Rebirth : The Alchemist's Path

Though Horace was astonished by Sylvus's ability to conceal himself, he didn't think much of it.

After all, given the gap in power between him and Sylvus, a simple move could easily destroy him.

"The entire space is within my attack range. Let's see how you manage to hide now!"

Horace sneered.

However, as time passed, the sneer on Horace's face gradually disappeared, replaced by a dark and puzzled expression.

What was happening?

His attacks now covered the entire space.

Even if another Deity Emperor faced such an intense barrage, it would be impossible to dodge everything.

And yet, here was Sylvus—a mere Lower Deity—showing no signs of being affected.

Even if he was dodging, there should at least be some indication of it.

"Ten minutes have passed, and you still haven't found me."

Sylvus's voice echoed through the space.

Sylvus was currently leaning against a wall, smiling at Horace, who was not far away.

The beams of light around him passed straight through his body without having any effect.

"What kind of technique is this?"

Horace finally couldn't hold back any longer. Losing to Sylvus before was one thing; that could be attributed to Sylvus having some special tricks.

But now?

Horace had unleashed his Deity Emperor power, and still, he couldn't deal with Sylvus.

In all his years, this was the first time he had been toyed with by a Lower Deity.

"Don't worry—I said I wouldn't bully you. I'll give you an hour to find me."

Sylvus teased.

Horace's brow furrowed, filled with frustration. He tried other means to locate Sylvus, but nothing worked.

"How is he doing this? He hasn't left, but I still can't find him. No wonder this kid is acting so arrogantly."

Horace thought, feeling the urge to give up.

He had used almost all his tricks, but the results were always the same.

"It seems you've given up. There are five minutes left—are you ready to kneel?"

Sylvus said with a smile.

Horace remained silent. Forcing him to kneel was worse than killing him.

If he knelt now, where would his dignity as a Deity Emperor go?

"Time's up—kneel before me."

As the hour ended, Sylvus revealed himself and looked at Horace with a smile.

"Hmph! Making me kneel—how audacious!"

Horace snorted coldly, a surge of power instantly binding Sylvus.

Sylvus didn't resist because he knew that against a Deity Emperor, his current strength wouldn't be enough.

"Let's see where you run now!"

Seeing Sylvus bound, Horace smiled.

Since he had met Sylvus, he had been on the losing side, but now, he finally felt like he had regained some ground.

Yes, Horace, a Deity Emperor, was feeling pleased about capturing Sylvus, a mere Lower Deity.

"So, you don't want to kneel, huh?"

Although bound, Sylvus remained calm, smiling at Horace.

"If you kneel before me, I might just leave your corpse intact."

Horace scoffed.

This kid still didn't understand his situation.

Though Sylvus's concealment technique was indeed remarkable, now that he was captured, he was entirely at Horace's mercy.

Seeing Horace regaining his arrogant demeanor, Sylvus shook his head in resignation.

Why did it have to come to this?

Why did Horace have to make him act?

"If you don't want to kneel, then I'll have to make you kneel. Kneel!"

Sylvus ordered coldly.

Hearing Sylvus's words, Horace almost burst out laughing.

Was this kid stupid, or just pretending?

Did he think a Deity Emperor would kneel to a mere Lower Deity?

Just as Horace was about to speak, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

After Sylvus's words, Horace felt an inexplicable power surging within him.

His entire body became unresponsive, and his legs started bending towards the ground.

"What is happening? Why aren't my legs obeying me? No, I must not kneel. I can't...!"

Horace cried out, trying to control his legs, but in less than a second, both knees hit the ground with a crisp thud.

"I... I knelt?"

Horace looked down at his knees on the ground, his eyes filled with disbelief.

What in the world was going on?

Why had he knelt? He had no intention of doing so.

He was a dignified Deity Emperor, one of the most powerful beings in the Divine Realm, and now he was kneeling before a Lower Deity.

If this got out, how could he show his face in the Divine Realm? He would be the laughingstock of everyone.

"It was you! What did you do?"

Horace's gaze shifted to Sylvus.

His legs had defied his own will and knelt—there was no way Sylvus wasn't involved.

And because of Horace's distraction, the power binding Sylvus also dissipated.

Sylvus smiled faintly, looking at Horace, who was kneeling before him.

"It was me. What are you going to do about it?"

Hearing this, Horace was filled with fury. He was about to unleash his power and crush Sylvus, but Sylvus spoke again.

"If you want to die, feel free to try."

Sylvus's tone was calm, but to Horace, it felt like a heavy blow.

Previously, he wouldn't have believed Sylvus had the power to kill him, but now things were different.

If Sylvus could force him to kneel, then his abilities were beyond ordinary.

Forcing someone to kneel was, in a way, even easier than killing them.

"How about we proceed to the third test directly? I'll give you ten minutes—if you can stand up, I'll admit defeat, and you can do whatever you want with me. But if you can't get up in ten minutes, then you die. What do you say?"

Sylvus asked, smiling at Horace.

Looking at Sylvus's smiling face, Horace couldn't help but shudder.

What was happening?

He was a Deity Emperor, yet here he was being threatened by a mere Lower Deity, and the worst part was, he actually felt fear.

A Nine-Star Deity Emperor, afraid of a One-Star Lower Deity?

Who would believe that? Yet, it was true.

"No, something's not right—this guy can't just be a Lower Deity. Could he have surpassed the Deity Emperor level and become something even more powerful?"

The more Horace thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Whether it was Sylvus's ability to withstand the White Spirit Flames, his mysterious concealment technique, or the ease with which he made Horace kneel, all of it pointed to one conclusion: the person before him was incredibly powerful—so powerful that Horace had no chance of resisting.

Realizing this, Horace no longer dared to proceed with the third test. He shook his head hastily.

"Elder, I... I was wrong!"