The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 503: Against Sect Master Kang

Aldrian was stunned by Sect Master Kang’s request. He had not expected something like this and looked at the sect master with raised eyebrows.

Sect Master Kang was still smiling at Aldrian.

"You know, I haven’t had a good fight in a long time. Ever since I became sect master, no one has been able to stir my spirit or make me want to go all out. All I’ve encountered are weaklings, not even worth half my strength. I can’t just challenge Ryu Hyukjae because of our positions and responsibilities. However—" His gaze sharpened, brimming with burning determination.

"You’re someone I can ask. I want to test myself against a strong opponent like you. I saw your battle with the traitor from the church, and I want to feel that power for myself. Maybe it’s selfish, but I want to savor the thrill of battling someone who can actually excite me."

Aldrian now understood what was on Sect Master Kang’s mind. He was the type—a battle fanatic. People like him, who lived for the thrill of fighting, could be troublesome. Still, for Aldrian, this might turn out to be a valuable experience.

Battling a powerful body cultivator would deepen his comprehension of this kind of fighting style for future encounters with opponents like Sect Master Kang. It would be a completely different experience from his fight with Kang Yongjin, the successor of the Heavenly Demon’s Black Dragon Scripture.

Aldrian smiled at him.

"Sure. I also want to feel the power of the Black Dragon Pavilion’s sect master. It will be a good experience for me," he said.

"Then follow me."

Sect Master Kang stood up with vigor and walked out of the building, with Aldrian close behind. They took to the sky and flew far from the sect, eventually landing five hundred kilometers away in a desolate expanse of rocky terrain, with no one else in sight.

They put five hundred meters of space between them and faced each other.

"The rule is simple. We can use whatever we have. Whoever can’t continue or surrenders loses," Sect Master Kang said with a grin as he removed his upper robe and tossed it aside.

His burly, muscle-bound physique was now in full view. Every muscle seemed to contain a frightening power, and even Aldrian could not take it lightly. These were muscles honed through relentless training, cultivated to push the limits of the cultivator’s body—and surpass them.

Aldrian nodded.

"Alright."

Aldrian decided to begin the fight in the style of a body cultivator.

"The battle starts when this stone hits the ground," Sect Master Kang said, picking up a stone.

"Ready?" he asked.

Aldrian answered with a nod.

Sect Master Kang then hurled the rock high into the air, aiming for the center of their battle area. The moment it left his hand, his aura surged. The force of it made the surrounding space ripple. He had yet to move, yet his very presence pressed down on the area—oppressive and suffocating.

Aldrian watched him and inwardly nodded in admiration. Of course, Sect Master Kang would be on a different level than Kang Yongjin, whom he had fought in the past.

This kind of fight needed a wide battl area, and Aldrian understood exactly why. If they had fought in the sect’s training ground, there was no telling how much destruction they might have caused once the battle intensified.

The stone reached its peak, then began to fall. In that brief moment, the eyes of both Sect Master Kang and Aldrian sharpened, like two predators fixated on the fight ahead.

There was only the sound of the wind. Neither made a move.

And then—

Crack!

Boom!

The moment the stone touched the ground, Sect Master Kang and Aldrian vanished from where they stood and reappeared in the center of the battle area. Their fists collided midair, canceling each other out with a thunderous shockwave. The wind howled, and even the space around them bent from the force of their clash.

The ground beneath them shattered into a crater, but neither seemed to care. They held their positions for a heartbeat—then vanished again.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions echoed across the land. Gusts of wind tore through the terrain, the ground split apart, and space itself cracked under the pressure. In just under five seconds, their fists had already clashed dozens of times. They moved so fast their figures had become invisible to the naked eye.

They paid no mind to their surroundings. Each was fully focused on landing a decisive blow. Yet, every strike was either blocked or met with an equal force—neither had managed to land a clean hit.

Despite the intensity of the clash, both of them wore smiles—clearly enjoying the fight. As time passed, their punches grew faster and heavier. This alone made Sect Master Kang inwardly reel in surprise.

Aldrian’s raw power and the strength of his body were beyond what he had expected. Even though he could sense that Aldrian was only at the peak of the Duke stage, his physique could rival that of an Emperor-level cultivator.

"How is that possible?!" he thought.

However, something had felt strange from the moment their fists first collided. Sect Master Kang had noticed that Aldrian’s punch lacked the sturdiness to withstand his own—at least, it should have. By all logic, Aldrian’s hand should have broken if he kept matching blows with him.

But the reality was different.

As the fight continued, it was as if Aldrian grew stronger by the second. His fists became harder—more stable, more durable. And no matter how much Sect Master Kang increased his power or speed, Aldrian kept up with it, meeting every blow head-on.

"Is his body cultivation truly on par with mine?" Sect Master Kang wondered.

Aldrian, fully focused on blocking, countering, and attacking, had no room to relax. Each of Sect Master Kang’s punches came fast and heavy. At first, Aldrian had intended to test his limits using only one of his smaller domains—Forgeheart Kingdom Domain. He knew that without the domain’s power, his hand would have broken instantly given the difference in their cultivation levels.

Even with it, his hand had nearly broken from the very first exchange. That alone proved just how overwhelming Sect Master Kang’s raw strength was. And Aldrian could tell—the sect master was still holding back.

Afterward, he added another domain while continuing to match Sect Master Kang’s attacks. This was also a way to measure how far he needed to go to meet the sect master’s strength—so he could truly enjoy the thrill of the battle.

If he overwhelmed his opponent too easily, the fight would lose its meaning. What he sought was the experience of clashing with a powerful body cultivator on equal ground.

They continued exchanging punches and kicks for nearly a minute before a new thought crossed Sect Master Kang’s mind.

"Then let’s see how you block this one."

He suddenly leapt back, creating distance, then pulled his fist back and launched a powerful punch toward Aldrian. The force of the strike compressed the air into a wave of searing heat, cracking the space around his fist. The air pressure shot forward at blistering speed.

Aldrian mirrored the movement. He stepped backward and unleashed his own punch—this one compressing space itself into a visible distortion that surged straight at Sect Master Kang.

The two forces collided and a deafening boom echoed across the barren land. The shockwave tore the ground and left spatial rift in the sky, briefly exposing the void beyond, but no spatial storm erupted.

Sect Master Kang’s eyes widened in genuine awe. Aldrian could compress space with a punch. That alone was incredible. But rather than feel discouraged, the sect master grinned.

"You’d better start using your elemental techniques, or you’ll be in real trouble."

He shifted into a stance as if preparing to leap. Thick demonic energy poured from his body like steam. Veins bulged along his arms and legs, and his sharp gaze locked onto Aldrian.

"Let’s see then," Aldrian replied with a calm smile. He stood his ground, fully prepared to react.

In the next instant, Sect Master Kang vanished—and reappeared right in front of him. His fist was already inches from Aldrian’s chest.

But Aldrian had anticipated the attack. He raised his forearms in a crossed guard, shaping them into a solid shield to absorb the full force of the strike.

Boom!

The punch landed squarely against Aldrian’s guard. Behind him, the land was obliterated for over three kilometers—torn apart by the residual force of the strike. The air trembled, and the space behind him warped, nearly collapsing before stabilizing.

Sect Master Kang was truly shocked when he saw that Aldrian was still standing, unharmed after receiving his Black Dragon Fist’s first technique, Piercing Void.

He had expected to push Aldrian back, yet the young man remained firm in his defensive stance.

But Sect Master Kang didn’t have time to be amazed. He quickly prepared to follow up with his next technique. However, before he could act, Aldrian struck first.

"My turn," Aldrian said, his voice calm as golden energy enveloped his fist. He thrust his fist forward, targeting the sect master’s chest.

"This is bad!" Sect Master Kang thought, his instincts kicking in. He bent his body just enough for Aldrian’s punch to past him, then immediately launched a swift kick aimed at Aldrian’s head.

But Aldrian swiftly tilted his head, narrowly evading the kick. In the next moment, the two were locked in another round of fierce close combat, exchanging blows with precision and speed.

The battle raged on for several minutes, their clash growing more intense with each passing second. The elders within the sect, who had been focused on their own matters, notice the sparks and eruptions of energy emanating from the battle.

While they knew Sect Master Kang had taken Aldrian outside, they hadn’t known the purpose—and from the looks of it, they were fighting!

What they saw left them stunned. The destruction across the land was immense, and if such a battle had taken place within the sect’s core area, the entire area would have been obliterated.

They dared not approach any closer, fearful of getting caught in the crossfire.

At that moment, a terrifying concentration of energy emanated from the battle, sending a chill down their spines.

"Do Sect Master and that young man intend to kill each other?" they wondered.