Arno and the rest of the team are on the way towards the SAD local branch which was located near the city south gate. The toadman Fanctom is already there waiting for them. They were proceeding on foot while being guided by several soldiers. These soldiers were ordered by Reizen to escort the team. Initially, Melissa wants to reject the escorts but under Reizen persistent offer, she can do nothing but helplessly accept it.

Moreover, the distance between the mansion and the branch is too far and the roads are pretty much crowded. The team appearance is obviously conspicuous and will definitely attract attention. As a result these soldiers are useful to alleviate unnecessary disruptions.

Since Luccio has joined, he already started getting along with the rest of the member. The man himself is rather extrovert, hence, it is easy for him to adapt and mingled with the team as the other member also have a good impression of him. Melissa is satisfied with that, one fewer headaches for her to deal with.

When Arno is walking behind the other member, suddenly, there is something interesting that was detected by his Divine Sense.

He always activates and expanding his Divine Sense covering the entire city since the team arrived in the city. Right now, what was his sensed is the Saint rank individual whose Arno detected earlier is beginning moving towards the south gate direction.

An old male Saint rank warrior.

That old Saint rank didn't move at all when the team is still at the mansion, but now after the team is leaving the mansion. he also begins moving too, and it's direction also aligned with the team which is towards the south gate.

Arno is pondering. Is this merely a coincidence?

He doesn't know the other person motives, but he still keeps the Divine Sense to track him.

He also found the person wasn't alone, there are at least three other people with him. A middle-age man, a younger man, and a young female. All of them is from the human race, discerned from their unique lifeforce that exclusively belongs to the human, in which was detected by Arno's godly Divine Sense.

When he measures their strength, it is revealed except for the old man who is a Level 1 Saint. The middle age man is Level 5 Grandmaster, the young man is Level 3 Super Warrior while the female is Level 5 Adept Mage. These people overall strengths are not bad at all if according to the current time's power level.

If Arno is assuming that they were targetting Melissa's team with malicious intention. He doubts the team can offer significant resistance. Even with the team superior firepower provided by the magical armaments they wield, in the end, they still would be obliterated. It's because of the presence of a Saint rank warrior that would make impossible for Melissa's team to survive.

Experts with Saint rank strength are no joke. There is a reason why every Saint rank is an extremely dominant and respected individual that many nations and organizations in the realm highly sought or nurtured. Even Arno acknowledge this.

Arno keeps walking followings the team while his mind began returning to the remote past.

Back in Arno's time in Immemorial Era. Saint rank is equivalent of Martial Lord rank.

A Saint or Martial Lord cultivator is able to form the so-called "Proto-Core" inside their body where the Blood Channels is converging. Proto-Core is a condensation of their entire pure quality Energia which was condensed with the help of their understanding of high universe law and of course the cultivation technique they practiced.

From Fighter rank to Grandmaster rank, cultivators can only circulate Energia or Mana exclusively inside their Blood Channels. So if a Peak Grandmaster or Heaven rank want to breakthroughs to the Saint rank or Martial Lord, then they must condense a Proto-Core first.

A cultivator is able to circulate their Energia throughout their entire body through the Proto-Core. The Energia will be able to directly go to every cultivator organs and cells instead of only circulating in the Blood Channels. This would provide cultivator an immense advantage as the Energia quality is much purer because it's already filtered by the Proto-Core itself before being distributed. Thus, the pure Energia will give a huge strength boost and longer lifespan to the cultivators.

A Saint or Arch Mage individual can live up to 500 years old.

That is why a Level 1 Saint rank who already formed their Proto-Core is at least 10 or 20 times stronger than a Peak Grandmaster, who of course nonetheless didn't formed a Proto-Core yet.

At first, a Level 1 Saint or initial-stage Martial Lord cultivator Proto-Core size is extremely small, around the size of a bean and its color is somehow a bit of faint transparent. But it would grow in size and became brighter as the cultivator raises his rank as well as comprehending more deeper about the Universe Law. Once their Proto-Core became the size of an apple and its color change into a faint yellowish, then it's signified that the cultivator is successfully broken through to the Martial King rank.

But forming a Proto-Core is extremely hard and almost to the point of being impossible. It's the reason of why so many Peak Grandmaster or Grand Mage would stuck without ever breaking through at all in their entire life. Some of them even breakdown into madness and despair as they don't know how to or clueless about what the further step is.

This is why that old Saint can overpower the entire team member by himself if he takes action personally.

Fortunately, Melissa's team had Arno in their side. He can eliminate that old Saint with only a flick of his finger. Even his soul includes.

Although they only know a little about his identity or strength. Arno is, in fact, the only known Divine Overlord expert who almost gone through his Heavenly Tribulation.

There may be other cultivators who has reached the Divine Overlord rank in the ancient times, but ever since Arno was born until now there are no other Divine Overlord existed except him.

The sensational news about Arno ascensions to the Divine Overlord rank cause a massive storm throughout the entire Gaia Realm. Cultivators were amazed, disbelieved, shocked, some even became jealous and envying him to death.

It must be known that even back then, the Divine Overlord rank is already becoming something legendary, mythical and unreachable.

The news also prompts several prominent Divine Lord and Divine Origin powerhouses combining their forces to plot against the newly promoted Overlord. They were alarmed and fearful of him. Because Arno's strength already too powerful when his cultivation rank is only a Divine Lord, and his sudden rise to the Divine Overlord rank is something unacceptable for those powerhouses.

On top of that they already bore grudges towards him since the past.

Thus, the greatest and the largest cultivators alliance with thousands of experts above Martial King set out to hunt him down.

They utilize every means necessary to track and set upon him. It is not easy for them to find him. They literally turned the entire realm upside down for his whereabouts, they even investigated every bit of information about him.

His origin, families, relatives, friends, lovers, and disciples. But they discovered nothing, nothing at all.

It's not their fault actually. Arno is a lone wolf. He always has been since he decides to embark on the path of cultivation all those years ago.

Origins? Birthplace? Homeland? Those places were gone, destroyed, and forgotten.

Family and relatives? They were already long dead, not even their bones survive through the passages of time.

Friends? Disciples? Never had them to begin with. There are several acquaintances that may be still alive, but those people didn't mean a thing to him.

Lover? Except for some missed encounter on his journey which he didn't reciprocate back, he doesn't have one. Besides he's not someone who is fickles in love.

As the alliance found nothing about Arno personal life that can be used against him. They had no choice other than to strike him directly.

Ultimately, they encounter him inside a small realm orbiting far away from the Gaia Realm named Aprax.

Aprax Realm is a strange small realm which infamous because the realm land is inhospitably harsh and uninhabited by sentient races. There is not even an outpost or living communities presence on its surface. Additionally, The realm devoid of any valuable unique resources makes it unpopular for cultivators to visit.

Arno deliberately leaks his location in efforts to lure the alliance into Aprax. He was annoyed because the alliance is tracking and following him all the time, he wants to settle the problem once and for all. So he chooses Aprax Realm as the choice of battlefields. He didn't want to drag innocent mortals in the battle, because he knows the battle will be a massive and destructive one.

Although the enemy comprises thousands of members, in which the strongest forces in their ranks was 4 Peak-stage Divine Lords powerhouse. Arno still confidence that he would prevail in annihilating them. He experienced it himself.

His strength is at least hundreds more times higher compared to when he only just a Peak-stage Divine Lord. There is no way for him to be afraid.

Therefore, he is indifferent and emotionless as he gazes at the alliance numerous cultivators arrived in Aprax.

The alliance thought they completely succeeded in cornering him. Even the alliance leader, the Doom Lord. Who is one of the most powerful Divine Lord expert were haughty enough during the eve of the battle. He arrogantly insults and taunting Arno, proclaim this is the day of Arno's downfall.

Many other alliance members though do not overly share their leader optimistic feeling. Some of them still feel dreadful towards Arno. They were facing one of the most talented cultivators ever being born, the Dark Prison Lord. A lone and a solitaire cultivation powerhouse, whose strength is legendary and resonating throughout the world.

Not to mention at that time, he already became a Divine Overlord. They don't know much about this rank power, they can merely assume and guess. Some of the alliance members are adopting a cautious stance while others however still being an optimist as they believe the alliance is able to overpower the Dark Prison Lord with sheer numbers.

Hence, The battle begins.

The alliance unleashes their entire member's diverse skills and martial techniques. They deploy every high-level array of formations that can shatter the skies with inconceivable power. They attack with any kind of magic armaments they possess, an Emperor class spear, Overlord class bow, Ancestor class demon shield even a Supreme class divine sword that can rend the earth.

They throw everything at the Dark Prison Lord to bring him down to his downfall.

Arno also spared no expense at all in defending himself. He employs every martial skill that he practiced and learned, several of these skills are an inheritance that he gained from ancient powerhouses, some were the ultimate skill he creates and developed.

The Aprax Realm is witnessing the battle between the Gaia Realms peak powerhouses that happens on its surface, where every godly skill and divine power of domains which unimaginable to mortals or trivial common cultivator being thrown everywhere. Creating massive and devastating damage to the realm's surface.

The battle genuinely can be said as the proper Battle of the Gods.

Arno is massacring the enemy left and right violently. He didn't fight with only brute strength. He also placed lots of traps and formations before the enemy arrives as he didn't want to be complacent.

The battle lasted barely for a day before the final victor is standing alone at the center of the battlefield. Thousands of miles of the radius surrounding the position where Arno is standing at already turned into a literal hell.

Charred severed corpses laying everywhere on the ground, cracks and large impact craters are doting the surface landscapes. The Aprax Realm condition which already being inhospitable before, became even harsher and unforgiving after the battle ends.

From the alliance thousands of members, only a small amount is able to survive. After all 4 Divine Lords experts leading the alliance was killed one by one, the rest of the weaker members start to escape from the realm with every power they have left.

They don't want to be inside that realm any longer. The Dark Prison Lord is too fearsome and strong, even the four experts in Peak-stage Divine Lord is no match for him. They realized now they were really dumb and overly confident. The realization about a Divine Overlord is something they cannot absolutely be underestimates came a little too late. The alliance is utterly defeated.

From far away in the space near the Aprax Realm. Several cultivators who were being sent by neutral powerhouses also witnessing the battle ends with shocking expression.

Is this the power of a Divine Overlord?

Is there really such an enormous gap between the Divine Lord and the Divine Overlord?

These onlookers are wondering and racking their brain to such events, some even still stuck in disbelieve. But the proof is in front of their eyes right now.

The Dark Prison Lord is able to destroy the largest cultivators alliance all by himself. Even with the firepower of 4 Peak-stage Divine Lord still unable saving the alliance from being annihilated.

Originally, these cultivators were being sent to monitor and assessing the battle, also may be gaining some advantages or prizes from both sides.

But now after witnessing a shocking revelation, they hastily depart as they immediately want to inform their superiors about the events.

Meanwhile, Arno still stands indifferently in the surface as he conserves and replenishing his depleted Energia. He also checked his body condition which was gravely injured. Although he was stronger than before, his body was still riddled with wounds because he only just being promoted, there wasn't enough time to stabilize his cultivation before trouble comes knocking. Therefore, several of the alliance members are able to land their attacks on him.

And now after the battle is over and he came victorious, there is no reason for him to stay anymore. Thus, he rapidly leaves the realm so he can quickly heal his injury and meditated to stabilizing his cultivation.

Soon, the news about the defeat of the alliance at the hand of the Dark Prison Lord quickly spreading towards the entire world like a wildfire. The people were shocked again. At first, when the alliance announced they will hunt and kill the Dark Prison Lord, almost all people believe they will succeed as they were pessimistic that the Dark Prison is able to survive, even though he was already breaking through to the Divine Overlord rank.

Their pessimist conjecture is based on the people's low bits of knowledge on how strong a Divine Overlord expert is. Not to mention the alliance has a thousand members which have cultivation rank above Martial King, and they were spearheaded by 4 infamous and powerful Divine Lord powerhouses.

But the news completely shatters their assumptions.

The entire world is spreading and talking about the Dark Prison impressive feats. The news is even transmitted to many small realms and secular mortal worlds.

Not long thereafter, every people from any races no matter who they are or what they are, not only cultivators but also trivial mortals who usually completely clueless about things related to cultivation also begin to hear about the battle.

After that, the battle is transformed into a legendary and heroic tales which produces many versions that were cemented on many people's mind and hearts.

Arno's standing on the cultivation world also raised to the maximum, his title changed into the famous Dark Prison Overlord.

He was sanctified as the strongest being in the world and no one can be compared to him.

A thousand years after the battle. The Aprax Realm became established sacred ground. Many cultivators visited the realm to hunt the treasure left by the alliance members, training to temper their cultivation on its harsh surface or they simply just want to pilgrimage on the famous ancient battlefield, where the Gods fall.

Regrettably, the Apprax Realm was destroyed completely during Arno's fight against The Chaos, hundreds of thousands years after the battle with the alliance.

Currently, that realm was no longer existed.

----------

Arno shakes his head as he finished recounting his memories. All of that was already in the past anyway. It is time to move forwards.

Melissa, who since earlier already walking side by side with Arno, shift her head towards him as she saw Arno shaking his head.

Although Arno is keeping a poker face, Melissa is nevertheless able to discern that Arno is, in fact, thinking about something. Every so often she saw peculiar emotions came out from his eyes that exude an unknown intense feeling. She is curious and really wants to know of what's inside his mind right now.

She constantly wants to inquire him since earlier, but she keeps hesitating. And now after she saw Arno shaking his head, she couldn't help but ask.

"Arno... what are you thinking about?" Melissa asked in somewhat a gentle tone.

Arno is a bit surprised after hearing Melissa's question. He gawked as he stared right on her face.

He stares for a long time, resulting in Melissa blushing embarrassingly and subconsciously averting her eyes.

While he keeps staring at Melissa's lovely face, he couldn't help but thinking that Melissa is indeed beautiful. It is an odd thought for him.

"WH!..wh..what are you staring at huh?" Melissa complains bashfully.

If people know that Melissa Dreyfuss is able to blush like that because of a man, then they will be banging their head in disbelieve as she usually unapproachable by men.

Realizing he did staring at her for a long time and it was rather rude, Arno quickly averting his sight "Ah..ehm, sorry." and he awkwardly apologizes.

Seeing Arno feel sorry about it, Melissa didn't protest anymore, she began to recover her complexion and relaxing.

"Heh...it's fine." Melissa said.

Although Arno is always rather indifferent towards her, Melissa is kinda happy now as she saw Arno gawked at her for the first time, she thought that her charm is still working after all. No straight man can escape from its entangle.

"By the way. What were you thinking about just now?" Melissa continues asking about that.

Hearing that, Arno thought she really is a curious woman huh.

He gave her a gentle charming smile before he replies "It's nothing, don't worry about it." and he didn't speak further.

She's little disappointed seeing Arno didn't divulge her anything, but she didn't pry further, he likely thinks something random, she thought.

Melissa didn't know Arno is actually just finished recalling his glorious past. She definitely won't believe it if he tells her anyway.

The two people keep walking behind the other team members as they finally arrived near the SAD branch's building.

The branch building it's exactly like the one in the Astoria capital, which also is used by Fanctom's odd store as a fake surface appearance to conceal its original function. Fanctom is already inside it seems.

Hence the team is heading straight for it, while the soldiers are clearing the way for them from the crowds.

Arno suddenly moves his head near Melissa's ear and murmuring something.

"There are some people following us. I don't know what they're up to, but keep your guard up." Arno whisper in a very low voice.

"huh?"