Read The Almighty Dominance Novel (Alexander Leonhart and Sophia Lancaster) by Sunshine Updated 2025 -26 - The Almighty Dominance Chapter 596

The Almighty Dominance Chapter 596

Alex stepped back into his hut after leaving the library, closing the door behind him with a soft thud. Silence settled around him, but his mind refused to follow.

Three months.

That was all he had.

And it wasn’t enough.

There were still too many techniques—too many fragments of martial knowledge in the library he hadn’t even touched. If he tried to learn everything the usual way, he’d fall far behind.

His gaze hardened.

There was only one way.

“The fastest path… is through sleep. Through meditation.”

When the mind slips into a dreamlike state, time bends.

Three months in the real world… could stretch into thirty within a dream.

A quiet breath left his lips as the thought took hold.

“I have to survive.”

“I’m not dying here.”

Not in a place where countless others were stronger. Not when he hadn’t even begun to climb.

“I won’t be distracted. And no one… gets to distract me.”

With that, Alex reached into his storage and pulled out a pile of spiritual stones—nearly thirty. One by one, he set them around the hut, arranging them in a precise pattern.

Each stone locked into place like part of a larger design.

A formation.

As the final stone settled, the array pulsed faintly—then came alive.

A low hum filled the air.

Energy surged through the pattern, linking each stone until a translucent dome formed over the hut, sealing it off from the outside world.

No sound could enter.

No presence could break through.

As long as the stones held… the barrier would stand.

Alex exhaled slowly, studying it with quiet satisfaction.

“The library really does have everything.”

Then, without hesitation, he stepped inside, shut the door, and sat down.

His eyes closed.

He sank into meditation.

Two days later.

A group of thirty disciples finally arrived at the far edge of the sect.

They had spent days searching—until Li Qingxue sent word of his location.

One of them frowned, scanning the desolate surroundings.

“How is he living all the way out here? This is the most isolated part of the disciple grounds.”

Another let out a dry laugh. “If I remember right… this place is usually reserved for the worst troublemakers.”

“Yeah,” a third added, glancing around uneasily. “The last person who stayed here was twenty years ago. Didn’t last long. Everyone who ends up here either leaves… or fades into obscurity.”

“No wonder no one’s heard of him,” someone muttered.

They moved forward, but their pace slowed as something subtle began to shift.

“Wait.”

One disciple stopped abruptly, his expression tightening.

“…Do you feel that?”

The others paused.

At first, there was only silence.

Then—

“…The energy.”

Another disciple inhaled sharply, his chest rising as if the air itself had grown heavier.

“It’s getting denser.”

“Not just denser,” someone said, voice dropping. “It’s still increasing…”

Unease rippled through the group.

They picked up the pace, scanning their surroundings more carefully.

Then one of them suddenly pointed ahead.

“…Do peach trees grow like that?”

The others followed his gaze—

And froze.

A peach tree stood before them—massive, towering, completely unnatural. Its trunk was impossibly thick, its branches sprawling wide like it had grown for centuries.

It didn’t belong here.

It didn’t look normal.

It looked… wrong.

“Hey…” one disciple whispered, disbelief tightening his voice. “Have you ever seen an earth spiritual ginseng leaf that big?”

No one answered.

Because the longer they looked, the more stunned they became.

Every herb. Every plant.

Things they had only ever seen in small, precious quantities after decades of growth… now stood before them in overwhelming abundance.

Oversized. Thriving. Dense with energy.

“This doesn’t make any sense,” another muttered, stepping closer, eyes sweeping across the garden. “How can all these spiritual herbs and fruits grow like this?”

“Forget the size,” a third said quietly. “Don’t you feel it?”

They all went still.

The air.

“…The energy here is at least ten times denser than ours.”

Silence settled over the group.

Then, almost without thinking, they moved deeper into the garden—

Drawn toward its center.

Toward the hut.

One disciple stepped forward, swallowing hard before cupping his fists.

“Brother Jun Jiu,” he called out. “We came… to ask for your forgiveness.”

His voice echoed faintly across the garden.

But—

No response.

They waited.

A minute.

Five.

Ten.

Still nothing.

The disciple frowned and raised his voice.

“Brother Jun Jiu! Please, hear us!”

Again.

And again.

Every ten minutes, his voice rang out—growing more strained, more desperate.

Hours passed.

The sun shifted across the sky.

Still—

Nothing.

Finally, one of them stepped forward, unable to take it anymore. He approached the hut cautiously.

Then—

He stopped.

His hand lifted, reaching into empty air—

And struck something.

An unseen barrier.

His eyes widened.

“…There’s something here.”

The others rushed forward.

He pressed his palm against the invisible surface, feeling the resistance.

“This… this is a barrier. A protection formation.”

“What?” another exclaimed, stepping in to examine it. His expression quickly changed.

“…He’s right. It’s a defensive array. And it’s soundproof.”

A heavy realization settled over them.

“That means…” someone said slowly, “…he can’t hear us.”

“And we can’t get in,” another finished grimly.

The group fell silent.

“So… what do we do now?” one finally asked.

A bitter laugh slipped out.

“What can we do… except wait?”

Uneasy glances passed between them.

From the beginning, they hadn’t had a choice.

“If he doesn’t forgive us…” one disciple said quietly, his voice trembling, “…our heads will end up like Han Fei’s.”

The threat hung in the air like a blade.

No one argued.

“…Then we wait,” another said. “At least the energy here is incredible. Not a bad place to cultivate.”

That night, all thirty of them sat down—

And began to meditate.

One day passed.

Then another.

They stayed—waiting, cultivating, enduring.

But not everyone had the patience to sit still.

Some began to wander.

They studied the herb formations, circling the garden with fascination.

“…This is incredible,” one murmured, crouching beside a cluster of plants. “I didn’t know herbs could support each other like this… it’s perfectly balanced.”

“It can sustain itself long-term without outside input,” another added, eyes lighting with realization.

Others joined in, examining different sections, quietly discussing what they saw.

A few went further.

They began trimming dying branches, clearing weak plants, even transplanting saplings—carefully, respectfully.

Almost without realizing it…

They started tending the garden.

Days passed.

Then a week.

And something shifted.

One disciple made a decision.

“I’m moving my hut here,” he said.

The others looked at him—

But no one laughed.

Because they were thinking the same thing.

One by one…

More followed.

Before long—

The once-abandoned corner of the sect wasn’t empty anymore.

They started maintaining Alex’s garden.

At first, it was hesitant. Awkward. Like they didn’t quite belong.

“Let me ask you something,” one muttered, pulling weeds. “Why are we taking care of his garden?”

Another didn’t even look up.

“We came to ask for his forgiveness,” he said calmly. “If he comes out and sees everything better than before… don’t you think our chances improve?”

He paused, then added under his breath—

“I don’t plan on dying.”

That was enough.

A third exhaled slowly. “Besides… haven’t you noticed? The peak leaders clearly support him. Everything he has—it’s all exclusive.”

His gaze hardened.

“I don’t want to end up on the wrong side of someone like that.”

“Agreed,” another said immediately.

“And honestly…” someone else added, glancing around at the lush garden, “…I don’t even mind staying here. The energy is at least ten times richer than my place.”

“You’re not wrong,” someone chimed in.

A brief silence followed.

Then one disciple voiced what the others were already thinking.

“…I might follow him.”

Another raised an eyebrow. “Follow him? You don’t even know him.”

“I know enough.”

“Oh? Like what?”

The disciple gestured around. “He has resources, backing, strength—and a place with ten times the energy.”

A third nodded. “That’s not a person. That’s an opportunity.”

The second crossed his arms. “So you’re not loyal. You’re strategic.”

The first smiled faintly. “Call it what you want.”

A pause.

Then someone behind them added, “I call it getting in early—before the price goes up.”

“You all know I don’t have backing in the sect,” the first continued. “If I can stand beside someone like him—someone ranked first, with the peak leaders behind him…”

He let out a quiet breath.

“My future won’t be bad.”

No one responded.

Because no one disagreed.

And just like that—

Without a word, without a declaration—

Alex gained thirty loyal followers.

Time passed, one day at a time.

The garden flourished under their care. The energy thickened. The atmosphere… shifted.

Soon—

The competition Li Qingxue mentioned was only two days away.

Inside the hut, Alex finally opened his eyes.

Meditation ended.

Everything he had learned—every technique, every insight—had been absorbed, refined, and etched into his mind.

His strength had risen.

Not slightly.

By several levels.

A quiet confidence settled in his chest.

This time… he was ready.

More than ready.

In the coming battle among the outer disciples—

He would be undefeated.

Losing wasn’t even a possibility.

Alex stood, calm and composed, and walked to the door.

Then—

He opened it.

For the first time in days.

And froze.

His eyes widened slightly.

Outside—

The courtyard was full.

Dozens of disciples.

Some meditating. Some working. Others studying his herbs—his entire courtyard alive with activity.

The moment he stepped out—

Everything stopped.

Every single one of them bowed deeply.

“Greetings, Big Brother Jun Jiu!”

Their voices rang out in perfect unison.

Alex stood there, momentarily stunned, his gaze sweeping across the scene.

At least seventy people.

And more were still running over from the distance, rushing to join.

The number kept climbing.

Maybe a hundred.

“…What is this?” Alex asked, disbelief edging his voice.

One disciple stepped forward, head still lowered.

“We are your loyal brothers—your followers,” he said firmly. “We will follow you through fire and storm. Give the word, and we would die for you.”

Silence fell.

Alex stared at them, unmoving.

Just three months ago—

He had been alone, buried in meditation, fighting for every step forward.

And now—

He had an army.