With the sound of an explosion, everything within a 30km radius was destroyed. The cities had already been protected by City Lords and Legendary Leaders who had been in the Purple Lightning during the fierce battles. But even with the wave of energy that reached them at that moment, the walls collapsed and the barriers were shattered.

  The three Legends who were closest to the event were thrown kilometres away, suffering severe injuries.

  On what looked like a battlefield, a young man with blond hair tried to stand on one knee, but it was very difficult for him to stand while he was vomiting blood. His fingers were shattered from the impact of the wild energy. Of course, they would have healed, but if he hadn't hit Ryuga and taken the damage, Kai might have lost control of the Two-Finger World Slashing Art and his entire arm would have been irrevocably destroyed.

  He couldn't look up, but he saw what it was. In the light was a winged tiger the size of a dog.

  "L-little... L-tiger... Cough!!! Cough!!!"

  Kai struggled to his feet but could only look up to see Ryuga, his clothes torn and his chest bare, holding Little Tiger by the neck. Ryuga had only a few small wounds on his chest, apart from his muscles. It seemed that no one had ever penetrated his scales. Ryuga didn't look happy at all, and when Kai looked at him, he saw that one of the scales that had disappeared from Ryuga's neck had reappeared. An attack with everything he had.... That's how quickly he had recovered.

  "If I hadn't realised the danger of that little creature's attack at the last moment, I could have been seriously injured. Compared to that, your attack... In my eyes, it means nothing."

  Kai's eyes were full of fear now. He was afraid. He had always been afraid. He couldn't call himself brave. He couldn't do that anymore.

  "Has Little Tiger reached the summit of Purple Lightning?"

  Kai realised Little Tiger's strength, but he couldn't care too much. Because Little Tiger was suffering before his eyes. The more Ryuga squeezed its neck, the more it suffered.

  "Let him go!!!"

  Tears streamed from Kai's eyes and mixed with the other layers of blood around his body. Right now, he didn't care about the blood running down the side of his mouth or the huge fist mark on his stomach. Nothing mattered to him except the death of those he cared about.

  Because a dead person could not come back.

  "Let go? That creature almost punched a hole in my stomach. There shouldn't be any creature on this island that can threaten me! I am the Dragon King!"

  Ryuga's eyes flashed and a purple bolt of lightning shot out, covering his eyes completely. Contrary to Kai's expectation of a feeling of anger, this bolt was a feeling of love.

  Ryuga's fist went backwards again, but this time it was the end for him! He wanted to kill Kai and leave this island! Because he had the power to do it!

  Ryuga's hand moved quickly, but at that moment, his eyes involuntarily shifted to Kai. And he was surprised when the pale light in his eyes was suddenly covered by Black Lightning. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw so much more. There were traces of all 6 emotions in Kai's eyes.

  'Isn't it bad for an expert to have too many techniques? After all, you don't have time to develop every single technique and you can become weak as a result.'

  'Kai, we emotion cultivators are very different from ordinary cultivators. Other planets have different cultivation methods. There are countless cultivators who cultivate with the realms, or cultivate with their powers, or just cultivate the Tao, and so on. But they all have a different way. And this is our way. I am too weak to understand how vast space is, but I know that you will never be that weak, because you have a bloody path ahead of you. Only by understanding the power of emotions can the Developers of Emotions strengthen their techniques and levels. That's what makes us different.'

  Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

  Suddenly, Kai put his sword on his back and jumped forward, but this time his speed did not increase as it would have with a normal jump. This was no simple leap. His body had accepted the pain and the emotions. It had accepted the Dark Lightning. It had accepted the truth of the Four Paths.

  "Black Lightning King!!!"

  "The art of Black Lightning! The 4th Lightning! Traces of Flowing Lightning!!!"

  Black Lightning appeared beneath Kai's feet, and Kai quickly hugged Little Tiger. There was no fear in his eyes. His eyes were filled with rage. His emotions were reflected in the Black Lightning in his eyes.

  "Half Step Step 2!!!"

  As Ryuga looked at Kai in shock, the lightning in Kai's eyes disappeared and was replaced by a sudden white light. It was divine energy.

  The moment Kai took Little Tiger in his arms, his shoe, which already had many holes in it, shattered. Kai stretched his legs and suddenly his foot lifted into the air. The two toes of his foot glowed with white light.

  "Double-Fingered Body Slash!!! Intermediate level!!!"

  Suddenly, a bolt of lightning passed by and Ryuga realised the danger at the last moment and blocked it with his arm, but at that moment, the Art of the Toes had shattered the scales on Ryuga's arms, leaving a small trail of blood on his arm.

  Kai didn't wait any longer and used the Traces of Flowing Lightning to go to the 3 Legends. Meanwhile, the trio tried to heal themselves. They were not surprised to see Kai, but they were surprised to see Little Tiger.

  "Take Little Tiger and get out of here! In 3 months, all the academies will meet! Don't forget to inform everyone!"

  Kai turned around and looked at Ryuga, who had just recovered from his surprise.

  "And what are you going to do?"

  Kai gritted his teeth and looked at Ryuga. Even the intermediate stage of the two-finger body slashing art hadn't been able to break Ryuga's arm. He had to reach the final stage. It wasn't enough that it was the 2nd step of the Half Step. He had just reached this stage.

  "Go away! "

  Kai suddenly lunged at Ryuga and the other 3 were gone. Kai had directly used Traces of Flowing Lightning and Double Finger Body Slash together.

  Ryuga also noticed him and black energy completely surrounded his hand. There weren't many techniques he could use, but there were some things he could do now.

  "I will kill you!!!"

  Kai smiled as he and Ryuga approached each other. Ryuga clenched his teeth at the sight. This smile was not a good sign.

  "Who said I'll fight you?"

  "Black Heart Lightning!!!"

  WHOOOOSHHH!!!!

  The giant thunderbolt fell on Kai without Ryuga noticing, leaving no trace. Ryuga looked around angrily as he saw Kai disappear. Then he sent out his aura and tried to locate Kai, but to no avail. Kai was already 20 kilometres out of range. He had to stop his fist and hit the ground, shattering kilometres of space. Whole cities and academies were thrown into chaos and buildings began to collapse. Sudden panic washed over them, and the intense killing sensation from Ryuga's body dried the earth. The saliva that flowed from his mouth melted and destroyed the earth as soon as it touched it. Ryuga's fury was intense this time.

  "KA???!!!!"

  ***

  Kai didn't have the power to use the Black Heart Lightning, so he couldn't escape last time. He thought he was too high and that he could kill Ryuga. He realised too late that he was still out of the game. That would be the cause of his death.

  Together with the Traces of Flowing Lightning, Kai had travelled far in the forest and was very tired. The wounds from the battle were slowly showing and the pain was growing. Kai could no longer use Dark Lightning and soon he began to limp. Even though he had gained a lot of energy at Half Step 2, his wounds were too severe. He had to rest for a while. His arms were completely shattered from using his injured fingers again. Fortunately, it was nothing that couldn't be healed.

  Kai wanted to go to the academy with slow steps, but a very bad smell came to his nose. He was already out of True Dragon Form, but his sense of smell was still developing. Something was smelling very bad nearby.

  Kai walked slowly and came to the edge of a tree. He held the tree with his hand and breathed deeply. He was really tired today and it would be good to get some rest. The stench was very close now. Kai saw traces of broken earth all around him. But they were light tracks and Kai didn't think that there had been a collision.

  He was too tired from the rain to notice that the collateral damage had disappeared.

  Kai lowered his head slightly and looked ahead nonchalantly. At first, his eyes were cold. Squinty and tired. Then his eyes opened a little wider. As if he couldn't believe what was in front of him. Then his eyes opened wide and he realised the undeniable truth.

  There was Zaheer's body in front of him.

  Kai walked over to Zaheer with slow steps and a limp. First he took his pulse and looked at him unresponsively. A tear fell from his eyes, the coldness and whiteness of Zaheer's body.... Kai had reached the final stage, but he learned of this final breakthrough in agony. His arms wrapped around Zaheer and he cried. He cried for hours in agony. Until the Red Lightning Academy students arrived and Kevin and Jack separated him from Zaheer's body. Until Emma hugged him and wet his chest. Until he saw Sarah's tears. Until he saw John clench his fists and let them bleed. Only then did he understand.

  That the hardest thing in this life is to lose someone you love.