The entire Ninth Legion returned to the capital through a transportation formation provided by the Elders. As they arrived, an evident tension lingered among the warriors. Positioned in front of the city gates, they were promptly recognized by a guard and granted entry.
It was the couple’s first time visiting the imperial city. Interestingly, it lacked walls, as there was no risk of beast attacks on that planet. However, a powerful magical formation, far more effective than any physical fortification, surrounded the place.
There was a notable rivalry between the continents, but it seemed unlikely that the queen or the heroes would get involved in the disputes, as they lived in isolation on another continent. So, it wasn’t uncommon for inhabitants of these continents to clash, sometimes even waging wars against each other. This was the reason for the defensive formation.
The limit for the empires destroying themselves entirely was when the primordial beasts, guardians of the continents, were forced to intervene.
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Thinking about that, as they passed through the formation, Bruno asked Carod, "The Tarrasque that rules this continent… where does it live? Have you ever seen it? Does it show up in public?"
Carod responded calmly, "The Lord Tarrasque is a very busy figure. He stays on this continent for centuries, sleeping and blessing us with his laws. Then he awakens and travels to the Crown Continent to serve the sacred heroes. Rarely does anyone get to see him, except the Emperor himself."
Carod’s eyes lit up as he continued, "But there’s one special occasion when the Lord Tarrasque reveals himself to everyone: during the Sacred Competition."
As they crossed the spatial tunnel leading into the city, Carod, noticing their curiosity, explained, "This competition happens once every generation. It’s when the greatest talents from the six continents compete for spots to enter the Crown Continent and ascend to the great heavens of other universes."
Bruno scoffed, a wry smile on his face. "Let me guess. This generation’s competition hasn’t happened yet and… it’s happening soon."
Carod gave him an odd look before replying, "That’s right. In fact, it’s just a few months away. I suspect I’ve been kept as the commander of the Ninth Legion until now because replacing me at this point could compromise the results. I might not be the perfect leader, but my strength isn’t negligible."
Ruri seemed excited by the news, while Alm and Bruno sighed in resignation. It didn’t seem like they had a choice but to stand out. Heaven’s Will had sent them at the exact moment to take advantage of the opportunity and pave their way to the Crown Continent.
They’d have to win the tournament to reach the main continent, but doing so without drawing too much attention would be a significant challenge.
As they walked through the city, they encountered an environment filled with imposing, powerful buildings, though without unnecessary ostentation. It wasn’t so different from the grand cities of the divine world in the queen’s universe. It was evident that most resources were directed towards cultivation and continental disputes. Or almost… there were always fools who thought they were smarter than everyone else.
As they approached the central building, something caught Alm and Bruno’s attention. They stopped abruptly, and the atmosphere around them turned cold.
In the city center stood a nearly five-meter-tall statue atop an altar. Passersby, whether walking by or merely glancing at it, bowed or made gestures of reverence.
Made of a material resembling gold, the statue radiated its own light, almost ethereal. The figure depicted a striking woman with a pair of wings and a prominent bust, but few other details. The face, in particular, was enigmatic and empty. Yet it exuded a powerful, warm, and pulsating aura that everyone could physically feel.
Ruri swallowed hard, understanding the significance of the sight. Carod, noticing their reaction, explained, "That’s the figure of the Sacred Goddess, the supreme commander who blesses us with her power."
With those words, he and the entire legion bowed deeply before the statue.
"Everyone who joins the empire receives methods to cultivate sacred power. We, of my race, due to our evident connection to the Goddess, are even more favored," he added.
Bruno and Alm exchanged meaningful looks, their suspicions confirmed. The queen seemed to have replaced the race’s natural connection to the celestial laws with her own power.
On the altar, they spotted a woman kneeling before the statue. Carod commented, "That’s the commander of the Second Legion. After the leader of the Eighth Legion, she’s the youngest among the commanders. Her talent is impressive, and in no time, she’s surpassed many others with her skills."
Bruno noticed a powerful energy emanating from the woman’s eyes and murmured, "Her eye power…"
"Yes," Carod confirmed, surprised he noticed. "Although she’s at the same King level as me, her mastery of our eye power allows her to assimilate sacred energy far more efficiently. Perhaps, in the future, she’ll be one of the rare exceptions to reach the Divine level."
Using their celestial souls, Alm and Bruno discreetly investigated the figure. Within seconds, both reacted with surprise.
’This sacred power… it completely merges with the soul, replacing it. It’s not the usual type of energy,’ murmured Bruno.
’It’s connected to the principles of the Origin Law,’ Alm concluded. ’The queen is using her race for experiments, slowly unraveling the secrets of this law.’
’That bitch… She’s altering people’s souls, replacing their natural essences with her own. This causes unpredictable damage to the soul. If they die and are taken by the celestial laws, they’ll be treated as destroyed souls,’ Bruno said, unsurprised by the queen’s cruelty.
They already knew this fact. When an ordinary soul was severely damaged, the laws would rebuild it from scratch, using and mixing fragments of other destroyed souls. However, all individuality and memories were inevitably lost; that was true death.
After absorbing the fragmented knowledge of the Origin Laws, both of them clearly understood what the queen was trying to achieve.
Most likely, just like in the micro-universe, the queen had created an alternate reincarnation cycle in this place, preventing souls from being guided by the celestial laws. But even if they freed everyone from this prison, they’d still face another problem: they’d have to remove the queen’s power from the souls of those individuals. That would doom them, as restoring the souls of billions wasn’t something Bruno and Alm could easily accomplish.
Maybe it would be better to let the laws take them? The two thought without knowing the answer. The laws had their own logic—it would be complete death… or not, depending on your perspective. For the celestial laws, they were simply being reborn in another form.
While these thoughts lingered, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed around them, surrounding the large group that had stopped.
Alm and Bruno quickly turned to look. They saw thousands of members of the Charming Eyes Race, their cold stares locking down all the exits in a tight circle. The Ninth Legion froze, eyes wide, as they recognized those figures.
"What’s the meaning of this?" Carod asked anxiously, his voice trembling.
Alm let out a dark laugh. These were the lowest-ranked soldiers of the race, called Fighters. Though they held higher positions than the legion warriors, they were still below King-level commanders. These soldiers were often used by the empire to enforce laws, and as such, were accustomed to being treated with reverence and caution, even by those above them. The arrogance in their gazes was palpable.
"Despicable criminals, and you still dare to argue?!" one of them roared.
The Ninth Legion was gripped by fear. Even Carod was stunned, speechless. For the Elders to send those soldiers in such a way… it could only mean one thing.
"What you’ve done has been discovered! Judgment for your crimes will be carried out, and we’re here to ensure you don’t escape!" declared a cold-looking woman, who appeared to be the group’s leader.
But then…
*SLAP!*
The sound of a slap echoed thunderously across the capital, like the roar of a celestial entity. In an instant, the woman, who just moments ago had held her nose high, was sent flying like a meteor.
*BANG!*
She crashed into a building, smashing through its walls violently. The Ninth Legion stood in stunned silence, frozen as if time itself had stopped. Did that really just happen?
"What a foul-mouthed bitch… and her skin’s as tough as a rock," Ruri muttered, dramatically shaking her hand after the sudden, brutal slap.