The Last Primal

Ward Atrez explained, "You are already extremely proficient in your first four stances. However, there is still some sluggishness in your transition between gentleness and toughness while changing stances."

"While ordinary martial artists are almost blind to these openings, you will be in danger of dying if you meet with people who are truly impressive!"

Suddenly, Aiden was enlightened.

Indeed, he had experienced slight sluggishness while he was practicing his sword techniques earlier on.

However, when he battled on the ancient battlefield against the paragons of all the worldly sects, nobody noticed those openings. As such, Aiden did not pay much attention to it.

He had not expected that his openings would be so fatal when they were exposed to true experts!

Aiden was immensely grateful.

He had not thought that Ward Atrez would impart to him the Dark Blade Manual so easily without hesitation.

"Senior, I'll demonstrate the Void Splitting Manual's strikes once and describe to you the details of it,"

Aiden's thought process was simple – he wanted to impart the Void Splitting Manual to Ward Atrez as well as a form of exchange.

"There's no need."

Ward Atrez waved it off indifferently. "I've already begun to formulate my own unique technique. In my eyes, the Void Splitting Manual is no big deal!"

There was a hint of arrogance in Ward Atrez's tone.

He was firmly convinced that he would definitely be an emperor in the future with accomplishments above the Sword Emperor!

Aiden did not press on further and took the Dark Blade Manual. When he saw the second ancient manual, he could not help but frown. "Asura sword?"

The other secret skill was Asura Sect's secret skill, Asura sword!

"This…"

Aiden was confused.

By doing this, did it mean that Ward Atrez wanted him to join Asura Sect?

Aiden hesitated for a moment before returning Asura sword. "I haven't thought about leaving Azure Myst Sect before. Senior, please take the Asura sword back."

Ward Atrez glared at him but did not take it back.

"Even if you don't join Asura Sect, you can take this sword manual to grow."

"Is this… appropriate?"

Aiden frowned.

Usually, one would be severely punished and might even be killed if they imparted the secret skills of a sect!

"You're telling me that even though I dare to impart it to you, you don't dare to learn it?" Ward Atrez sneered.

Aiden was silent.

In this forsaken world, he had truly created quite a bit of trouble and there was nothing he wouldn't dare to learn.

Furthermore, it wasn't as though Aiden hadn't trained techniques that were considered evil before. To him, only its user could have evil intentions, a technique by itself is just a form to utilize power.

At that thought, Aiden accepted both the ancient manuals.

After pondering silently for a moment, he recalled something and asked, "Asura Sect is located in the Middle Continent. Senior, were you able to arrive in time because Senior Sia Dewa sent you a message?"

Ward Atrez and looked at Aiden with a strange stare. "To think that this generation's Holy Maiden of the demonic sects would have chosen you as her mate."

This was the second time that Aiden had heard of the term.

The first time was under the Ancient One's Palace when Holy Maiden Sylvie Dewa confessed to it after being questioned by the Sealer of the Illusion Fiend Cult.

"What's the meaning of being the mate of the Pure Maiden Sect?" Aiden could not help but ask.

Ward Atrez did not reply. He remained silent for a while as if pondering on something…

When Aiden saw that, he suppressed the curiosity in his heart for now. He thought for a moment and asked again, "Why are all the sects, martial artists and even mortals seem to be afraid of any survivors from the ancient races?"

"That cautiousness stems from a catastrophe that happened 10,000 years ago," Ward Atrez replied indifferently.

——

"10,000 years ago, there was an overlord in the North Region of Tianhuang Mainland and that was the Draxian Holy Empire. Its territories were vast and it was extremely powerful. Unfortunately, the center of the Draxian Holy Empire, its glorious capital, was turned into ruins overnight!"

Ward Atrez continued, "Not only that, the two sects that resided in the territory of the Draxian Holy Empire and supported it were annihilated! 10,000 years ago, there were twelve on the list of the powerful sects ranking, not the current ten."

"Ah!"

Aiden was shocked and exclaimed softly.

There were eight Buddhist monasteries 10,000 years ago!

A single catastrophe had not only turned an empire into ruins, it even destroyed two super sects of Tianhuang Mainland!

He could not help but ask, "What sort of a catastrophe was it? Did it have something to do with the ancient races?"

"Well…"

Ward Atrez shook his head. "The cause of it was indeed one of the Primordial Ancient Races, the dragon race!"

Aiden's mouth opened gradually in a slight daze.

The dragon race!

He had quite a bit of a feud with the dragon race as well. Whilst not being one of them originally he gained their blood and essence from multiple sources now. Something he was certain would mark him as a mortal enemy of them.

Ward Atrez continued, "There were many rumors to why the catastrophe happened. However, the conclusion was that… a certain elder dragon amongst them was utterly enraged."

"A dragon elder?"

Aiden frowned slightly and he thought about the endless white bones he saw back in the ancient-looking ruins. There was also a long sea of bones and a towering dragon carcass.

"Their home was called The Dragon Bone Valley. It is one of the nine forbidden grounds of world." Ward Atrez explained.

"Indeed!"

Aiden felt a sense of trepidation as he recalled his encounter with those white bones back then.

Suddenly, he recalled something that Ward Atrez said earlier and could not help but question in shock and disbelief, "It was all because of a dragon?"

A single dragon was enough to bring the Draxian Holy Empire and two super sects to ruins, changing the state of this world's North Region entirely? Even more… it all happened during one night?!"

"That's right."

Ward Atrez nodded. "An ancestral level divine dragon."

As though he could tell that Aiden did not understand the concept of an ancestral level divine dragon, Ward Atrez added, "His combat strength can match the Ancient One!"

Aiden was stunned.

A moment later, Aiden composed himself and continued asking, "How many Ancestral Dragons are there in the dragon race?"

"No one knows,"

Ward Atrez replied, "However, the Ancestral Dragons are not the strongest of the dragon race. The dragon race also has a Dragon Emperor whose power is far beyond the Ancestral Dragons!"

Suddenly, Aiden felt like he was being suffocated and was in immense pressure.

If an Ancestral Dragon could fight against the Ancient One, who in the world could stop a Dragon Emperor if it was born?

Ward Atrez continued, "The Primordial Ancient Races are innately strong from birth and can wipe out almost everyone else at the same power realm! Throughout history, there has been countless emperors but among them, there are less than ten emperors of the modern races who can go against the emperors of the Primordial Ancient Races!"

Aiden remained silent.

That was the difference between them. A vast one.

These people were born weak and fragile and that was a fact that couldn't be changed.

The experts of the Primordial Ancient Races are already able to fight against emperors of their race when they were at the ancestral level; they did not even have to be emperors themselves!

After a brief pause, Ward Atrez said, "The reason why we were able to win the ancient war was because of the emergence of the Ancient One. He was a supreme being who shocked history and could look down on all other emperors!"

At the mention of the Ancient One, even someone as prideful as Ward Atrez revealed a tinge of admiration in his tone.

At that point, Aiden gradually understood.

What the most powerful factions of this world were fearful about was not the Blood Crow Palace's Lord, but the true experts of the ancient races!

"Blood Crow Palace's Lord is merely a remnant of the so called crow race with an impure bloodline. Otherwise, his combat strength wouldn't have been so pathetic. Now that his physical body was destroyed by me, he won't be able to recover in a short period of time and Azure Myst Sect is in no danger for now. However…"

Ward Atrez paused for a moment before changing the topic. "You've been extravagant in your ways in the ancient battlefield, killing the young heir of Malefic Demons Clan and destroying the Corpse Poison Sect while defeating Crystal Palace Sect as well. You'll have to watch out from now on."

"Crystal Palace Sect and Malefic Demons Clan are both located at the North Region of the world!"

Aiden's heart skipped a beat.

Although no one else in Ugburg City apart from Tai Li and the others knew of his background, given the strength of Crystal Palace Sect and the Malefic Demons Clan, if they truly wanted to hunt him down, it would just be a matter of time.