Chapter 712: Chapter 712: The Symphony of Chaos
[If you are entirely certain of this outcome, Master, we can execute the sequence,] Crul stated, his tone flat.
"Do it," Ethan commanded coldly, his eyes locking onto the ancient carvings. "Unleash it all. Let this entire frontier go straight to hell."
[And what are your directives regarding the girls waiting on the surface ship?] Crul asked.
"They served their purpose to facilitate our infiltration," Ethan replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "If they possess the baseline strength to survive the outbreak, then so be it."
[Master...]
"I know exactly what you are going to say, Crul, and there is zero need to speak it," Ethan interrupted. "After witnessing Heidy’s resolution, I am certain the exact same scenario would unfold with them. I cannot risk my entire mission for their survival. May heaven have mercy on their souls."
Ethan pressed his palm firmly against the stone structure. Within his neural pathways, Crul activated the override sequence, altering the runic lock.
Rumble...!
The deep foundations of the mountain violently shuddered. Up on the surface, the valley floor rocked back and forth, throwing several vanguard disciples off their feet. The Vice Sect Leader’s expression fractured as a deep dread seized his chest. He turned fiercely toward General Boros.
"Something is catastrophically wrong!" the Vice Leader roared. "Command the armada to prime the primary spirit cannons immediately!"
"What exactly do you mean?" Boros asked, his scholarly aura breaking. "We have received zero reports—"
"Just execute the order, dammit!" the Vice Leader bellowed, his face turning pale. "It is my sixth sense! It is the exact survival instinct that has kept me breathing through centuries of war! Battle formation! Everyone prepare for immediate combat!"
Deep below the earth, a monstrous, gut-wrenching roar ripped through the cavern, echoing like a primeval entity announcing its arrival to the world.
Ethan felt the terrifying spiritual pressure wave slam into him. He immediately attempted to activate his Void Step to flee the chamber, confident in his escape. But the exact millisecond he initiated the technique, his body rigidly locked in place. The surrounding atmospheric parameters had instantly solidified, freezing him. It was the exact same spatial sealing mechanism he executed with his amethyst eyes—but now, it was being used against him.
Immobilized and deeply confused, Ethan snarled internally. "Crul! Explain this anomaly! Why can I not manipulate the space?"
[Analyzing...!] Crul’s voice pulsed rapidly in his brain. [The structural density of the local environment has just increased a hundredfold! The concentration of necrotic energy is far too immense freezing the spatial fabric! You cannot manipulate it—you must devour it instantly!]
Without a single moment of hesitation, Ethan violently activated his Void lineage. He transformed entirely into his hybrid state, metallic obsidian scales rapidly plating his flesh and sharp talons tearing through his sleeves. He opened his mouth wide, unleashing a massive, roaring black hole that began to aggressively vacuum the dense, escaping death energy.
Ethan felt the spiritual energy inside his core skyrocket, climbing without an limit. He was consuming a monumental volume of pure, contaminated, and dark Yin energy. It was highly toxic to any living practitioner, but to his Void vessel, it was exceptionally nutritious.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, dozens of massive, horrific undead shapes violently breached the crumbling stone doors, sprinting straight toward Ethan as if he were their mortal enemy. But the moment they crossed into his perimeter, they abruptly stopped.
The monsters swarmed around his scaled frame, their hollow, glowing eyes fixed on him. They began to aggressively sniff the air, tilting their rotting heads like hounds attempting to recognize a member of their own pack. They growled and roared fiercely, bareing their jagged teeth, but not a single entity launched an attack. They simply encircled him, forming a grotesque wall of flesh and bone.
"What is the meaning of this, Crul?" Ethan demanded, keeping his black hole active as his core burned with power. "I do not comprehend this behavior."
[I am checking the data libraries... this phenomenon resides entirely outside of Lord Amethyst’s personal memories,] Crul stated, his cognitive processing running at maximum capacity. [This specific reaction has never been recorded in modern texts... unless...]
"Unless what?"
[I have located a single, ancient historical fragment,] Crul explained. [According to a forbidden text Lord Amethyst reviewed in his youth, a highly similar scenario unfolded when the primeval Void Emperor dominated the primordial continent. He encountered the Emperor of the Dead in open territory. The ancient scholars predicted a catastrophic, bloody war between their factions. However, when the two entities met, neither executed an attack. They simply observed one another and separated peacefully. There are many theoretical regarding that event, but the most sound conclusion is that since the Void attribute is fundamentally chaotic and the Death attribute is fundamentally entropic, they share an identical foundational signature. These creatures do not detect you as living food... they recognize you as a companion.]
[If you desire to test this baseline calculation,] Crul added calmly, [you can simply retract your hybrid transformation and analyze what next...]
"I am not insane," Ethan muttered, his gravelly voice echoing through the dense black haze. "If these entities are content to remain non-hostile, we will simply play along with their baseline metrics."
Ethan maintained his hybrid form and deliberately began to walk forward, stepping straight into the middle of the swarm.
The monstrous undead parted smoothly to let him through. They did not lose their mental control, nor did they charge forward in a chaotic, frenzied rampage. Instead, they began to march toward the upper cavern exits, moving in tight, perfectly structured columns like a highly disciplined military regiment preparing for a deployment.
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From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.
Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.
Body Refinement Realm
Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement
Spiritual Gathering Realm
Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation
Spiritual Core Realm
Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)
Spiritual Soul Realm
Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion
Golden Core Realm
Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction
Spiritual Sea Realm
The Melting Tide / The Tidal Horizon / The Sea Mist Ascension
Dao Manifestation Realm
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??
Spiritual Transcendence
Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??
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Sword mastery levels
Sword Intent.
Sword Aura.
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