All spatial laws stirred with the group’s passage, and when the entrance was sealed again, neither Almin nor the few who were awake felt any relief. Before their eyes was a mortal world governed by the unruly laws of water.
There was no solid ground, only a vast open sea with turbulent waters. In addition to the countless marine beasts inhabiting the sea, destructive and deadly waves surged from all sides.
At the same time, one could not see more than five meters. A dense mist covered everything, obscuring the senses. Simply inhaling this mist could quickly cloud the mind; everyone was forced to use Qi to prevent its invasion, consuming and depleting their resources slowly over time.
In the records of this place, moving was dangerous, and standing still was suicide. But the greatest danger certainly came from above; a dense layer of ice permeated everything. Suddenly, the entire environment could metamorphose into glacial ice coming from above, enveloping everything around. It was completely unpredictable, and if any demon got caught by the ice, within seconds, these freezing laws would penetrate the meridians, solidifying their internal essence from the inside out.
Now, all this danger was being amplified hundreds of times. They were not within the exploration period, and not even the demon emperor could survive for long in there.
A sense of mortal danger permeated Almin’s mind, but after two tense seconds inside, he realized something was wrong. The mist was thin and almost nonexistent...
CRASH!
An explosive power sounded a few meters away. Space trembled, and Almin saw in astonishment a wave that violently collided with something invisible. His eyes turned to Goku, who floated with open eyes; he was the center of everything and certainly the one responsible.
No aura or glow emanated from him, and strangely, Almin couldn’t perceive any laws or Qi in his body. If it weren’t for his open eyes, he could easily think he was dead due to his condition.
The whale closed its eyes, clasping its hands. Then, an invisible stream ran through everyone around and expanded. Almin watched as the space seemed to contort, and the dense mist was expelled, drifting away. Something invisible extended in all directions like a globe, stopping a few hundred meters away, leaving everything inside clean without any laws or danger.
It was then that the message through the array resonated dryly. ’Almin, this barrier will only last a few minutes. After that, everyone will be swallowed by this place.’
Almin paled, anticipating what the whale was about to say. ’The core of this world is similar to that fire rune; it is almost entirely sealed, and a small part sustains all existence here. Now, I can only count on you. You need to run and capture it.’
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’How... how can I do that?’ Almin replied, stammering, clearly feeling that the whale’s aura weakened every second. Now, he was the only one in a condition to act, as Deryu’s cultivation was still too low.
’I will guide you through the array to the center of this place. Your only chance to get there alive... is to use the fire rune, doing something similar to what Langrum did... but it will be much more dangerous because you have to be precise,’ the whale spoke slowly, as if even sending the message was difficult.
Almin swallowed hard. He had already used this rune three times before and narrowly escaped death each time. He was saved by the furnace and then by the strange power coming from Goku, but he couldn’t say if he really gained anything from it.
’We don’t have time for hesitation... The laws of water are the natural law closest to Yin, while fire is the opposite, being the closest to Yang,’ the whale continued, pausing. ’If you can lightly control the laws of your rune, the laws of water will be repelled... after all, this law has no consciousness and only acts naturally.’
Almin looked at the state of Langrum, Goku, and everyone else around. They all fought desperately to survive, and he couldn’t allow himself to fear or think that he couldn’t do it.
’I... I will make it!’ he replied, taking a deep breath.
’You must burst, spreading your fire runes at the beginning, so that the beasts in the sea feel the opposing laws and instinctively hesitate. It will only be for a short period, but it’s enough for you to reach the core of the place,’ the whale said at once, drawing strength from an unknown place.
’The fire rune won’t go out of control too quickly. The laws of water will conflict, and both will repel each other, helping a bit. You must use your furnace to engulf the water rune; it will hold for a minute before it explodes. Then, bring it to me, and I will seal both runes.’
’It all depends on you not dying to the fire and quickly controlling it, doing all of this in... maybe three minutes,’ the whale concluded coldly.
Almin huffed, feeling all his motivation floating inside his inventory. He wanted to see her cheerful face again, no matter what he had to face. So, with his heart beating uncontrollably, he nodded, and the whale pointed the way.
He advanced impulsively without looking back, breaking through the limits of the barrier and entering a deadly world of waters.
Exactly five meters ahead, a colossal wave emerged, then a deadly pressure, as if mocking his will, seemed to engulf him. Without hesitation, Almin extended his arm, and with a determined huff, a grayish sphere appeared, transforming with a snap into a vibrant shade of burning red. Thus, a part of the seal was released.
1%
Whoooooooosh!
An explosion of fire tore through the skies, evaporating and destroying countless water runes. It was as if the gates of hell themselves had been opened.
Almin emerged from this explosion, his body now enveloped in intense flames. A furious roar escaped his charred lips as he shot straight ahead; his body seemed to crumble, but his eyes shone with a burning purpose. His entire being seemed like a volcano in eruption, and in his wake, the sea seemed to part.
Each step he took left a trail of heat; beneath the waters, countless sea beasts recoiled, feeling an instinctive repulsion.
Almin opened his mouth, but even the blood trying to emerge evaporated instantly, dissipated by the flames that surrounded him. His body was on the verge of collapse when suddenly, from above, a furious ice storm crashed onto the world.
CRACK! CRACK!
Decipherable sounds reverberated. The fire and water laws, now in the form of ice, clashed, causing a disturbance in the laws of the entire realm of tides.
That ice power was precisely why the whale believed Almin wouldn’t turn to ashes immediately. In any other situation, using this fire rune would be suicide. But with another opposing law as powerful as his colliding, it would lessen the pressure and power of the fire in his body. At least, that was their hope.
Under this icy storm, Almin’s flaming body seemed to diminish, compressed by the fierce struggle between opposing elements.
The laws of the fire rune were forcibly controlled as he persisted in the relentless run. Every cell of his being burned in an infernal dance, the laws of the flame slowly being suppressed by the relentless ice. If this continued, he would be stopped... Almin was then forced to unleash even more.
2%
The ice runes exploded violently, and Almin felt every part of his physical existence being consumed by the flames, an agonizing experience transcending mere physical suffering. Then, quickly, his soul began to resonate with pain beyond human understanding, as if undergoing a cosmic trial. It was a battle not only of the body but even of his soul.
A little distance away, the barrier slowly receded several meters, while the whale fervently spat blood. However, its senses remained firmly focused on Almin.
Suddenly, the space in front of the figure engulfed in flames began to distort.
’Explode everything and run through the opening! These are not just water laws; they will penetrate your defenses if surrounded,’ warned the whale through the array; that was the defense mechanism present in all realms.
Almin heard, absorbing the instruction without further hesitation. In his eyes, there was only limitless madness, something anyone would associate with another round figure. Then, all mental seals coming from Ruri’s power were dispersed. Total release, an absolute detachment from control.
5%
An explosion of energy shook the environment. All the waters of that world, once controlled by laws that were now evaporating, yielded to the fire unleashed by Almin. The oceans below were transformed into furious vapors rising in burning spirals. Everything seemed to be consumed by an uncontrollable force. But... Almin’s entire body petrified.
Almin opened his mouth in despair, but no sound escaped. His body, now shrouded in ashes, was about to disintegrate; his soul was completely shattered, and his life was being consumed by the flames...
Like a cruel and nefarious refinement...
In the midst of this indescribable pain, memories emerged like flashes of light in the shadows. All of Almin’s black organs stirred with a fury emanating from his entire being... he then roared, not just in agony.
He had already gone through something similar, not with fire... but it was practically the same feeling. It was when his life and that of his entire planet were refined by an invincible power...
...by the hands of the one he trusted the most, his own brother.
The whale, watching from afar, sighed, anticipating that this would be the inevitable response. Then, Alm and Bruno felt Almin’s soul ignite, merging with his will and extreme hatred.