Desolate Era

by RWX

  “If you wish to attack, feel free to go ahead and wipe out my avatar. However… I, Badlands, will make it known to all of you that if anyone actually dares to attack, I will repay you tenfold!”

  His words complete, Daolord Badlands turned and headed right back into the Badlands Court. He didn’t so much as glance at the many Daolords who had arrived, nor did he pay any attention to Fiendqueen Dustrain in the skies.

  “Hmph.” Fiendqueen Dustrain had an ugly look on her face, and the other Daolords off in the distance were all hesitating. They didn’t fear death, but… if Badlands had already decided to ignore them, what were they supposed to do? There was no point in destroying his avatar; that would be a meaningless act.

  And, if Daolord Badlands really did elect on taking revenge, he would become a very frightening foe. This would be doubly true once he became a Daolord of the Fourth Step. By then, he would be the number one master of the Dao of Numerancy within the Endless Territories. Not even Hegemons would be able to prevent him from taking revenge upon his foes!

  “It seems that our only choice is to enter the Waveshift Realm. If we go in ahead of the others, our chances might be a bit higher.” Fiendqueen Dustrain pondered for a moment within the skies, then turned and flew straight towards the Waveshift Realm.

  ……

  Although the Badlands Court was located within the Badlands Everworld, given that Daolord Badlands had made his position clear and had left merely an avatar behind, there really was no one who chose to attack him.

  If his true body was here, he probably would’ve been captured long ago. But just an avatar…

  In the end, Daolord Badlands had a sufficiently fearsome reputation and was able to deter these people. Vastheaven Palace, however, did not.

  ……

  “I just received word that Daolord Badlands has merely left his avatar to stand guard over the Badlands Court. However, if anyone dares to attack the Badlands Court, he will repay the attacker tenfold in the future.” Two Daolords were chatting as they strode side-by-side through the void. A dimensional tunnel surrounded them, and they were walking straight through it with no need for a spacetime transfer array.

  “That was a pretty nasty move!” One of the Daolords was dressed in dark-red armor.

  “It seems our only choice is to see if we can get any information from Daolord Solesky.” The other Daolord was dressed in gray robes, and he let out a sigh.

  “We’re quite close to the Vastheaven Territory. Given your mastery over the Dao of Space, brother Soletruth, we should be able to get there quite quickly. In roughly two or so weeks, we should reach Vastheaven Palace. We might even be the first ones there.” The dark-red armored Daolord said coldly, “For the sake of the Daomerge, we have no choice but to employ unpleasant means against Vastheaven Palace.”

  “Agreed. Daolord Solesky is the only Verge-level Daolord who has entered as of late, and he certainly knows more about the Waveshift Realm than most. Even if he simply gives us an intelligence report regarding the place, it’ll make our trip into the Waveshift Realm much simpler and our chances of acquiring the Voidsea Jadeseals much higher,” the gray-robed Daolord said.

  With so many Daolords heading to the Waveshift Realm, they really weren’t confident in their own chances at all. There were far, far too many who were more powerful than them. However, if they were able to acquire some information in advance, they might have a shot!

  A few days later. “We’re about to reach Vastheaven Palace,” the gray-robed Daolord Soletruth said.

  “Vastheaven Palace…” A flicker of cold light flashed through the dark-red armored Daolord’s eyes. They would force the information out of Solesky, no matter what they had to do.

  ……

  The weather was clear this day, and the skies were like an enormous, beautiful bowl of azure porcelain. The wind was blowing through this world, and two figures were slowly walking through the skies. They could already see Vastheaven Palace up ahead.

  “We’ve reached Vastheaven Palace.” The dark-red armored Daolord was slightly excited. “Our best chances lie within Vastheaven Palace.”

  “Agreed.” The gray-robed Daolord nodded.

  “I’ll go call him out. I refuse to believe that old bastard would dare to refuse us.” A flicker of a murderous intent could be seen in the dark-red armored Daolord’s eyes. They had come here to force Solesky to give them what they wanted.

  “SOLESKY!” After having flown slightly closer, the armored Daolord let out a loud call that echoed within the heavens, causing an invisible but baleful aura to spread outwards from him and cover the entire Vastheaven Palace. “SOLESKY! GET OUT HERE!”

  ……

  Within a palace courtyard. Ning, Solesky, Battlemaster, and Brightfish were all present. All four of them had only left their avatars behind, and the vast majority of the Vastheaven Palace’s disciples had departed already. The only ones left behind were some disciples who had many clones, as well as a few servants.

  “Solesky! Get out here!” A loud bellow rang out from outside.

  “Here they come.” Daolord Solesky let out a cold snort. “So someone has finally arrived.”

  Ning, Battlemaster, and Brightfish all had mixed looks on their faces. They had predicted long ago that trouble was coming for Vastheaven Palace, as there would definitely be some Daolords who would come for Daolord Solesky! In addition, some were located fairly close by. Some would move quickly while others would move more slowly, but in the end there would be many batches of them. Clearly, the first batch of Daolords had arrived.

  “Let’s go take a look and see who it is.” Daolord Solesky arose and walked outside, with Ning, Battlemaster, and Brightfish following behind him.

  Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh. All four Daolord avatars flew out into the skies, remaining within the protective embrace of Vastheaven Palace as they stared at the two distant figures.

  “That’s Daolord Soletruth and Daolord Mistbearer.” Daolord Solesky’s face tightened slightly as he sent mentally to the other three, “Daolord Soletruth is skilled in the Dao of Space and is an extremely troublesome foe, while Daolord Mistbearer is silled in close combat. These two are both on par with me.”

  Ning understood. These two Daolords weren’t all that powerful; they were merely on the same level as Solesky and Patriarch Clearwind. The weaker ones wouldn’t even try to come here, while there were only a few strong ones; they would need time to make it here.

  “Soletruth. Mistbearer. Why have you two come to Vastheaven Palace?” Daolord Solesky barked.

  “Stop pretending. Are you trying to tell me that you don’t know why we are here?” The distant dark-red armored Daolord Mistbearer let out an angry snarl.

  “Is it about the Waveshift Realm?” Daolord Solesky said, “I can swear a lifeblood oath that I do not have any Voidsea Jadeseals right now.”

  “I guessed as much.” Daolord Mistbearer smirked. “There’s no way the jade seals left behind by Emperor Waveshift would be obtained so easily. However… I need all of the information you know regarding the Waveshift Realm. So long as you provide that to us, the two of us will leave immediately.”

  Daolord Solesky let out a cold snort. “That’s a nice dream you are having. Do the two of you really think you have what it takes?”

  He and Daolord Badlands had spent many tens of thousands of years braving the dangers of that place and searching laboriously for as much information they could find. It was all thanks to Daolord Badlands’ repeated usage of Numerancy divination that hey had learned so many of the secrets of the Waveshift Realm. How could they just send this information out to others?

  “This is an item we acquired last time we adventured through the Terror Starsea.” The distant Daolord Mistbearer produced a strange stone globe that was covered with many complex runes that faintly emanated a terrifying aura of power. “If I crush this item, I’ll be able to annihilate the entire Vastheaven Palace. If you refuse to give me the information I need, I’ll
have no choice but to use it.”

  “Speak!” The gray-robed Daolord said coldly, “Will you give us the information or not?”

  * * *

  Book 31, Chapter 19 - For the Daomerge

  “What?” The Daolords of Vastheaven Palace, including Ji Ning, Daolord Battlemaster, Daolord Solesky, and Daolord Brightfish were all shocked. They stared intently at the stone globe held in the hands of Daolord Mistbearer. All of them could sense the faint aura of terrifying power emanating from the stone globe.

  “This Daolord Mistbearer actually has an item like this?” Daolord Solesky and the others turned pale.

  There were actually quite a number of Dao-seals and other strange curios which had been created by Eternal Emperors and had slowly accumulated over time. This was particularly true for the Terror Starsea, which had been the battlefield of the Dawn War. There were many, many treasures there that were capable of unleashing terrifying levels of power. However, acquiring these treasures was quite difficult. Most Daolords of the Fourth Step did not have access to such treasures.

  Daolords on the level of Solesky, Patriarch Clearwind, and Daolord Mistbearer had been alive for quite some time. If they dared to go out adventuring and lived to tell the tale, they would generally end up with one or two of them.

  Experts on the level of Kongsan had been alive for even longer. They would generally have nine or ten such items on them.

  As for the likes of King Gorsch or Palace Lord Dawnstar, the most powerful of Daolords? They were capable of slaying ordinary Eternal Emperors with ease. A casual blow from them was more than enough to annihilate Vastheaven Palace and held as much power as those strange artifacts and Dao-seals. Thus, those things were of very little use to them! Only precious Hegemon-created items were of interest and use to them, but those were incredibly rare.

  These curios were divided into many different types, such as defensive, fleeing, karmic, illusory, offensive, and more.

  “Daolord Mistbearer actually has a treasure meant for attacking.” Daolord Solesky was rather anxious now.

  “This treasure is very important to Daolord Mistbearer. The handsome Daolord Brightfish sent mentally, “But for the sake of the Daomerge, he’s gone berserk. He really would be willing to use this treasure up! Everyone, what should we do?”

  “Let me give it a try first,” Daolord Battlemaster said.

  ……

  The four Daolords of Vastheaven Palace stared at the two enemy Daolords.

  “Fellow Daoists.” Daolord Battlemaster called out in a loud voice, “I imagine you have also received word that Daolord Badlands has left the Badlands Court long ago! Vastheaven Palace isn’t staffed by fools either; our brothers have also left long ago. The four of us are merely avatars! Even if you use up that treasure and destroy Vastheaven Palace, you’d at most be able to destroy our avatars. We’re more than capable of enduring such minor losses.”

  Daolord Mistbearer and Daolord Soletruth radiated surging, murderous auras from their position in the skies. Daolord Mistbearer said coldly, “The creation of Vastheaven Palace involved you spending enormous amounts of effort in setting up its protective formations. The materials needed to create four avatars were also extremely costly, not to mention the time spent in nurturing them. Would you really just give them up like that?”

  “For the sake of the Daomerge, we are indeed willing to give them all up.”’ Daolord Battlemaster smiled. “I have an idea. Let us have both sides take a step back.”

  The distant Daolord Mistbearer and Daolord Soletruth exchanged a glance. “Speak!” Daolord Mistbearer commanded coldly.

  “Vastheaven Palace is willing to hand over an intelligence report containing information regarding the Waveshift Realm,” Daolord Battlemaster said. “While it won’t include everything big brother Solesky knows, it’ll still be far more than what the rest of the universe knows about the Waveshfit Realm. What do you think? If the two of you accept, we’ll give you the report right away.”

  “It has to include everything Daolord Solesky knows!” Daolord Mistbearer shouted coldly. As his voice boomed out, an infinitely vast wave of blood appeared out of nowhere, sweeping through the skies and surrounding the entirety of Vastheaven Palace.

  Daolord Mistbearer’s murderous aura flared as he roared, “If you refuse, die!”

  “Solesky, stop struggling,” Daolord Soletruth barked as well.

  “You are going too far!” Daolord Battlemaster said coldly, “My big brother and Daolord Badlands experienced countless travails in order to find this information. You want them to hand it all over? Impossible!”

  “Do you take the two of us for fools? Emperor Waveshift was the creator of the Waveshift Realm. He was and remains the most skilled expert in the Dao of the Numerancy the Endless Territories has ever seen. The Waveshift Realm is filled with many dangers and is incredibly complex. If you just give us a portion of your information, it’ll be of negligible use to us.” Daolord Soletruth said coldly, “Battlemaster, stop playing games with us. We aren’t fools. You have two options before you. To hand it over, or to not hand it over.”

  “I will claim the life of anyone who dares to bar my Daomerge!” The distant Daolord Mistbearer raised the stone globe up high with one hand, his voice filled with murder. “I’ll give you three seconds to consider this. If you refuse, I’ll wipe you out!”

  “Three!”

  “Two!”

  Daolord Mistbearer stood there in the skies, surrounded by endless surging waves of blood, the stone globe held up high and flaring in one final warning. For the sake of the Daomerge, he wouldn’t show any mercy at all.

  “But…” Solesky, Battlemaster, and Brightfish all turned pale. As for Ning, he had a complex look on his face.

  “Everyone shares the same concern – the Daomerge. Why must we be like this? This stroke of Daomerge-related fortune belongs to my big brother. Today, you come to pressure him; tomorrow, others will do the same. Are we to repeatedly give way and just hand this opportunity over to others?” Ning shook his head. “You two should leave. If you refuse to leave, I’ll have no choice but to attack.”

  “Attack?” The two distant Daolords were both startled.

  Ning’s face gradually turned cold. “Leave.”

  The faces of the two distant Daolords turned grim. They were slowly beginning to sense the threat that Ning posed them. Previously, Ning had not yet wished them dead… but now that he did, the sense of danger radiating from him grew significantly stronger. Ning’s avatar was roughly on par with them; if his true body was here, the sense of danger would have been much stronger.

  “No one can bar my path to the Daomerge.” Daolord Mistbearer and Daolord Soletruth shared a glance, but neither hesitated.

  “Hand over the report or prepare to do battle!” Daolord Mistbearer roared.

  A flicker of a murderous light flashed through Ning’s cold eyes. An invisible surge of power instantly sprang out, separating into two streams that smashed directly against the souls and the truesouls of the two Daolords.

  Heartforce Eradicator!

  “This…” A hint of terror and disbelief flashed through Daolord Mistbearer’s eyes before his gaze turned completely dull and lifeless. His corpse began to fall down from the skies.

  “He’s a Heartforce Cultivator!” The gray-robed Daolord Soletruth’s face turned bone-white, but he was able to endure the [Heartforce Eradicator] attack. He stared at Ning in horror. That heartforce attack had been absolutely terrifying; it was only thanks to his strong Dao-heart that he had managed to survive! However, he knew that Heartforce Cultivators possessed many strange and unpredictable techniques, and they didn’t really rely on such brutish attacks. They primarily relied on illusions and bewildering spells… and if this Daolord’s brute-force attacks were already this powerful, how devilish would his illusions be? Even an instant of distraction could very well prove fatal!

  “Hurry up and flee.” Daolord Soletruth no longer cared about anything else. He hu
rriedly waved his hand. Whoosh! A dazzling rainbow dimensional tunnel instantly appeared next to him, and he hurriedly dove into it and began to flee.

  ……

  A tear in space appeared within a region of primordial chaos more than twenty territories away. Moments later, the gray-robed and rather bedraggled-looking Daolord Soletruth jumped out of it, a stunned look on his face. “He’s actually a Heartforce Cultivator. The newest Daolord of Vastheaven Palace, Daolord Darknorth… a completely unremarkable person I’ve heard almost nothing about… is actually a Heartforce Cultivator. And a terrifyingly strong one at that! He was able to kill brother Mistbearer with a thought. Ugh. Brother Mistbearer’s Dao-heart was rather lacking, due to his excessively murderous impulses.”

  “I never would’ve imagined that the most powerful member of Vastheaven Palace would be Daolord Darknorth, rather than Daolord Solesky.” Daolord Soletruth let out a soft sigh. “Things are going to be complicated now. Everyone thought that Vastheaven Palace would be easy to deal with, but who would’ve thought such a terrifying figure would exist within it?”

  Everyone agreed that Heartforce Cultivators were notoriously difficult to deal with. Unless absolutely necessary, no one would willingly make an enemy out of one.

  ……

  Outside Vastheaven Palace.

  The corpse of Daolord Mistbearer continued its descent through the skies. As for Daolords Solesky, Battlemaster, and Brightfish, all three of them stared at Ning in disbelief.

  “All this is due to the Daomerge…” Ning shook his head, then waved his hand and collected the falling corpse of Daolord Mistbearer. Ning then turned around, only to see the other three staring straight at him. “Something wrong? I’m just collecting his corpse. We can split the treasures later,” Ning grinned.

  “Stop joking.” Daolord Solesky flew straight towards Ning, then grabbed him by the shoulders. “Ji Ning, y-you… you are a Heartforce Cultivator?”

  “Right. You are actually a Heartforce Cultivator?” Battlemaster and Brightfish were quite excited as well.