Alpha Reborn!

Chapter 135 135: Evan Vs Darian

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A creak sounded as Evan pushed the orange door open, and as he stepped inside, his eyes widened in surprise as a curious sight greeted him.

Standing before him was a plump figure with a face that appeared to be stuck in childhood. The man's weed-like white hair stuck out in all directions, a stark contrast against his dark, brooding attire, and Evan couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved by the man's piercing gaze - those steely grey eyes seemed to bore straight through him as if sizing him up for some nefarious purpose.

The man's face was so chubby and soft that he seemed harmless enough, but Evan was on high alert as he knew that appearances could be deceiving.

Not to mention, amongst the five legendary figures who had founded the powerful imperial frost clan a century ago, only one had been known for his unkempt appearance - Darian Frost.

It was said that Darian had been the wildest of the founders, a man who lived life on his own terms and followed his own path, heedless of anyone else's opinions or expectations. He had been a force of nature, a wild card whose unpredictability had made him both feared and respected in equal measure. Even now, long after his ascension from the Black Eye Galaxy, Darian's legend lived on, his name still spoken by those who revered the heroes of the last war. 

Darian looked at Evan with a penetrating gaze as if sizing him up. "Are you the one my data was generated into a clone for?" he asked, his voice low and measured.

Evan met his gaze steadily. "Do you see anyone else?" he replied, a hint of dry humor evident in his tone.

Darian nodded, seemingly not annoyed with Evan's response. "Very well then. Let us begin," he said, his demeanor shifting to one of focused intensity.

"I am a defensive type soul cultivator," he continued. "My forte is defense - I can create shields that are nearly impenetrable, and I have techniques that can nullify even the most powerful attacks. If you succeed in breaking through my strongest defensive technique, I will admit defeat. But if you fail, it's your loss. Are you fine with these terms?"

"Yeah, I am." Evan nodded calmly, his eyes never leaving Darian's.

His mind was focused on one thing - proving his worth to his clan. He had accepted Darian's challenge not just for the thrill of battle but also as a way to demonstrate his skills and show that he was capable of overcoming even the strongest defense-type soul cultivator.

For Evan, this was a pivotal moment. He knew that the eyes of his fellow clan members were on him, watching to see if he had what it takes to be the true inheritor of the clan's legacy. He couldn't afford to hold back - he had to reveal his full potential and prove that he was worthy of their respect and support.

The clan's elders were an impressive group, with formidable knowledge and strength that was unmatched. Their training had made them incredibly observant, with an unwavering attention to even the tiniest details. As Evan and Darian spoke, the elders fixated on their lips, using their sharp eyes to read their conversation. With their skill in lip-reading, they could decipher the exchange between the two awakened soul cultivators with ease.

And it was safe to assume that they were flabbergasted by Evan's quick acceptance of his opponent's terms.

"How could he agree to those conditions without even thinking?!" exclaimed one of the elders, unable to contain his disbelief.

The leader of the council of elders was furious, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Not even hesitating to scam our crown prince. That Darian bastard turned out to be shameless even when he was young." he declared, with no one daring to reprimand him for speaking ill of one of the clan's founding members. They all knew that Darian had risen to power without repaying his debt to the leader, making his anger justified.

Another elder nodded in agreement. "It's common knowledge that no cultivator in the same realm as Darian can penetrate his defense. Our crown prince has truly been swindled," he said, shaking his head in dismay.

The second elder spoke rashly.

"His Highness Evan has sealed his own defeat."

But what the spectators didn't know was that Evan was well aware of what Darian was capable of. He had done his research and knew all about the legendary defense techniques that the man was famous for. But Evan was confident in his own abilities to defeat him. That's why he had accepted the challenge so calmly - he knew that he had what it took to emerge victorious.

A golden barrier shimmered into existence around Darian, leaving the spectators in awe of his abilities. It was created by channeling the power of his skill crystal - the Absorber. What made the barrier truly unique was its unique ability to absorb incoming attacks and use them to regenerate. Even if an attack was powerful enough to create some cracks in the barrier, it would not shatter and instead repair itself by absorbing the attack. In this situation, only an attack with enough force to shatter the barrier immediately would be effective against it.

But how could a Soul Manifestation Realm cultivator summon that much power? Evan's chances of winning this match appeared slim, no matter how one analyzed the situation.

Not to mention, The situation was far more precarious than it appeared at first glance. What made it even more daunting was the fact that Darian's soul plate had the ability to twist the effects of his skill crystal in his favor. Hence, if his shield absorbed an attack, he could unleash it back on his opponent, turning the tables of the battle in an instant. It was evident that launching repeated attacks would not be a wise strategy. Daring to do so would only result in Evan getting injured instead of his opponent.