In the Universe of Immaculate Light, in an insanely bright and massive galaxy. Near its center, there was a particularly eye-catching solar system. There, a dozen shimmering rocky planets were being bathed in the energy of a gigantic, immaculate white sun.
Any cultivator from any universe who saw that sun would go completely catatonic. That sun wasn't something natural, but a creation, made from the purest Yang and accumulated energies from multiple different universes.
That sun was a true masterpiece with multiple uses. It was a type of immortal inscription, containing shocking power.
All the planets around that sun were known across the universe as the Sacred Fortresses. That was where all the most powerful figures in the universe gathered to discuss the next moves in the ongoing war.
That was a sacred region of the universe. There were no ordinary people living there, only soldiers, commanders, and generals, all led by the Sacred Generals, the strongest cultivators of all.
There were 33 Sacred Generals, all Level 3 Natural Immortals. No… now there were only 32.
At the moment, all of them were spread out, with defensive inscriptions active on every planet, creating an impenetrable barrier against any invader. That was because, less than seven days ago, something unbelievable and inexplicable had happened… a Sacred General had died in battle.
So, they had been ordered by the Supreme Sovereign to only defend and wait for him to recover.
That supreme figure was right at the Sacred Sun, absorbing its energy to heal. He only needed 7 more days, then he would finally return to action and end this war.
Reignar, that Alv Spiritual Sovereign, was meditating inside one of the planets. He was the only one of the three that Darian had almost killed before who was still alive. He ended up alone after betraying and sacrificing his own allies in a sinister move; in the end, he both won and lost at the same time.
Thanks to his help, using all the power and resources he had stored in his universe, the former missionary managed to recover faster. Because of that, he became a unique and important figure in this army.
Now, Reignar was focused on getting stronger after being taught how to level up. He was sure that one day he would make a comeback and get his revenge. But…
On the sixth day.
Something strange suddenly happened.
"?"
All 32 Sacred Generals instinctively felt a deadly danger so overwhelming that it made them lose their breath and break into a cold sweat.
They all activated their power to the maximum, sensing every inch of their planet. Then they scanned the solar system, the entire galaxy, but… they couldn't detect absolutely anything.
The enemies, who lived in a distant galaxy, also hadn't made any moves during these days. They had been monitoring them the whole time.
What's going on?
"!"
Suddenly, while everyone was completely on edge and alert, they finally felt something appear. At the same time, they all turned toward the horizon.
Then they saw it.
It was a pair of eyes shining in multiple colors, as bright as stars.
A human?
He wore simple red clothes with golden details. His face was still young and overflowing with vigorous energy. But the depth of his eyes hid a cutting coldness. All the Sacred Generals saw something in the depths of his eyes that terrified them.
*ROAR!*
A primordial roar burst out of nowhere, along with a green light and an imposing draconic power.
Behind that human, a colossal Primordial Dragon appeared, and its amber eyes turned toward those people.
Then…
They watched Darian smile and slowly bring his fingers together. A deep sense of unease suddenly rose in their hearts.
He snapped his fingers softly, and a clear "click" echoed through the air.
**KBOOOOOOOM!!!**
A massive explosion tore through the air. It felt like the entire universe had imploded, as all the mountains in the world had collapsed at once. That entire galaxy trembled violently.
The Sacred Fortresses… that whole place, always wrapped in an immaculate white light, was completely swallowed by a black explosion of apocalyptic proportions.
**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**
Cacophonous explosions shook the void like thunderclaps capable of destroying worlds. All the planets were split in half by that black light, and countless explosions started erupting across the fractured land.
In the blink of an eye, the shattered halves of the planets were reduced to countless fragments of dust. Everything collapsed in an indescribably beautiful, hypnotic, and macabre way.
However, that beautiful destruction only lasted for a brief instant.
The darkness began to frantically devour the debris and dust. Soon, even the smallest fragment was consumed… It continued until the darkness swallowed everything.
The space-time there became completely chaotic and distorted.
At that moment, Darian snorted lightly, satisfied with the job well done. It was his Celestial Bloodline that made it possible.
Even with every planet on high alert and with their inscriptions and barriers active, Ailik managed to use his Void power to send Darian inside the planets. Meanwhile, using his new power, Darian was able to remain completely hidden from the senses of the Supreme Generals.
They couldn't even dream that something in the world could invade the planetary barriers without being detected, much less that someone could move inside without alerting any powerful cultivator within.
Like that, Darian moved from planet to planet, planting inside them almost all of his accumulated black power.
Then, he activated everything using his Celestial Bloodline, which had the power to amplify anything he wanted to a much higher level. It was a true world-destroying explosion that caught everyone inside the inscriptions completely off guard.
**Wooooooosh!**
Suddenly, a wave of powerful white light erupted.
All the distortion stabilized in an instant.
Darian looked at it, not a hint of surprise in his eyes.
Then, in the middle of the void, that terrifying Sun emerged in all its brilliance.
Around it, there were several million small stars. In reality, they were the soldiers, commanders, generals, and the most powerful Sacred Generals, all wearing armor that contained Byon's power.
They had been saved. As for Reignar… he died like an irrelevant insect, without any chance to fight, while he was still meditating. It was a fitting end, the one he deserved. Now Heaven's Will would deal with him and make him pay for everything he did, with interest.
*BUZZ*
Behind Darian, hundreds of spatial channels opened.
From within them, millions of figures emerged, all holding their weapons and radiating a cold, bloodthirsty aura.
They were Spiritual Guardians with nine rings, immortals, Spiritual Sovereigns, and all kinds of races from other universes.
Even so, the first attack was a success. Darian managed to eliminate 60% of the enemy soldiers. The only ones who were saved were the elite of the elite.
Darian had to do that because even the weakest among them, using the armor and Byon's power, had dangerous potential. Now, with their numbers greatly reduced, the chances of them pulling off a surprise were minimal.
**BUZZZ!**
At that moment, the entire universe vibrated. At the center of that sacred sun, a human figure emerged, with an immortal glow flowing like beacons in his eyes.
This man had a square face and wore white clothes, with an immaculate aura of the same color surrounding him. Byon was tall and thin, but gave off a very elegant and calm presence.
He stared straight at Darian.
After a few seconds, his lips curled slightly. "Oh? You really came back… incredible, we finally meet again."
Darian looked at that figure without emotion and nodded. "Let's not waste time with nonsense. This time, we'll settle our karma."
"Hoho, looks like you received quite a bit from Heaven's Will this time. You managed to raise everyone's level and even launch a sneak attack on me. But even if you were ten times stronger, nothing would change," Byon said slowly. A white light began gathering again in his eyes as he raised one arm.
"Let's finish this." As Byon whispered those words, he drew his sword.
He pointed the blade forward. At that moment, all the millions of soldiers felt their armor pulse with a power several times greater than what they were used to. The Sacred Generals roared.
*KILL!*
In sync, the entire army behind Darian also roared and charged.
All the Spiritual Sovereigns were the commanders, forming more than a hundred large groups. At the same time, all the groups became covered in pulsing runes.
Lucy activated a battle inscription, connecting everyone and allowing them to fight much more easily.
Both sides advanced in sync and, in that moment, a battle of overwhelming proportions erupted. The lowest level of power there was equivalent to that of an immortal.
The entire universe began to tremble.
From every galaxy, lifeforms could see lights eclipsing the sun and the world above them. It was a true apocalypse.
Roars, explosions, and endless waves of power spread in all directions.
Far from everything, Darian stood still, watching the main enemy, who was also standing still. Around him, the shadow of a radiant Primordial Dragon moved slowly.
"..."
As expected, Darian's army had a huge advantage. In mere minutes, the enemies began to suffer, making the outcome clear.
That made Byon narrow his eyes.
He had been interrupted just before fully recovering, but he truly thought everything was under control. Even after giving everyone part of his power… they really weren't going to win.
Byon hadn't intended to fight, since that would delay his recovery. But seeing that the situation was more complex than expected, he had to act. Still calm, he began to move his power and fixed his gaze on Darian in the distance.
"Very good, indeed," he murmured. "Looks like you're forcing me to fight earlier than I wanted. Fine, I don't mind ending everything with my own hands."
Without hesitation, he moved, slashing with his sword and shooting forward.
A simple strike from him caused an immaculate white light to fill the world. In the blink of an eye, even the chaotic spatial storms on the battlefield were torn apart.
The moment the sword light advanced, the shadow of the Primordial Dragon behind Darian moved and struck abruptly.
Byon was surprised to see that the manifestation faced him head-on.
Then, as it got closer, he could see a Dragoness covered in scales emerging and throwing a punch.
In her eyes, he saw eight distinct lights flare up.
**BOOOOM!**
Space was split in half, giving rise to two distinct worlds: one of blinding white and the other of deep green.
However, the line that clearly divided those two worlds was soon violently shattered as both collapsed at the same time.
*BANG! BANG! BANG!*
The sound of destructive punches colliding with the White Sword made the entire universe shake. If someone were watching the fight from a distant galaxy, it would look like two planets, one green and one white, were catastrophically colliding.
Niara against a powerful Level 9 Natural Immortal. In a furious battle at this level, every instant, every clash, was as terrifying as a calamity. On top of that, they had already unleashed all their power, enough to shake the world from the very start of the fight.
After several exchanges, Byon was already completely stunned.
How could this woman, only at Level 3, fight him head-on?
Niara was, obviously, using all her power, along with the Eightfold Celestial Path. She held nothing back from the very start, and that technique really allowed her to fight head-on against that figure, who was only at 70% of his true strength.
**BOOM!**
A white light shone with overwhelming intensity before being instantly devoured by draconic power.
That fight was happening far away from the main battlefield, but even so, everyone there was being affected and forced to retreat.
Byon's hair was loose, and his expression dark. Niara, on the other hand, was consumed by a fierce frenzy, not even giving him a chance to look around. She had completely locked him down.
"!"
Suddenly, he turned, sensing danger.
There, he saw a girl wearing a blue dress, holding a bone whip.
Eleri attacked, and all the white light was swallowed by an endless water power. That made his eyes widen. Where did this girl come from?! Her power was definitely capable of injuring him!
He spat blood and activated his most powerful defensive technique.
A circular white barrier surrounded him. At the same time, from the right side, Niara attacked with everything she had.
He hadn't forgotten about her. But his barrier was capable of blocking both.
Then…
*Blinding Break*
A cold voice pierced through the void.
At that instant, he turned and saw Darian holding a dagger, attacking. At the tip of the dagger, a terrifying light emerged. It was anti-life!
**CRAAACK!**
An explosive, tearing sound echoed across the entire universe.
The entire barrier was destroyed instantly.
But…
Darian and Niara stopped, their expressions cold. That figure disappeared the moment his defenses collapsed. Then both of them turned toward a very distant direction and saw that figure roaring.
*Woooosh!*
In the blink of an eye, it was as if a new dawn had appeared. An intense white light burst through the air, illuminating everything across the entire galaxy.
The darkness vanished; even the starlight disappeared. All the storms in the area ceased instantly.
All the light in the world vanished. The only thing that seemed to exist at that moment was a gigantic White Sun that had appeared behind Byon.
He absorbed all the power of that sun and was using it, turning the entire region into a world of endless, misty white. Under that light, the space around them began to vibrate dangerously.
That was an absolute domain, where he was the emperor, and everyone inside was an ant ready to be crushed.
Darian took a deep breath. That former missionary was, indeed, powerful and intelligent.
They had barely started fighting, but after just a few exchanges, he realized that Niara was a terrifying, impenetrable shield. Meanwhile, Darian was like an assassin moving perfectly through the shadows, ready to kill him from behind.
If he gave even the slightest opening, he would be miserably killed. But… who was Byon?
He had once been a missionary who received many things from Heaven's Will. He had visited hundreds of problematic universes and fought countless powerful immortals, defeating them.
Of course, he understood that Niara was using a unique power that wouldn't last long. But at the same time, Darian still hadn't activated that strange power he used in their previous fight. So, they had plenty of weapons and plans to defeat him.
Even being extremely arrogant and possessing far greater power, Byon didn't underestimate them and understood that he was truly in danger. In mere seconds, he stopped holding back and activated all his power at once.
"Satisfied?" Byon said calmly, staring straight into Darian's eyes.
"Did you really think I was some arrogant fool, or a ridiculous Young Master? I'm sure you've killed plenty of those in your life, but I've gone through the same. You did surprise me, indeed. But I don't take unnecessary risks. Even if I lose everything, I won't hesitate to kill you."
Darian snorted coldly. Indeed, every enemy he had defeated until now, he caught them off guard by hiding his cards and exploiting their arrogance. Sometimes, Darian abused his curse, discovering their weaknesses and killing them that way.
But now, this enemy wouldn't give him any chance.
Without any hesitation, he had already used everything at once, putting Darian in a critical situation.
"If you've got nothing to say, then die." Byon waved his hand. Then, the world twisted. It felt like space-time, and the laws themselves were attacking from all directions. Everything converged dangerously toward Darian and Niara.
The distant army was also caught in that domain. But both sides were at the edges and stopped fighting, since there was no point anymore.
At that moment, Darian closed his eyes.
In the next second, the world changed color.
*Primordial Physique*
*Ninth Zenith*
*Celestial Bloodline*
When Darian opened his eyes, everything he had was activated all at once. A nine-pointed star appeared in his eyes, and a manifestation materialized behind his back.
"!"
At that moment, that entire white domain and Byon's attack froze in space.
In Darian's hands were Eleri and Awel.
His entire body radiated a boundless force. This was his maximum power state, something he had never used before in his life.
"A Celestial Immortal… impossible…" Byon stammered in disbelief.
Even if he were fully recovered, Byon was certain that Darian could fight him head-on.
That scared him a lot. After all, he was still only Level 3! That was absolutely inconceivable.
Of course, that maximum state wouldn't last long. Byon wasn't an idiot, and he noticed that. If this were a fight with him already healed, then he could just retreat and wait for that power to run out.
But in his current situation, that wasn't possible.
"You fucking anomaly…" Byon spat coldly.
Then… his entire body changed. Multiple runes appeared, lighting up and covering his entire skin.
At that moment, the entire universe began to collapse.
Literally.
In every corner of that universe, cracks started to form, spreading rapidly in all directions like spiderwebs.
Lucy, Lucius, and all the others were completely stunned. The level of power Darian and Byon had unleashed… even without attacking, just their auras alone were enough to completely destroy that entire universe!
Niara stopped beside Darian, her gaze cold.
Darian, on the other hand, stayed silent.
Now it was truly all or nothing.
This power of Byon was something Darian had already expected. Those runes were the essence of Heaven's Will, which he had stolen from every missionary he had killed.
Byon didn't just hunt and kill them; he absorbed that power from them. Each rune could draw in the purest power of the laws of the world, allowing him to use it however he wanted.
Because of that, even though he was Level 9, his power went far beyond that, making him almost invincible. But that power was single-use. After activating and using it once, Heaven's Will could burn everything away.
Without those runes, he wouldn't be able to recover from the injuries Darian inflicted on him for a very, very long time… possibly never.
Before, when his body was still heavily injured, if the Spiritual Guardians managed to corner him, he would be forced to use part of that power. Then he would have two options: burn some runes and escape the universe, keeping many of them to heal later, or use everything to kill them all and lose almost all of his runes.
The obvious choice was the first one. That's why Heaven's Will wasn't sending the Spiritual Guardians to their deaths in this universe. It just didn't expect that they would never truly kill that figure.
But once he fled to the underworld, he would have already stepped into a deadly trap. Even if he reached another universe safely, Heaven's Will would send countless people to hunt him while he was still weak, giving him no time.
He would run and run, burning everything little by little.
It was a cat-and-mouse game. Heaven's Will's goal was to make him burn through all those stolen runes until he had nothing left and finally died.
But now…
Byon didn't seem willing to run. After all, what would be the point? Darian wasn't like the other missionaries; he was terrifyingly strong and still had a lot, a lot of room to grow.
With the support of Heaven's Will, he would chase him down. Darian was a real threat, one that Byon couldn't afford to give more time to grow stronger. So, he had to be eliminated at all costs.
It was Darian who had gravely injured him, even before becoming an immortal.
Now, only at Level 3, he was already an unmatched calamity. Even if he lost all his runes, it was better to kill him here, because he would still keep part of his army, which would protect him until he recovered; and that way, he would still have a tomorrow.
At that moment, he activated all the runes and all his power.
All the power that had been frozen started moving again with a devastating momentum.
Darian felt death approaching, creeping in slow motion. Every ounce of hope had vanished, leaving nothing but the hollow void of the imminent end.
But… a firm warmth wrapped around his hand.
He turned and met Niara's gaze. She stood there, unshakable. In the next instant, an overwhelming force flowed from her into him, a terrifying power that invaded every cell of his being, merging with his soul without the slightest resistance.
His eyes widened.
Doubt died.
In its place, absolute conviction took hold.
He felt the glory of the sacred truth touch his soul.
