In the next moment, Ricky unleashed a massacring power that carried no negative or positive emotion.
It gave off the killing aura alone.
And since he had just comprehended the shura power, it was still far from perfect. Perhaps, it could be
considered a prototype of the real thing.
"Well done! You managed to comprehend the shura power in just seven days, which is a lot faster than
I expected. Now that you can wield it, you can be a big help to me," the Shura Casket praised Ricky
delightedly.
"Thank you, sir, but I think I only achieved that because I am inside you. If I were in a different place, I
might not be able to succeed, not even if you gave me seven years," Ricky humbly answered, shifting
his eyes downward.
He was actually telling the truth. He truly believed that the Shura Casket was the primary reason that
he could comprehend the shura power in such a short time. Perhaps, it had secretly helped him
comprehend because it needed his help.
It must have given his mental strength a boost, which allowed him to complete his task this fast.
With this thought in mind, Ricky would dare say that even an ordinary warrior could master the shura
power, as long as he was inside the Shura Casket.
"Sir, did Steve pass the test as well? Has he comprehended the shura power too?" Ricky asked when
he remembered that Steve was in the other casket.
"Yes, he did, but he was slightly faster than you. It only took him six days," the Shura Casket revealed.
"What?! How did he do that?" Ricky blurted out in utter disbelief.
The truth was that he had expected Steve to fail on account of his character and mindset.
He figured that Steve didn't have what it took to succeed. After all, such an arrogant and conceited
person could never comprehend the shura power. At least, that was what went on in Ricky's mind.
The essential part about the shura power was that one should not forget what he needed to protect
deep inside. Only when someone realized that could he or she succeed in comprehending the shura
power.
But when someone wanted to take advantage of the shura power, he or she should forget about
everything despite the killing intent.
However, it did not mean that he or she must forget the people or things he wanted to protect for good.
He only needed to put everything aside while fighting by using the shura power so as to release the
power's full potential. But still, the things or people he wanted to protect remained in his heart.
As soon as he was reminded of what he needed to protect, he would immediately stop killing and come
back to his senses.
That was the reason that even though the shura power was essentially all about killing, he was able to
anchor it on his protective instincts.
'Was I wrong about Steve? Does he have something that he wants to defend as well?' Ricky thought to
himself, feeling perplexed and astonished.
"Are you surprised that your opponent can also comprehend the shura power?" the Shura Casket
asked when it noticed the confusion on Ricky's face.
"Yes," Ricky admitted. "I'm not doubting his talent, of course, but I think we don't have anything in
common."
"Hmm... Tell me, child, what is your understanding of the shura power?" asked the Shura Casket. It
hummed in a way that signified it knew something that Ricky didn't.
"I can kill others, but I should not get carried away with the violence and forget the things or people that
I want to protect," Ricky readily answered, sounding confident in his reply.
"You are right. But your understanding of protection is a bit shallow," remarked the Shura Casket
critically.
"Please enlighten me, sir!" Ricky immediately cried out, humbled and with an open mind.
"One should not defend the justice that you can recognize. After all, all creatures have someone or
something they want to protect, including themselves. Some even would protect their opponents. In
other words, you can defend anything,"
stated the Shura Casket.
"I understand now, sir," responded Ricky meekly.
"Your opponent made it ahead of you because his blood power is related to killing, and it gave him an
advantage," the Shura Casket further added, knowing that it bothered Ricky.
"Is that so?" asked Ricky with a small frown on his face.
Although he hated to admit it, it seemed that he had underestimated Steve. He initially thought that
Steve was no threat to him since he wasn't the most powerful or talented warrior in the Phoenix tribe.
However, it seemed that he was wrong. "Nevertheless, he is a genius of the Phoenix tribe, and his
blood power is superior.
You shouldn't look down on him," the Dragon Intent Grass scolded Ricky through telepathy. "I know, I
know," he sighed, dejected.
After a while, Ricky turned back to the Shura Casket, looking restless and slightly impatient. "Sir, who
are you going to choose? Steve or me?" he asked. It was the question that relentlessly plagued his
mind at that moment. He desperately wanted to get his hands on Eli's things, and he would hate to see
those very things he yearned for fall into the hands of the Phoenix tribe.
"Honestly, I would choose you in a heartbeat if my criteria were based on character alone. However,
both of you successfully comprehended the shura power. Furthermore, I cannot base it on personality
alone since I need someone powerful who I can rely on. As you know, this is very important to me. I
need to weigh all the pros and cons as carefully as possible. Thus, I'm going to ask you to fight one-on-
one, and the stronger one will be chosen.
I hope you understand," the Shura Casket explained ruefully.
"It's all right, sir. That sounds fair and reasonable. After all, strength is all that matters in the world of
martial arts," answered Ricky. Honestly, he had no problems with the Shura Casket's plans.
And it was also a happy coincidence that he was itching to fight Steve one-on-one as well.
He fervently wished to kill the man with his own hands, as the latter was a member of his hated tribe,
the Phoenix tribe.
Just then, Ricky and Steve were surrounded by an unknown force. In the blink of an eye, the two were
brought to the same space. As soon as their feet touched the ground, they glared at each other
menacingly, even as they struggled to steady themselves from the unexpected teleportation.
A few moments later, the Shura Casket broke the silence and the glaring contest between the two.
"You two are going to fight each other, and the one who wins will acquire my master's stuff. Of course,
he will also need to do something for me," it instructed.
At this point, Ricky and Steve had nothing to say to each other, although their eyes seemed to be
screaming insults at the other.
They simultaneously burst out their momentums, launching their fiercest attacks without hesitation.
Scarlet flames abruptly exploded from Steve's body. His arms transformed into lethal weapons, which
he slashed toward Ricky in the next instant.
Steve's fire power resonated with Ricky's Chaotic Fire Zone.
'The creatures from the Phoenix tribe are not too shabby. I didn't expect that their ordinary infernal
power can resonate with my Chaotic Fire Zone, ' Ricky privately noted.
This display also convinced him further that Steve was more than he appeared to be. He was surely a
worthy opponent.
Without wasting any more time, Ricky activated his seven mutants at the same time. The seven kinds
of runes appeared and resisted Steve's infernal power.
With their bodies enforced by their powers, the two sides collided with their physical bodies. It was a
fight between two incredibly competent individuals.
The members of the Phoenix tribe were known for their astonishingly solid bodies, which were sturdier
than even the strongest beast. Human beings couldn't hold a candle to them in terms of physical
bodies. But Ricky was an exception. After all, he possessed the primitive cultivation method of the
Ultimate Golden Body.
"Did he just burst out seven mutants? My eyes must be deceiving me!" The Shura Casket was shaken
up when it saw Ricky activate seven mutants at once.
After a fleeting silence, it murmured to itself, "Perhaps, it is the seven mutants that enable him to
challenge someone stronger than him when both he and his opponent are the Emperor Level."
In a flash, Ricky and Steve had fought more than ten rounds.
And Ricky had the upper hand.
No creature at his level was physically stronger than him, except those creatures with the Sorcerous
Combat Body, the Great Dragons, and the devils.
When he saw this, Steve's face darkened. His pride would not allow him to be defeated in any aspect
by an opponent he despised.
However, just now, Ricky had defeated him in physical collisions. It was a slap to his face, as he had
always been proud of his strong physical strength.
But, of course, Steve didn't lose his temper. He was a reasonable warrior, who could adjust his
emotions depending on the situation, and this situation called for a calm and calculating mind. In the
next breath, he unleashed more fire power that spread quickly throughout the space. He figured that
since he couldn't crush Ricky with his physical body, he would use his power
instead.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda