Tower of Heaven

Exploding Runes, Flame Thunder, and Flame Wheel were all damage moves that could be used at range. When he was in close combat, Atlas usually used pure qi without charging his fists with his element.

He had an arsenal hidden in his mind, but currently, he only had the power for those three moves. Supported by Burst Steps and his weapons, he was able to do fine with these as the core of his fighting strategy.

However, given that the entire group in front of him was made up of Earth Sages, he couldn't just "do fine."

He vanished from their eyes due to some trickery. The mask he was wearing now, the mask he put on before entering this trial, was imbued with an effect that allowed him to temporarily turn himself invisible.

He had to support it with his own qi, and it drained his energy at a rate far too fast for it to be useful in real combat, but Atlas bought it so it could be used in case of emergencies.

This was one of those moments. In order to hold a candle to these stronger cultivators, he had to be a bit creative.

The pure advantage he received from being invisible for a second was more impactful than one would expect. He instantly threw off his enemies, and with the few moments he gained, he was able to single out the weakest of them.

'I shall start there.'

The exhibition of Atlas' current abilities began.

The man he targeted was a large person at the back of the group. His large size made him seem more indomitable, but it was merely a facade.

[Burst Steps]

Atlas' position was exposed, but he bought himself enough time to drive in close to the large man before his teammates could help him.

Bang!

The impact felt exactly how Atlas expected it to.

'He has not practiced body cultivation.'

It was a unique circumstance of someone who ignored the cultivation of the body in these foundational stages. People like him were almost impossible to find in the current era, but in this specific instance, it became clear that the man didn't forgo body cultivation on purpose.

He flew back with his feet stumbling across the ground. His every step caused the earth under him to shake ever so slightly, as if he himself were a mountain.

'Is it a unique constitution?'

There were some like that. As his body was undergoing a separate metamorphosis, he couldn't overtrain it by body cultivating. It was a crutch at these lower levels, but it would become less of a problem as he grew.

Luckily for Atlas, at this time, his body was weaker than the ordinary Earth Sage. He was a great initial target.

'It is also a perfect time to expand his arsenal.'

On top of the fire moves he knew from studying his Dao, there were a few physical techniques that he remembered from his younger days. Specifically, there was a military training technique created so that even the common man could attain power.

That technique had as few limitations as possible and actually had a relatively decent growth curve. Atlas balled a fist and approached the man again. His qi circled his fist and created a loose formation, expanding greatly as his attack made contact.

[Dominating Fist]

Boom!

His qi was amplified in the final moment, creating a small explosion against the enemy's chest.

"Kahak!"

The man coughed up blood and was thrown back once more.

'Decent damage, but I must strike him one more time to put him down.'

The opportunity would come, but it was not now.

Boom!

Atlas jumped into the air as a ball of ice shot towards him.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

'Here it is.'

[Burst Steps]

Atlas dashed in the air and avoided the few other elements that also struck towards him.

'This is the true problem that arises when fighting above one's level.'

Basic elemental control, an ability that technically only existed past the Earth Sage Realm. Atlas was posing as a genius that could use the elements from birth, but there were still limitations.

In the end, he had the same body as those true geniuses. He also couldn't handle the stress of elemental qi the way an Earth Sage could.

But that was only temporary.

Battle experience was eternal.

"Ice, fire, fire, earth, and water.'

Those were the five energies that were used against him. Ice was less common, but all five were easy to find in the world.

In other words, those who were learning to use them would initially all fight the same before they found the countless profundities hidden within their Daos that allowed them to become unique.

'As they have only recently ascended, they will likely use elemental attacks more than anything else.'

They were proud of their power. It was normal to flaunt it before they learned how common they were.

Without being used to the qi necessary for what they were trying to achieve, the group attacked Atlas only because he had already started combat.

"He's just a Core Formation Realm brat! Aim properly, you idiots!"

The blonde man at their head berated them, but it wasn't as if he was any better.

'In fact, he is the next weakest.'

Atlas slammed into the ground and immediately started running. He sent a vibration of qi into the atmosphere, kicking up the dust that caked the corridor and blocking his enemies' vision.

'I should aim for his legs.'

Atlas ducked down and brandished his chain sickles. They ran parallel to the ground through the dust, aimed directly at the blonde man's ankles.

Yet…

Clang!

The weapons lost momentum too early. The blades skidded across the ground, much to Atlas' displeasure.

'Tch!'

He wasn't skilled enough with this weapon. When he was throwing them through the air, he could liken the motions and qi control to that of a bow and arrow in order to maneuver flexibly, but when they were so close to the ground, the same strategy didn't work.

It was Atlas' first mistake.

'This cannot necessarily be called a good environment to make mistakes in, but this is indeed a training situation.'

He took it on the chin and reworked his strategy on the spot. In order to learn, he had already accepted that there would be a period where perfection and skill were beyond him.

The chain sickles disappeared back into Atlas' inventory. His posture straightened, and in a last-ditch attempt to do some damage before pivoting, he charged into the blonde man and tackled him to the ground.

Bang!

They both hit the rock and had the wind knocked out of them. Atlas took a deep breath and slammed his fist out.

Bang!

The attack struck directly into the man's face and crushed his nose. Atlas rolled over him and propped his body up as a rock spike zoomed into his position. The outcome was obvious to see.

The rock stabbed into the blonde man's stomach. Still, it was only the first of the coming attacks. The blonde man wouldn't allow himself to be used as a human shield twice, and the large individual who was disarmed at the beginning was returning to the fight.

'As expected, it is not easy to fight against a group.'

No, really, this was a stupid battle to begin with.

Nevertheless, Atlas' position had to be remembered.

Where he was now, the blonde man's spatial ring and other possessions were within reach.

All Atlas needed to do was take them.