The whole stalactite cave's formation suddenly began to change as the lazy voice echoed in the area, freezing everything as if time had stopped. And Billy's attack wasn't at all safe from this as his moves were also forced into a halt.
Bang! Bang!
Suddenly, Billy, Jim, Garrett, and everyone in their team fell to the ground with blood gushing from their mouths as they were struck by an unknown and invisible energy.
Their pupils shrank in fear as they could not believe how they could be overpowered by such a mysterious attack that just struck them out of nowhere.
''Ruling power! I can't believe this! It's the true ruling power!'' Billy said with terror in his shaky voice.
But there could only be one explanation for their current situation—they might have been attacked by an innate spiritual emperor who stood at the peak of the Eastern Land. This could be the only justifiable explanation since only a true spiritual emperor was able to use the ruling power.
''Who did that?'' Ricky said in a confused yet thankful tone as he and his fellows looked around for anyone who might be responsible for the attack.
''Sorry for the interruption, sir, but may I know your name?'' Still terrified from what had happened to them, Billy immediately stood up.
''You are not qualified to know my name. Leave this place right now, or I will use my ruling power again to make you suffer. Beware that I will show you no mercy next time around, '' the lazy voice threatened.
But the voice seemed all too familiar to Ricky as he listened to it the second time around. It was not that long before he recognized that this voice belonged to no other than the Evil Emperor of the Oriental College.
'It turns out that the Evil Emperor has always been following me wherever I go. Everything makes sense now. Now I understand why the Heavenly Ape Demi-spiritual Emperor told me not to worry about my safety when I left the Oriental College, ' Ricky thought to himself as he instantly figured out everything.
But it shouldn't come as a surprise to him. After all, The Heavenly Ape Demi-spiritual Emperor did tell Ricky about it.
Buzz! Buzz! As the ruling power reappeared from the void, Billy and his fellows felt a crushing pressure in their chest yet again and spat out mouthfuls of blood.
Terrorized by the owner of the voice, they had no choice but to flee for their lives. They spared no time and hurriedly tore the space
my own, '' Scar explained.
"I see. It takes comprehension to become a demi-spiritual emperor, and the cultivation becomes less important," Ricky said as he tried to understand what Scar was saying.
''Yes, indeed. One's comprehension is of the most importance. The creatures with blood power and innate talents will be far ahead other common creatures, '' Scar explained further.
''But since you are an ace genius, you might be able to progress ten times as fast as me, or even faster.''
''I wish you nothing but success in your comprehension of the demi-ruling power and in your journey in becoming a demi-spiritual emperor, '' Ricky said as he tried to encourage Scar.
''Ha-ha, what can I say? Thank you, your words mean a lot to me, '' Scar said, smiling.
Then, Ricky, Soar, Madeline, and three geniuses of the Saber Hall plunged into the lake and began to refine the Quintessence of Heaven and Earth.
And without thinking twice, Ricky then immediately activated his four zones and madly absorbed the Quintessence of Heaven and Earth. Meanwhile, Ricky put the Iron Destroyer into the Devourer Zone to let it absorb the Quintessence of Heaven and Earth too.
At this point, they completely immersed themselves into the refining process.
But as the refinement happened, Scar just squatted beside them and guarded for them instead.
However, Scar's protection was deemed to be redundant and unnecessary since the Evil Emperor was already there with them.
For eight days straight, Ricky and his fellows refined all the Quintessence of Heaven and Earth which had an accumulative base of five years.