Chapter 496 |
Maxison transformed Hundun into the Flame of Origin.
During the pursuit of Dilus’s devourer, his understanding of the Titan life form had become profound—so profound, in fact, that even if the Titan God had survived to this day, his comprehension of himself might not have surpassed Maxison’s.
Once transformed into a fire seed, Hundun immediately awakened. After learning of the events that had transpired, he cooperated willingly, sharing everything he knew with the Mages.
Hundun was indeed the “brain cell,” just as the Mages had speculated. The Left Arm had schemed against him precisely to free itself from being a mere limb and ascend to become the brain.
However, Hundun was a dead brain cell—a virus slain and severed from the body by the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign at the dawn of his own birth. According to Hundun, when the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign expelled him, he had already foreseen this eventuality and prepared thoroughly. Under normal circumstances, the Left Arm could not have succeeded—clearly, the anomaly had been the handiwork of Daoyuan Heavenly Sovereign.
Regrettably, Hundun knew little else regarding the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign. On reflection, that made sense—if Hundun had known too much, the Sovereign would never have let him go, nor would he have allowed the Mages to capture him so easily.
Hundun was entirely indifferent to his demotion and transformation into another life form. In fact, he seemed somewhat relieved. Though he did not explicitly declare allegiance to the Mages’ world, Nehem did not press him. The true value Hundun offered lay in two things: his method for converting demonic energy into ordinary energy, and his intimate connection to the Left Arm. Once these two secrets were known, the being himself—merely a seventh-tier life form—was of little importance.
When Nehem and Maxison, both True Spirit Mages, joined forces to hunt, the Left Arm was already a trapped beast. The ensuing war held no surprises—within a single month, the Left Arm was captured and sealed by the two True Spirits. Upon returning to Xinyati, it would be sent back to the Mages’ World, becoming the most significant research material yet recovered. If breakthroughs could be made, the Mages might even use it to create controllable super-void lifeforms.
The cleanup of the Demon-Suppression Abyss where the Left Arm resided would take time, but large-scale legion deployment was no longer necessary. A year later, the troops began their return.
This greatly increased the speed of the Legion’s return to Xinyati—they reached their destination in less than ten years.
Minor matters aside—
After Nehem’s ascension to True Spirit, he naturally became the leader of all Free Mages within the Cataclysm Zone. Publicly, he disciplined those Super Dimensional Mages in Adam’s Legion who had violated wartime protocols, exposing their foolish acts to all.
A palpable tension rippled through the Free Super Dimensional Mage Corps, their morale shaken. Yet Nehem showed no intention of concealing his stance. During the True Spirit Council, he openly declared his plan to establish the Eighth Holy Tower, a statement tantamount to joining the Holy Tower Faction. With his alignment, their power grew dramatically, once again gaining overwhelming dominance.
Nehem possessed immense prestige—once his tower was complete, many Free Mages would surely follow. This strategy was far more direct and effective than the old, underhanded manipulations of past conflicts.
Meanwhile, due to the troves of intelligence gathered from the Left Arm’s Demon-Suppression Abyss and the substantial spoils of war, the remaining three Abysses became the new prize in every Mage’s eyes. Large groups began organizing joint expeditions to conquer them.
The Central Command welcomed this development, declassifying Abyssal data and clearing the way for operations. Within a short span, hundreds of legions marched toward the three remaining Demon-Suppression Abysses.
Immortal Realm – Da Luo Heaven.
The headquarters of the Daoyuan Sect was in upheaval. Spiritual energy surged violently, halting all disciples’ cultivation. Startled, they looked toward the Grandmaster’s domain. The earlier news of their Patriarch’s imminent ascension had filled them with pride, elevating their standing across realms—but now, someone had dared to incur his wrath.
The Daoyuan Heavenly Sovereign had never been so enraged. His gaze fixed upon the Heaven-Turning Seal floating before him, torn from the Void—the missing fragment glaringly obvious. Even with his composure, he could not maintain calm.
After several breaths, he forced his anger down, his face once again a placid lake. He issued a command:
“Gather the following—Amethyst, Azure Gold, Shihuo…”
Thousands of high-grade materials, all necessary for repairing the Heaven-Turning Seal. The vast Daoyuan Sect mobilized at once, rare resources flooding into Da Luo Heaven. Other powers, unwilling to offend him, offered materials willingly, whether through trade or tribute.
Yet few knew that the Heaven-Turning Seal was more than just a vessel for his divine soul—it held far deeper significance. It had to remain whole. Now, it had been damaged by the Mages.
Even fewer knew what its true core material was.
The day of ascension was one he had calculated over tens of millennia—the most optimal time could not be delayed even briefly. As Congzhen had said, this was a hatred that would not end until death. If he could, Daoyuan would have descended upon Xinyati himself to annihilate Nehem and Maxison.
Seven days later, a seemingly ordinary sixth-tier Immortal entered his sanctuary. The Daoyuan Heavenly Sovereign’s eyes flickered; invisible barriers layered the chamber as he ensured absolute security before speaking.
“Fenghun, what brings you here?”
“You clashed with the True Spirit Mages? Even the Heaven-Turning Seal was damaged?” The sixth-tier Immortal’s body had been entirely overtaken by Fenghun’s will—a mere mouthpiece.
Daoyuan replied coldly, “Yes. The True Spirit Mage’s power was extraordinary—his combat strength defied heaven itself.”
He and Fenghun understood one another well. There was no need for pretense—he admitted openly that he had been outmatched.
“This is not the time for you to appear,” Daoyuan warned. “No matter how well you conceal yourself, your presence risks exposure.”
Fenghun shook his head. “The ascension must not fail. We will aid you in restoring the Heaven-Turning Seal. Also—the Mages have already set out toward the remaining three Demon-Suppression Abysses.”