Paragon Of Sin

Chapter 1997: Chapter 1989: As A Spark Burns

The laughter of The Purist rang throughout the world, announcing that a formidable, unimaginably difficult, and outrageously lethal challenge had been tackled and overcome by virtue of cultivated strength. Tuo Bihan’s usage of the Heretical Berserk Godsword and his mastery of drawing enormous strength from its massive, hulking frame was the result of his tenacity and years of blood, sweat, and tears.

Refining the Heretical Berserk Godsword, a fragmented and damaged Mystic-Soul grade armament, was not easy, and not a single person in the world of cultivation would think so, especially considering he was a ’mere’ World Emperor, only at the Worldly Saint Phase. The untold difficulties could be heard directly within the laughter, manifesting as joy and relief.

Yao Houyi ’stared’ at Tuo Bihan’s quivering form barely kept upright by force of sheer will. That thin body was exhausted, and the spiritual and soul aura emitted from his body was almost as dim as could be; any more and he’d be a rapidly cooling corpse.

"..."

Unbeknownst when, the trio was back together, unharmed and focusing on Tuo Bihan. The red-haired Shui Fengbao exhaled a breath, whether it was one of relief or admiration, or potentially both, it was hard to tell.

"To wield that sword," Shui Fengbao clicked his tongue as he eyed that hunk of iron. They were all aware of the sword’s grade and power, yet for a Heavenly Saint to unleash an attack that could harm a Supreme Existence was unthinkable by the standards of the greater galaxies, excluding the sole known anomaly known as the Neo-Dawn Alchemic Saint. Even Su Yi, a Reborn Reincarnator, only possessed that strength at the True Sage Phase, the eighth stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, wielding quasi-Void Intent, an extraordinary Mystic-Heaven graded Sword of the Transient Realm, and the foreknowledge and experience in Supreme Existence-level combat.

Few in existence had the wherewithal to achieve such an astounding feat at the True Sage Phase, let alone the Worldly Saint Phase, the fifth stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm, a full three stages lower! THREE!!

"His Majesty’s nurturing truly allows one to understand what proper guidance and endless resources can yield," Shui Fengbao gently commented.

"Don’t diminish his efforts," Su Mei’s voice rang out with a tinge of harshness. "He deserves recognition," she added before glancing back at the sanguine pillar, seemingly communicating with the existence within.

Shui Fengbao promptly nodded, voicelessly acknowledging Tuo Bihan’s strength and effort. This old man had clawed his way through exceedingly difficult challenges and trials to reach this point, beating countless others seeking to become Prime Ascendants, and doing anything less than accepting the greatness in that act would be disrespectful. This was different from Yao Houyi and himself, whose spot amongst the Prime Ascendants came first, and then they solidified their position to be unshakeable.

"If I swung that sword at that strength, I’d die in an instant." Yao Houyi said only this before he ’looked’ down and observed the ground’s irregular vibration. He looked in the direction of the cause, and he saw soldiers of war in full march, brimming with unified killing intent.

Another legion.

"My turn," stretching his muscles and combing his wild hair with both hands, Shui Fengbao took a step forward. "Senior Tuo!" He called out, allowing the exhausted and near-limp Tuo Bihan to lift his head and blurry gaze to find that red-haired young man. He waved, acknowledging, but besides that hearty, soul-deep laughter, he could barely muster an ounce of additional strength.

Su Mei looked away from the sanguine pillar. Her valiant figure flickered in place, out-of-focus for only the briefest of moments before solidifying. Tuo Bihan, who was hundreds of miles away, was now seated on his buttocks with the sword laid flat.

Yao Houyi ’looked’ at Su Mei, but then turned towards the legion. ’What speed...’ was his only thought towards that moment.

Seeing Tuo Bihan safely retrieved, Shui Fengbao walked forward as he readied his burning heart to take the stage. It was his turn to face a legion of war. A full ten thousand men and women who were forged for slaughter and order.

’He’s watching. I can’t hold back.’ Shui Fengbao recalled Tuo Bihan’s efforts. He had tried to overcome ten thousand Original Magistrates and a Mystic Overlord whose coordination was flawless and cultivation base was far above his own, and for a short stint, he was showcasing an extraordinary degree of combat prowess, yet their every action whittled him down and slowly pushed him to death.

Tuo Bihan’s intention to rely primarily on his cultivated strength was for the sake of proving his cultivated foundation and power as a Purist, and he showcased that to an extreme, enough to warrant praise, truly befitting the standards of the Neo-Dawn Empire.

Each Soldier of War was as strong as, or stronger than, a top-tier expert in their cultivation. Normally, they would barely be classified as below-average, but Wei Wuyin’s Soldiers of War were fundamentally different, each wielding Authority of Laws and wielding Essence of War-formed weapons at the peak Mystic-World grade, and as such, could easily fight a stage higher.

Zhan You could go toe-to-toe with the Resolute Dusk Galaxy’s—formerly known as the No-Name Galaxy—True Sages such as Sage Hathor and Sage Khepri without losing out.

This only served as evidence of Tuo Bihan’s abnormal strength in his cultivation realm, especially in the oppressively suppressive realm such as the Battlefield, and the outrageously brutal standards of their Majesty!

However, Shui Fengbao had no desire to probe or test the limits of his cultivated foundation. His Majesty wanted success. That was the only thing that mattered. Moreover, Su Mei had given a succinct warning regarding the lethality of this trial, including Tuo Bihan’s brush with death on several occasions that he had personally witnessed and even internally flinched at a few times.

The legion recognized their enemy.

A single man.

A unified chant thundered to the sky, announcing their presence, announcing their intent, and finally—announcing the beginning of this war of a single man versus ten thousand. The Soldiers of War composition was equal in level, 9,999 Heavenly Saints and one Mystic Overlord as a commander. At the lead was a middle-aged woman, valiant in bearing, fierce in gaze, and someone that Huoyan Liulan, the representative of the Hexaflame Starfield’s Huoyan Clan, would recognize immediately—Liao Shuyu!

During her life, she was a great cultivator of the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region—a bona fide Rune King. Due to the Ancient Sealed Region’s various limitations and nascent sage, she was amongst the strongest cultivators in the population. Unfortunately, her life and death was tainted by Trueborn’s necromantic arts, defying causality of rebirth and transforming her into an undead soldier for their cause. Wei Wuyin had claimed her entirety through the Law of War.

That act had saved her from her fate but had inevitably tied her existence to his Nexus War Flag, making her a Soldier of War. She now commanded great might at present, leading a legion of her own. No longer was she Liao Shuyu, but Zhan Shuyu—Wei Wuyin’s Soldier of War!

Shui Fengbao gently exhaled as wisps of flames were expelled from his nostrils and the side of his lips. The temperature ten thousand miles from his body began to rise rapidly.

Zhan Shuyu was as adept as Zhan You in commanding troops, empowered by the Laws, fully equipped with high-grade weapons, and powerful observation means. Despite the suppressive environment, even she could sense the distinct change in environmental conditions. Her expression was one of contemplation, and then Shui Fengbao moved!

When he took a single step forward, his body steamed. The very air, mana, and light began to burn.

Another step—

—BOOSH!!!

From his back, a jetstream of pure fire exploded, granting him a spontaneous acceleration forward. Within a microsecond, Shui Fengbao was already tens of miles closer, and his body began to transform.

His fiery red hair ignited. Strand by strand, flames replaced his hair follicles, yet they retained their shape. Then, his eyes exploded, becoming pure flames.

"DEFE-" Zhan Shuyu reacted swiftly; the Soldiers of War seemingly already acting from a quarter of a syllable was even uttered by her, yet even through their reactions, even as they joined together to establish a barrier of mystic power imbued with the aura of laws, they simply weren’t fast enough!

Shui Fengbao didn’t take another step as his entire body became pure fire. A living embodiment of flame! With his humanoid shape barely intact, just enough to recognize his form, he resembled a divinity of fire! Born from fire! Rise from fire!

The temperature spiked a thousand degrees instantly.

Su Mei shielded Tuo Bihan.

Yao Houyi’s body grew faint and transparent.

The sanguine pillar crackled chaotically, burning as deep red smoke burned out of its bloody surface.

By the next microsecond, the entire world within ten thousand miles was drowned by heat. Pure, unrestrained heat! A thousand degrees became ten thousand...then one hundred thousand! AND IT KEPT RISING!!

By the time the Soldiers of War could react, their armors and weapons formed from Essence of War were melting! And then their reactions were inevitably delayed as pain warped their senses!

"DESCEND! MY WORLD!" Shui Fengbao unleashed his entire cultivation base for the world to see, as he outright began to expand. Not a Worldly Saint, not a Heavenly Saint!

Seventh Stage of the Mystic Ascendant Realm—ASCENDED SAINT! A True Overlord of Mysticism!

"BURN!!!" A single word was uttered that seemed to contain unfathomably profound authority. The air was his tinder; the mana was his fuel; all of space was his domain!

Ten thousand miles, all of it, every inch erupted into the absolute hottest flames imaginable, enough to scorch stars in the sky and burn across all creation! Like a true Child of Fire, Shui Fengbao manifested his home with a single cry!

Major Authority of Fire Law!

A maelstrom of flame engulfed the Soldiers of War in an instant. Zhan Shuyu lasted only half a second before her body was incinerated into ash. No, less than ash. The storm of wild fire raged for only two whole seconds at its absolute hottest, and when it concluded, the spatial region within ten thousand miles was gone. There was no earth below, and above was a hole etched out until the thin layer of the realm, the true form that resembled grey and multicolored static, was exposed for all to see.

This lasted only an additional second as an extraordinary force swept the area. As if reversing the damage, the sky sealed itself, and the ground was replaced. Not regrown or healed, but directly replaced!

Shui Fengbao manifested with hair of flames that danced wildly atop his head. When he regained his original form, his complexion was pale, and the fiery blaze in his eyes was remarkably dim, unbelievably so!