Chapter 661 - Ender Of Worlds
"If I had my main body, I could make some preparations to bring to the negotiation table. But, unfortunately, I am only in my soul form. There isn't much I can do in this state," Leon mused.
However, shortly after pondering for a moment, he used his will, and parts of the earth in the core area moved accordingly.
"Seems like I can still manipulate the earth. This should enough to guarantee—or rather, it is the only guarantee I have to get the stone golem interested in me enough to talk," Leon muttered.
He made his way around the World Tree shortly, passing through a few patches of barren ground among what thriving vegetation the place had left.
Leon wondered how the World Tree managed to survive without sunlight for so long before his gaze shifted to glowing magma beyond the barrier that kept the place brightly illuminated.
"Is the World Tree relying on the magma as a substitute for sunlight? This seems to be the only explanation…" Leon assumed.
It was unfortunate that the place was devoid of water. Otherwise, the World Tree could still be thriving—even if the place seemed to be dying.
Suddenly, Leon paused with a thought.
"Maybe I can communicate with the tree spirit first. Perhaps, it would be more reasonable than the stone golem…" Leon contemplated.
Having settled his decision, he changed direction to the World Tree but away from the stone golem's location.
Shortly after reaching the foot of the World Tree, he climbed on top of its tree roots and got closer to the trunk before contacting it with his hands.
His consciousness seeped into the World Tree promptly before he searched for the source of the World Tree's spirit.
"Who dares to disturb this Saint?" the tree spirit of the World Tree woke up with a commanding and matured telepathic voice as it felt the presence of an intruder.
Evidently, it was an ancient tree spirit that had already reached adulthood and could communicate in the ancient language.
At the same time, the tree spirit's strong telepathic voice shook Leon's soul directly, causing his expression to crumple slightly.
Nevertheless, he endured the unsettling feeling before cupping his hands into a fist-palm salute and greeted respectfully within the World Tree's spiritual space.
"Greetings, Senior. This junior has been unknowingly summoned to this strange place and would like to ask Senior a few questions. But, of course, this junior did not mean to offend Senior by disturbing your slumber," Leon said to the empty space.
"You were summoned here?"
The tree spirit shortly manifested in front of Leon before giving him a careful inspection with its scrutinized pair of eyes.
It had the form of a male earth spirit like Elder Evergreen, except younger like a man in his middle ages.
"Are you the 'One'?" the tree spirit asked.
Leon was immediately puzzled by the question before he asked with doubt, "What do you mean by the 'One,' Senior?"
"The One is the person who will change the status quo in this sealed world and close the Dimension Crack," the tree spirit stated.
Leon was immediately surprised.
"Why do you call this place a sealed world, Senior? Is this the core region of Gaia? And by Dimension Crack, did you mean that ominous red spatial rift outside? What is it exactly?" Leon quickly asked.
"Seeing how clueless you are, it seems you are not the 'One' we were waiting for," the tree spirit sighed before saying, "Nevertheless, fate seemed to have brought you here, and you came with many questions."
"I just want to understand the situation, Senior." Leon scratched his cheeks wryly and said, "There's just too many unknowns and dangers surrounding this world, and this junior feels that all lives are at risk."
"And you are not wrong. If the Dimension Crack continues to expand, this core region will eventually be devoured, causing the entire sealed world to collapse and annihilate all life on it. That's why we need the 'One' to stop it before it happens," the tree spirit stated.
"You wanted to know what the Dimension Crack is? It is called the Ender of Worlds—not just this world but all worlds in existence. Its appearance signifies the beginning of World's End. On the other side is the Chaos Sea, the realm of nonexistence that lies outside of Primal Chaos."
After listening to the tree spirit's explanation, Leon was alarmed in his heart. He did not expect the world was ending so soon.
Nevertheless, it was only unexpected and not surprising, as if he knew such a day would eventually come sooner or later.
"From nothing, everything was born. And eventually, everything will return to nothingness, huh?" Leon muttered.
"Oh?" the tree spirit exclaimed softly with surprise before it commented, "This Saint did not expect you to be so enlightened."
"Perhaps there was a purpose for you being here," the tree spirit shortly said after a bit of contemplation before inquiring, "Why don't you tell this Saint what you were doing exactly before you were summoned to this place?"
"This junior was deepening his affinity and understanding of the earth by merging junior's consciousness with it when an unknown force pulled this junior's consciousness here," Leon recounted.
Shortly after, he added honestly, "Actually, this is the second time junior has been here. However, the last time junior arrived, junior was sent back to the surface by the stone golem before junior could exchange even a few words."
"Ha, that woman is impatient and short-tempered as ever," the tree spirit chortled before creasing his bushy brows and said, "But for you to be fine and come back a second time, perhaps you are the one we have been waiting for."
"However, you are much weaker than what this Saint imagined. We were expecting someone on the level of a Celestial Conqueror at the very least, but you are…" the tree spirit studied Leon for a moment and said, "Just a mere Celestial Warrior, huh?"
"Celestial Warrior? This junior has only achieved the first stage of Transcendence recently, Senior." Leon corrected with surprise.
How strong was a Celestial Warrior?
Chapter 662 - Origin Of Divinity
"You're only at the first stage of Transcendence, the Preliminary Accession stage? Are you sure?" the tree spirit gave Leon a doubtful glance before it said, "But your soul quality has definitely reached the level of a Celestial Warrior."
"What's the difference between soul strength and soul quality, Senior?" Leon asked, feeling a little confused.
He was definitely incapable of exerting strength at the Celestial Realm.
"Soul strength naturally determines how much strength that can be exerted by the soul, while soul quality determines your ability to commute and comprehend higher laws," the tree spirit explained patiently.
"Soul quality is the most important aspect for any Awakener. It determines the height of their achievements. Without high soul quality, no matter how long an Awakener cultivates, they will never be able to awaken their Divine Soul and achieve Divinity."
"I see… So, that is how it works…" Leon uttered with surprise before performing a fist-palm salute and expressed his gratitude, "Thank you for enlightening this junior, Senior."
They have not talked for long, but Leon had already learned a lot. The knowledge he obtained from the tree spirit would not only save him a lot of time but also help him avoid roadblocks in his cultivation.
"Un," the tree spirit acknowledged Leon's salute before it calmly asked, "Is there anything else you would like to know?"
"There's actually quite a lot this junior would like to know, Senior." Leon scratched his head awkwardly before asking, "How strong is a Celestial Warrior? What's the difference between a Celestial Ruler and a Celestial Conqueror?"
"What's a Divine Soul? Also, Senior did not answer junior's previous question regarding the sealed world. Why did Senior call this place a sealed world?"
Leon fired his question one after another.
"You really don't know anything, do you?" the tree spirit's eye twitched slightly.
Shortly after, the tree spirit sighed and said, "Alright, let's start with your question on the sealed world. When this Saint mentioned this sealed world, this Saint was not talking about this core region but the entire planet we are situated on."
"Since you claimed to have reached the first stage of Transcendence, you should have at least flown in the sky and felt its suppressive force, no? You will eventually hit a wall once you reach a certain altitude."
"The entire force of suppression is a seal laid down by a Celestial Conqueror, and it is only the first layer of sealing. Should you manage to breach the first layer, you will find yourself in airspace devoid of gravity and wonder why that is so."
"That is because there is a second layer of sealing even further up in altitude and also far more powerful than the first layer of sealing. These two layers of sealing are the reason for a zero-gravity zone to exist in between."
"But why did a Celestial Conqueror seal this world?" Leon was confused.
"The seal is naturally to contain everything from leaving the world but also to protected," the tree spirit was not bothered by Leon's interruption and continued to explain patiently.
"A fierce battle between Celestials and Demons once broke out a few thousand years ago, which nearly destroyed the world. The current world you see today was not this big in the past but have been inflated by the shattering world—only to be forcibly contained by the Celestial Conqueror's powerful law of sealing, thereafter."
"Celestial Rulers are Celestials who have fused with a single Celestial Body, sharing their life and fate together with it like the stone golem you've seen outside. That is Celestial Earthshaker, Gaialia. Over time, Gaialia has completely abandoned her mortal body, becoming something akin to an Earth Elemental."
"And Celestial Conquerors?" Leon asked.
"Celestial Conquerors are Awakeners who have reached the apex of the Celestial Realm, the Celestial Emperor Realm, before binding Celestial Bodies. However, Celestial Emperors can bind entire Star Realms and draw power from all Celestial Bodies within the said Star Realm, unlike Celestial Rulers who are only limited to one."
After hearing this, Leon was astonished.
"Truly worthy of a being called a conqueror. To think such a thing was possible…" Leon muttered incredulously before his eyes flickered with a thought.
"Does that mean at higher realm, it is possible for Awakeners to bind Star Fields, Star Cluster, or the entire Primal Chaos?"
"It might be," the tree spirit answered vaguely before shaking his head, "Unfortunate, this Saint is not privy to the realms of Divinity and beyond to give you a definite answer."
"Senior does not need to be upset about this. Junior has learned a lot," Leon said politely before he continued to seek knowledge from the tree spirit, nevertheless.
"What is the Divine Soul?" he asked.
However, the tree spirit did not answer immediately.
Instead, the tree spirit began recounting a story, "Supposedly in the distant past of Gods and Devils, a great war between the two, and the destruction war was so great it destroyed both races."
"However, the fleshly bodies and shattered soul seas of both Gods and Devils gathered in one place and formed what is known as the current starry field of today and gave birth to all life within."
"Of the ten aspects that the soul is comprised of, at least one of them is a Divine Soul, whether it belongs to a God or a Devil. And thus, the true path of Awakeners is the path of awakening the Divine Soul, returning to Divinity, and reigniting the brilliant era of primordial times. That is why an Awakener is called an Awakener," the tree spirit explained.
Boom…
It was as if an explosion had gone off in Leon's head as he was mindblown by the tree spirit's revelation.
He never really thought about why Awakeners were called Awakeners. But now that he knows, the sheer astonishment and surprise written on his face could be imagined.
Suddenly, he understood why all life was capable of gaining sentience, even if they were just plants.
"Senior, does that mean that you have awakened your Divine Soul...? You…" Leon mentioned with a surprised look.
The tree spirit's expression quickly turned sorrowful.
"Haiz…." The tree spirit sighed and said despondently, "I was a God-Emperor in the distant past, but now, I am a goddamn tree! What can be more frustrating than this?"
Chapter 663 - Celestial Alliance
Considering everything that was said, the tree spirit claiming to be a God-Emperor back in the primordial era was incorrect.
After all, awakening the God-Emperor's Divine Soul fragment did not equate to becoming the God-Emperor himself.
God knows how many individuals also possess a Divine Soul fragment of the same God-Emperor.
"Senior does not need to be dispirited about this. Even trees have their own path to greatness. Perhaps, Senior can use the God-Emperor's knowledge to transcend beyond the World-level and become an Empyrean Tree," Leon consoled.
Nevertheless, the tree spirit sighed, "Haiz, no need to say any further. Even if this Saint can become an Empyrean Tree, this Saint cannot leave this planet."
"The world has been sealed by a Celestial Conqueror. Forget about Celestial Warriors. Even Celestial Lords and Celestial Kings may not be able to escape this sealed world, let alone an Empyrean Tree. This Saint's fate is ultimately tied with Celestial Earthshaker in guarding the Dimension Crack."
Celestial Warrior, Celestial Lord, Celestial King, Celestial Emperor, and Celestial Conqueror.
Leon pieced together the names before a general outline of the Celestial Realm was formed in his mind.
However, these names were most likely only titles.
He had no idea what the actual cultivation path and terms for the stages within the Celestial Realm.
Shortly after, Leon said, "But if the situation is eventually resolved, then Senior will no longer be tied down to this place. So wouldn't it be better to start planning the future?"
"Haiz, you don't know anything, do you?" the tree spirit gave Leon a side glance before it said, "Even if the Dimension Crack is resolved, this Saint will still be tied here. Why do you think this Saint guards the Dimension Crack, and why was the world sealed?"
Leon furrowed his brows slightly.
He thought the goal was to protect the world, but that does not seem to be the case when he considered how the tree spirit was speaking.
Suddenly, Leon's eyes flickered before he said, "Senior and the Celestials are preventing something from leaving this world? And the destruction of the world unleashes it?"
"That's right." The tree spirit nodded before praising Leon, "You're quite bright to have figured that out so quickly from just a few words of this Saint."
Shortly after, Leon thought back to the great battle the tree spirit mentioned that nearly destroyed the world and caused the Celestial Conqueror to seal the world.
"According to the history that this junior knows, a prosperous civilization called the Nova Empire existed 10-thousand years ago. However, they were short-lived due to the Cataclysm that erupted from the sun," Leon mentioned.
"All events after that point in history have disappeared into obscurity like they have been erased. As a result, the current world's recorded history only dates back no further than several hundred years to a thousand years at most."
"Did the great battle occurred after the Nova Empire's end? Where did so many Celestial come from? And who were they fighting, Senior?" Leon asked shortly after.
The tree spirit's lips twitched slightly.
It was quite accommodating and answered all of Leon's questions patiently. But no matter how many questions it answered, Leon always seems to have an endless number of questions to ask.
Nevertheless, Leon had been very polite and respectful and coupled with the fact that the tree spirit rarely talked to anyone in the past several thousand years, it could only endure it silently.
"Haiz…" the tree spirit sighed again before inquiring calmly, "You must be talking about the sun's solar flare when you mentioned the Cataclysm, right?"
"Yes, Senior," Leon admitted.
"That's not an ordinary solar flare but the breaking of a seal. The primordial war wiped out both Gods and Devils, but some Devils can never truly be dead—thanks to their unique law, they can eventually revive themselves."
"As such, the demons and devils can never be truly wiped out. An ancestor of humans in the past sealed one of the Great Devils in the sun while the lesser ones were sealed on this planet in the past," as the tree spirit spoke to this point, its expression suddenly turned solemn.
"However, the event you called Cataclysm broke one of the seal layers on the sun, but it also broke some of the seals on this planet, releasing the lesser devils and demons on it. The entire Vandelheim Star Realm we are situated in is a prison world for demons."
"The Celestial Alliance had been keeping watch over our prison world. When the seal broke, they immediately sent their experts over to quell the demon's uprising—well, that's what this Saint heard from Celestial Earthshaker, anyway. What does this Saint actually know? This Saint is just a damn tree, trapped in the center of the world," the tree spirit said snappishly.
Leon smiled wryly.
It was evident that ever since the tree spirit awakened its Divine Soul, it had truly taken itself as the God-Emperor and despised what it was.
Nevertheless, after hearing another unfamiliar term, Leon could not help but ask, "What is this Celestial Alliance, Senior?"
"You… Haiz, how many more questions do you still have?" the tree spirit asked, feeling a bit exasperated while gazing at the young man.
Leon scratched his cheeks awkwardly at the stare before he said, "This is the last one… probably."
"The Celestial Alliance is a local power in the starry skies that comprises of 12 Star Realms, and the Celestial Conqueror is the leader of the Celestial Alliance," the tree spirit explained before asking, "Anything else?"
"That's all. Thank you, Senior," Leon said wryly.
Shortly after, Leon's expression became more serious before he requested, "Can I trouble Senior to put in a few words with the stone gol—Ahem, Senior Gaialia, so she doesn't blow this junior away?"
"Not a problem," the tree spirit agreed easily before asking with curiosity, "But what do you intend to do?"
"Since this junior was broke here by chance or fate, this junior wants to take a look at the Dimension Crack and see how junior can help," Leon stated his intention.
However, the tree spirit furrowed his brows slightly before warning, "Taking a look is fine, but don't think about entering the Chaos Sea. Your very existence will be reduced into nothingness."
"Of course, Senior," Leon replied obediently, but his eyes flickered.
Chapter 664 - Chaotic Sea Of Nihility
If the Chaos Sea was exactly as the tree spirit had described, then it was the perfect place to comprehend the Nihility Law.
Even if nothing can be observed, just sensing the sheer power of nothingness from the Chaos Sea should allow him to deepen his understanding of the Nihility Law by a substantial amount within a short time.
It was not farfetched to say that it would be his holy land for comprehending nihility.
Shortly after Leon retracted his consciousness from the World Tree and made his way around to the Dimension Crack and stone golem's location, the tree spirit manifested itself, albeit a bit faint.
"Oi—! Stupid old woman, wake up—!" the tree spirit shouted abruptly.
The words from the tree spirit were so unexpected that Leon staggered and nearly tripped over by surprise.
"Haaa—?!"
The stone golem's eyes immediately snapped open in a fury before Celestial Earthshaker barked, "Who are you calling a stupid old woman?! Are you trying to start a fight, Saint Voidflame?!"
"Who else can it be if not you, stupid old woman?" the tree spirit retorted snappishly before he stated overbearingly, "Listen up! There's a junior who has come to see if he can help! So you better leave him alone and let him do his things!"
Rumble…!
The entire core region shook as Celestial Earthshaker's rocky shoulders trembled with anger before Celestial Earthshaker roared, "I've told you many times to not call me an old woman!"
"Pah! If I don't call you an old woman, then what do I call you? You are not a young woman, and you are certainly not a man!" the tree spirit snorted.
"F*ck you!" Celestial Earthshaker cussed before she thundered, "I AM a man!"
On the side, Leon was dumbfounded.
He watched the tree spirit and stone golem exchange verbal abuses with each other.
It was evident that the two had bad blood, but at the same time, Leon found it surprising. Given the time the two must have spent together in the core region, one would at least expect them to be harmonious.
However, that was not what he was seeing.
The two were like an angry pair of husband and wife that argues with each other on a regular basis despite living together.
It was not long before Leon understood that Celestial Earthshaker was born a woman but awakened the Divine Soul of a male god before assuming the identity of the said male god.
'I wonder what is worse between a man being reborn as a tree or as a woman?' Leon thought with amusement.
Eventually, Celestial Earthshaker shot Leon a glare and spat, "So it's you again! Why have you come back here?! This isn't the place for you to be!"
"Stupid old woman, why don't you take a moment to think about how he got here in the first place," the tree spirit ridiculed.
Celestial Earthshaker immediately froze.
Shortly after, her brows crackled under her frown before Celestial Earthshaker questioned him, "Speak! How did you get here?"
"This junior was pulled here while comprehending the earth," Leon answered politely with a fist-palm salute.
Afterward, the tree spirit called Saint Voidflame recounted some details to Celestial Earthshaker before the Celestial Earthshaker finally relinquished her intent to drive Leon away.
Nevertheless, Celestial Earthshaker spat with a deep frown, "You are very weak and do not even have your main body here. So what can you possibly do to stop the expansion of the Dimension Crack?"
"That is something that junior can only figure out after having a closer look at the Dimension Crack, Senior Earthshaker," Leon continued to answer Celestial Earthshaker's question politely.
His respectful attitude eventually made it awkward for Celestial Earthshaker to continue being hard on him, a junior, before she softened up.
"Ahem, well go on then," Celestial Earthshaker urged with a dry cough before she similarly warned Leon, "Do not get too close to the Dimension Crack. Even before you enter the Chaos Sea, the leaking aura of nothingness could still erase your existence."
"Thank you for the warning, Senior."
Shortly after, Leon approached Dimension Crack before the Nihility Aura was quickly felt due to his heightened affinity to the Nihility Law.
But while he had an affinity to nihility, he was not immune to it.
Creak…
Leon quickly felt parts of his spiritual avatar's body wanting to disintegrate under the power of nihility before his eyes brightened.
He could feel the potent power of Nihility Law coming from the Chaos Sea.
'Truly a good place to deepen my understanding of the Nihility Law! No, not just good. It might just be the best place to comprehend the Nihility Law at all,' Leon silently thought with excitement.
"Don't go any closer. That distance is as far as you should go. Any further, and the power of nothingness will spike greatly and erase you from existence," Celestial Earthshaker issued another warning.
Although she did not hope Leon could shrink or even close the Dimension Crack, she did not want anything to happen to him.
Someone who can have the soul quality of a Celestial Warrior at the first stage of Transcendence was naturally a heavenly gifted genius.
"Thanks for the warning, Senior." Leon acknowledged her good intentions, but he shook his head and said, "But I still want to come a little closer to the Dimension Crack."
"Are you tired of living?!" Celestial Earthshaker was quickly shocked before she shouted, "Without any Celestial Power, do you think you can suppress the Dimension Crack? Not to mention coming even closer to—!"
Suddenly, Celestial Earthshaker froze upon sensing the abrupt surge of Nihiliy Aura that came from Leon himself, forming a protective layer that shielded him from the rest of the unrefined Nihility Aura leaking from the chaotic sea of nihility.
Not to mention Celestial Earthshaker's surprise, even Saint Voidflame's eyes widen in shock at the impossible situation in front of them as Leon stopped in front of the Dimension Crack.
A mere Preliminary Accession-stage Transcendent could resist the erosion of Nihility Aura? Were all geniuses so terrifying these days?
Chapter 665 - Feeling Threatened
Standing beside the Dimension Crack, Leon could feel the boundless power of nihility from the Chaos Sea.
If such power had long existed, even before the beginning of time and the formation of Primal Chaos, it was a wonder how the world could have lasted so long.
And if everything is bound to return to nothingness, everything was transient, nothing was eternal.
Ultimately, everlasting would be a vain dream.
'No, nothingness is eternal—if nothing else. Perhaps, the secret to understanding the everlasting lies in understanding nihility first,' Leon thought.
Eventually, he shut his mind from all distracting thoughts, focusing entirely on comprehending the source of nothingness from the Chaos Sea.
Slowly, a chant was instinctively formed in Leon's mind.
'Everything was born from nothingness. From nothingness, infinite power is drawn. Nothingness is the beginning and the end, the source of all creation and destruction.'
Nihility was not a Great Way. It was the Truth, the answer to all riddles.
Existence and non-existence were just two sides of a coin, separated by a thin wall called belief.
Because something is not seen, it does not mean it does not exist. And even if something is seen, it does not necessarily exist.
As Leon silently comprehended the Nihility Law and deepened his understanding of it, he was enlightened to some truths.
Subtly, a faint connection was formed with the Chaos Sea, and his Nihility Law strengthened.
…
…
…
Meanwhile, Saint Voidflame and Celestial Earthshaker observed Leon with surprises.
They gradually realized Leon was someone who had comprehended the Nihility Law before their expressions quickly turned solemn and grave.
"This child has comprehended the absolute power of the Chaos Sea…! The power of nihility has been tamed by this child! He must be destroyed immediately—!" Celestial Earthshaker exclaimed solemnly.
"Stop!"
As she prepared to strike Leon in the back with the full blast of her celestial power, Saint Voidflame's spiritual form stood in her way, followed by his tree roots moving over to block the Celestial Ruler.
"Don't get in my way, Voidflame. This child must die. His ability will be the death of all worlds if it is allowed to grow!" Celestial Earthshaker barked.
"You are jumping to conclusions again, Earthshaker!" Saint Voidflame growled before he began rebuking, "The appearance of the Dimension Crack already marks the beginning for the ending of Primal Chaos!"
"The Chaos Sea is a problem that even the Gods and Devils of old did not experience! Do you think anyone can stop the power of nihility if even the Gods and Devils of old did not have a solution prepared for this situation?!"
"Even we can only exhaust our powers to contain the Nihility Aura! We have no means of actually stopping the expansion of the Dimension Crack! It might be true that this child's ability could hasten the end of the world, but if there's even a slim possibility that he could save it instead, I will not let you kill him!"
"Have you gone mad, Voidflame?! That's the power of nihility! How can nihility save anything when it is the very thing destroying everything?!" Celestial Earthshaker fired back.
"Mad, you say?" Saint Voidflame snickered before he said imposingly, "On the contrary, this Saint has never been more clear!"
"I know you are making hasty decisions because you feel threatened! After all, you are bound to Gaia! Thus, if Gaia is swallowed by the Dimension Crack, you will also die! However, you mustn't let fear cloud your judgment, Earthshaker!"
"Don't you think it's enough proof there's hope for this world when this child can control the Nihility Law to protect himself from nihility?! No one has ever comprehended the Nihility Law! Do you think we can find another person if this child dies?!" Saint Voidflame shouted.
Saint Voidflame's words finally reached straight into Celestial Earthshaker's heart, startling her greatly like she had just been doused in cold water.
Within a short moment, Celestial Earthshaker ultimately calmed down, no longer in a rush to kill.
"Thank you, Voidflame," Celestial Earthshaker expressed her gratitude before saying, "If not for your intervention, I could have made an irredeemable mistake and become the sinner of Primal Chaos."
"This junior also thanks Senior Voidflame for protecting this junior," Leon gave the tree spirit a respectfully fist-palm salute.
Unknowingly, he had already ended his meditation.
The verbal exchanges between Saint Voidflame and Celestial Earthshaker did not precisely go unheard by Leon while he was deepening his understanding of the Nihility Law.
"Oh? You must have heard everything," Saint Voidflame commented with a nod before he waved his hand nonchalantly, "Don't mind it too much. This Saint just hates to see a young talent die so early."
Although the tree spirit made it seem like a small matter, Leon understood that he was highly valued by the tree spirit.
Shortly after, Leon turned to the stone golem calmly and also offered her a courteous fist-palm salute, "This junior also thanks Senior Earthshaker for staying your hand."
"Hmph."
Celestial Earthshaker snorted slightly before she furrowed her brows and gazed at Leon with her obsidian orb-like eyes.
"I don't understand how you can still remain so calm when this Celestial just tried to kill you. Do you not fear death, or did you foolishly believe this Celestial won't actually kill you?"
"Not at all," Leon shook his head and said, "On the contrary, this junior fears death a lot—not because this junior finds death scary, but because this junior still has many things to accomplish and people to protect."
"Then how can you still look so calm?" Celestial Earthshaker frowned.
"This junior understands that if either Senior Earthshaker or Senior Voidflame wants to destroy this consciousness of junior, this junior would not be able to resist at all. Since this junior cannot do anything about it, what use does worrying about it have?"
"Enough, Earthshaker." Saint Voidflame interjected before adding, "You are not asking the important questions. It is evident that this child is not an ordinary person."
"What we should we asking is how this child comprehended the Nihility Law and if there's a way to stop the Dimension Crack's expansion with it!" Saint Voidflame firmly stated.
Chapter 666 - Hegemon Primal Madness
"Un, you're right," Celestial Earthshaker agreed with a nod and said, "This Celestial should not be wasting time on useless questions."
"Although it would most likely take millions of years before the Dimension Crack swallows the entire starry sky, this Celestial only have another 10 thousand years tops before it swallows the core and destroys this world.
Shortly after, Celestial Earthshaker gazed at Leon seriously and said, "How you comprehended the Nihility Law is your own secret. This Celestial will not ask if you are not willing to share it."
"This Celestial only asks if you have any idea on stopping the Dimension Crack's expansion—or even better, close it for good and effectively save Primal Chaos?"
Saint Voidflame's gaze shortly focused on Leon and awaited his answer.
After Leon pondered for a moment, he shortly mentioned, "The Dimension Crack's expansion seems to be caused by the Aura of Nihility eroding the dimensional walls as it crosses over from the Chaos Sea."
"This junior could ward off the Nihility Aura from contacting the dimension walls with junior's Nihility Law and delay the Dimension Crack's expansion. However, this junior has no effective method to close the Dimension Crack."
"As long as you ward off the Nihility Aura from contacting the dimensional wall, you can effectively stop the Dimension Crack from expanding entirely," Celestial Earthshaker commented.
"At this seems like a plausible solution, but in truth, it is only a temporary one," Saint Voidflame inserted with a frown before saying, "It's obvious that this child cannot remain here to delay the Dimension Crack's expansion with just his consciousness."
"Suppose that this child can stay to delay the Dimension Crack's expansion, his limited lifespan will still not allow him to delay the Dimension Crack forever. How long can a mere Preliminary Accession-level Transcendent live? A thousand years at most. Not even enough for a full star tour."
Leon rubbed his head ruefully.
He did not expect to be roasted for his low cultivation despite providing a solution and offering his help to protect the world.
Nevertheless, after a moment, Leon said, "In this junior's honest opinion, there is no way of effectively closing the Dimension Crack as it is evidently related to the life cycle of Primal Chaos."
"Everything was born from nothingness. Thus, everything will eventually return to nothingness, right?" Saint Voidflame asked.
"Exactly, Senior." Leon nodded.
"Then what are you proposing? That we do nothing and wait for the death of all worlds and life contained within?" Celestial Earthshaker asked with a frown.
"Not at all," Leon shook his head and said, "This junior likes to believe that this junior cultivates pretty quickly. As long as this junior cultivates to a high realm, this junior will have more time to delay the Dimension Crack's expansion, providing the world more time before its inevitable end."
"Still, no matter how this junior looks at it, there's no way to save Senior Earthshaker. What will happen, will eventually happen. The Dimension Crack will expand to a size big enough to destroy Senior Earthshaker and Gaia."
"Little Bastard!" Celestial Earthshaker immediately spat before she glared at Leon with overbearing pressure, "Are you cursing me to die?"
"Not at all, Senior Earthshaker." Leon shook his head and said, "This junior is merely stating a fact."
"It seems like you have no respect for—!"
"Enough, Earthshaker. Control that short temper of yours!" Saint Voidflame interrupted with a frown and said, "This child has shown you plenty of respect. Also, what this child said was not wrong."
"Hmph! Even if it is true, this Celestial still does not like to hear it!" Celestial Earthshaker grumbled.
She was unwilling to remain trapped on Gaia, silently die a dog's death, and fade from history without the people knowing that a Celestial Earthshaker once existed.
Nevertheless, the binding was an irreversible process.
Once a Celestial Warrior binds a Celestial Body, they will live as long as the sun and moon along with it until death separates them.
This was absolute—or at least it should be.
Leon's knowledge of the Celestial Realm was too lacking to make any conjectures or theorize possible solutions to undo this sort of binding.
"Senior, you can have a look at this incomplete cultivation technique. Many of this junior's abilities were gained from practicing this cultivation technique. The Nihility Law was a rare blessing that also came from this cultivation technique."
Leon decisively transmitted the [Hegemon of Primal Chaos] technique to Celestial Earthshaker.
He was a little hesitant to share this technique at first, but it did not seem to serve many purposes upon further thought.
It was a widely circulated technique throughout the entire Divine Realm.
If Celestial Earthshaker can comprehend the Nihility Law through it, she could effectively stop the Dimension Crack from expanding for a very long time.
Nevertheless, Leon did not have much hope that Celestial Earthshaker will succeed in cultivating the technique at her level.
However, since he had given a reason for comprehending the Nihility Law, the two seniors would not bring up this topic again.
"The Hegemon of Primal Chaos, huh?" Celestial Earthshaker muttered thoughtfully after receiving the cultivation technique before she commented, "Ah, I remember. This is the bogus technique created by Hegemon Primal Madness."
"No one believed his technique would work back then in that primordial time. But who would have thought that it would have such effects in this present era?"
"I have received your sincerity, child," Celestial Earthshaker said in a warm tone before she suddenly shook her head, "However, this cultivation technique will not work on this Celestial."
"Hegemon Primal Chaos was a Human God who heavily researched cultivating the human body to the utmost limit and beyond. This Celestial have lost the mortal body long ago and only exist as a hunk of moving earth."
"Even Saint Voidflame will not be able to practice this technique. After all, he is a goddamn tree that is mainly comprised of wood.. The Hegemon of Primal Chaos is a mixed energy and body cultivation method that requires a human body of the five elements to cultivation."
Chapter 667 - Four Sub-realms Of Celestial Cultivation
"Hegemon Primal Madness, huh?" Leon softly muttered thoughtfully, finally learning the name of the creator who created the heaven-defying technique.
Suddenly, Leon's eyes flickered before he quickly asked, "Senior, since you know Hegemon Primal Madness. Do you happen to know the rest of this technique as well?"
"There isn't one," Celestial Earthshaker stated.
"There isn't?" Leon was stunned before he inquired, "You mean this is all there is to the [Hegemon of Primal Chaos] technique, Senior?"
"Exactly," Celestial Earthshaker nodded.
"Why else do you think he was called Hegemon Primal Madness? He was the lord of coming up with inventions that were either too weird or not completed at all," Celestial Earthshaker said before adding, "As for why, this Celestial cannot remember the reason."
Her Divine Soul's awakened memories were too limited.
"If this Saint recalls, Hegemon Primal Madness mentioned that the latter techniques he invented were not meant to be practiced by Gods and Devils of that era," Saint Voidflame mentioned instead.
His Divine Soul belonged to that of a fellow human god. As such, there was more detailed information related to Hegemon Primal Madness in its awakened memories.
"Now, this Saint understands that his techniques were meant to be practiced in this era," Saint Voidflame shook his head wryly and continued, "The Gods all thought Hegemon Primal Madness was crazy. After all, what is a technique if it does not work?"
"However, they were all wrong. We were all wrong about Hegemon Primal Madness. Hegemon Primal Madness must have realized that the present era of that time did not have the correct conditions for humans to practice his techniques."
"As such, he prepared it for the future generations to test the effectiveness of his inventions. If we think about it, perhaps Hegemon Primal Madness foresaw the ending of the Primal Chaos and left a spark of hope for the future generations to prosper beyond the end of time."
As Leon listened to Saint Voidflame inputs and speculations, he felt great respect and admiration for Hegemon Primal Madness, who was basically one of the ancestors of the human race.
Suddenly, Leon was curious how exactly the primordial era ended before he raised the question, "Seniors, how did the era of Gods and Devils ended exactly? Was it truly a battle of unparalleled proportion between Gods and Devils that destroyed both sides?"
"No, this Celestial does not possess the exact details of that event," Celestial Earthshaker shook her head before suddenly adding, "However, it was true that the Gods and Devils waged a colossal war against each other."
"Don't look at this Saint. This Saint is just as clueless as Celestial Earthshaker in this matter," Saint Voidflame stated after Leon shifted his gaze over.
"However, there are two things that remain true about this matter," Saint Voidflame suddenly added before explaining, "That is, the Gods and Devils were never able to get along with one another, always at each other's necks. And two, the battle of Gods and Devils never ended."
"Nevertheless, that isn't important right now, is it?" Saint Voidflame shortly mentioned before he said, "Only humans can practice Hegemon Primal Madness's techniques."
"Right," Celestial Earthshaker nodded and asked Leon, "How did you get this technique to work? Can you recount the precise events to us?"
"Well…" Leon smiled wryly and said, "To be honest, this junior nearly died when this junior started practicing this technique. This junior simply followed the instructions and circulated the five elements at extreme speed until they finally fuse…"
Suddenly, Leon had a revelation while flashing back to all their previous topics of discussion.
"Miracles happen when pushed to the extreme… There is an ending after the beginning, but can there be a beginning after the end…?" Leon contemplated.
At the same time, his profound words got the two seniors thinking as they fell into deep thoughts of their own.
The beginning after the end.
Once Primal Chaos returns to nothingness, will a new Primal Chaos be born anew like a phoenix rising from the ashes—signifying the start of the next cycle?
The question got them thinking.
However, it was a profound question that no one had the answer to, even if they ponder it for many lifetimes.
Even Gods and Devils may not have the answer.
Nevertheless, Leon was thinking of a different matter to Saint Voidflame and Celestial Earthshaker. But at the same time, it was also related.
"Seniors, what do you think all think will happen if this junior comprehends the Nihility Law to the extreme limits? Will there be some sort of miracle?" Leon asked.
The two seniors were immediately surprised.
"Never had anyone in history comprehended the Nihility Law before you. This is a question that only you can find the answer to, child." Saint Voidflame said.
"An answer that this Celestial is looking forward to hearing," Celestial Earthshaker said before suggesting, "Why not meditate a bit longer? You can be assured that you won't be disturbed this time."
"Before that, there is something that this junior would like to ask," Leon stated.
Saint Voidflame's lips twitched at the mention of more questioning, but thankfully, he was not the one that was going to be asked.
"Sure," Celestial Earthshaker nodded and urged Leon with a wave of her hand, "Ask away. I will answer any doubts you have, child."
"Thank you, Senior." Leon gave a fist-palm salute with respect before he said, "This junior was wondering if Senior can explain the realm of cultivation for Celestials, and what are the conditions to reach the Celestial Realm?"
"You want to understand the Celestial Realm, huh? Personally, this Celestial thinks it is too soon for you to be learning about the Celestial Realm," Celestial Earthshaker stated before suddenly adding, "But considering your talents, you will reach it in no time."
"Alright, this Celestial will explain it to you."
"Thank you, Senior."
Leon gave Celestial Earthshaker another fist-palm salute after receiving her agreement.
"To reach the Celestial Realm, you must first reach the peak of Transcendent Realm and completely comprehended the first level of your primary law. Once you achieve this, the heavens will summon a Celestial Tribulation to test your worthiness."
"Only after passing the Celestial Tribulation will you be released from the shackles of your homeworld and free to traverse the starry skies in the heavens, absorb its endless celestial power, and further enrich your cultivation."
"The Celestial Realm is mainly divided into four sub-realms; the Initiation realm, Integration realm, Manifestation realm, and Realization realm. You might have already realized it, but Celestials are given titles based on their celestial cultivation realms. Namely, they are Celestial Warrior, Celestial Lord, Celestial King, and Celestial Emperor."
"If achieving transcendence is only the first step in Awakening Cultivation, then achieving celestial endowment is the second step to understanding the heavenly ways of Primal Chaos. Unfortunately, the laws on a single Celestial Body can be, more often than not, limiting."
"This is why Celestials must traverse the starry skies in search of Celestial Bodies with higher concentration and order of laws to comprehend the heavenly ways and advance their celestial cultivation."
After Celestial Earthshaker explained, she gave a piece of advice, "A word of warning, though. Never seek shortcuts in understanding the heavenly ways nor rush to reach the Celestial Realm."
"Although the refinement of a fallen Celestial's Celestial Spark can help a Transcendent reach the Celestial Realm within a short period of time, their potential will come to a standstill, forever restricting the Transcendent from advancing beyond the realm of the Celestial Spark's previous owner."
"In other words, if you choose to refine the Celestial Spark of an Initiation Realm Celestial, the peak of the Initiation Realm will be as far as you go, understand?" Celestial Earthshaker advised.
Leon was quickly startled.
To think there was such a thing. If he had not been told about this and blindly refined a Celestial Spark he obtained by chance, he would be filled with regrets.
"Thank you, Senior, for your warning," Leon saluted respectfully and said, "Senior has saved this junior from the possibility of wasting away this junior's future potential."
"This Celestial is only mentioning this because this Celestial admire you. You are indeed a talent, and it would be a great loss for a talent like you to waste away your potential due to ignorance," Celestial Earthshaker calmly stated.
Shortly after, Leon thought of another problem.
"Senior, there wouldn't be similar problems with refining Transcendent Crystals, right?" Leon inquired with concern, thinking about the people close to him.
"Transcendent Crystals, huh?" Celestial Earthshaker smiled with disdain before she explained, "Although there are some side effects in refining Transcendent Crystals, it is not as serious as refining Celestial Sparks."
"Because a Transcendence's comprehension of the law has yet to reach the level of centralization and receive the baptism of Celestial Tribulation, it still mainly energy with some traces of comprehension."
"On the other hand, a Celestial Spark is the crystallization of pure law. As such, refining a Transcendent Crystal will only hinder your future slightly and not entirely limit it."
After hearing this, Leon heaved a sigh of relief.
Chapter 668 - The Six Maids' Bafflement And Joy
Fortunately, the Transcendent Crystal's side-effects only hinder one's comprehension slightly and not completely unsalvageable.
"Then, I will continue to meditate by the Dimension Crack now, Senior," Leon stated respectfully.
"Un," Celestial Earthshaker nodded and gestured him to do precisely that, "Go. This Celestial's fate will be depended on the height of your growth, child."
"Oh, right," Saint Voidflame suddenly interjected with an exclamation before asking, "This Saint still has not quite caught your name, child."
"My name is Leon, Senior. I am the crown prince of a human empire situated within the corner of a continent ruled by powerful beasts called the Human Domain. Unfortunately, the humans' situation is not exactly bright there," Leon introduced.
"Ahh, so Young Leon is from the Desolate Beast Continent," Saint Voidflame casually commented before saying, "With your talents, it won't be long before you free roam it, unhindered and unfettered before the local powers."
"There are a few ancient heritage and unique bloodlines there that may prove to be useful for your Body Cultivation," Saint Voidflame added.
Leon was shortly stunned before he asked with surprise, "Senior can tell this junior practice Body Cultivation?"
He was just a spiritual avatar.
It was impossible to gauge his body cultivation. As such, Saint Voidflame could only have assumed he was a Body Cultivator through other means, but that also speaks volumes of Saint Voidflame's impressive foresight and sharp perception.
"You have shown this Saint proper courtesy and respect, yet you are neither arrogant nor servile. Such traits tend to appear on Body Cultivators as they understand the struggles of men through the pain they endure during body cultivation."
"Alright, this Saint will not bother further. You may go and meditate by the Dimension Crack," Saint Voidflame said shortly after before advising Leon, "You may have comprehended the Nihility Law, but the Chaos Sea is no joke."
"Right. Always remember to be careful," Celestial Earthshaker added.
Whenever Leon uses nihility to protect himself from nihility, it also saves the two seniors the trouble of containing the Nihility Aura from spreading out with their powers.
In other words, they could finally take their much-needed rest in the past several thousand years as Leon meditate on the Nihility Law.
"Thank you, Seniors, for your warnings and concerns."
Shortly after Leon replied politely to the two seniors, he did not delay further time and immediately went to cultivate by the Dimension Crack.
Slowly yet steadily, a few hours passed.
…
…
…
Barrenrock Courtyard
Leon's main body remained seated in silent meditation within the open courtyard, his breathing steady without a hint of other movements.
His body slowly collected dust until Aria recovered enough energy to leave her room for a walk before she discovered her hubby in the courtyard and made her way over to shield his body from the specks of dust in the air.
Duna and Darlene similarly recovered enough to move, but upon noticing someone already beside Leon, they chose to leave the two alone.
The two ladies remained in their room and cultivated.
At the same time, the six maids gradually awakened from their dreamy slumber and felt as if everything they previously experienced was just an illusion.
Their clothes remained untouched, and their bodies were pure. Not even the pungent smell of body fluid and love nectar was smelt in the room.
The place was still as clean as the moment they entered it.
Shortly after the six maids regained clarity and discussed with each other, they all realized they had experienced the same thing.
"The young master fooled us into believing we were giving up our bodies," Chana smiled wryly.
"We were prepared to lose our chastity, but it seems like we still have it. Does that mean that we are still pure?" Tia asked.
"Our body might be, but our minds are already corrupted," Tess said before adding with a dumbfounded look, "This is so weird… usually, it's the other way around first…"
The six maids were baffled by the thought.
"Nevertheless, I had quite a pleasant experience with Young Master Leonhardt in that spiritual world. I won't mind going again if the young master is willing to take me," Tess said.
"Right? Me too," Nora nodded and said with a distant look, "It was such a miraculous feeling. I did not know such worlds and experiences existed."
The six maids shared their positive opinions on the matter enthusiastically like they had all been on a nice road trip.
Nevertheless, they did not go into details about what they exactly did with the young master in the spiritual world as they were embarrassed and reserved ladies.
Even so, it was an unforgettable experience.
"Oh right!" Chana suddenly exclaimed before quickly asking, "How is it? Can anyone feel like they have awakened their spatial ability like Darlene?"
"Ah!"
The rest of the maids shortly exclaimed after the question was raised before Tia said, "Now that you mentioned it, I really do feel a connection."
"Me too!"
"Same here."
The maids responded excitedly one after another before they began testing the spatial control within the bedroom, bending space with their wills and explore its usage.
…
…
…
Wildlands, Desolate Crow Clan
Ever since the Divine Doctor helped the clansmen achieve their first round of bloodline awakening, the Desolate Crow Clan heralded into a new era of prosperity after their last disaster like phoenixes rising from the ashes.
They were reborn by their ancestral bloodline.
Only several Transcendent-level warriors broke through to Rank 2 Transcendent, but numerous other clansmen directly broke through to the Transcendent Realm, granting the clan an unprecedented number of Transcendents.
A single round of bloodline awakening had utterly transformed the Desolate Crow Clan into a force to be reckoned with.
Even if they still could not stand head to head with the Desolate Netherbird Tribe's Paragon, at the very least, they were no longer helpless against the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince and those under his command.
At that moment, the clan was bustling with activities, thriving with energy and drive as they rebuilt their damaged homes.
It was hard and honest work, nonetheless, but the moods of the tribesmen were in peak states.
However, outside the chief palace where Lilith stood, a group of elites was gathering with a solemn atmosphere as they answered her summoning.
Chapter 669 - Desolate Crow Clan's Rescue Preparation
"Are you sure that you want to do this, Your Highness? Don't you think we are a little too hasty? Uncle Jorn queried with doubts and concern, but from his voice to his aura, it was filled with power.
Evidently, Uncle Jorn had also significantly benefited from the bloodline awakening.
If Uncle Jorn had to face another Mid-rank 2 Transcendent like Lord Balzacs again, he would not be afraid even if he was alone.
Nevertheless, this did not mean that they could underestimate the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's forces.
"Now is the best time for the clan to grow. If we wait until Prince Leon returns, we will stand a better chance, Your Highness," Uncle Jorn mentioned shortly after.
Lilith gazed at the group of Transcendents gathering in front of her with a solemn look before she said with knitted brows, "We can't keep relying on Prince Leon's help. The debt of gratitude we owe him has already reached an insurmountable amount—so great that we cannot possibly hope to repay."
"If it has already reached such a point, what does it matter if we add a little more to our debt, Your Highness?" Uncle Jorn said.
Lilith frowned.
She gazed at Uncle Jorn gravely before saying, "Uncle Jorn, there's a difference between needing someone's help and using them. And right now, you sound no different to the latter. Do not take advantage of Leon's extensive kindness, Uncle Jorn."
"Between the importance of the clan and Prince Leon, it seems Your Highness has chosen latter," Uncle Jorn smiled wryly and said teasingly, "It seems like our Little Princess has finally found someone she likes."
Whistle~!
The gathered warriors at the Transcendent level all whistled at Lilith before one of them shouted heartily, "I definitely ship them!"
"Me too! I ship!"
"Prince Leon and the Little Princess is a perfect match!"
The warriors cheered one after another in acknowledgment of the pairing, causing Lilith's face to quickly flush with embarrassment.
"Silence all of you! Don't speak nonsense!" Lilith hollered angrily and reprimanded them, "Prince Leon already has several women by his side! What the hell are you all thinking?"
"Since Prince Leon already has several women by his side, it shouldn't be a problem to add one more, right?" A warrior laughed cheerily with a grin.
"If the Little Princess and Prince Leon gets together, we have no doubts that you will be able to lead the clan to greatness and usher into the golden age of prosperity!" another warrior chimed.
"All great men are destined to have multiple wives in their lifetime because all have great hearts to accept them all. Only small men will small hearts will stay loyal to one—not because they are faithful but because they are incapable of handling anymore."
Shortly after the warrior spoke, he immediately received mixed responses from his fellow comrades. Some agreed with him, while others outright cursed him.
"Oi, oi! I only have one wife! What are you trying to say, huh? That I am a small man with a small heart? I have been through thick and thin with two other women who always had me back. Our bond is as strong are blood siblings. But, unfortunately, they developed feelings, and I resisted the temptation. If I wanted, I could easily have three wives by now, you know?!"
"And that's why you are a small man with a small heart, like a kept man, too afraid of your wife's wrath to reciprocate the feelings of others who also share a destiny and possible future with you. I wouldn't say much if these were peaceful times, but it's not. You just cut them off like weeds. What a heartless man you are."
"Hmph, what do you know? I rather wrong a thousand women than wrong my wife!" the warrior snapped.
"Enough!" Lilith suddenly shouted.
The discussion within the crowd quickly died down before the warriors shift their attentions back to their little princess.
Lilith gazed at them solemnly and said, "We are not gathered here today to be talking about this. We are gathered here today to prepare to launch a counterattack on the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's city and free our people, the Clan Leader, my mother, and the elders!"
"I am not avoiding Prince Leon's help because I stubbornly want to avoid incurring more debts of gratitude to our savior! No, there is a more important reason for this hasty endeavor!"
"While it is true that if we continue to bide our time to grow and wait for Prince Leon's return, we will stand a better chance in this operation. But let me ask you all this, you too, Uncle Jorn! We can wait, but can they wait?!"
Once Lilith raised the question with explosive volume and power granted by her cultivation, the warriors quickly received a great shock of surprise and alarm.
Some of the captured elders were their grandfathers, grandmothers, fathers, mothers, uncles, or even aunties. Either way, the elders were all related to them in some way.
They were all family.
"The Little Princess is right! The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince is unruly and depraved. God knows how he is treating the Clan Leaders and elders in captivity?"
"Right! Now that we possess the strength, we should rescue them before it is too late! We don't have time to consider the possibility of absolute success! These are our elders' lives on the line!"
Lilith swept the spirited group a glance before she nodded, "Seems like this is everyone. Check your equipment and supplies. In half an hour, we will set out at once!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Shortly after the warriors busied themselves with their preparations, Uncle Jorn smiled wryly and said, "It seems that I have not considered this problem. The days of oppression have made me more conservative."
"It seems like the Little Princess is a natural-born leader. You are already fit to lead the clan, Your Highness," Uncle Jorn added.
However, such words did not make Lilith happy.
She shook her head and said, "I am not as great as you think, Uncle Jorn. I did not want to save my father, mother, and the elders are being treated because I considered the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's nature, nor act in the capacity of a leader."
"It's nothing noble like that.. I am simply worried for my parents and wanted to save them because I am their daughter."
Chapter 670 - Nethergrass City
After Lilith spoke her mind openly and truthfully, Uncle Jorn understood that he had been giving the Little Princess too much credit simply because she was the Little Princess.
He had forgotten that it was not long ago that she was still the little girl who ran away from home to escape an arranged marriage.
The amount of pressure and resolve needed for the little princess to assume leadership and lead the clan was something no one can understand clearer than herself.
"Your Highness, feel free to rely on others if the burden is too great," Uncle Jorn said before mentioning, "I understand that being a leader is not easy. There are a lot of things to consider, and each decision carries consequences and responsibilities that you would have to bear."
"Even the Clan Leader, your father, had sleepless nights on separate occasions due to clan matters. But I will say to you the same thing I have said to the Clan Leader in the past; don't overwork yourself."
"Body Cultivators may have great endurance and tolerance to stress, but the body will still collapse without adequate rest from time to time. Nothing is more important than your health, Your Highness," Uncle Jorn stated.
"Un, I understand. Thank you, Uncle Jorn," Lilith nodded with appreciation and said, "I will keep your words in mind. But right now, we have people that need saving. So let us go over the plan again."
"Yes, Your Highness," Uncle Jorn nodded.
In front of them, a map was laid out on the table with clear indications of the Desolate Crow Clan's location in the center and several neighboring tribes and clans beyond its borders, including the Desolate Netherbird Tribe.
"According to what Uncle Jorn previously mentioned, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince is residing in Nethergrass City, located right here on the border."
Lilith shortly pointed at a single point where the borders of the Desolate Crow Clan and Desolate Netherbird Tribe are connected.
"That's right," Uncle Jorn nodded and said, "Lord Balzacs would regularly send a messenger back to the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince in Nethergrass City to keep him updated on the Desolate Crow Clan's matters. That time is not far from now."
"So, our plan would be to infiltrate the city as messengers accompanied by our warriors openly under the disguise that we have submitted and was sent over to aid the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's cause," Lilith stated.
"That's right. You remembered it well, Your Highness. That is indeed the first step of the plan," Uncle Jorn nodded before he said solemnly, "However, we need to remember that we are going to save the Clan Leader and elders, not to wage war."
"After we cause chaos in the city as a distraction and get our people, we will escape immediately and not entangle ourselves with the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's forces."
"I can understand that much, Uncle Jorn." Lilith nodded seriously.
If the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince was harmed by them, there was a possibility of the Desolate Netherbird Tribe's Paragon making a move against them.
Sometime later, a clansman arrived before them and reported, "Your Highness, the preparations are complete. Our warriors are ready to sortie."
"Good!" Lilith nodded and ordered, "Inform the clansmen that we will set out immediately."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Wait a minute, Your Highness," Uncle Jorn suddenly stopped Lilith before asking with surprise, "You're not planning to come with us, right?"
"Of course, I am. Why else am I here?" Lilith responded with knitted brows.
"You mustn't! It's too dangerous for you, Your Highness!" Uncle Jorn strongly opposed Lilith's decision to join the mission.
"Although your bloodline awakening has allowed your strength to grow more quickly than anyone else due to your royal bloodline, your combat experience is weak. But more importantly, the clansmen here still need you to lead them while we are gone, Your Highness."
"I…" Lilith had no words to refute before she sighed, "Fine, I will listen to you this time, Uncle Jorn. I hope you can bring my parents and the elders back safely."
"I swear I will do everything in my power to make it a success, Your Highness," Uncle Jorn swore before turning to the gathered group of elite clansmen and barked, "Let's move out!"
"Yes, Lord Jorn!"
"Then, we will be on our way, Your Highness!"
The elite clansmen quickly complied and followed Uncle Jorn's lead, but before bidding farewell to their princess with respect.
While the clansmen held some disgruntled feelings with their princess's previous abandonment, they respected her return to assume the leadership role in the clan even more.
A leader who leads them in peaceful times can indeed earn their respect, but only a leader who does not abandon them in difficult times can earn their undying loyalty.
As Lilith watched Uncle Jorn and the elite clansmen depart the clan, she gave another sigh of despondence and disappointment for not being able to take part.
Shortly after mulling for a moment, Lilith took some servants to accompany her on a trip around the clan and oversee the reconstruction.
…
…
…
Desolate Netherbird Tribe's border city, Nethergrass Palace
A young man, adorned in a high-quality black silk robe with gold linings, stood on the balcony of his study room and gazed at the direction of the Desolate Netherbird Tribe's capital home with narrowed eyes.
Shortly after, a servant entered the room.
But before the servant could even speak, the young man casually asked without looking back, "Has the Desolate Crow Clan's princess been found yet?"
"Not yet, Your Highness." The servant shook his head and said, "The Desolate Crow Clan's leader and elders have been tortured for days, but their lips are sealed tightly. This servant is beginning to think that they, themselves, do not know where the little princess had run off to."
Shortly after, the servant hesitated and said, "If we want the Desolate Crow Clan to serve you in your fight for the throne, this is not the way to buy their loyalty, Your Highness."
"Oh, we don't need their loyalty. We're way past that already," the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince nonchalantly said before adding, "I only need their power.. I don't care about their loyalty."
Chapter 671 - Tyrants Won't Live Long
"This…" The servant sweated before he said, "The Desolate Crow Clan is one of the four clans under the Desolate Netherbird Tribe with a deep ancestral history."
"This servant is afraid that if Your Highness continues to push them, they will only grow disloyal to the tribe and rebel, Your Highness."
"Once their flames of fury are ignited, there's a chance they could awaken their ancestral bloodline and grow into a fearsome force—even the tribe will have to take seriously."
"You don't need to worry about that," the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince said coolly before he explained, "I planned to use the Desolate Crow Clan's forces as the vanguard anyway. They are just cannon fodders that are destined to die in battle."
"Yet, Your Highness is expending much efforts to acquire these cannon fodders…" the servant sighed with silent lamentation.
The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince was evidently not fit to rule, but he was a person with grand ambitions that supersedes his capability.
Coercing the Desolate Crow Clan was a mistake, capturing their leader and elders was another mistake, and torturing them was a great mistake.
It was just one mistake after another.
The consequences of the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's actions will one day bear down on him and swallow him whole.
"It's fortunate that the Venerable Paragons are currently in secluded cultivation. Otherwise, this servant is afraid of what the Venerable Paragons will do once they hear of your deeds, Your Highness," the servant said.
"As long as I beat my elder brother and prove that I am more worthy of leading the tribe as the next chief, neither my father nor the Venerable Paragons will care of my means."
"By the time they exit seclusion, it would already be over. They will have no choice but to accept me!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince stated with sinister glint.
Shortly after, the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince frowned and said, "Since you have no news of the princess, then I suppose you bring me news of the Desolate Crow Clan's leader and elders' submission?"
"That… is also not why this servant is here, Your Highness. Please forgive this servant for not meeting your expectation," the servant bowed and pleaded for forgiveness.
The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's frown deepened before he finally turned around and gazed at the servant with great scrutiny before asking with irritation, "Then what the hell are you here for?"
"The Desolate Crow Clan's leader and elders have been tortured and starved for days. If we don't feed them and let them replenish their energy, I'm afraid that they will all die, Your Highness."
"Hmph! If they had just submitted to me, would we have to go through such troubles?" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince snorted with frustration before he barked, "Let them continue to starve! I don't believe that these people will remain stubborn forever when they are on the brink of death!"
"Your Highness, please rethink your decision!" the servant quickly pleaded before shouting, "The Desolate Crow Clan's leader and elders are already too weak to even move! They need some supplements or treatment now!"
"You've been disagreeing with me since the start and have not done a single thing that is useful for me. I don't need an advisor like you!" the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince stated coldly before he barked outside, "Men, drag this person out and behead him!"
"Your Highness! Have mercy!" the advisor was shocked badly by the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince's ruthlessness.
Nothing was more frustrating than providing suggestions that the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince never takes seriously nor follows, rendering his job worthless.
Even so, the advisor never thought that a day would come when he could possibly lose his life for simply doing his job!
"This servant was never against you, Your Highness! All this servant has ever done was provide the best possible choices for you to make, Your Highness! Your Highness—!"
The advisor was eventually dragged out by two Early-rank 2 Transcendent Guards and beheaded in cold blood.
Even the nearby servants felt a chill in their hearts.
The only way to survive when following the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince is to never argue with the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince and only listen to his orders obediently like mindless puppets.
The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince never heeds the advice of his advisors.
…
…
…
At that moment, a group of black-winged people lied bundled together inside of the rotting cell of a prison located beside the training ground where warriors spar and conduct drills for discipline.
Blood stained the cold, rocky floor amidst scattered black feathers and moldy old-aged food that had been around for god knows how long.
If not for the faint breaths coming from the bundle of black-winged people which proved that they were alive, one would have assumed they walked into an abandoned slaughterhouse for pigs and chickens.
"It seems like the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince does not have any intention of letting us go until we submit to him," the Desolate Crow Clan's Clan Leader spoke weakly.
"This might be where we meet our end. If anyone is getting cold feet and afraid of death, you may voice your submission now. It may save your life temporarily."
"Hmph! The Desolate Netherbird Second Prince is too tyrannical. He is just a brat drunk on power without the means to back his ambition. Such a person will definitely fail and fall early. If I was to die either way, I should die proudly."
"That's right! I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees—only to die a dog's death in the end. If we are destined to die here, then so be it."
The elders stated their stances firmly but also stubbornly.
"Good! The Desolate Crow Clan has no cowards. I am proud of you all," the Desolate Crow Clan's Clan Leader, Lidoran, said with gratification.
"Even if fall here today. Even if the clan falls tomorrow. Know that my daughter is still out there, carrying the bloodline of our clan. As long as she lives, our clan will never truly die out!"
"And when she finds out the truth of today and becomes powerful enough, she will surely avenge the disgrace we experience today tenfold, a hundredfold! Whatever it takes to make the Desolate Netherbird Second Prince pay the price!"
"Such a tyrant will never live long!"
Chapter 672 - Entering Nethergrass
During the night duties of the sentries stationed on the eastern walls of Nethergrass city, spots of torchlight suddenly popped out in the distance.
A group of travelers treaded the bloodstained road leading to the city as they passed through the scorched carcasses that piled like mountains on either side of the black road.
These mountains of carcasses were not inferior in size to the ones that buried the Desolate Crow Clan.
However, they were not scorched by ordinary flames.
As the group made their way through the cleared path on the road, the slight tremors of their movements quickly caused several scorched carcasses to crumple into black ashes.
"Stop! Why have you come to Nethergrass City at this hour? State your business here, travelers!" a sentry demanded firmly.
"We've come as messengers of Lord Balzacs, here to deliver good news to His Highness, the Second Prince, from the Desolate Crow Clan!" Lord Jorn hollered back clearly for the sentries to hear.
"Messengers?" the sentry muttered with surprise.
However, it did not take long before the sentry frowned with doubt and barked, "Why are there so many of you?! His Highness does not require the service of so many messengers!"
"That is exactly the good news we bring! These are some of the fine warriors of the Desolate Crow Clan, here to assist His Highness's rights to the throne!" Lord Jorn shouted before adding, "Lord Balzacs had tasked me to deliver them to the Second Prince after their submission!"
"Oh? Is that so?" the sentry exclaimed before nodded with pleasant surprise, "That is indeed good news. The Second Prince will definitely be delighted to hear it."
"Alright, open the gates! Let them through!"
The sentries were quickly convinced with a few words before the Desolate Crow Clan's group were permitted entry to the city.
Shortly after, the sentry gradually made his way down the wall and patted Lord Jorn on the shoulders pleasantly.
"It's great that you have joined us. We will soon be fighting as brothers together for a just cause," the sentry spoke before he suddenly creased his brows and asked, "What happened to the last messenger? Why are you the messenger this time?"
"The last messenger is dead," Lord Jorn stated honestly and calmly as if he was just stating a matter of fact that had nothing to do with him.
However, the last messenger was indeed killed by him when the person arrived shortly after the Desolate Crow Clan began their rebuilding process.
Nevertheless, the news of the dead messenger came as a shock to the sentry as he immediately retreated a step with surprise and alarm.
"What?" the sentry exclaimed before asking with an inquisitive gaze, "Why would the last messenger suddenly die? How did he die?"
"The last messenger died on a woman's stomach. He was too indulgent in his carnal desires and became careless enough to have a woman slip his throat in his sleep," Lord Jorn bullshitted with a straight face.
"This, in turns, led to Lord Balzacs becoming enraged and slaughtered thousands of lives before the Desolate Crow Clan finally submitted due to fear."
"Hahaha, is that right?" the sentry laughed heartily before he said with disdain, "Since that is the case, that messenger deserved to die. But at least, there was meaning to his pathetic death."
"Wait until the Desolate Crow Clan's Clan Leader and elders about their clan's submission. Oh, I am sure the look on their stubborn faces will be a lovely sight to see!"
"This brother, may I ask where they are being held?" Lord Jorn asked politely.
"Hm?" the sentry quickly became suspicious again as he frowned and questioned inquisitively, "And why do you need to know that?"
"It's like this; we were also given another task by Lord Balzacs to report the news of the Desolate Crow Clan's surrender to the clan leader and elders. Lord Balzacs believed that this sort of news would be enough to shake their belief and lead to their following submission."
"Oh? That does seem like a plausible tactic. As expected of Lord Balzacs!" the sentry nodded with praise.
His solemness was quickly dispelled once more as he put on a lighthearted smile and said, "the Desolate Crow Clan's leader and elders are being held in the underground prison beside the training ground."
"However, you should report to His Highness and receive his approval first before carrying out your follow task. After all, if your actions somehow displease the Second Prince, you will lose your life just like that," the sentry warned.
"I got it," Lord Jorn nodded and said, "Thanks, brother."
"Don't mention it. We will be comrades-in-arms in the future."
Shortly after, Jorn led his elite clansmen away from the city gates and headed deep into the city.
It was not long before they discovered the dispirited look of the Desolate Netherbird tribesmen and other beastmen living in the city and sensed the oppressiveness of the place.
"It seems like the Second Prince is truly unfit to rule if the people of his city is in this state…" an elite clansman quietly whispered as he observed his surrounding.
"That sentry before was quite gullible to have given vital information so easily. Nevertheless, he is serious and honest with his work. If possible, I want to avoid as many casualties as possible when we make our escape with the clan leader and elders," Lord Jorn mentioned.
"Lord Jorn is right," another elite clansman agreed with a nod and said, "The Second Prince is bad, but the people and soldiers are innocent."
Nevertheless, when push comes to shove, they will still do what they need to do to guarantee the Desolate Crow Clan's best interest in mind.
…
…
…
Darkmoon Tribe, Barrenrock Courtyard
Leon was gradually awakened from his deep meditation to a sudden commotion growing outside in the tribe before discovering Aria beside him.
"How long have you been here?" Leon asked with a warm smile, having understood her silent gesture as not a speck of dust could be seen on his body.
"Only a few hours," Aria smiled back.
Of course, this was a few hours after she found him and not how long her husband had actually been meditating in the courtyard.
Chapter 673 - Commotion Outside The Walls
"Only a few hours, huh?" Leon muttered.
He felt like he had cultivated for half a day at least, and his gains in the Nihility Law were not small during that time either.
The Dimension Crack and Chaos Sea was truly a holy land of cultivation for him.
Nevertheless, Leon abruptly pulled Aria into his embrace, causing her to give a short startled cry before he gave her a quick pinch on the nose and asked, "Why are you being so considerate? I figured you would be acting like a vinegar jar instead."
"Well, would you prefer it if I was?" Aria responded teasingly after she recovered from her surprise before saying, "If you had eaten all six maids, I definitely would be feeling sour."
"But I did eat them all?" Leon responded.
However, Aria shook her head and said, "You might have played with them in the spiritual world, but you didn't touch their actual bodies."
"Wifey, you should understand that a spiritual connection is much stronger than a physical one. So perhaps, as a result of their first spiritual experience, they might become addicted to it and even develop feelings for me, you know?"
"It's not as simple as an illusion or even a dream but a bonding of souls. This is how I realized that I can awaken them through our spiritual intimacy alone without doing the deed physically," Leon stated.
"Still, you didn't touch their bodies. So, I am okay with that," Aria said defiantly.
Her stubborn stance on the matter caused Leon to crack a smile and poke her little nose before he said, "My wifey, you can be so adorable sometimes, you know that?"
Aria's cheeks steadily flushed red from the compliment.
Although Leon did not touch the six maids physically, the same could not be said with Darlene—but of course, he did not need to mention this and ruin the mood they were sharing.
After the two enjoy a sweet little moment of peace together, Leon's expression shortly became more solemn as he asked, "Has anything happened while I was meditating?"
"Nothing much, really. Everyone seems to have been cultivating seriously after receiving blessings from your body," Aria mentioned with a meaningful look.
"About this, it's best if no one else knows about True Grandmist Energy. It poses too much risk if words of it reach the ears of a powerful expert with a greedy and selfish nature," Leon stated seriously.
Shortly after, he gave her a side glance and asked, "Since everyone is cultivating, why isn't my wifey here also doing the same? Have you hit a bottleneck?"
"Not quite a bottleneck, but just a slight obstruction," Aria was slightly confused as she mentioned, "Until now, everything had progressed smoothly. But the higher I climb, the more easily distracted I seem to become. I'm not sure why though…"
"This must be the side effects of relying on the Transcendent Crystals. In the future, don't readily rely on them anymore unless you need to. It will only delay your progress in comprehending laws further," Leon stated.
Shortly after, he also mentioned to Aria about Celestial Sparks and their severe side effects before she glanced back at him with surprise.
"How did hubby find out about this?" Aria asked.
"I was informed by two seniors. Actually, I wanted to share with you about this fruitful trip of mine while I was meditating… However, it seems like it will have to wait."
As Leon spoke, his gaze slowly shifted outside the courtyard.
The commotion had grown to the point of disturbing the peace within Barrenrock Courtyard as the contents of the tribesmen's chatters could be heard clearly.
"Seems like the news of the Shaman King's Successor and Divine Doctor had spread quickly. A few tribes had already sent their people over to investigate the truth," Leon added.
"Mm." Aria nodded for a moment before she knitted her brows and asked, "The Shaman King's Successor? Who is that?"
"I'll tell you about it on the way," Leon smiled slightly as he lifted the both of them off the ground and suggested, "Let us head out and check the situation."
"Alright."
Aria agreed.
…
…
…
At that moment, five groups from different tribes from Central Region had already received approval and entered the city, while several more groups were kept outside.
The commotion was caused by these groups.
"Is this how the Darkmoon Tribe treat their guests? Guests from afar have arrived at your Darkmoon Tribe, but the Darkmoon Tribe will not even welcome them? What kind of hospitality is this?" a Low-rank Battle Master spoke.
On the Darkmoon Tribe's walls, a retired senior at the Low-rank Battle Master realm gazed back at the crowd outside the walls coldly.
"I have already told you! Those with courtesy and respect will naturally be treated like esteemed guests of the Darkmoon Tribe and be welcomed! However, troublemakers like you who disrespect my Darkmoon Tribe upon your arrival will never be welcomed within our walls!" the retired senior spoke firmly.
"Just because the Shaman King's Successor and the Divine Doctor are both residing in your tribe, it doesn't mean your Darkmoon Tribe's status has been elevated! Are you sure you want to offend all our tribe by baring our entry? Can you bear the consequences?!" another Low-rank Battle Master shouted.
The retired senior quickly narrowed his eyes.
"It seems like the Black Warbear Tribe has spread false about us. These people don't know that the Shaman King's Successor and Divine Doctor is one and the same person—not to mention the person is part of our tribe," the retired senior mentioned to the Venerable Shaman beside him.
"That does seem to be the case. But it shows that these tribes don't respect us unless they understand that Young Master Leonhardt is one of us," Old Tailor commented before stating, "There's no need to treat them with respect."
"These people behave like kings upon their arrival, making various demands without a modicum of respect for us as if they rule this place. We are not their servants. There is no need to listen to them, nor should we be afraid."
"Right," the retired senior agreed with a nod and said, "The Darkmoon Tribe is not easy to bully.. Respect is not given but earned. If they don't respect us, why should we respect them?"
Chapter 674 - Chaotic Brawl
Inside the Chief Palace's Great Hall, Chief Valencia sat on her throne to accommodate the five tribal chiefs from Central Region after being forced to end her secluded training abruptly.
"Welcome to my Darkmoon Tribe, chiefs from Central Region. But what brings you all here today?" Chief Valencia greeted before asking, despite vaguely understanding the reason for their visit.
"And we thank you for welcoming us inside your tribe, Chief Valencia," a female chief with braided hair said politely before stating, "Chief Valencia should know why we've come."
"Chief Silvermoon is too polite," Chief Valencia smiled and said coolly, "You have all shown the Darkmoon Tribe adequate respect. As such, it is only proper that we return the gesture in kindness—unlike the riffraff outside."
"Well, I suppose you have all come to see this so-called Shaman King's Successor and the Divine Doctor," Chief Valencia added shortly after.
"That's right!" Chief Silvermoon nodded before saying, "Nevertheless, we would still like to hear the truth from Chief Valencia."
"We don't trust the news spread by the Black Warbear Tribe, or rather, I don't trust their chief, Blackbear. That man is both cruel and insidious, whether it is to his own tribesmen or outsiders," a male chief in thick fur cloak added.
"I see…" Chief Valencia uttered.
"I don't know whether Young Master Leonhardt is the Shaman King's Successor as people claim him to be, but I can assure you that your trip is not wasted if you can earn his favor—even if he is not the Shaman King's Successor."
After Chief Valencia said that, the five chiefs glanced at her with suspicion before Chief Silvermoon uttered, "What Chief Valencia means to say is that this Young Master Leonhardt…"
"That's right," Chief Valencia nodded and openly admitted with a proud look, "The so-called Shaman King's Successor and Divine Doctor are one and the same person. And he is a member of my Darkmoon Tribe."
There was no reason for her to keep the secret from the five chiefs. The truth would eventually come to light.
"I don't know for what reason that the Chief Blackbear separated the two when he spread the news, but this is nothing more than a petty tactic," Chief Valencia added with disdain and stated, "A bit childish if you ask me."
"I see…" Chief Silvermoon uttered with surprise.
It was a good thing that they paid the Darkmoon Tribe proper respect. Otherwise, they would have also been barred from entrée.
"Still, the people outside are all strong warriors from various tribes in Central Region. If the crowd outside continues to grow, I'm afraid that even the Darkmoon Tribe will not be able to hold them back once a fight breaks out," Chief Silvermoon mentioned out of concern.
However, Chief Valencia waved her hand nonchalantly and said confidently, "Chief Silvermoon does not need to worry about this. Unless those disrespectful groups brought the entirety of their tribes to wage an all-out war, my Darkmoon Tribe would still have a way to deal with them."
Chief Valencia's confidence quickly caused Chief Silvermoon and the four other chiefs to knit their brows together with doubt.
Where did this confidence come from?
…
…
…
Meanwhile, the commotion outside the walls continued.
"Hmph, if the Darkmoon Tribe does not let us enter, we will just force our way through! We don't need to fear them when we are this many!" an overbearing Mid-rank Battle Master shouted, "Break down their gate!"
"Yeah! Let us force our way in! Who does the Darkmoon Tribe think they are?"
"Just because they were lucky enough to have both the Shaman King's Successor and Divine Doctor temporarily reside in their tribe, they think they are great now?"
"Fight! Let us show these southerners the strength of the central region!"
The disgruntled crowd of Battle Masters rioted very quickly and bashed down the gate with a few blows.
Boom!
Before the crowd could charge into a city, the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman landed heavily on the ground in front of them and blocked their path.
"A bunch savages, the lot of you! Where do you think you are?! This is not your central region! This Venerable will not allow such wanton behaviors in my presence! Cross this line if you want to die!"
The One-Eyed Venerable Shaman drew a line on the ground with his feet as his mighty voice rippled out, loud and clear.
Several weaker Battle Masters were immediately intimidated into halting their advance as they gazed back at the old man in shock.
"An Extremity-rank Battle Master!" a Low-rank Battle Master exclaimed.
"Move it!" the Low-rank Battle Master was shortly shoved aside before another Battle Master stepped in front and stated solemnly, "Let me deal him! The rest of you can continue onward!"
Bam!
The Battle Master stomped the ground and exuded his battle aura that did not pale in comparison to the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman.
"Oh?" the One-Eyed Venerable Shaman exclaimed softly before his eyes glinted with seriousness, "I didn't expect to see a noble Extremity-rank Battle Master take the side of savages. You people from the central region are too lawless!"
"The world has always been ruled by the strong. As long as you have the bigger fist, you have a bigger say and make the rules!" the Extremity-rank Battle Master chuckled coldly and said, "Enough nonsense, let's fight!"
"Since they have attacked first, there's no need to hold back! Show these people from the central region the might of the Darkmoon Tribe!" Old Tailor shouted on the wall.
"Houu—!"
The Battle Masters and Great Warrior issued a warcry before leaping into battle immediately, quickly turning the place into one big chaotic brawl with their fists!
Even when the Darkmoon Tribe's warriors were vastly outnumbered by dozens of times in terms of Battle Masters, they showed no fear and contested fiercely.
The Battle Masters from Central Region still had a bottom line. As such, no one died in battle and only suffered bruises and broken bones.
At that moment, Leon and Aria arrived at the scene of the chaotic brawl before they knitted their brows together.
"What a mess this place is."