"Damn it!" Shin spat hate while he slowly got to his feet. He wanted to do something… Anything… Just to ensure that the Allfather didn't run away with a sure victory. Otherwise, they would have gathered their troops and congregated their masses for nothing. Alas, there was nothing that Shin could do to stop the Allfather now. He had already destroyed the Terre Continent and had brought the Black Masks into the abyss formerly known as Mythpoint Reach.
Umbras would infect the world, bringing terror down on the masses while the Allfather would accumulate his strength from the safety of his abode. There was nothing that Shin could do to stop the man but watch.
[Shin Iofiel...]
At that moment, a profane voice echoed within the recesses of Shin's mind. Startled, the young man jumped up and summoned out his Celestial Dragon. Draconic scales covered the supple skin of the young man, and the Water-Elements spiked exponentially. Without even thinking about it, the Spear of Aiglos appeared in Shin's hand while the Azure Dragon's Shard resonated throughout the upper levels of Deus Citadel.
Shin knew this voice. He wouldn't forget it even if the world came crumbling down. And sure enough…
[There's no need to be alarmed...]
Dark particles congregated into one singular area, forming a figure that was reminiscent to that of the same shrouded figure that the six Spirit Saints were facing. Dark mist covered all parts of his face, preventing anyone from getting a good look at his real appearance. No one really understood why the Allfather took the shape of the Grim Reaper. Still, over the years, Shin had already mentally linked the two of them together. In his mind, the Allfather was the greatest evil that needed to be eradicated, much like the Grim Reaper himself.
"ALLFATHER!!! You dare show your face here!" Before Shin could even react though, an azure flash sped past the young man charged right at the floating being. Zishen, faithful to his job as Shin's bodyguard, moved to neutralise the threat before he could touch the toes of Shin's feet. Unfortunately, Zishen's attack was never able to land. Passing through the black-robed figure as if he were a hologram, the Azure Dragon knocked its own claw into the concrete ground of Deus Citadel.
"Wh-hat the?!" Naturally, Zishen was baffled. Looking back, he could only see the Allfather's back, which was floating about seamlessly.
[Moron…] The Allfather scoffed, not even bothering to look at the Tier 9 Spirit Beast.
His attention was wholly focused on the young man who had all his abilities locked and ready to go. Not only were the Water-Elements in a frenzy, but every single element that the Celestial Dragon had access to were also starting to go awry. Time-Element… Space-Element… Mind-Element… Light-Element… They were all congregating around the young man like moths to a lamp. However, the most surprising thing about Shin was… The thick aura that permeated through his very soul, one that was unlike that of a mere Rank 60 Spirit King.
[Shin Iofiel… You've grown quite quickly...] The Allfather lauded Shin's accomplishments.
It has been a few months since Junius had sacrificed his life to transfer the Allfather's purified mana into Shin's body, allowing the Prince of Water to leap realms and jump into the Rank 60 Spirit King level. Few in the world could withstand such a leap, and many would fail to make the Allfather's mana firmly their own. However, through sheer resilience, Shin had managed to make that work.
Although most of the Allfather's mana was used up during Shin's ascension, there was enough leftover for the Prince of Water to consolidate into additional Ranks for his own cultivation. Now, Shin was a Rank 65 Spirit King, perhaps becoming the youngest one after Spirit Immortal Dream.
The Allfather examined the youth from head-to-toe, and his sour mood instantly got better. Spirit Immortal Dream was a talent that would possibly never be replicated ever again. Though Shin lacked in some areas as compared to that cultivation monster, he was still a tremendous talent in his own right.
[Rank 65… Maybe in ten years, you'll be able to reach the Spirit Venerate realm, and maybe… Just maybe… You would be able to match me.] The Allfather said.
"Ten years? Watch me do it in five!" In the heat of the moment, Shin spat. Everything in the cultivation world boiled down to one factor, and that was power. It didn't matter how wealthy or good-looking a person was. Those that stood at the apex of the world, those that controlled the destinies of everyone beneath them, were the world's top cultivators. Just look at how Spirit Saints are treated in the modern era!
The Allfather was standing at the pinnacle of all Spirit Saints, essentially making him the top dog and the one in control over everyone else's destinies. Few could withstand his wrath and the only reason why Shin was still living today, was because the Allfather needed him to fulfil his master scheme of ascending to the Immortal Realm.
[HAHAHA!!! You underestimate the upper realms, boy!] The Allfather bellowed out in laughter. [The lower cultivation ranks were easy for you because it was made to be so. Don't you ever wonder why there are so few Spirit Kings, Spirit Emperors and Spirit Venerates? It's because each rank obtained requires years of hard work and cultivation. Even you, with the Celestial Dragon in hand, won't be immune to that immense hurdle!]
"..." Shin remained silent. Oddly enough, the Allfather was feeling a little more chatty than usual. Perhaps it was because he was about to enter into a long slumber, and he wished to have a chat with someone before he slept. And his time… was about up.
The Darkness-Elements that filled the land was slowly creeping back into the abyss. The Call of Darkness, the Allfather's forbidden spell, was a technique that focused on dragging Mythpoint Reach into his created abyss as well as create an endless loop of Umbras to arise and terrorise the region. From here on out… The Allfather didn't have to lift a single finger. He would be dragged into a long recovery, hoping to prolong his lifespan for however long he could. At least… Until Shin became powerful enough to become his rival.
[Before I leave, let me impart some valuable knowledge to you, Shin Iofiel… Focus on your cultivation. Don't waste your time saving those pointless lives that could be replenished at any time. You were born to stand at the peak of the world! Use that opportunity wisely!]
Isadore's' information network was great, but how could it hold a candle to the Allfather, who had eyes and ears everywhere? The Rank 99 Spirit Saint clearly saw how Shin was going around to random villages, helping the weak cope with the Worldquake's aftermath. It was a useless endeavour, in the man's eyes. To the Allfather, Shin should be training with everything that he'd got to hopefully become a Spirit Saint before his soul fire extinguishes.
"Hmph! And why should I listen to you?!" Shin snorted, not willing to back down in his beliefs.
The Allfather truly held no regard for human life. The villages that Shin had rescued, to the Allfather, they were akin to livestock that could be replenished at any given time. As long as they could help him grow his strength, the Allfather would keep them around. If they're not serving their purpose, they would be better off visiting the underworld.
[You should listen to the wisdom of your elders, Shin Iofiel… Don't waste your time cleaning someone else's mess. Don't you want to defeat me and bring peace back to the world? Then, become the legend that you were meant to be!]
"And what makes you think that I can't do that saving lives?" Without hesitation, Shin hollered back. His fists and teeth were clenched, and his determined look never wavering.
[...]
"Allfather… Do you know the reason why you can't ascend? The reason why you're stuck here in the mortal realm and not reunited with Spirit Immortal Dream? It's because you… Don't understand the value of life." Shin didn't wait for the Allfather to answer, before moving to educate the illusory being. "Human life… It's the most valuable thing that one could possess. Back then, when you told me that conflict is the catalyst of growth… I started to wonder… If that's really true, then why haven't you grown enough to ascend to the Immortal Realm?"
[...]
"I thought long and hard… I thought, and I thought… I wandered around the fragmented Terre Continent, saving lives as I thought… And then I realised..." As if having an epiphany, the man looked straight at the Allfather. "Allfather you… Have nothing to protect… Nothing to love."
[...]
"You don't value human life, and neither do you care about the lives of your subordinates. You only treat them as tools to dispose of once they exhausted their use. Even the Nine Coloured Noble Beasts… You don't love them at all, and if you could sacrifice their lives to ascend, you would do that in a heartbeat."
[...]
"Allfather… Since you love nothing, you wish to protect nothing. And since you have nothing to lose, you have nothing to win either. That's why you're stuck. That's why you've been stagnated in the mortal realm yearning for eternal life!"
Shin went on and on as if he were stating a matter of fact. And to a certain extent, Shin's words did manage to get the Allfather thinking. After all, the Rank 99 Spirit Saint had already acknowledged Shin as a potential rival. Not listening in to his opinions would be utterly disrespectful to both Shin and himself. However…
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!]
A boisterous laugh echoed through the chambers. The Allfather was amused, he was greatly amused. For the first time, someone had challenged his own ideology, instead of his overwhelming might. And… It… Was… Refreshing.
"What's so funny?"
[No, nothing!] The Allfather settled down. His aura was gradually dimming down, and the world was returning back to normal. In due time, the Allfather would disappear and return back to his hibernation, biding the opportune time to strike back. [You sure are amusing, Shin Iofiel. As much as I would love to counter your argument, it seems like I'm out of time. Grow stronger, my little seed! We will meet again!]
Not able to hold on anymore, the Allfather vanished, completely disappearing back into the darkness. Shin wouldn't know it now, but this meeting would be the last time he'll meet the Allfather in many years.
"Yeah… Let us meet again..." The Prince sneered as he unleashed all of his mana, changing back to his human form. The Allfather was the red to his blue. The fire to his water. If Shin wanted to bring peace back to the world, he had to become strong enough to defeat the Allfather.
'And I will do it… No matter what it takes!!!' Shin declared with all his heart. However, first things first, he had to clean-up the Neutral Lands and the terror-stricken weak areas where hopeless commoners were living in.
Alas, there was one more hurdle that Shin had to cross.
"Shin!" A worried voice called out to the young Prince, who was still in the midst of thought. Isadore, wearing his signature effeminate look, called out to Shin and beckoned him to come. "Come quickly! Something's wrong with Kanari!"
"Huh? What's going on?"
"I don't know! After Deus Citadel fired the Aether Cannon, Kanari has been continually vomiting! Lady Seph is tending to her as we speak!" Isadore rapidly answered Shin.
"What?!" Shin didn't understand what was happening, but his feet moved all the same. Kanari was a resilient girl, and there was no way that she couldn't withstand the aftershock of the Aether Cannon. If she was continually vomiting even after the fact, something must have gone awry.
'Did the Allfather do something to her on his way out?'
Random thoughts ran through Shin's mind as he ran all the way to the chambers that Kanari was held in. If the Allfather wanted to trigger one more growth spurt in Shin, what better way was there but to kill off those he held most dear. If something happened to Kanari…
'No, you have to be fine!'
It took no time at all for Shin to reach the chambers, and as Isadore had mentioned, the black-haired girl was like a water fountain, spilling everything out from her guts. Worried, Shin immediately ran towards the woman, who was busy hugging the bin.
"What's going on?! Kanari, are you alright?!" Shin asked.
"How could she be alright? This stupid lass actually..." Lady Seph held up her forehead, not knowing whether she should laugh or cry. "Stupid lass, if you were feeling unwell, go see a doctor! Why did you hide your condition?"
"I'd… I'd… thought that it was just… a… bluerghhhh… simple cold." Kanari continued, her arms never leaving the bin.
"A simple cold! You actually thought that it was a simple cold?! Ah, whatever… It's your first time, so I won't blame you." The Divine Healer chuckled while handing over a flask of water over to the mush machine.
"What's going on?" Visibly confused, Shin looked to Lady Seph for answers. And sure enough, the woman flashed her brightest smile and dropped a bomb:
"Congratulations, Shin… You're going to be a father!"
~~~ End of Book 12 ~~~
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