Of course, that was still nothing more than an idea.
A distant goal.
He was nowhere near capable of accomplishing something like that.
Earth Energy originated from a forming planet. Naturally, it carried within it countless minerals and metals that existed inside the planet itself. Iron. Copper. Gold. Silver. Countless substances had fused together into a single form of energy.
His current control was far too crude.
He wasn’t manipulating those individual properties.
He was manipulating the mixture as a whole.
If he truly wished to walk this path, then he would first have to understand Earth Energy at a much deeper level, separating its countless characteristics before learning how to recombine them however he pleased.
Only then could his body truly imitate the nature of every weapon.
Only then would his jack-of-all-trades fighting style truly reveal its terrifying potential.
Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Kael slowly exhaled before raising his gaze toward Varek.
"I’m ready."
Varek gave a slight nod.
"So am I, Master."
The next moment, both of them moved.
Boom!
The instant their fists collided, a violent shockwave swept across the throne room. The black stone beneath their feet cracked as both figures shot backward before immediately disappearing once more.
Another explosion echoed through the hall.
Then another.
And another.
The throne room became a blur of motion.
Their figures flashed from one end of the room to the other, fists colliding, kicks crossing paths, elbows and knees meeting with explosive force that sent violent gusts roaring through the air.
Unlike their previous spar, Varek wasn’t relying on shadow constructs.
Every attack came from his own hands.
Every movement carried countless years of accumulated combat experience.
Kael found himself completely overwhelmed.
A straight punch flew toward Varek’s chest.
Varek shifted half a step to the side.
The punch missed.
Before Kael could recover his balance, two fingers lightly pressed against his wrist, redirecting his arm just enough to expose his ribs.
A palm strike followed.
Bang!
Kael staggered backward, the breath leaving his lungs.
He had barely regained his footing when Varek’s voice reached him.
"You leaned too far into the punch."
"If it misses, your center becomes unstable."
Kael silently nodded before charging forward once again.
The battle resumed.
Again...
And again...
Every mistake was immediately punished.
Whenever his posture became sloppy, Varek corrected it.
Whenever his footwork became inefficient, Varek pointed it out.
Whenever his focus drifted toward attacking instead of observing, Varek exploited the opening before calmly explaining why it happened.
Kael lost count of how many times he was knocked to the ground.
Yet he rose every single time.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of frustration on his face.
This outcome had been expected from the very beginning.
Compared to a few days ago, Varek had clearly recovered a larger portion of his strength. More importantly, regardless of his current condition, he was still someone who had once stood at the Quasi-Transcendent Realm.
His experience alone surpassed Kael’s by an immeasurable margin.
Every exchange was a lesson.
Every defeat became another stepping stone.
Slowly but surely, Kael could feel his combat instincts improving.
His attacks became cleaner.
His movements wasted less energy.
His reactions grew sharper with every passing minute.
Time slipped away unnoticed.
The explosions echoing throughout the throne room gradually became less frequent before finally disappearing altogether.
Kael collapsed onto the cold stone floor without the slightest regard for his image.
His chest rose and fell violently as he struggled to regulate his breathing.
Every muscle in his body ached.
His arms felt heavy.
His legs trembled from exhaustion.
He didn’t have even a fraction of his remaining strength left.
Standing several meters away, Varek quietly watched him.
A look of genuine admiration gradually surfaced in his eyes.
"As expected of Master..."
The words escaped him almost unconsciously.
This wasn’t the blind reverence created by Sovereign Claim.
Nor was it empty flattery.
It was genuine admiration.
Throughout his countless years of life, Varek had witnessed innumerable geniuses.
Talents hailed as monsters.
Heaven’s chosen.
Supreme prodigies.
Yet even among them, Kael’s learning ability stood near the very top.
With nothing more than a few simple pointers, Kael’s combat ability had undergone visible improvement during the course of a single spar.
Such monstrous talent was something even Varek rarely encountered in his lifetime.
Meanwhile, Kael remained completely unaware of the thoughts running through Varek’s mind.
He simply lay there, staring at the dark ceiling while allowing his exhausted body to recover.
Only after nearly half an hour did enough strength finally return to his limbs.
He slowly sat up before letting out a long breath.
"I think that’s enough for today."
Varek gave a respectful nod.
"As you wish, Master."
Kael rose to his feet before dusting off his clothes.
"I’ll come again tomorrow."
"I shall await your arrival."
With a gentle wave of Varek’s hand, the space before them rippled.
A dark portal silently appeared within the throne room.
Kael stepped forward without hesitation.
The scenery around him blurred before he found himself back where he had entered the instance from.
The night remained as quiet as ever.
Rather than leaving immediately, Kael extended his senses throughout the surrounding area.
His perception spread silently across nearby buildings, sweeping through every alley and rooftop to ensure no one was watching.
Only after confirming the area was completely clear did he move.
His figure shot into the darkness like a phantom, weaving effortlessly through the silent streets before arriving outside the apartment building a few minutes later.
He quietly unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The apartment was completely silent.
Lyra was still asleep.
Careful not to make any unnecessary noise, Kael headed straight toward the bathroom.
The spar with Varek had left him drenched in sweat.
A quick shower later, the exhaustion weighing down his body finally eased slightly.
He changed into a fresh set of clothes before returning to his room.
Outside, the sky was still blanketed by darkness.
There were still several hours before sunrise.
Kael let himself fall onto the bed, closed his eyes, and within moments, sleep quietly claimed him.