Ian stood still. His face showed no emotion, and his eyes were sharp and clear like ice. With the Cold Mind in full control, his whole body moved with perfect flow. There was no wasted motion. No extra energy spent. He vanished and appeared behind Adam in a blink, throwing a punch aimed at the side of his head. At the same time, his foot swept low, and a second punch followed from the front.
Adam gently stepped back, hands still behind him. With only one finger, he blocked both punches at once, tapping Ian’s wrist and knee at just the right spot. The attacks were stopped cold.
"Not bad," Adam said with a calm tone. "Your control is better now. Your footwork is smooth. But your center of gravity still shifts too early before each move. I can read it."
Ian said nothing and kept moving. Punch, kick, spin, jab. The ground cracked beneath them, and shockwaves ran across the marble floor. Each hit was faster than light, yet Adam dodged or blocked them all with ease, using only his index finger, and once in a while, a small tilt of his body.
Still, Adam’s steps stayed firm, unmoved.
But Ian didn’t notice something. Each time he failed to land a hit, Adam would glance at a certain spot or nod slightly. The Cold Mind helped Ian act better, sharper, but it also made him miss some signs, signs that only emotion and gut feeling could notice. Adam saw that.
"You’re stronger now," Adam said after a while. "But you’re thinking too much. Cold Mind makes your mind quiet, but too much quiet can hide what your instincts want to tell you."
Ian’s eyes flicked for a moment, but his face stayed calm.
Then he stepped back. Slowly, white light covered his whole body. His muscles swelled, his arms got thicker, and his chest widened. His silver hair grew longer and brighter, and his eyes glowed like stars.
A soft breeze turned into a storm. The ground cracked further, and the sky roared. Ian raised both hands and slowly dropped into a stance.
"Let me try this. Nine Paths God Form."
Adam’s eyes lit up with interest. "So you finally decided to use your god form, huh?"
Ian rushed again, faster, stronger, more precise. Each move was clean and deadly. When his fist met Adam’s finger again, the clash created a shockwave that pushed Adam back... one step... then another.
Adam blinked. His feet had moved. He looked down, then gave a small smile. "Interesting."
Ian stood firm, panting a little, but proud.
"You made me take a step back," Adam said. "Do you know how rare that is?"
Adam laughed softly. "Even True Gods can’t do that to me. You’ve done well."
Ian, still calm, allowed a small nod. Inside, a spark of pride began to grow, but Cold Mind held it in check.
Ian took a deep breath. Then, without a word, he let go of all limits.
His skin turned pale, almost like snow. His hair changed from silver to ash gray, long and flowing. His eyes lost their glow and became a deep, cold gray, like storm clouds without light. His aura turned clear, so clear that the space around him looked like it bent without color or shape. Only his sharp canine teeth, now slightly visible, gave a hint of the ferocity vampires possessed.
Adam raised an eyebrow. For the first time, he leaned slightly forward, eyes shining with interest.
"Well now," Adam said, smiling faintly. "So this is the Elder God Form."
Ian looked surprised. "You know what this is?"
Adam nodded. "Elder blood purity... mixed with the Divine KI. Not easy to do. Not something you planned, I assume?"
Ian blinked, clearly taken aback. "How did you know that?"
Adam gave a small shrug. "When you’ve lived as long as I have, you’ve seen many bloodlines. That cold, ancient energy in your bones, only those with Elder Blood carry that. The rest is your own doing. A nice surprise."
Ian stepped forward. The air trembled around him even without a glow. His aura had no flash, no loud colors, no fire, but it was clear. Every movement now felt final, like there was no waste. He didn’t roar or shout. He simply moved.
The fight began again.
Ian’s punch came fast. Very fast. Adam raised his hand, not just a finger this time, but his full palm. The block was still solid, but his body leaned slightly, the force pushing against him harder than before.
Ian didn’t stop. A kick followed, then a chop, then a back-step to spin into another strike. Adam moved, dodging left, stepping back once, and then ducking. He didn’t just stand anymore. He reacted.
"Now this is more like it," Adam said, smiling as he parried with his forearm. "You’re no longer just a strong God. You’re something beyond that..."
Ian didn’t answer. His body moved like wind and steel, graceful and sharp at the same time. A smile appeared on his face as he jokingly said. "Adam, would you just keep dodging?"
Adam clashed with him again, their palms meeting in a loud echo that made the ground split in long, deep lines. For a brief moment, even the sky flickered.
Adam just shrugged lazily, unfazed by Ian’s provocation.
"You’ve already passed most True Gods," Adam said while stepping aside from a strike. "There aren’t many left above you now. And even fewer who can face you head-on."
Ian stopped for a breath, eyes still calm.
Adam gave a firm nod. "You’re close. Very close. Not quite at the level of Devil yet... but if you were one, you’d be the weakest. Still, you’re already at the door. Infinitely close to our race."
Ian stared at him, mind clear but heart shaken just a bit.
To be nearly a Devil...
That meant something more than power. It meant crossing a line that few ever reached. After all, Devils are the only ones that could be said to be far superior to True Gods. They’re at the ceiling level of the God Real, only below the Grand Devil and Main God.
And Ian had almost done it.
"However, don’t be complacent. You must not just focus on your transformation; you must prioritize your base form. Your transformations serve as a multiplier to your base form power level. Thus,only by enhancing your base form would you be able to unleash your transformation’s true power."