Ch. 911..920

Chapter 911 911 – Blood and Heart

Shang could feel it.

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He had been focusing on his Sword Mana all this time, and after his Sword Mana had passed a certain threshold, it suddenly started drawing in Mana from all over Shang's body.

Shang had already created separate pathways for his Sword Mana. In comparison to his normal Mana, the pathways for his Sword Mana had been created to circulate Mana instead of just delivering it from one place to another.

Usually, the Mana inside a beast's or warrior's body didn't circulate and only rested in the Beast Core.

But for Sword Blood, Shang needed to circulate his Mana.

Sword Mana needed to be in constant movement. If it didn't move, it would harden and slowly disperse.

The Mana that humans stored in their bodies didn't have that kind of property.

As the Sword Mana circulated throughout Shang's body, it drew in more and more Mana from the surroundings.

Luckily, Shang's body was more than powerful enough to resist such a dense and potent force of destruction.

Shang's pathways filled more and more until they couldn't hold anymore.

That was when the Sword Mana also stopped pulling in other kinds of Mana.

Shang watched the Sword Mana inside his body and noted that his body was ready to produce more Sword Mana as soon as the density of Sword Mana inside Shang's body reduced.

At this moment, Shang could see one big pathway of Sword Mana circulate throughout his body.

He had done it!

Shang had comprehended Sword Blood!

Naturally, Shang wouldn't consume the momentum he had just gained. After all, he only had about ten years of longevity left.

Shang stood up and flew towards the Isolation Barrier.

"Send your strongest beast for a last fight," Shang transmitted to the Thunder King. "I want to try out this new power."

The Thunder King didn't answer, but Shang was sure that he had heard him.

Shang had to wait for several minutes inside the Isolation Barrier before his opponent appeared.

His opponent was a silver dragon with a slender but powerful build. Its limbs hid explosive might, giving it incredible acceleration and speed. Its scales shone in a powerful silver, proclaiming their unrivaled defense. The dragon's long teeth and long claws made it clear that its offense was also unrivaled.

Lastly, Shang could feel that the dragon had a twofold Spirit Sense, which was insane for a beast.

When the dragon appeared, it slowly went into a lowered stance to gather its power.

BANG!

In an instant, it shot toward Shang with unrivaled speed.

Shang might be able to avoid the first two attacks, but he knew that the dragon would keep rapidly attacking him.

Without Sword Blood, Shang would have lost this fight within five attacks.

Yet, just before the dragon reached him, a dense black cloud appeared between them.

The dragon sensed that the black cloud was extremely powerful and that touching it would be a very bad idea.

The dragon rapidly jumped to the side, attacking Shang from a new angle.

Yet, the black cloud kept following it, staying between Shang and the dragon.

After a bit, the dragon jumped back, reassessing the situation and its strategy.

A dense cloud of pure destruction came out of Shang's sword, and whenever Shang moved his sword, the cloud would move as well.

Sword Blood gave someone two abilities.

First, it vastly increased the amount of Sword Mana one could have at the same time. Sword Mana was no longer only on the sword but now also inside the body.

Second, Sword Mana would no longer vanish as quickly when it was away from the body or the sword. Additionally, Shang could keep controlling it freely.

The black cloud of destruction around Shang was the Sword Mana inside his body that had been infused with all of Shang's Death Mana.

Sadly, the amount of Death Mana couldn't even come close to the amount of Sword Mana, which reduced its offensive power by quite a bit.

However, the sheer amount of Sword Mana more than made up for it.

At this moment, it was like Shang's sword had grown several times over and had gained the ability to transform itself freely.

The dragon had huge issues finding an angle to attack.

However, such a powerful beast had more than one strategy.

Inside the dragon's mouth, a powerful ball of lightning formed, which bathed the entire space within the Isolation Barrier in an intense liquid of Lightning Mana.

Any Peak Ancestral Beast would rapidly die within this liquid, but this was only the side-effect of the dragon's attack.

While the dragon was doing this, Shang was lowering his stance and gathering his focus.

Then, an apocalyptic beam of pure lightning shot toward Shang.

BOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Isolation Barrier turned into a hellscape of lightning, but the lightning very quickly vanished.

Shang was still standing there.

However, 90% of all his Sword Mana had vanished, transforming the thick cloud of destruction into a mere whisp.

Nevertheless, Shang had survived, and he was still gathering his focus.

Sword Blood.

Sword Heart.

The heart moved the blood, and the blood nourished the heart.

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This was the power of having Sword Heart and Sword Blood.

Sword Blood gave Shang a brutally powerful defense, which he could use to defend while gathering focus for Sword Heart.

An instant later, the whisp of destruction vanished, and a black blade of death appeared around Shang's sword.

And then, Shang slashed forward.

SHING!

It was like the world inside the Isolation Barrier had been cut in two.

Shang had gathered his focus, and he had unleashed an extremely fast, powerful, and precise attack with Sword Heart.

However, something else had appeared inside the Isolation Barrier.

It was a forcefield, and it had stopped Shang's attack before it hit the dragon.

Naturally, this forcefield hadn't been created by the dragon but by the Thunder King.

As a Peak Beast King with a fourfold Spirit Sense, even Shang's most powerful attack couldn't injure the Thunder King, and its speed also couldn't be compared to Shang's.

Yet, the Thunder King's interference only meant one thing.

The dragon would have died from this attack.

Chapter 912 912 – Ready

Shang put his sword away, and the black blade on it turned into smoke before entering Shang's body.

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The dragon still had difficulties accepting reality.

It was the most powerful Beast Lord on the island.

Amongst over a hundred Peak Beast Lords, it reigned supreme.

And yet, it had lost…

To a human an entire Realm below it.

Shang's offensive power was his strongest aspect.

Peak Beasts Lords had incredibly powerful defenses, but even though Shang was an entire Realm below the dragon, his attack would have still been powerful enough to bisect the dragon.

Sword Heart had always been amazing. After all, it allowed Shang to launch a melee attack from a great range.

Sadly, Shang always needed to gather his focus and prepare his attack, which was nearly impossible when an enemy was attacking him.

But with Sword Blood, Shang finally gained the ability to use Sword Heart freely.

Even more, Sword Blood's power entirely depended on the power of Shang's body.

Theoretically, there was no limit to how much Sword Mana Shang could store inside his body. His body just had to be powerful enough to contain all of it without getting cut into pieces.

Due to the Bloodline Infusion and consuming Abominations, Shang's body was already as powerful as a beast's body.

Then, Shang's Beast Core increased his power even further, making his body about double as powerful as the body of an equivalent beast.

Lastly, Shang had consumed his momentum after comprehending Void Break, which had increased the power of his body even more while also strengthening his pathways.

On a baseline, Shang's body was already about twice as powerful as the body of an Initial Beast Lord.

Not only was Sword Blood something that only Peak Warrior Lords could comprehend, elevating its power to ridiculous heights, but the power of Shang's body multiplied that power even further.

Dusk?

Meteor?

Fate?

All of these attacks were meaningless now.

With all of the different states and techniques Shang had created, Shang had reached the peak of complexity.

And now, things had returned to simplicity.

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A sword.

A pure sword.

In front of Shang's sword, no defense, technique, or attack mattered.

One strike was enough to destroy all of these things.

With one sword, Shang would win the battle.

One sword.

One slash.

At least, that was how it would work in a vacuum.

Naturally, Shang first had to get to this point in a battle.

No enemy would just watch him while he prepared an attack.

That was where all of Shang's other powers came in.

Even though Shang's Sword Heart and Sword Blood were ridiculously powerful, Shang's True Domain of Entropy was also extremely powerful.

Shang could control whatever kind of Mana he destroyed with his Domain of Entropy, which meant that he could move his Sword Mana through his domain without reducing its power.

This gave Shang another layer of defense.

Lastly, with Void Break, Shang could still temporarily increase the defense and power of his body.

Sadly, there was one obvious problem.

Shang's powers were still separate.

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Sword Heart, Sword Mana, and Sword Blood all worked together to produce one thing.

Meanwhile, Shang's Void Break, World Connection, and his Domain of Entropy were all separate.

They did their own thing, which increased Shang's power, but they didn't have the sort of unity that Shang's three Sword Abilities had.

1

Shang had thought that his powers synergized with each other very well, but only when he experienced the synergy between his three Sword Abilities did he truly notice how disjointed his powers felt.

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But that was natural.

After all, Shang was blindly forging his own Path.

He had always comprehended whatever felt right to him.

Naturally, this had resulted in Shang's powers reaching unprecedented levels, but everything still felt very separate from each other.

Maybe one day, Shang could combine all his power into one and truly forge his own Path.

But for the moment, Shang was following the Path of a warrior with several additional powers that complemented Shang's main power.

After putting his sword away, Shang walked out of the Isolation Barrier under the shocked gaze of the dragon.

"I'm done," Shang transmitted to the Thunder King. "I don't need to fight beasts anymore."

A moment later, the Isolation Barrier vanished, but the Thunder King didn't say anything.

Naturally, the Thunder King was also deeply shocked by Shang's power, but none of this mattered to it.

the beasts would still be subjugated by them.

Shang left the Thunder King behind and traveled toward the edge Humans were the rulers of the world.

It didn't matter how powerful the most powerful human was. All the beasts would still be subjugated by them.

Shang left the Thunder King behind and traveled toward the edge of the island.

"I comprehended Sword Blood, and I'm ready to enter the next Realm," Shang told the Lightning Emperor with his pin.

"You did it?" the Lightning Emperor asked in shock.

"Yes," Shang answered.

The Lightning Emperor remained quiet for a couple of seconds as the implications of Shang's statement set in.

Would Shang reach a sevenfold Spirit Sense?

Would he get an eightfold Spirit Sense?

How powerful was Shang now?

The more the Lightning Emperor thought about the possibilities, the more excited he became.

"Great!" the Lightning Emperor said with some excitement. "I will watch over you while you break through! I don't want there to be any accidents."

Shang nodded. "Fine, but I still need to pay a short visit to the frontlines. This will be the last time I will fight the Ancestral Mages."

"Of course," the Lightning Emperor said.

A moment later, a portal brought Shang to the frontlines, and he killed a couple of Ancestral Mages.

The other Empires had become quite daring since Shang hadn't shown up in a couple of centuries.

Fortunately, nothing of note had happened during Shang's quick visit to the frontlines.

When there were no more Peak Ancestral Mages attacking the Lightning Manor, Shang was teleported to the far north of the Eternal Ocean by the Lightning Emperor.

The Lightning Emperor wasn't sure what would happen during Shang's breakthrough.

So, he had put Shang to the edge of his Spirit Sense, assuring that no other human could see him during his breakthrough.

And then, it was time.

913 Chapter 913- Breakthrough

Shang hovered above the Eternal Ocean in silence.

He was readying himself for his breakthrough.

He had been in the Void Break Realm for a very long time, and he almost felt like he would never leave this Realm.

But now, it was time.

As Shang gathered all of his Mana, he willed his existence to elevate and absorb as much Mana as possible.

Suddenly, it was like some kind of barrier broke, and Shang's Spirit Sense began to expand rapidly.

At the same time, the water below and the clouds above him got pulled to Shang as his body rapidly absorbed Neutral Mana.

After a couple of seconds, the clouds and the water had been pulled towards him, creating a whirlpool of dense grey mist around him.

BANG!

The friction of the clouds created powerful bolts of lightning, which attacked anything that came close.

It started relatively small, but as more and more time passed by, even more Mana was pulled towards Shang from further away.

Eventually, the Mana from 10,000 kilometers around him shot toward him rapidly, but that wasn't where the expansion stopped.

In an instant, Mana from the surrounding 100,000 kilometers shot toward him. One had to remember that the distance from which someone pulled Mana during a breakthrough wasn't the same as their eventual Spirit Sense.

During a breakthrough, the more powerful someone's Spirit Sense, the greater the attraction.

It was like gravity. Stronger gravity pulled heavier things from further away faster. BANG!

Suddenly, a Peak Ancestral Beast shot out of the water.

Such breakthroughs distracted beings, making it easier to ambush them. Additionally, all the dense Mana attracted the beasts.

The beast rapidly reached Shang, who didn't even seem like he had noticed.

Sssshhhh!

And then, the beast turned into dust before completely vanishing.

Shang kept his Domain of Entropy active during the breakthrough.

It was like the beast had just attacked an Abomination Lord. Naturally, that wasn't the smartest idea.

Over the next seconds, five more beasts shot at Shang, but they shared the same fate.

Funnily enough, their attack actually made it even easier for Shang to break through since their bodies were turned into Neutral Mana, which rapidly got absorbed by Shang.

Shang would even be able to break through if he only had a onefold Spirit Sense,thanks to these beasts.

By now, the Mana from 500,000 kilometers away was already shooting toward Shang. BANG!

The next moment, an Initial Beast Lord shot toward Shang. It was one of the weakest Beast Lords, and it wanted to become more powerful by hunting easy prey.

Normal Beast Lords didn't attack Ancestral Beasts during a breakthrough since they would only get very little Mana, and if the being were a human, they would be even less likely to attack.

Humans were very scary.

As the Initial Beast Lord reached Shang, its body rapidly dissolved.

Yet, its momentum still made it so that its jaws managed to clamp down on Shang's torso.

CRK!

And its teeth broke.

One had to remember that Shang always fought beings several levels above himself, and these beings had insane powers.

Shang's physical defense was actually so tough that the beast couldn't even injure him.

Even if Shang just stood there without his Domain of Entropy, the beast wouldn't be able to hurt him in any significant way.

Nevertheless, the beast turned into Neutral Mana.

That was the last attack Shang suffered.

For a normal person, this would have counted as a tribulation. After all, they were attacked by several beasts on their level and even a beast above their level while they were busy breaking through. This would be a true calamity for them, and they would need to fight for their survival.

But the same thing wasn't true for Shang.

The attack might as well not have happened.

Eventually, Shang even pulled in Mana from a million kilometers away.

The amount of Mana someone needed to ascend to the Seventh Realm was ridiculous, and it was common to absorb Mana from a million kilometers away.

A million kilometers seemed like a lot, but a sphere that had a radius of a million kilometers was only one eight-thousandth as big as a sphere with a radius of 20 million kilometers, which was around the size of the entire world, including the Eternal Ocean.

The world could probably accommodate another seven to eight thousand beings in the Seventh Realm, but it would only become harder and harder to break through due to the diminishing density of Mana.

But Shang didn't stop there.

His being had been elevated two times, and his being required even more Mana to break through than others.

So, even more Mana shot towards Shang.

Ancestral Mages needed to comprehend two level four Concepts to become Mage Lords since their Spirit Senses couldn't pull in enough Mana at the time.

However, since Shang's existence was multiple times more massive than normal Mages, that wasn't enough.

He needed an even bigger Spirit Sense to pull in enough Mana.

With one Transformation, Shang would have needed to comprehend enough to create a threefold Spirit Sense to break through.

And with two Transformations, Shang needed to comprehend enough to create a fourfold Spirit Sense to break through.

He had gained that momentum by comprehending Sword Mana, Sword Transformation, Sword Infusion, and lastly, the Concept of Temperatures, which he had comprehended thousands of years ago.

Four things equivalent to level four Concepts.

That would have been enough to break through.

Eventually, the area from which Shang was pulling Mana stopped expanding, and it settled on a radius of around three million kilometers.

By now, it had already reached the shores of Aterium, and a couple of people noticed that a lot of Mana was being pulled toward the north.

However, they didn't think any of it.

Beasts broke through all the time, and they also needed a ridiculous amount of Mana.

Additionally, it was impossible to tell just how much Mana was shooting toward Shang for these people since even just a million kilometers was far more than they could see with their Spirit Senses.

A couple of seconds later, the Mana calmed down and stopped rapidly shooting toward Shang's location.

The thundering cloud of lightning dispersed, and the Eternal Ocean returned to its usual calm.

The density of the world's Mana had dropped noticeably.

In fact, it had dropped by nearly an entire percent, which showed just how much Mana Shang had absorbed.

But it had been enough.

Shang had done it.

He had reached the Seventh Realm!

 

Chapter 914 914 - Sword Lord

The clouds dispersed, and Shang emerged.

He appeared unchanged, but his Aura had become more radiant and heavier.

If anyone could sense his Aura, they would find all other Auras pale in comparison, as its intensity surpassed their perception of reality.

Shang slowly raised his hand and clenched it.

To his surprise, it was rather unremarkable. Having already reached this level of power using Void Break, it had become his new normal.

Not much had changed for Shang. He simply felt that the world had become clearer, and his body had grown stronger.

The true disparity in power between Realms didn't lie within the Realms themselves, but in the comprehension required to reach them.

After attaining the Seventh Realm, Shang's first action was to check his Spirit Sense.

"60,000 kilometers. Sixfold," Shang thought, somewhat astonished.

Upon further reflection, it made sense.

Obtaining an additional level in Spirit Sense demanded exponentially more comprehension and momentum. The first four levels were relatively straightforward, requiring the understanding of concepts to double its capacity.

However, progressing from the fivefold Spirit Sense became significantly more challenging.

At that point, one had to grasp concepts beyond their current level. It was akin to reaching greater heights rather than greater distances, attainable only through concepts surpassing their current abilities.

While it was theoretically possible to achieve such heights through sheer momentum, it was exceedingly difficult.

Reaching a fourfold Spirit Sense felt two-dimensional, while a fivefold Spirit Sense felt three-dimensional.

The journey from the first four levels to the fifth level was distinct and required a different approach.

The same held true for the gap between the fivefold and sixfold levels.

Acquiring an additional level in Spirit Sense necessitated consuming momentum that propelled one's starting position higher. It was akin to taking two leaps instead of one, as a single jump fell short.

And a sevenfold Spirit Sense was even more extraordinary.

1, 2, 4.

4, 2, 1.

This sequence of numbers seemed to align with how Spirit Sense operated.

The first category had four levels, each requiring an effort of one.

The second category had two levels, each requiring an effort of two.

The third category had one level, requiring an effort of four.

While Shang had elevated his being once more, it was insufficient to reach a sevenfold Spirit Sense. He needed to elevate every aspect of his existence by an entire level.

Void Break had raised his physical power by a whole level but had not increased his mind or Affinities.

The Transformation concept had elevated his mind and Affinities, but only by 50%.

Considering that having an Affinity meant having 100% alignment with something, Shang's Affinities had only increased by about 50%.

Furthermore, his mental power had doubled instead of quadrupled, which signified a one-level difference.

"To attain a sevenfold Spirit Sense, I likely need to elevate everything by an entire level," Shang pondered. "And it's possible that a sevenfold Spirit Sense is the maximum achievable level."

"I still possess a sixfold Spirit Sense, despite being far more powerful than when I reached the Void Break Realm," he contemplated. "What about King Sanctified Death?"

"He obtained a sixfold Spirit Sense upon becoming a Mage Lord, and nobody knows what happened when he became a Mage King!"

"If he managed to undergo a Transformation in the Ancestral Mage Realm, it's highly probable he underwent another in the Mage Lord Realm."

"Although he would still possess a sixfold Spirit Sense, it would differ significantly from his previous one."

"As a Mage King, he likely attained Affinities in all aspects and his mind grew even stronger."

"Thus, King Sanctified Death probably possesses the mental power of a Mage Emperor and Affinity for everything."

"Every Mage Emperor has already comprehended the level six Concept of their Affinity as Peak Mage Kings. It wouldn't be far-fetched to assume the same for King Sanctified Death."

If anyone were privy to Shang's thoughts, comprehending the extent of his analysis would prove challenging.

"King Sanctified Death might possess knowledge of every existing Concept."

Shang needed time to come to terms with this notion.

Lucius had a sixfold Spirit Sense.

King Sanctified Death had a sixfold Spirit Sense.

So, was Lucius as powerful as King Sanctified Death?

Only after grasping the vastness of the sixfold Spirit Sense did Shang realize the significant disparity between the two.

Lucius may be the Child of Calamity, but Shang was certain that King Sanctified Death would emerge victorious in a battle.

Mastery over every Affinity.

Mastery over the world.

Mastery over reality.

"King Sanctified Death might possess the power to defeat one of the living Mage Emperors."

Following his breakthrough, Shang finally comprehended the immense power of a sixfold Spirit Sense.

"I have underestimated King Sanctified Death!"

"If we were on the same level, he might defeat me in a battle without me resorting to Entropy."

Shang took a deep breath, refocusing on his immediate breakthrough.

"First, I should name this Realm."

"The level five Concept and Sword Blood both have their places in two Paths. One for Mage Kings and the other for Warrior Kings."

"My Path doesn't precisely align with either, and I am not yet a King."

"Sword Lord seems appropriate."

The Sword Lord Realm.

The name wasn't particularly unique, but it reflected the distinctive identity of Shang's Path.

With the name decided, Shang delved into his memories, ready for the next question and its answer, as always.

 

 

Chapter 915 915 - The Spacetime Beast

Shang once again returned to the palace, which was adorned in black and red colors.

Although these events had already taken place and Shang had merely unlocked a new memory, it felt as if he were encountering the God once more, much to his displeasure.

The Shang of the past, who was blonde and overweight, was not someone Shang wanted to see.

As always, the God wore an arrogant smirk while observing the young Shang.

Fortunately, this time, the young Shang knew exactly which question to ask.

He repeated the God's words, asking, "How can I acquire enough Mana to reach the Eighth Realm without assistance from the Empires and without attracting immediate attention?"

At the time of asking this question, Shang had no knowledge of Aterium, and most of the concepts mentioned were unfamiliar to him.

Mana?

Eighth Realm?

Empires?

And what did all of this have to do with being noticed or not?

The question was remarkably specific.

The God chuckled slightly and responded, "What an excellent question," indirectly praising himself.

"You know, you're actually fortunate to have asked this question at this moment. Although you may not realize it, this is likely one of the most pivotal moments for you in the future, if you manage to get there."

"Although I doubt you will ever reach the Seventh Realm. That would be quite extraordinary."

"Nevertheless, I will answer your question."

"The Spacetime Beast," declared the God.

The young Shang blinked a few times. "The Spacetime Beast?"

"The world I inhabit is actually flat, contained within a spherical barrier," explained the God. "Imagine living inside a ball where the lower half is filled with ground and the upper half with air."

"There are both lowest and highest points."

Many years ago, a Beast King with an affinity for Space and Time ventured to the world's edge and discovered the barrier. Naturally, the barrier exhibited potent spatial and temporal forces, and the Spacetime Beast clung to it, much like a fly on a wall.

Eventually, it began to ascend the wall until it reached the highest point.

To this day, the beast remains suspended there, concealed from everyone's knowledge. It is simply too distant from humanity, and not even the Emperors are aware of its presence.

Then, the God burst into laughter.

"But what the Spacetime Beast didn't know was that near the world's edge, the distortion of space and time is incomparable. The passage of time there is a thousand times slower than in the real world."

"This means that barely a thousand years have passed for it, which is relatively short for beings at the eighth level."

"After all this time, it remains in the Early Beast King Realm. If you manage to reach the Peak of the Seventh Realm, you might stand a chance against it."

"Fly upward and search for it, but be aware that it excels at concealing itself using its spatial abilities. You must search meticulously."

The God's smirk widened. "However, even if you succeed in killing it and reaching the Eighth Realm, you will essentially become an infamous criminal. I wonder what you will do then."

"It's a shame I'll probably never witness that. Well, you win some, you lose some."

And that marked the end of the memory.

'A hidden Beast King,' Shang pondered.

The existence of a hidden Beast King seemed nearly impossible. After all, the Emperors had reigned over the world for an extensive period, and their Spirit Senses collectively covered everything except the Eternal Ocean.

Moreover, the emergence of a new Beast King would be felt due to the significant decline in Mana that the world would experience, a change that would quickly catch everyone's attention.

Lastly, Beast Kings could only live for 100,000 years, and since the Mage Emperors had ruled for over 300,000 years, any hidden Beast King would have perished long ago from old age.

Yet, against all odds, there was one, and the reason was that the Spacetime Beast existed within severely distorted spacetime, drastically slowing the passage of time.

Against all odds, a hidden Beast King truly existed.

'If all else fails, I can kill the Beast King,' Shang contemplated. 'However, winning the tournament is still a far better option. If I slay and consume the Beast King, all the other Emperors would seek to kill me. Only the Lightning Emperor would support me.'

'At least now, I'm not entirely dependent on the Empires, thanks to the existence of the Beast King.'

After further contemplation, Shang's mind returned to the real world.

"I'm finished," Shang declared.

In the next moment, a portal opened before him, and he stepped through.

The Lightning Emperor had promised to oversee Shang's breakthrough.

Shang entered the library and took a seat at the table.

The Lightning Emperor regarded Shang with furrowed brows.

"I had my doubts, but now everything makes sense," the Lightning Emperor said, sounding slightly concerned.

Shang wasn't entirely sure what the Lightning Emperor meant.

"When you reached the Sixth Realm, and I heard about your sixfold Spirit Sense, I was puzzled," the Lightning Emperor explained. "Although your Aura was undoubtedly clearer than that of anyone with a fivefold Spirit Sense, it still felt somewhat different compared to that child's Aura."

"Your Aura seemed to lack a particular color, as if something was missing when compared to him."

"Now, I understand why," the Lightning Emperor sighed. "Your Aura now matches that child's Aura."

"It appears that despite my high estimation of that child, I still underestimated him."

The Lightning Emperor fell silent for a moment, looking off to the side.

"I feel like I narrowly avoided a disaster by not killing you."

 

 

Chapter 916 916 - Life And Death

The Lightning Emperor's words affirmed Shang's suspicions.

It turned out that King Sanctified Death had also undergone two Transformations, just like Shang had speculated. Furthermore, he had a significant advantage of over 25,000 years compared to Shang.

Curiosity got the better of Shang, and he inquired, "Do you think he has mastered all level six Concepts?"

The Lightning Emperor appeared shocked at the question and pondered, scratching his chin. Initially, it seemed impossible, but considering King Sanctified Death's exceptional talent, strong mindset, and extraordinary Affinities, it wasn't entirely out of the realm of possibility.

The Lightning Emperor responded, "Not yet. He's only about 40,000 years old. While he's undoubtedly the most formidable individual I've ever encountered, I don't believe even he can grasp all Concepts so quickly."

"Perhaps in another 20,000 years or so, I can envision him comprehending all the Concepts. But as of now, it's unlikely."

A sense of relief washed over the Lightning Emperor as he contemplated the situation. He realized that the encounter with Kali and Adam might have yielded even better results than expected.

"If that young one manages to grasp all the level six Concepts soon, he might take drastic action and challenge one of us, most likely me. This would make him a Mage Emperor in about 20,000 years from now."

"However, with the whole tournament and Adam's demise, he has no reason to take such a risk. He will simply bide his time until the tournament and become a Mage Emperor without any danger."

The Lightning Emperor pondered the power of King Sanctified Death and felt uncertain about it.

Suddenly, Shang expressed his desire to know something. He looked at the Lightning Emperor and asked, "What is King Sanctified Death's goal? What does he aim to achieve?"

Shang understood that King Sanctified Death was similar to him in some ways but wasn't sure if they shared the same objectives.

"It's difficult to ascertain," the Lightning Emperor replied. "That young one never reveals the truth and keeps everything about himself shrouded in secrecy. I can't even grasp his true personality."

"However, his contradictory existence poses a threat to the entire world."

"In case you weren't aware, he is the sole offspring of the Emperor of Life and the Empress of Death. Logically speaking, he shouldn't even exist. Life and death are diametrically opposed, as opposite as can be. How could someone embody both?"

"To do so, they would need to possess extreme empathy and apathy simultaneously. They would desire to kill and create, to love and hate."

"And yet, he exists, and furthermore, his existence nullifies the suppressive nature that life and death exert on each other."

Shang wasn't entirely clear about the Lightning Emperor's statement and sought clarification, asking, "What do you mean by that?"

With a sigh, the Lightning Emperor responded, "I'm uncertain about his goal, but I can speculate. It aligns with what Adam and Kali desired."

"When I mentioned that he could learn all level six Concepts, I made a general statement. What I meant was that he would learn all level six Concepts that can be learned," the Lightning Emperor clarified.

"Concepts that can be learned?" Shang repeated. "Does that mean there are level six Concepts that cannot be comprehended?"

The Lightning Emperor nodded. "The level five Concept of Death is known as the Concept of Exodus. It pertains to genocide. One can only comprehend it by causing the death of a vast number of people and immersing oneself in Death Mana."

"When Death Mana becomes sufficiently dense, it undergoes a qualitative transformation, becoming even more extreme and powerful. Kali mentioned feeling as if she was being pulled into the afterlife by ghosts."

Shang recalled a similar sensation when the Judgment Palace attempted to kill him by creating a Pit of Death.

"In contrast, the level five Concept of Life is known as the Concept of Birth, signifying the creation of an entirely new species."

Shang's intuition kicked in, and he had a reasonable guess regarding the nature of the level six Concepts.

"The Concepts related to the Death Affinity follow a straightforward trajectory. They progress from life to death until the level four Concept, after which they broaden in scope. The level four Concept represents a single death, while the level five Concept represents countless millions of deaths," the Lightning Emperor explained.

"No one has ever managed to grasp the level six Concept of Death, not even Kali. The reasons are apparent."

Shang nodded in understanding. "If someone did, we wouldn't be alive right now."

The Lightning Emperor also nodded. "We Emperors are fairly certain that the level six Concept of Death represents the end of life for an entire world. Every human, beast, plant, and everything else would perish, leaving behind a world saturated with Death Mana, devoid of Life Mana."

"Without the presence of Life Mana, the Death Mana would continue to expand until it encompasses everything. We believe that this is the moment when someone can comprehend the level six Concept of Death."

"Similarly, the level six Concept of Life would involve the transformation of a lifeless world into a thriving one. Since our world isn't dead, we cannot comprehend this Concept."

"Furthermore, if Kali were to attempt to comprehend the level six Concept of Death, she would need to kill Adam, rendering him unable to comprehend the level six Concept of Life since he would be deceased."

"And given that the level six Concept of Life necessitates the absence of death, it is likely that Adam would need to kill Kali, representing death itself."

"Of course, none of us desire for Kali to bring about the destruction of the entire world, and I don't believe she wants that either. Although she may appear emotionless, she is still alive, and apart from the birth of that child, she has shown no signs of creative power. She understands that a dead world would mean her own demise."

At this point, the Lightning Emperor furrowed his brow, indicating a concern.

"But the child is different. He embodies both life and death, representing them both."

"He can annihilate all life in the world, comprehend the level six Concept of Death, and subsequently create an entirely new world by grasping the level six Concept of Life."

"Like I said, I'm uncertain about his goal or his personality, but I can envision that this is what he desires."

 

Chapter 917 917 - Changing War

Shang could easily envision someone like King Sanctified Death resorting to extreme measures in order to comprehend two Concepts. In fact, Shang himself contemplated doing the same. His desire for supreme power made him open to understanding something as profound as the level six Concept of Death. However, he faced four significant challenges.

Firstly, Shang recognized the importance of having life around him.

While power remained his top priority, surrounding himself solely with death would be akin to being trapped within the Reality Tear once again.

It would render everything devoid of value, eventually leading to monotony.

Secondly, Shang lacked a Life Affinity, and it was unlikely that he would ever possess one. Although his affinity for Life may have reached a high level, it was insufficient.

Both Life and Death Affinities required compatible mindsets. Without a mindset attuned to the Death Affinity, prolonged exposure to Death Mana would quickly drive someone to self-destruction. The Life Affinity likely presented similar challenges, and Shang simply did not possess the suitable mindset.

This meant that once Shang annihilated the world, it would never return.

The third issue surprised Shang. He experienced a genuine sense of guilt when contemplating the destruction of an entire world. While Shang was willing to go to any lengths for power, he found himself uncomfortable with extinguishing all life within a world.

The notion of transforming Aterium into a realm of eternal silence and stillness did not sit well with him.

Lastly, Shang realized that he did not actually need the level six Concept of Death.

The Entropy Affinity appeared to be an even more potent and extreme form of death. Death signified the cessation of life, whereas Entropy encompassed the end of existence itself, including matter, movement, energy, space, and time.

It was conceivable that a theoretical level seven Concept of Death would simply be Entropy. Therefore, why fixate on the level six Concept of Death when Shang could focus on something superior instead?

Considering the circumstances, Shang posed a question to clarify his understanding. "So, you believe he intends to annihilate the entire world?" he asked.

The Lightning Emperor nodded. "As I mentioned, I'm not entirely certain, but it seems plausible."

"And the other Emperors are okay with that?" Shang inquired.

"Shang, for the Mage Emperors, the truth of the world and existence itself is unwavering. Life exists because the world desires its existence. If the world did not want it, life would not exist."

"So, even if that child threatens all of creation, they are certain he will not succeed. Perhaps this is merely a trial for the world's inhabitants."

Shang understood that the other Emperors held this belief, but he himself did not share it.

He recognized that the true will of the world lay with the deranged God. However, the entire Abomination phenomenon seemed to contradict that notion. Did the God truly control the Abominations or not?

The Lightning Emperor and Shang engaged in further conversation on various topics before the Lightning Emperor employed a potent spell to conceal Shang's intense aura.

At that moment, Shang's aura matched that of King Sanctified Death, and if others sensed his true aura, they would likely surmise that Shang was the person the Lightning Manor sought to foster.

The Lightning Emperor also informed Shang that he only needed a few more years before the war would enter its next phase. In the meantime, Shang should focus on assisting the frontlines.

In recent years, the frontlines faced immense pressure as the Land and Sky Empire had managed to break the contract.

Fortunately, Kali had not yet violated her contract.

At present, the Land and Sky Empire and Judgment Palace had openly formed an alliance. The Land and Sky Empire had ceded a significant amount of land near the frontlines to the Judgment Palace, allowing them to unite with their Archmages and High Mages.

This intensified the pressure on the Lightning Manor.

Fortunately, the Judgment Palace was still engaged in combat with the Tower of Climate, which prevented them from fully concentrating their efforts on the Lightning Manor. Although the Tower of Climate did not exert excessive pressure on the Judgment Palace, the constant and unyielding pressure persisted.

Surprisingly, other events unfolded in the world, but they were unrelated to the Lightning Manor.

The Event Horizon Empire in the south waged war against the Sungod Mountain Empire in the southeast. Their motivations were rather simple-they were bored and desired conflict.

Linastra Boomwitch, driven by boredom, randomly attacked Isis Neweston's Empire.

Viewing this as a challenge, Isis Neweston retaliated in kind. There was minimal communication before or during the war.

Both parties agreed that a bit of warfare would help their mages grow stronger.

Currently, only two empires remained uninvolved in conflicts. The Darkcold Fortress in the northeast and the Deepsteel Pearl in the southwest.

The empresses of these empires possessed similar personalities but harbored animosity toward each other, which was why they resided at opposite ends of Aterium. Both were reticent and preferred minimal interaction with others, resulting in their isolation.

It was unlikely that they would join the war.

At present, the southeastern region of the Lightning Manor faced minimal pressure. The Judgment Palace had suffered substantial losses among their Ancestral Mages and needed to defend themselves against the Tower of Climate with a significant number of Ancestral Mages.

Consequently, the Judgment Palace largely disregarded the southeastern portion of the Lightning Manor and focused their attacks on the Archmage Zone west of the southeastern Ancestral Mage Zone.

The Land and Sky Empire had allocated a thin line of territories in the north, spanning nearly a million kilometers, to the Judgment Palace.

Naturally, such a slender line was vulnerable and could be easily severed by a single mage from the Lightning Manor, rendering the remaining territories defenseless.

However, the Land and Sky Empire still maintained control over these zones, transforming them into regions for Mage Lords. The Judgment Palace possessed an abundance of powerful Mage Lords, with over 2,000 permanently stationed in the ten territories along the line.

Additionally, an army of Archmages advanced through this line, heading straight for the Lightning Manor.

By now, the entire northern front of the Land and Sky Empire had become Mage Lord domains.

Mage Lords had become the pivotal force, and the message from the Land and Sky Empire to the Lightning Manor was clear: "If you wish to attack us, you must sacrifice numerous Mage Lords!"

 

Chapter 918 918 - Abomination Lord

Shang once again traveled to the southeast of the Empire, but this time it wasn't for defensive purposes.

Just before his arrival, Shang took out his Transmission Medal and announced his current strength, suggesting that he would target weaker Mid Mage Lords or Early Mage Lord Clouds to conceal his identity.

The Starlight Queen expressed her gratitude for Shang's decision to help once more, albeit after a couple of centuries. However, Shang brushed it off, stating that he would return in a century. He ended the communication and proceeded northward.

Although the Transmission Medal began to ring again, Shang ignored it and entered his Isolation Barrier to refine his techniques, particularly Sword Blood.

Having recently grasped Sword Blood, he needed to seamlessly incorporate it into his Battle Style. During his seclusion, Shang also summoned several Abomination Lords, aiming to prevent the rapid emergence of Abomination Lords after his advancement to the next Realm.

Normally, it took some time for more powerful Abominations to appear after Shang reached the next Realm. By keeping some of them within his Isolation Chamber at all times, he replicated the effect of the Lightning Manor's massive black pylons.

When Shang encountered his first Abomination Lord, he was taken aback.

It possessed raptor legs with black scales, a formidable tail, six muscular arms, and a broad back.

However, unlike the previous Abominations, it lacked tentacles on its body, with only a few emerging from its face. In the past, Abominations didn't resemble beasts and were rather monstrous.

Shang wondered how Abomination Kings would look if the trend continued, speculating that they might resemble aggressive and powerful black lizards, essentially beasts.

The progression seemed contrary to the expectation that Abominations would become more abstract as they grew stronger.

Curiosity aside, Shang refocused his attention on important matters. The Abomination Lords grew angry inside the Isolation Chamber, but Shang prevented them from attacking.

Although his Isolation Chamber, composed of Seventh Rank materials, theoretically had the strength to withstand Abominations in the Seventh Realm, Shang didn't want to take any chances.

·ƈθm There were different levels even within Seventh Rank materials, and if the Entropy Ore of his chamber was only at the Initial Seventh Rank, it could pose problems.

Fortunately, as the Child of Calamity, Shang could control all the Abominations, and they ceased their attack, standing motionless.

To avoid arousing suspicion, Shang had closed the door to the Isolation Chamber.

It would be strange if Amarius or the Lightning Emperor peered into the Isolation Barrier and saw a few Abomination Lords standing behind Shang.

Over the next century, Shang integrated Sword Blood into his fighting style and devised a plan for his advancement.

He planned to comprehend several non-essential Destinations for Warrior Kings, ensuring he had enough momentum to break into the Sword King Realm to secure his survival beyond his current lifespan.

He would then focus on comprehending the essential Destination for Warrior Emperors without consuming the momentum, reserving it for later use.

Once he achieved that, Shang would concentrate on comprehending the level six Concept of Entropy, possibly referring to Entropy itself.

Consuming this level six Concept's momentum would boost his mind and Affinities, elevating him to the same level as King Sanctified Death.

At this point, everything about Shang would be a level above his peers, allowing him to possess a sevenfold Spirit Sense.

Subsequently, Shang would employ the momentum from the non-essential Destinations and the essential Destination for Warrior Emperors to break through further.

He was confident that this path would lead him to a sevenfold Spirit Sense.

After approximately a century, Shang emerged from his Isolation Barrier. He consumed the Abomination Lords, noting that he could do so much faster than before, likely due to the Concept of Transformation.

This concept enabled him to consume a greater number of Abominations within a short period.

Typically, it took around 500 years for Mage Lords to advance a level, assuming they focused solely on that aspect. Most Mage Lords advanced one level every 1,000 years due to other engagements, although it was possible to progress faster at the expense of power.

However, Shang was confident he could achieve a breakthrough within 500 years.

Nevertheless, Shang's requirement of 500 years differed significantly from other Mage Lords.

After all, Shang needed several times more Mana than regular mages. Therefore, if he continued absorbing Abomination Lords, he would reach the Peak Sword Lord Realm in approximately 2,000 years, leaving him with 18,000 years of longevity.

Once he formulated his plan, Shang left the Isolation Barrier and headed to the frontlines.

According to the Lightning Emperor's information, the contract should have been terminated by now, meaning that Mage Lords would be the ones engaged in the war.

 

 

Chapter 919 919 - Defender Flags

As Shang journeyed southeast, he once again reached out to the Starlight Queen. "I'm prepared to join the frontlines."

There was a brief pause before the Starlight Queen responded. "Alright. Please proceed to this location," she said politely, providing the coordinates of her operational base.

"Sure," Shang replied before ending the call. Little did he know, the Starlight Queen had voiced her frustrations to the Custodian following their previous conversation.

She had vented her anger, expressing how unacceptable it was for a member of the Lightning Manor to endanger the entire clan over a personal grudge.

In her opinion, personal matters should be kept separate from business affairs. It infuriated her that someone like Shang held a high position in the Lightning Manor despite his lack of respect for others.

The Custodian, in a rather straightforward manner, acknowledged that they were well aware of this fact. Everyone knew it. However, they were at a loss regarding what to do about it.

Should they eliminate him? But then they would meet the same fate. Should they forcefully restrain him? The outcome would be no different.

Annoyed, the Custodian even asked the Starlight Queen what she proposed they do in this situation. If she had a better plan or idea, she was welcome to share it. Unfortunately, she had no better solution, which only added to her frustration.

It felt incredibly unfair to her. Shang showed no respect to anyone, yet they were expected to treat him with respect?

She despised the situation, but there was nothing she could do about it. In the end, the Custodian advised her to treat Shang with genuine politeness. After all, they didn't engage in frequent conversations. Asking for a few civil sentences every century was not too much to ask for.

As Shang neared the base of operations, the Starlight Queen explained her plan to him. They would target the one-star flag of the Mage Lords belonging to the Judgment Palace. This flag was situated near the beginning of the long line extending westward.

Naturally, the Judgment Palace was aware that Shang might one day attempt to destroy their Defender Flag, but they were willing to take that risk. At least, they would make some use of the flag before its demise.

With his sword at the ready, Shang awaited the moment.

After a few seconds, a portal materialized, and Shang swiftly passed through it.

In an instant, he infiltrated the Defender Flag.

The Mage Kings noticed his arrival but could only sigh. They had equipped the defender with a vast array of one-time-use spells, theoretically making him nearly invincible in the same realm. Yet, they had learned from experience that their attempts to stop Shang were likely to fail.

Each time he made a move, they suffered losses.

Inside the barrier, Shang positioned himself about 60,000 kilometers away. Uncertain of the extent of his opponent's spiritual perception, Shang drew back his sword, preparing to strike.

WHOOOM!

A black cloud of Sword Death Mana surged forth from Shang, hurtling towards his adversary.

At a distance of 40,000 kilometers, the opponent noticed the cloud and swiftly unleashed several spells in response.

As the spells soared towards the black cloud, it deftly evaded most of them, but a few still managed to land.

BANG!

However, Shang used his World Connection ability to sever the spells that would have struck the cloud, effectively nullifying them.

The Mage gazed in shock at the approaching black cloud.

BANG!

Then, a slash slashed through his mana shield, depleting around 40% of his mana reserves.

The Mage Lord's face turned pale, and he evaded to the side using two Mana Steps. BANG!

Another strike caused the Mage to lose even more mana.I think you should take a look at

The Mage Lord retreated once again, employing Mana Steps to distance himself.

BANG!

And then, the mana shield shattered.

By this point, the black cloud had darted into the distance, returning to Shang.

Shang didn't necessarily rely on Sword Blood to defeat his enemy; it served primarily as a diversion, forcing his opponent to concentrate on the cloud rather than on him. By making the enemy believe that Shang was concealed within the black cloud, he could keep his opponent within his spiritual perception.

He didn't even need to employ his Domain of Entropy to deal with the cache of spells the Mage Lord had prepared; using World Connection alone sufficed.

Sword Blood re-entered Shang's body, and he waited.

Moments later, the barrier dissipated.

The Mage Kings were not surprised by Shang's victory, but it was nonetheless frustrating.

A portal materialized in front of Shang, and he vanished.

The Mage Kings expected Shang to launch assaults on the three other battlefields between the Initial Mage Lords, but to their surprise, he didn't appear near any of them.

There was a brief silence, lasting approximately three seconds.

"He just attacked our two-star flag!" exclaimed a Mage King from the Twilight Dusk Empire.

A two-star flag? Attacking a one-star flag was one thing, but two-star flags were a different story altogether.

Facing an infinite number of spells from someone of the same level was distinct from facing an infinite number of spells from someone above one's level.

True, Shang had accomplished this once before, but the Empires had become more adept at covertly enhancing their defenders' power.

Upon hearing that Shang was assaulting a two-star Defender Flag, the Mage King from the Judgment Palace decided to retrieve her flag as well.

WHOOOM!

However, Shang swiftly infiltrated the flag before the responsible Mage Lord could retrieve it.

The Mage King's eyes widened in shock.

What? So quickly?!

But the Mage King from the Twilight Dusk Family had just notified her!

He had already emerged victorious?!

In that moment, the Mage King grasped the magnitude of the problem.

Shang had already destroyed one of the Twilight Dusk Family's Defender Flags several centuries ago, and now he had annihilated another three flags.

The three Empires possessed a total of 15 Defender Flags in the Mage Lord Realm. They had lost one in the general war, and Shang had obliterated four more.

This meant that they now had only ten Defender Flags remaining!

 

 

Chapter 920 920 - Judgment Palace In Trouble

After obliterating the second two-star Defender Flag, Shang strategically placed an attack flag, causing hesitation among potential attackers.

The Judgment Palace foresaw the upcoming challenges as they couldn't ensure the integrity of their long defense line.

The longer the line was disconnected from the Judgment Palace, the harder it became to deploy new Archmages.

If the Empress of Death had terminated her contract, the Judgment Palace could have traveled freely through the Land and Sky Empire.

Unfortunately, that was merely a possibility at the moment. Acting swiftly, the Mage King from the Judgment Palace deployed several attack flags in the north of the Land and Sky Empire within minutes.

While the Land and Sky Empire wasn't pleased with this development, they recognized the need to widen their defense line by at least three territories.

This strategy allowed the Judgment Palace to have one territory attacked by Shang, one territory attacked by themselves after Shang's conquest, and one territory left unscathed, providing a pathway for their forces.

However, due to the territorial allocation for Mage Lords, each territory was a massive 100,000 kilometers wide.

Given Shang's ability to attack any part of the line, the entire defense had to be three territories thick.

Consequently, the Land and Sky Empire sacrificed a significant portion of their empire, one million kilometers long and 300,000 kilometers wide, to fortify the Judgment Palace's line.

After the disappearance of Shang's attack flag, he noticed numerous impending attack flags around him, but he refrained from getting involved since they didn't directly concern the Lightning Manor.

The Starlight Queen informed Shang about the developments, to which he nodded in understanding.

Eventually, all the attack flags manifested, creating a formidable and expansive line for the Judgment Palace.

Shang proceeded to attack the territory south of his current location, resulting in the immediate appearance of a Defender Flag on the recently conquered territory.

The Lightning Manor also had Defender Flags in place, as both the Judgment Palace and the Land and Sky Empire had prepared for such scenarios.

Another attack flag emerged south of the Defender Flag, making this particular spot four territories wide. This allowed the Judgment Palace to continue their offensive, forcing the Lightning Manor to allocate their Defender Flag there, thus creating vulnerabilities in their defense elsewhere.

Both enemy empires took notice of this strategy and expressed concern.

If the Lightning Manor continued this approach, the defense line would reach a thickness of 400,000 kilometers.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem as the Land and Sky Empire could simply reconquer the territories Shang had attacked before he moved elsewhere.

However, a critical issue arose. The Empress of Death had yet to sever her contract, resulting in staunch defense from the Judgment Palace even against the Land and Sky Empire.

Therefore, attacking these territories would require the Land and Sky Empire to eliminate Mage Lords with threefold or fourfold Spirit Senses, significantly weakening the Judgment Palace.

If this situation persisted for several years, both the Land and Sky Empire and the Judgment Palace would lose a substantial number of their powerful Mage Lords.

Consequently, the Land and Sky Empire couldn't reclaim their territories for the time being.

The situation worsened when the Lightning Manor employed two Defender Flags simultaneously, compelling the Judgment Palace to further expand the line.

Within a day, the line extended to a length of one million kilometers and a width of 500,000 kilometers.I think you should take a look at

The Lightning Manor even went as far as using three Defender Flags at once, but this strained their defenses in other areas.

As a result, the line grew to a staggering one million kilometers long and 600,000 kilometers wide, no longer resembling a mere line.

At this point, the territories ceased to shift rapidly, leading to a period of stability.

Shang persisted in attacking one territory after another along the line.

The Judgment Palace would inevitably retake the recently conquered territories, which was precisely what Shang desired.

The rules of the war favored defense over offense, allowing the defender nearly an hour to select the appropriate unit for defense after the attacker revealed their unit.

While Shang was exempt from this vulnerability due to his status as the most powerful being at the Initial Seventh Realm, the enemy was not.

Whenever the Judgment Palace needed to reclaim a territory, the Lightning Manor could observe the attacker and deploy someone with an advantage against them.

Although this tactic didn't guarantee a flawless victory, it significantly increased the Lightning Manor's success rate to around 70%. Essentially, the Lightning Manor traded one of their Mage Lords for three Mage Lords from the Judgment Palace.

This pattern continued for ten years.

During this time, the Judgment Palace likely lost over a thousand Mage Lords, roughly 10% of their total count.

Naturally, the Lightning Manor also suffered significant losses among their Mage Lords. Both sides were sacrificing their Mage Lords in this brutal conflict, but the Lightning Manor deemed it a worthwhile sacrifice.

After the ten-year period elapsed, two monumental changes occurred in the war.

Firstly, it was time to reallocate the Zones, and with the Lightning Emperor no longer bound by the contract, he could employ various strategies.

One such tactic was transforming the Zone used by the Judgment Palace for attacks into one for Ancestral Mages, which was contrary to the Judgment Palace's desires.

Although the Judgment Palace already had access to attacking a Zone for Ancestral Mages, they had lost many of those due to Shang's actions. Furthermore, their numbers of Ancestral Mages hadn't recovered since they lost a few Archmages approximately three millennia ago when they attempted to drown Shang in Death Mana.

Thus, they found themselves in a predicament, rendering the line useless.

There were only two ways to resolve this predicament: either continue the war solely with Ancestral Mages or extend the line further westward.

However, the latter option would further isolate the Land and Sky Empire.

It should be noted that while the Judgment Palace disapproved of attacking Zones for Ancestral Mages, the Land and Sky Empire didn't face such reservations.

Consequently, although the Zones for Ancestral Mages could be attacked by the Ancestral Mages from the Land and Sky Empire, the expansive line created by the Judgment Palace prevented such attacks.

If the Judgment Palace extended the line by another 500,000 kilometers to the west, it would leave the Land and Sky Empire with even less space to launch their offensive, simultaneously alleviating pressure on the Lightning Manor.

Furthermore, there was a looming question: What if this pattern continued? What if, after a hundred years, the Lightning Manor further extended the Ancestral Mage Zone? Would it eventually lead to the Judgment Palace cutting off the Land and Sky Empire from the entire war?

However, even more significant than these events was another occurrence that unfolded almost simultaneously - three Mage Kings perished.