It took no more than a few seconds for countless auras and cultivators to start crossing the spatial channel. There were thousands, but more and more kept coming, quickly reaching millions.
They came in all sizes and belonged to the nine races. Then someone in the crowd exclaimed, shocked to notice the symbol on the clothes of these newcomers: "Tundrawalker Sect... they’re from the Empire Natural Harmony!"
Alm and Bruno had already gotten an explanation from Maelik about the situation in the other three empires. The Empire Natural Harmony has always been number one among the empires, where practically half of the Divine Inquisitors from the past originated.
On their main planet, there’s a secret place where everyone who explores it and returns alive becomes extremely powerful cultivators.
In the Empire Nine Secrets, where they are now, cultivators only gain knowledge in the secret place. But the secret in the Empire Natural Harmony gives them power and strength.
In the last empire, the Empire New Order, there’s something that changes the cultivator internally; Maelik couldn’t say exactly what it was, but he felt life’s hardships became easier after visiting it.
Because of the natural differences in the secret places of the three empires, the Empire Natural Harmony creates way more powerful cultivators, not in terms of cultivation, but in capacity. That’s why this empire has always dominated the others throughout history. Every five generations, they were leaders in three of those. That was until King Vulke established his reign and changed things.
Currently, the situation in the Empire Natural Harmony is complicated. The empire is divided into two powers: the King and the Tundrawalker Sect. In this generation, both are locked in an endless internal war.
The King is an extremely powerful Chromaraic, and his talent was once compared to King Vulke in the past. He’s described as a simple person, but his questionable decisions have only increased his people’s dissatisfaction, resulting in the growth of the sect that opposes him.
Back on the battlefield, all the experienced cultivators recognized the newcomers.
"Is this sect on King Vulke’s side? Why?" This question hung in the air.
In the past, the imposing king had numerous confrontations with the King of the Empire Natural Harmony and the Tundrawalker Sect. Would they protect an old enemy?
Moreover, Kakarotto had already shown the ability to massacre anyone who dared to face him. Anyone sensible knew that doing so would be reckless, or even suicidal.
"The enemy of your enemy is your friend," speculated an ancestor. "They have no choice. By allying with King Vulke, they have a chance to defeat King Kakarotto. If they let this opportunity pass, Kakarotto will dominate one or more generations, above the other empires again. And King Vulke certainly won’t live forever; even if he hasn’t died this time, he won’t last long. If he doesn’t advance to a Divine Inquisitor, he’ll die in this generation."
In less than a minute, the spatial channels created by Vulke started to lose shape. But right after the army arrived, several figures used new inscriptions to open new channels. It seemed endless; the entire sect could come to assist in this battle.
Vulke didn’t run away. He just supported Mermeon and stepped back a bit. Now he knew running was pointless. If Kakarotto survived, he would be found quickly.
A general from the sect gave the order: "Positions!" He knew this was another chance for his empire.
Numerous fortresses made of runes rose up. Each one had a massive ballista crafted with earth laws that appreciated steel, and strings made from laws of lightning and wind. That was the specialty of that empire; using runes to create unique things.
All the millions of cultivators created bows and arrows or operated the ballistas. Their cultivation and their laws made the world shine. The strings of the bows were pulled back, ready to fire.
"Aim... fire!" The general roared, and the troops shot.
*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Multiple arrows crossed the void, relentlessly advancing towards Kakarotto, Maelik, and Ruri, who stood ready side by side.
Each arrow contained the power of the cultivators’ laws, giving them speed and strength. A single ballista had already killed a True Emperor in the past, and now so many firing together were an overwhelming force.
*Boom!*
The space around the trio collapsed, unable to withstand the overwhelming force. But they didn’t move to dodge or deflect the arrows. Curiously, the arrows didn’t hit them.
It seemed they struck something impenetrable and began to shatter. The onlookers didn’t understand what was happening, but the members of that sect widened their eyes.
Following their gazes, they saw that they were scared of the Young Ancestral Devil with his eyes closed. Tiny points of light flickered around him, and above him, a purple lotus spun slowly.
"He... he mastered our laws? How is that possible?" Someone from the sect murmured, stunned. "How can someone from another empire do something only the King can do?"
Everyone swallowed hard. Each arrow contained the power of the laws created by the cultivators, but those laws were incomplete, based on fundamentals common to everyone in the empire. The King of that empire was feared precisely for his complete mastery of those laws, allowing him to easily control the incomplete laws of his opponents.
But even that King couldn’t compare to the study and mastery that Maelik had accumulated over generations about the laws of the empires. Among his 66 laws, he had created 22 from each of the empires.
After mastering the laws and taking away a good chunk of the arrows’ power, Ruri manipulated space and completely nullified the entire offensive.
"Is that all?" Suddenly, Kakarotto’s lazy voice rang out. "Then just disappear."
After saying that, two tattoos glowed on his fists. The 120 laws were activated, and then he punched the ground.
*Rumble!*
A shockwave spread out in all directions, making the planet tremble violently. However, the violet lotus spun gently in sync, distorting the space around it and directing the destructive wave solely at the enemies.
"Ah!" Several cultivators defending their positions were smashed, dismembered, or exploded into misty blood.
The law towers and everything around them collapsed. The onlookers were horrified; the devastating shockwave from the punch showed no signs of stopping. The laws, the ground, and the blood moved like snakes, undulating up and down.
"So brutal," murmured one of the spectators.
It only took a few seconds for a figure, roaring and spitting blood, to make the destruction stop.
Everyone was stunned; it all happened way too fast. In one moment, the enemy attacked wildly, and in the next... in a single move, everything was nullified, and now more than half of the attackers had vanished.
The atmosphere became increasingly tense. Kakarotto shot a sarcastic look at the newcomer. It was an old man with an aura as powerful as King Vulke’s, but Alm and Bruno sensed something different about him.
"You’ve gone too far! Only one of us will walk away alive!" The old man’s dry voice echoed.
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"It’s like trying to break a rock with an egg," Kakarotto replied, giving the old man a quick glance before shaking his head. "You’ve already lost. I only countered because you attacked first. I could have killed all of you, but I showed mercy. Just go back where you came from; the troubles of my empire are none of your business."
The disdain in his words was obvious. However, the old man didn’t back down, even knowing that Kakarotto was speaking the truth. Alm and Bruno knew he had an ace up his sleeve and were already guessing what it could be.
"You young fool. We are the most powerful empire of all," the old man waved at his people. "Activate the Divine Dao!"
*Buzz*
Countless spatial channels opened behind them, revealing the other side. These portals led directly to the heart of the Tundrawalker Sect, where a sea of cultivators of all levels was preparing.
On the other side, those cultivators activated their powers in unison, and soon a red light flowed, covering the entire sect and extending to the battlefield on the other side of the channel.
The red light was blinding, forcing the onlookers to squint, while an oppressive feeling invaded their minds, as if that light was trying to destroy them.
"Splitting the heavens, devastating the earth!" An ancient voice suddenly echoed.
Brilliant runes appeared out of nowhere, crossing the spatial channel and swirling as if they were about to crush the fabric of reality. Their target was Kakarotto.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The runes exploded violently, forcing Kakarotto to stumble back several steps. Everyone watched, astonished, as he spat blood.
The crowd was dumbfounded by this sudden twist. Who would’ve thought that this invincible being would be hurt?
"What... what’s happening?" many stuttered, their minds confused by the unexpected turn of events.
"Look, who’s that?" They noticed an old man floating above the battlefield.
He had an ancient, transcendent appearance, being a Primordial Elemental Spirit born from lightning. He was dressed in red clothes and had long white hair and a beard.
Red lightning swirled around him, exuding a deadly vibe. They seemed otherworldly, and just seeing him sent a wave of panic through the spectators’ minds.
Most cultivators didn’t recognize him, but they were shocked by the magnitude of his attack.
"God Tuzwu!" an old cultivator exclaimed, recognizing the figure.
Immediately, everyone stared at him with reverence, no matter who they were. After respect came fear.
There were many legendary ancient cultivators among the three empires, but only one was known across all of them. This was an invincible existence who had dominated Kings and cultivators in the empires. His main weapon was his scarlet lightning laws, something completely unique, capable of affecting the mind, soul, and body of his enemies.
But it had been six generations since anyone had heard of Tuzwu, and many believed he was already dead. After all, it was impossible to live that long.
Alm and Bruno watched closely as the old man called God Tuzwu. They felt the blow coming and could have blocked it without damage, but they let it hit them to analyze his power.
’The laws of that lightning... yeah, they were completed using the blood and lives of countless people. Interesting,’ Alm murmured sarcastically.
Until...
*Buzz*
A buzz went through the air, making the planet vibrate. Everyone immediately directed their gaze to the source of that sound. It came from God Tuzwu!
*Crack!*
Then, a muffled sound echoed, and everything stopped.
Everyone froze, their eyes fixed on God Tuzwu. The cultivators felt his aura change drastically, leaving them terrified.
"He... he... merged the cores?" someone murmured, their voice trembling.
The old man snorted, and his eyes, along with the fluctuations of his energy, changed completely. A golden aura began to emanate, making it clear to everyone what had occurred. He advanced from the peak of a True Emperor to the level of a Divine Inquisitor right before their eyes.
"The fun is just beginning," King Vulke commented with a sinister smile. Mermeon, standing beside him, remained silent but let out a long, heavy sigh.