The sea of magma was one of the Singularity of Flameâs most powerful techniques. With it, he could summon magma from underground and turn it into his domain.
Anyone caught within would feel their body quickly weaken while their magic power slowly drained away.
This was because the sea of magma fueled fighting spirit while consuming the magic power of everyone nearby.
Nolan hadnât expected this man to wield the same power as the Singularity of Flame, which made him even more curious about his identityâand about who he referred to as "master."
But there was no time to think further; the man was already launching his attack.
"Fire Domain!" he shouted, raising both hands.
Whoosh!
The island below, along with the sea within a kilometerâs radius, turned into a blazing ocean of magma. The temperature soared, burning the air until it expanded.
Heat waves rippled out in all directions, devouring everything nearby.
The sight was terrifying, as if hell itself had risen to the surface, ready to burn sinners.
"Attack!" The man thrust his right arm toward Nolan.
At once, dozens of fire dragons surged from the sea of magma and shot toward him.
Nolan, however, barely reacted. With a simple wave of his left hand, the space around him condensed. The fire dragons froze in midair before bursting into molten fragments.
"As expected of the Singularity of Chaosâyour power is truly extraordinary. Even an attack like that couldnât harm you," he said with a mocking edge.
Nolan didnât care at all. He looked at the man with indifference and asked, "Who are you? Why do you have powers so similar to the Singularity of Flame?"
"Hehehe..." The man let out a low chuckle. "If you want answers, then defeat me first."
Whoosh!
His figure shot forward with incredible speed. In his right hand, a massive sledgehammer materialized.
The hammer was enormousânearly two meters longâyet the man wielded it with one hand as if it weighed nothing, a clear display of his monstrous strength.
Nolanâs eyes widened slightly at the sight.
Blazing Maul sledgehammer? How can that be?
His heart pounded.
The Blazing Maul belonged to the Singularity of Flame. It was said he had infused his very soul and power core into it, allowing the weapon to contain all his might.
A single strike could turn everything within a hundred kilometers into a sea of fire. That was what made it so terrifying.
And yet, that very hammerâor something that looked exactly like itâwas now in this manâs hand. It was obviously suspicious and unreasonable.
"Die!" the man roared, swinging the hammer straight at Nolanâs head.
Bang!
The strike slammed into the invisible barrier surrounding Nolan.
But instead of frustration, the man smirked coldly. "Donât think that alone will stop me!"
The moment those words left his mouth, his power erupted wildly, and the sledgehammer blazed with a dazzling red light.
Crack!
A fissure spread across Nolanâs barrier, making him flinch.
Boom!
The barrier shattered, and the sledgehammer came crashing toward him at terrifying speed.
If it had been anyone else, they would have died instantly. Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Nolan.
Just as the hammer was about to land a centimeter away, Nolanâs figure vanished in a flash. The weapon struck nothing but air, leaving the man momentarily stunned.
Looking ahead, he spotted Nolan floating calmly with his arms folded across his chest.
"Once again, you surprise me, Singularity of Chaos. Your reflexes are extraordinaryâeven greater than the Singularity of Light, who is famed for speed rivaling light itself," he said coldly. "But how long can you keep this up? This entire area is my domain. Sooner or later, it will wear you down. Your strength will weaken. When that happens, will you still be able to dodge my attacks again and again?"
With that, he raised his massive sledgehammer and swung it forward.
"Hellfire Strike!"
Whoosh!
A blazing fireball, fifteen meters across, burst into existence and hurtled toward Nolan. At the same time, hundreds of magma dragons erupted from below, lunging upward to devour him.
Nolan calmly brought his hands together. A transparent circle erupted from his body, spreading in all directions.
Every single attack was annihilatedâshattered before they could even reach him. Then, Nolan opened his right palm and aimed it at the man.
"Space Distortion: Pulling," he whispered coldly.
Fwooh!
The man felt the space around him solidify, his body locked in place as a mysterious force yanked him toward Nolan.
"Not good!" he exclaimed in panic, struggling desperately, but it was useless.
In an instant, Nolan seized him by the neck and met his eyes with an icy stare.
"Tell meâwho are you, and why do you possess the power of the Singularity of Flame? And this âMasterâ you spoke of... who is he? Answer me now, or accept your fate," Nolan threatened.
His grip tightened until the manâs breath caught in his throat.
Yet the manâs expression remained defiant. In a broken, stammering voice, he forced out, "Donât think... Iâll ever tell you, Singularity... of Chaos! I would neverâ"
Before he could finish, Nolanâs hand clenched harder around his neck, turning the manâs face red.
"Since youâre so stubborn, then Iâll take it directly from your memories," Nolan said coldly.
Buzz!
The Eyes of Chaos glimmered in both of his eyes. Nolan fixed his gaze on the man, ready to activate his mind-reading technique.
But suddenlyâ
Whoosh!
A surge of black light erupted from the manâs body, slamming into Nolan with tremendous force.
His body was hurled back nearly two hundred meters before he managed to stabilize himself in midair.
He rubbed his chest, grimacing at the soreness, his face etched with disbelief.
"How did that hit me?" Nolan muttered.
With the Eyes of Chaos, he should have been able to foresee every move. Yet the attack had come so fast, his eyes hadnât caught it at all.
Something like this had never happened before. Nolan quickly looked ahead.
There, he saw the man grinning faintlyâand beside him stood a shapeless black shadow.
It had no form, yet two eyes gleamed on its face: one red, one blue. Each pupil was unique, one shaped like the sun and the other like the moon.
Eyes of Chaos?
Nolanâs heart skipped a beat.
No... those arenât the Eyes of Chaos. But why does the aura feel so similar?
While Nolan was still lost in thought, the shadow suddenly spoke.
"Itâs been a long time, Singularity of Chaos... Or should I call you the new Singularity of Chaos?"
Its voice was deep and heavy, carrying a chilling majesty.
Nolan narrowed his eyes. "Are you the master he mentioned?"
He cast a cold, indifferent glance at the red-robed man before returning his gaze to the shadow.
"Oh?" For just an instant, surprise crossed the shadowâs face. "As I thought... the one chosen as the Singularity of Chaos would have sharp instincts."
Nolan ignored the empty praise. Drawing in a steady breath, he asked once more, "Then tell meâwho are you?"