Limitless Cultivation: I Can Master Every Profession!-Chapter 250: The Last Reckoning (5) [END]
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The battle of the three empires against the horde of corrupted monsters lasted for a long time, and although the number of casualties continued to rise on both sides, the three empires were able to reduce the toll day by day, until reaching a point where the beasts could no longer inflict as much suffering on them.
Naturally, such an important change only occurred after the three empires received help from unknown existences that many had never heard of, and those who had still found it hard to believe even today.
But whether they acted or not, it didn't matter, the fact remained.
They had finally defeated, almost entirely, the calamity that had been on the verge of destroying the three empires.
The same happened beyond the great mountain chain, where in the frozen lands, the three emperors, once recovered, immediately began lending their armies strong support to defeat the enormous horde of beasts they had been exposed to after that mysterious figure appeared with that corrupted being at the peak of the third stage of the Spirit Realm
It had been a brutal battle, and they too suffered heavy losses, something they had anticipated from the start, though they had never expected the expedition to nearly become a one sided massacre, where all three of them and their armies could have been wiped out.
Even here, the tide of the battle shifted when that man appeared, one of simple appearance, yet radiating a profound presence.
The possibility that this being might be that legendary figure from the past weighed heavily on the hearts of all three emperors. They knew that no matter how the final battle between him and what was likely the source of corruption in these lands ended, it would bring great changes in the future across the three empires..
And so, after almost a full week of intense battles from both sides, peace was beginning to return to the three empires, and during this period, the expedition team also came back.
It goes without saying that the surprise of learning, upon their return, that their deepest suspicions about their territories being attacked had indeed been confirmed was a heavy blow, but what struck them even more was learning about the appearance of several figures across the three kingdoms, who repelled with relative ease the most powerful forces of this horde of monsters.
The human one discovered that one of the empire's wonders had proven to be a very powerful card for its own defense, one that, after defeating the enemy returned to its respective place, and became a living statue once again;
The elven one similarly received help from their guardian spirit who turned out to be powerful enough to protect their empires territory.
And finally, the beast empire, still in chaos, but not due to the horde of monsters, which here had almost entirely been eradicated, but because of the appearance of a certain figure that shook the hearts of every living being in these lands.
All the beasts, regardless of their race, felt a profound reverence for this being, one that surpassed what they felt for their emperor by countless levels, a being to which they submitted unconditionally.
This figure appeared and disappeared after having wiped out the most powerful forces of the monster horde, and the only trace of its presence that remained was a vast territory utterly destroyed, which had also become the tomb of the creature leading that horde.
All these events shook the three empires. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚
Days passed, then weeks, and in the blink of an eye almost a month had passed since the end of the calamity. Although traces of it still lingered in everyone's hearts, the three emperors could say that their people had begun moving forward and rebuilding their lives.
By this point, almost all the most problematic situations had been addressed, yet something still worried the three rulers greatly,
the battle between the presumed First Human Emperor and the source of the calamity.
From the data collected and observations made by various patrol teams, both within the empire and in the frozen lands, the corruption had stopped and showed no sign of resuming.
It was as if the source had been removed, leaving only roots behind, which without it had little hope of surviving. But the disappearance of the source didn't mean it could never return, so until they had absolute confirmation of having gotten rid of the problem, doubt remained in the hearts of all three.
Within the Crimson Eclipse Domain,
The atmosphere remained as ever, with life and death lingering together in a twisted mixture that would have made anyone shiver.
It was a separate world, one with its own rules and laws, isolated from the small world that hosted the Hanxu continent.
The time difference was vast, unimaginably vast, one day on the Hanxu continent was equivalent to several months in this world.
That said, if there was any sign of change, it was certainly the presence of four additional colossal, pointed pillars, like crosses.
On each of them hung a colossal figure, now dead, a macabre addition to the collection of remains already present.
Their bodies were impaled and nailed to the crosses like fallen relics, each one hundreds of meters tall, larger than any mortal construction, making the hung figures appear small and powerless.
They were the remnants of beings once incredibly powerful, now transformed into eternal symbols of their defeat.
The first one resembled a lion, its body showing, cracked golden flesh and six broken wings hanging, pierced and nailed to the pillar. In life, it had been the embodiment of command and judgment in the territories of the Ebon Star Assembly; now, only an empty shell remained.
The second one was a serpentine figure, coiled multiple times around the pillar, its once starry scales now dull, nailed in multiple places, a reminder of its ancient power that had made the enemies of the Verdant Fang Clan tremble in the past.
The third one an avian and deformed figure, was brutally nailed with three heads hanging in different directions and half charred wings spread open.
Once an omen of destruction and a rising star of the Crimson Lotus Sect, it now existed only as a testament to its defeat.
Finally, the fourth figure was the gigantic tree.
Also now lifeless, it no longer retained its full body, only the broken, extinguished pearl, silent and still, surrounded by the remains of the other defeated beings.
Four beings that would have caused immense turmoil in the higher planes of existence now lay motionless here, eternally, with the sole purpose of serving as a source of power for a single being.
Suspended above the skies of this place, a form shone, wrapped in a cocoon of crimson light, having remained there for who knows how long, but finally showing signs of awakening.
The cocoon trembled slightly, as if responding to an inner will. Small cracks appeared along its surface, zigzagging irregularly, until a sharp screech broke the silence,
the shell violently split, and emerging from within, a human appeared.
It was Zhu Rong.
His height almost surpassed two meters, his long hair flowing around his shoulders while his naked body displayed muscles sculpted like a divine statue.
His expression was indifferent, yet his eyes shone a deep red, lights that seemed to pierce the soul of anyone who looked at him.
He had used the vital essence of the three beings from the higher planes to enhance himself, and after absorbing the fragment of the demonic tree's soul, his level of existence had reached a new stage, one capable of making the four slain beings tremble at his mere presence, forcing them to flee for their lives if they were alive in that moment.
Zhu Rong examined his condition calmly and solemnly.
Soon, a crimson and black aura enveloped him, and he appeared clad in black garments with golden trims, simple yet elegant embroidery that accentuated his majesty.
At a short distance, the splendid figure of Yuan Lan appeared. Seeing her master awakened after so long, she expressed her joy, greeting him with the respect that a being of his level deserved.
Zhu Rong, seeing her, directed a calm, indifferent gaze toward her.
His look evoked in her a sensation akin to fear, though for her it was more excitement than anything else, a sign of the undeniable power and presence of her master.
After so much time, Zhu Rong showed a rare emotion,
a faint smile directed at Yuan Lan as he said, in a calm but firm voice,
"It is time to return."
With the matter of the demonic tree and those three beings settled, little remained to be done in this plane of existence.
It was time for him and the rest of his family to prepare to ascend.
His experiences in the mortal realm, both in this life and the previous ones, had taught him that no matter how much he wanted to live his life in peace, without sufficient power it was impossible.
His old enemies would not have let him be so easily.
Therefore, he decided that if a battle had to be fought one way or another, it would be on his terms.
Those beings in the celestial court had clearly forgotten who they were dealing with, and if they were even going so far as to use one of the other soul fragments against him, then there was no reason for him to remain idle.
It was time to return to the higher planes and resolve his unfinished affairs with them, and this time, he would make sure that those beings would never dare lift a finger against him again.
[END] ⬇️
