Duality of Shadows-Chapter 967: Half-Perfect

In a completely desolate region of the underworld, far from any planet or black hole, and isolated from any cultivator, a subtle ripple reverberated through the heavenly laws.

Suddenly, a rune originating from the heavenly laws appeared. It took a few seconds before more and more began to emerge. After a minute, a cluster of runes gathered, taking on a rounded, humanoid form.

With a huff, the runes fully materialized into the physical plane. The whale was perfectly reconstructed, without a single scratch.

’Being indestructible feels different,’ Bruno muttered.

Alm huffed, but somehow, they had managed to escape and survive. It wasn’t just their own strength that had saved them, but the help of everyone in the universe who had been killed, as well as those they themselves had slain in the past; the hatred of those souls had been poured into Alm’s old body, contributing as well.

In the end, the villain Alm’s body—among even the highest-level immortal entities—was like a shark swimming through the dark karma and resentment of the dead.

This was a kind of power that couldn’t be underestimated. After all, a portion of demonic metals was created from such energies.

Even the queen had been surprised by this. Combined with the whale’s peak physical state, it provided a decisive advantage. The immortal villain’s body self-destructed, using death’s Yin and the karma of the slain as fuel to amplify the destruction.

The power was so terrifying that the universe itself couldn’t bear it. The vast space, combined with the collapse and the force of the detonation, generated such an overwhelming energy that even the queen felt some pressure.

Of course, it wasn’t nearly enough to cause her severe harm if she focused on defense. But the impact was strong enough to break the seal that had prevented their escape.

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The whale, positioned at the epicenter, was consumed by the destruction. Their entire existence was reduced to nothing. Facing that level of power, even the queen would question whether they had survived or not.

’This won’t last long. We need to steal resources to cultivate, and it’ll become obvious that it’s us… but… we survived,’ Alm sighed.

Their success was confirmed when they received a message saying the side quest was completed. They had actually saved everyone and escaped the queen.

The whole ordeal, at least, made it clear how powerful she was. They had the potential to defeat her. If they could reach the immortal realms, they might even face her head-on without being completely crushed.

As for actually defeating her… she probably still had many resources and tricks up her sleeve. Additionally, with the Void Spear added to her arsenal, it would be unwise to attempt taking her down at just the immortal level. To truly win, they’d need to ascend to her realm.

The whale slowly moved toward a rocky, lifeless planet in the underworld. They landed and dug deep into the ground, sealing all their fluctuations to focus on their internal universe.

As soon as they entered, they were met by Ruri and all their allies, who were visibly tense. Ruri and Rehvka had tears in their eyes, but the two souls merely nodded to reassure them.

Afterward, they explained what had happened. All 16,000 soldiers, the nine-star tree, and several cultivators from that universe heard the news, and their faces twisted in disbelief.

"She killed everyone…" Mistie murmured, trembling. She, having lived long and known that universe and its people well, couldn’t believe it.

Alm and Bruno turned their attention to the twelve remaining planets they had rescued. When Ruri had unleashed that devastating strike on the heroes, they had placed the planets inside their internal universe. In the end, besides those 200, the main planets of their allies had been saved.

"Nixis spent so much time recruiting as many as he could; unfortunately, their fates were decided by the will of the heavens. Now, at least, they’ve all been freed," Bruno spoke lightly before moving alongside Alm toward the planets.

They used their power to restore the Gaias who had sacrificed themselves and were on the brink of death. Now, in this safe haven, they could cultivate to their fullest.

They landed on the planet Gloom and headed to their building. There, Almin and Rehvka gave them a report on recent events.

Alm and Bruno’s eyes widened. "Meru… she really used the mirror?!" Alm asked, tense. But, almost immediately, Ruri entered the room with Meru, who looked perfectly healthy, as if she’d just had a good night’s sleep.

They sighed in relief as the little girl stared at them, confused. She had never seen her father in this state—split into two people and now manifesting in the internal universe. Here, Alm and Bruno could only appear as fragments of their souls.

They approached her carefully. Meru observed them for a few seconds before recognizing, from their gaze, that these souls were indeed her father.

Ruri had tried to explain it to her earlier, but she hadn’t understood. Her father was two people, yet also one. It was confusing and strange, but seeing it for herself, she thought she understood.

Just as Ruri had in the past, Meru instinctively learned to distinguish who was in control and acted accordingly. After a few moments, she felt frustrated that they were only spirits and didn’t have a physical body for her to perch on their shoulder.

"Where are Venjio and Kaiyka?" Bruno asked. Ruri nodded and led them to a location on the planet.

With his technique still active, inside the place, Venjio was fighting alone against Kaiyka, trying to bring her back.

Kaiyka fought almost like a mortal, without using any powers. She didn’t even have a sword, and her Dao was sealed as well. Venjio, on the other hand, was almost a divine soul, supported by the entire world of Ruri.

"Hmm… I thought this would be good for him," Ruri murmured.

Alm nodded slightly, allowing his divine soul to sneak into the place and carefully merge with Kaiyka.

"I’ve severed her connection with the queen. Now, all he has to do is defeat her and destroy this on his own. Kaiyka hasn’t used the miracle she has available, so she can rebuild Venjio’s body later. But he has to free her himself. Maybe this will push him one step closer to fully elevating his soul," Bruno said calmly.

Ruri kept her technique active for as long as necessary. That way, Venjio, burdened by the pain and guilt of being weak, could resolve his inner conflict and grow stronger in the process.

After checking on everyone’s condition, Ruri took Meru to explore the planet Pristine. Alm and Bruno then gave the order to gather all their allies from the array and requested the Nine-Star Tree to summon its best army. The time had come to unify the armies, and now they would train together.

Counting those created within the queen’s universe, there were 50,000 soldiers on the planet Gloom. They were organized within the array, divided into soldiers and squad leaders, all allocated under the existing generals.

Next, they shared the information uncovered in the underworld and presented their plans. Venjio was used as an example, along with Ruri and Maelik. It became clear that everyone there had only come this far because their fates were intertwined with theirs. Thus, it was essential that everyone was prepared to reach the divine level.

"The Nine-Star Tree’s technique should already have been cultivated by most of you. Similarly, I’ll reduce the time needed. I’ll unlock everyone’s memories. After that, you’ll cultivate here to your maximum potential. Very soon, the real battle against the queen will take place. Without the element of surprise, don’t expect to succeed in defeating the heroes as you did last time."

After hearing Bruno’s serious words, everyone took a deep breath, understanding the gravity of the situation. They had survived only by luck, by what had been left behind for the whale, and by the element of surprise. Now, without their own strength, they would be killed swiftly.

Alm added firmly, "I’ll be blunt. I plan to reach the queen’s level and face her, but I’ll need to focus entirely on her because any mistake will be fatal. You, on the other hand, must deal with the heroes and everything else to prevent her from using them against me in the final battle. I won’t be able to protect you, and at the same time, I need you to remove this weapon of hers."

Everyone clenched their fists, and Corin spoke on behalf of all: "Master, don’t worry about us. We’ll fight and win by your side. Just focus on defeating her. We won’t let you down."

The two nodded. Then, they focused individually on each of them, manipulating their souls to unlock all memories. Gradually, everyone began absorbing the knowledge.

Afterward, they turned to the Nine-Star Tree. "I also stole the primordial light with the marks of high-level laws from that universe. I’ll place everything here. Over time, the high-level laws should flow and integrate into the whole. You should be able to break into the immortal level with ease. Train everyone to get there as well."

He could barely be surprised anymore, hardly reacting. That place was already an unbelievably unique universe. With this addition… it would become something beyond imagination. He looked at the two and asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"In the end, we’re still the workhorse of Heaven’s Will. To advance to the next realm, we need to work. I might not be able to come back here for a while. Take care of everything," Bruno said calmly.

The old man nodded, promising to take care of everything, and stepped away. Alm huffed, reflecting while accepting the system rewards.

[Your entire internal universe will be evaluated to find helpers.]

[Evaluating...]

[Meru was the only one approved.]

Upon reading this, they narrowed their eyes. "No way I’m taking her somewhere dangerous," Alm said bluntly.

As soon as he said that, another screen appeared:

[You will be sent to a universe completely devoid of Qi. However, even without Qi, it’s not entirely mortal and contains a region with well-developed mortal-level natural laws. Its inhabitants have developed a form of combat power based on these laws.]

[To avoid alerting the enemies, all your physical power, Qi, and access to your internal universe will be completely sealed. Your soul will be partially sealed.]

Alm huffed, indifferent, but Bruno mused, "A partially sealed soul… but the place has reasonably developed natural laws. That means we can use the tattoos, even if at a much lower level."

"So what?" Alm snapped.

"Meru can do the same. She’s as skilled with tattoos as we are and even mastered the Taiji we developed. Like us, she’ll be ridiculously overpowered in that place and will manage," Bruno replied.

Alm glared at him coldly, refusing to give in. Bruno spoke seriously, "Don’t be so overprotective. I love my daughter too, but she needs to see the world as it is. It’s better for her to do that with us by her side."

Alm remained resolute, but...

"Daddy, daddy, I want to go!"

Suddenly, a little girl flew over to them, beaming with a radiant smile.

Alm and Bruno were caught off guard. They were used to discussing things mentally and hadn’t bothered to hide their conversation. However, since they were technically in the whale’s body, anyone could hear them if they just spoke to each other. Of course, no one would do that out of respect.

Meru seemed to have been watching them for some time, waiting for them to finish talking to the Nine-Star Tree.

Alm gave her a cold look, but she met his gaze without hesitation. After two seconds, he looked away... the old man seemed to have been intimidated by the pure look of the little girl.

Bruno laughed, but Alm just avoided eye contact and said seriously, "We’re about to do something dangerous. Even if she can protect herself, when has anything been simple for us? Things always go upside down quickly. I don’t want to take that risk."

Bruno sighed. He couldn’t deny it. He turned to Meru, unsure of what to say, so he just shook his head. In that moment, she understood and swallowed nervously.

Meru didn’t cry because she knew it wouldn’t change anything. She just clenched her fists and lowered her gaze. The youthful glow faded from her face, and she looked like Ruri from the past: a young girl forced to mature quickly under intense pressure.

Frustration and self-disappointment took over her expression. Her fluctuations were those of someone trying their best, but it still wasn’t enough.

Alm and Bruno’s gazes were drawn to her. ’Damn…’ they both thought at the same time.

She pretended to be a spoiled child, but it didn’t fool them. Despite everything, it made them think she was healthy and growing normally.

But in reality, Meru had understood the pressure and responsibility she carried from an early age. She knew she was their daughter and that her father was responsible for countless lives... not just that, but he was fighting for the freedom of all living beings. There, everyone revered him as a deity, and she would inevitably have to bear part of that immense weight.

’We need to be closer to her. We have to make sure she’s a child and doesn’t lose herself mentally with all this,’ Bruno commented mentally between them.

Alm sighed deeply. ’Wherever we go, we always have to deal with heavy stuff... but at least with her by our side, we can show her both sides of the world. We have to educate her properly and let her live free. Being isolated here under so much pressure will only distort her view of the world.’

They both reached a consensus. Just as they had cared for Ruri, now they had to be attentive to Meru. They couldn’t neglect her, or they’d never forgive themselves.

"Ruri," Alm called, and immediately the space opened, revealing Ruri. She had certainly been watching everything.

Ruri was always nearby, observing the two of them. She had done so for the past ten years. When she appeared, she usually had a satisfied smile on her face; but this time, her expression was one of concern.

She always spoke to Meru directly and tried to help her with everything; but on this matter, she didn’t know what to do. Now that they had noticed, Ruri felt like she had failed, causing problems for them.

"Don’t worry. We’ll take care of her. Half the responsibility is ours, after all. You can only be half-perfect in this job; the failure came from our side," Bruno said calmly.

"We’ll take her with us. Focus on your cultivation. The Void Goddess and the Nine-Star Tree can help her a lot since you have a divine soul," Alm said calmly.

Ruri nodded, and a smile returned to her face, soon followed by teary eyes. Meru heard everything and almost jumped for joy. But then she remembered something and said, "Oh, my sword!"

She ran into a building and came back seconds later, with a short sword at her waist and a radiant smile.

Alm and Bruno gave one last look at Ruri, who approached her daughter and hugged her, whispering something in her ear. The little girl then ran to their side with a determined look.

They nodded, and Meru was taken out of the internal universe. In the emptiness of the underworld, she looked to the side and hugged the whale, excited to be by its side.

"Let’s go. Hold on tight," said the whale. He confirmed it in the system, and Meru’s eyes lit up as she saw a sea of celestial runes covering both of them.