if you’re hiding inside another dimension, I would still be able to cut you.”

Anos listened silently.

Some parts of Azriel’s explanation completely exceeded his understanding.

Space.

Time.

Different dimensions.

Those concepts sounded absurd even to someone like him.

Still, one thing became crystal clear.

His barriers had never truly mattered.

Azriel’s attack had ignored them entirely.

Anos let out a quiet laugh before rubbing the back of his neck.

”What a ridiculous technique...”

Yet instead of frustration, excitement burned inside his golden eyes.

The stronger Azriel appeared, the more exhilarated Anos felt.

Because it meant there was still a higher peak waiting for him.

Azriel noticed that expression and chuckled.

”As expected. Most people would despair after seeing that attack.”

”Most people aren’t me.”

”Hah! True enough.”

The two shared a grin filled with the same dangerous madness.

After a brief silence, Anos looked toward Azriel again.

”The answer to your other question?” Azriel continued casually. ”The thing you saw that was similar to mana is called Zenith Aura.”

The moment those words entered his ears, Anos instinctively focused harder.

Back during the battle, he had clearly sensed something different surrounding Azriel.

It wasn’t mana.

Yet somehow it felt equally terrifying.

”Back in my timeline,” Azriel continued, ”people called it Spiritualization. But over the years, the name changed countless times. Nowadays most people call it Zenith Aura.”

Anos lowered his gaze slightly.

Zenith Aura.

Just hearing the name made his instincts react.

A new source of power.

Another path beyond mana.

The mere possibility caused his heartbeat to quicken.

”Do I have that Zenith Aura as well?”

Azriel nodded immediately.

”Yes. Most people with martial arts training possess Zenith Aura naturally. They simply don’t know how to use it.”

That answer instantly caused dozens of thoughts to flash through Anos’ mind.

If such power truly existed within him already...

Then perhaps his limits were not as absolute as he originally believed.

Mana refinement had already reached the limit his current immature human body could endure.

But Zenith Aura...

Maybe that was different.

Maybe this was the path he needed.

His eyes sharpened immediately.

”Then can you teach it to me.”

The instant Anos asked that question, Azriel smiled.

It was the smile of someone who had completely expected those exact words.

”I told you Anos, no cheating.”

Anos clicked his tongue softly.

Azriel ignored him and continued speaking.

”In here, if you want to learn something, you either beat the opponent to gain all their techniques...” He pointed at himself lazily. ”Or you convince someone to teach you.”

Then his grin widened.

”Unfortunately for you, even if you ask me a thousand times, I will deny teaching you a thousand times.”

Anos raised a brow.

”And why is that?”

Azriel looked genuinely offended.

”Because I’m not really a good teacher.”

A short silence followed.

Then Azriel crossed his arms proudly.

”I tried teaching once before, but they all complained they couldn’t understand anything I said.”

The sheer confidence in his tone made Anos stare at him blankly for several seconds.

Then a helpless smile appeared on his face.

”...That sounds exactly like something that would happen.”

Azriel snorted.

”They were simply too stupid.”

”I’m starting to think the problem wasn’t them.”

”Hah!”

The vampire emperor burst into hearty laughter.

The sound echoed endlessly through the white world.

For a brief moment, the atmosphere lost all tension entirely.

Anos shook his head with amusement before speaking again.

”Okay, then how about calling the weakest incarnation that knows how to use Zenith Aura.”

The moment he said that, Azriel narrowed his crimson eyes slightly.

”An easy prey huh?”

Anos shrugged calmly.

”I was sure that you would ask for the strongest incarnation that knows Zenith Aura to teach you.”

Normally, Anos absolutely would have done exactly that.

Challenge the strongest.

Fight the most dangerous opponent.

Throw himself directly into overwhelming odds.

That had always been his nature.

But now...

Things were different.

Images unconsciously surfaced inside his mind.

Victor’s current life.

Videl.

Lane.

Skyla.

Clara.

Brinda.

The people waiting for him outside this endless soul realm.

Anos slowly exhaled.

”Normally I would do that,” he admitted quietly. ”But after everything that happened to me... I learned to be a little less reckless.”

For a moment, Azriel simply stared at him silently.

Then suddenly—

”Hahahahahaha!”

A loud booming laugh erupted from the vampire emperor.

He laughed so hard he nearly bent forward.

”An incarnation that’s not reckless?! That’s pretty much impossible!”

Azriel wiped the corner of his eye dramatically.

”You may try doing that now, but deep down...” His crimson eyes gleamed dangerously. ”You could never suppress that urge for battle.”

Anos slyly smiled at Azriel’s response.

”We shall see...”

The two stared at each other for several seconds.

Then Anos sighed lightly.

”Anyway, can you please call the person who will teach me Zenith Aura?”

Azriel shrugged casually.

”Fine.”

The next moment, his figure vanished instantly.

No sound.

No fluctuation.

He simply disappeared.

Anos stood alone within the endless white realm.

Silence returned once more.

He slowly looked down at his own hands.

Even now, fragments of that battle replayed endlessly inside his mind.

Azriel’s swordsmanship.

His movement.

His overwhelming presence.

The strange power surrounding him.

Compared to Azriel...

He was still far too weak.

Yet instead of discouragement, a burning anticipation rose inside his chest.

For the first time in a very long while, Anos genuinely felt like he had discovered a new world.

A path he never knew existed.

Several seconds later, space rippled softly nearby.

Azriel reappeared.

Beside him stood a bald monk wearing simple gray robes.

Unlike Azriel’s overwhelming and violent aura, the monk carried a strange calmness around him.

The moment he appeared, the surrounding white realm itself seemed quieter.

Still.

Peaceful.

His aged face carried neither arrogance nor hostility.

Only tranquility.

”This is Budha.”

The monk called Budha bowed his head acknowledging Anos.

His movements were slow and composed, yet Anos immediately sensed something profound hidden beneath that calm exterior.

The monk smiled gently.

”I have heard the situation from Azriel.”

Even his voice sounded peaceful.

No pressure.

No intimidation.

Yet somehow, Anos instinctively understood—

This man was dangerous.

Extremely dangerous.

Budha folded his hands calmly before continuing.

”What do you wish to do Anos, do you want to face me in battle to learn Zenith Aura, or do you want me to teach you?”