Chapter 1618: 1618. Counter

Great Builder didn't add other centers of power even if his movements had started to slow down. His empowerment seemed about to reach its limits, but the expert continued to swing his hammer and wear his smile.

On the other hand, Radiant Eyes wore an unsightly expression. The innate advantages given by her hybrid body were slowly tilting the scales of the battle, but she felt pretty annoyed about the whole situation.

Radiant Eyes believed that her current form was approaching perfection. In theory, she had to surpass every other existence in the world in terms of power.

However, her influence didn't manage to taint Great Builder, and her superior physical strength couldn't even leave injuries on his giant body.

The battle was damaging her belief. Her path wasn't as perfect as she thought. Even a rank 9 cultivator who had just come back to life could suppress her quite easily.

Noah and the other hybrids had a different view of the situation. Great Builder seemed overall stronger than Radiant Eyes, but she could use her innate advantages to make up for that difference in power.

The battle was relatively even, and no one could guess who would win. Yet, Noah and the other hybrids could notice how Radiant Eyes' advantages became more significant as the fight continued.

Countless thoughts ran through Noah's mind, but none of them involved a possible involvement in the fight. Noah knew that he had no place among those experts, so he limited himself to study what his senses managed to capture.

The ability to add centers of power at will was interesting, but Noah didn't know whether he could create something similar. Instead, Radiant Eyes' influence had something that resembled his ambition.

Their laws had some differences. Radiant Eyes' transformations were unnatural, while Noah's ambition forced the matter to express its true potential. Still, Noah felt that he could work something out after witnessing the battle.

'Maybe I can fuse part of the parasite's corrosive aura with my law,' Noah wondered as the spectacle of lights filled the sky.

Great Builder rarely managed to hit Radiant Eyes anymore. The hybrid was now able to dodge everything that flew in her direction. The army of puppets couldn't even attempt to restrain her without the help of their Master.

Her kicks even disrupted Great Builder's offensive. Radiant Eyes flung him away whenever her feet touched his skin, and her attacks eventually managed to open large injuries in that massive body.

"This is where tricks end!" Radiant Eyes shouted as she flew around her opponent, launching a flurry of kicks. "I acknowledge your achievements, old monster, but your life has to end here."

Great Builder didn't let those words affect his mind, but the truth was undeniable. He had gotten slow. His current power would inevitably lead to a defeat.

"Dying quietly doesn't suit rank 9 existences," Great Builder whispered, but his words reached every corner of the nearby regions.

The workshops suddenly stopped creating puppets. The chunks of terrain and air that had transformed into those techniques flew toward Great Builder and surrounded his massive body.

A white light came out of the workshops and engulfed Great Builder. That radiance fended Radiant Eyes away and prevented her from affecting the procedure.

The energy around Great Builder started to condense in the form of raging currents that flowed toward the white light. The workshops created a cocoon made of pure power, and Radiant Eyes could only wait to see what would come out of it.

A flare of whiteness eventually pierced that impenetrable light. A vertical crack spread through the whole cocoon and filled the region with a blinding radiance.

The light soon dimmed, and Noah's group could finally watch Great Builder's new transformation.

The expert had regained his normal size, but his skin radiated pure white light that killed the few remaining bees in the area.

Even Radiant Eyes struggled to keep her gaze on her opponent. She felt unable to withstand that presence. Her whole existence suffered because she was too close to Great Builder.

"Living beings are imperfect," Great Builder announced. "We often modify ourselves to strive toward a greater power, but the world always finds flaws in our new forms."

Great Builder stepped forward, and Radiant Eyes instinctively retreated. Her instincts took control of her body and made her shoot in the distance, but her opponent's mental waves forced her to stop moving.

"Fire has ice, light has darkness," Great Builder continued after he reappeared next to Radiant Eyes. "Perfection doesn't exist in this world. Even Heaven and Earth have failed to achieve that state. You can always find something capable of countering your abilities."

Great Builder placed his hand on Radiant Eyes' head, and grey smoke came out of that spot. Pure pain appeared on the expert's expression, but she couldn't move under Great Builder's suppression.

"My world is everchanging," Great Builder explained. "Everything I build leads me one step closer to perfection. I want to surpass these flawed rulers. How can I even lose against someone who spends her life hiding from them?"

Great Builder raised his hand and revealed that a deep mark had appeared on Radiant Eyes' face. His influence had managed to scorch her skin and reach her bones. Her hybrid status couldn't do anything against that nefarious light.

"You have been a decent adversary," Great Builder said while clasping his hand around Radiant Eyes' neck, "But I can't respect you."

Radiant Eyes slowly regained control of her body. Her instincts begged her to run away, but she couldn't satisfy them. Great Builder's light made her too weak to escape from his grasp.

"Turn into one of my puppets already!" Radiant Eyes shouted as her limbs stabbed Great Builder's body.

The limbs didn't manage to go past the expert's skin. The white radiance weakened their power and forced them to melt. Still, they succeeded in sending her scarlet aura into Great Builder's body.

The white halo radiated by Great Builder's figure dimmed in the spots tainted by the scarlet aura, but the expert didn't let go of his opponent. Radiant Eyes had to die against that technique, or she would win the battle.

"I can't become immune to your influence," Great Builder explained, "But this form is quite resistant against your aura. I should prevail, but you still have a chance."

Great Builder exploded into a laugh even if Radiant Eyes continued to stab her limbs into his body. The scarlet substance spread through the whiteness, but the expert didn't even bother to defend himself.

"You are almost there!" Great Builder laughed. "I can feel your influence reaching my mind. Come on! You can do it!"

The scene left the army dumbfounded. Noah had seen Divine Demon performing idiotic deeds, but Great Builder belonged to a superior league.

The leader of the Foolery and Divine Demon didn't share Noah's feelings. The scene seemed to inspire them. Their eyes shone, and their mouths hung open. They were utterly captivated by Great Builder's brazen gesture.

"Let me go already!" Radiant Eyes shouted before her eyes lit up.

An intense scarlet light came out of her eyes and illuminated the whole region. Her radiance carried her law and forced all the matter in the area to transform.

The ground turned red, the air lost its whiteness, and the few puppets still in the area transformed to resemble Radiant Eyes' underlings. The light also tried to affect Great Builder, but it failed to get past his aura.

Radiant Eyes' insect features began to shrink. They retreated into her body while she spread her law through the regions. It seemed that the technique used her mutation to obtain stronger effects.

However, that trump card couldn't surpass Great Builder's defenses. His hand never left her throat, and grey smoke continuously flowed out of that spot.