"The Divine Lord who Subdues Demons. The Lord of Spirits with the strength and wisdom to defy the heavens."
"What do you think of this matter?" An advisor, who wore crimson-black robes, asked while standing near an iron throne, talking to a figure of undeniable spiritual might.
"The Mountain Tyrant Sect have acted at last, and according to our spies they have sent their children to us, to kill us all and subdue you."
"But, don't they know? You are the Divine Subduing Demon Lord, under the shield of the Wheel of Blasphemy. You were once a beggar of the streets, but with your strength to control the spirits, you created a cult that defies the heavens!"
The figure of unquestionable might remained silent, as he rested his head full of long, snakelike strands of hair upon his large, tattooed hand. And, as the advisor spoke, he nodded, as if acquiescing upon his might and strength.
"The Dark Agents deployed from the orphanages are ready, and all of them have gathered here, at the Manor of Blasphemy. We will kill them, and finally declare war on the Mountain Tyrant Sect!"
They all cheered, and the person who sat on the iron throne, a tattooed, muscular man wearing expensive robes, a large human being comparable to the size of a great beast, raised his hand and hushed them all in an instant.
"They… are insolent. Thinking they will be able to match our strength."
"I have spent too long, constantly widening the range of the Black Dragon Manor. Yet, to be underestimated like this..."
"We will give it our all, and they will die. Horribly. And I shall reveal my strength to the world, basking in my glory!"
They cheered again, knowing that these were not empty words. This man, the Divine Subduing Demon Lord, possessed the power of the Spiritmark, capable of distorting the area around him to his whim, absorbing the souls of his opponents and allies to gain strength and weighing down the souls of his enemies with his spiritual pressure.
But, that was not even all of his capabilities.
But even with that at his disposal, he had yet to reach "it", the sacred stage of power that was the Supreme Fold Path.
Nevertheless, however, his divine forces that were contained within the Black Dragon Manor made sure that there was no need for that. And, his great intellect allowed him to utilise them without waste.
"They will arrive very soon. The entirety of the Darklands region shall await them. The prophecy spoken by the Wheel of Blasphemy has declared:
'The true victor of the battle shall hold the destiny of the lands in a firm grasp, and the horizon shall dawn upon them upon the stains of blood on the lord's floor!'
So, let the horizon dawn upon me, as I, the Lord of Spirits, bask in victory!"
•••
The pale waters of the Dragon River swerved, and so did the boat, rocking back and forth against the strong current. And, as it did, red tentacles resembling the roots of a great tree drew from underneath its steady facade.
But, the Redroot Tentacles were separated from their underwater seabeds in an instant, as Shuku, Bōshi and Kyōji continually sent attacks at the Dragon River waters, constantly keeping the beasts at bay.
"Come on! We're almost there!" Nuru yelled, as he, the helmsman, steered the boat from harm's way.
They had less than a quarter of the way left, and they could tell, as large rocks resembling spears were slowly emerging from the widening river, alerting them to the fact that they were entering the Purple Lightning Sea, which the Qīnglóng Jiāng led into, and what the Darklands region was surrounded by.
"I can see the Eternity Tree in the distance… keep going!" Lilac exclaimed as she covered the boat in slices of moonlight, making sure the boat wouldn't be destroyed by any passing debris or the drifting bodies of large monsters.
The Darklands region was an island, but was also simultaneously a part of the Eternal Nation, as it was where the Eternity Tree, one of the Twelve Divine Structures, resided.
But, the reason why the Twelve Divine Structures were known as "divine", was because they were "The Art of the Gods", once telling the ancient humans of the past of the legends of the Gods.
Now, such legends have long since been written into a "Divine Scripture", and the Twelve Divine Structures, after so long, were reduced to just reminders of the grace of the Gods. Or, so it's been said.
I can feel a mysterious aura from the great tree structure far beyond the stretch of sea… it feels like it is nourishing me, not physically, but spiritually!
"Sir Magician, what is that structure in the distance?" Shuku whispered as he slayed another creature.
"What else could it be, but a Divine Structure, the Art of the Gods? I know you've felt the effect it has on your soul, and, that effect is because, not only itself, but all of the Twelve Divine Structures are spiritual anchors of the Gods, allowing them to retain influence on the lands."
"Influence? In what way?" Shuku asked, staying back for now.
"If the Gods wanted to enter the lands, they would just place astral anchors into the earth, but they understand that their presence alone would devour the lands, so they decided to exert influence on the lands to make sure that the aspects they planted don't fade away."
"And, this is also why some Runic Spells are seen as unorthodox means of power, as the Gods that those Runic Spells originate from did not place any spiritual anchors into the earth."
"Huh…! Then, the Black Dragon Manor must've placed their cult near a Divine Structure for a reason."
"Indeed. Perhaps their leader gains something from the spiritual nourishment of the Divine Structure."
Suddenly, a clap of thunder sounded out as a loud boom, and strikes of purple lightning followed. The Purple Lightning Sea, as expansive as it was, had purple lightning that could be seen everywhere, from the Eternal Nation to the base of the Northern Continent.
"Woah! Look at that!" Hinote shouted, mouth agape. Grey clouds coated the skies, and stone spears could be seen everywhere, emerging from the sea and nearly impossible to steer through.
"Guys! Prepare for impact!" Nuru cried out, just moments before the boat turned due to the tides, and slammed into one of the stone structures.
But, thankfully, after the crash, they had all landed ashore.
•••
"They are here, at last," The Lord of Spirits declared, as he felt the souls of a few people reach the shores of the island, "Prepare yourselves!"
He sat, front and centre on the throne, while twelve men and women sat before him. They were the Dark Masters of the Black Dragon Manor, who were called the Lords of Hysteria under the direct command of the Lord of Spirits.
Yet, they were the same ones who didn't believe the young leaders to be a threat to the Manor.
"My lord, you mustn't believe everything that the prophecy tells you at face value! The Wheel of Blasphemy says vague words in a way that only it understands. It may not even be a fierce battle lying ahead, but…"
"No. Lords of Hysteria, LISTEN TO ME!" The Lord of Spirits' voice boomed, "I know the words of our God best. They are not to be underestimated. Call every single member of the Black Dragon Manor, especially those from the orphanages, and have them defend our cult to their last breath!"
"We will see the horizon dawn!"