The entire world seed to blur around as I tore through the skies, my speed unparalleled. The wind whipped against my face, though I barely felt it. My current body was incredible, and even more so considering this was Shen Mo—who was rely at the peak of the Void Stage, on the cusp of breaking into the Void Shattering Stage any second now.
The sheer velocity at which I moved left everything else in my wake, transforming the world into a streak of colors. My senses were heightened, alert to every detail despite the breakneck speed. I could feel the air pressure change with each ter I covered, the pull of gravity trying—and failing—to slow down.
This wasn't even the stronger version of myself. My true body, if it could be unleashed here, would turn this race into a thunderous storm. But I couldn't afford to think about that now. My focus was singular: I needed to reach the White Sect and free the Wisest Sun. Without him, there was no hope of breaking the barriers that were suffocating the other Suns, trapping them like caged beasts.
The entire situation was teetering on the edge of disaster, and every second that passed brought us closer to an irreversible fate.
Above , the sky was stained with the blue blood of the countless creatures that the Darkest Sun's army was slaughtering. The heavens wept a rain of blood as beasts fell like rain, their lifeless bodies crashing into the ground far below. But the chaos above didn't matter—what mattered was freeing the Wisest Sun. I had no ti to dwell on the why's and how's of this catastrophe.
Why had the Death Sun betrayed his own kind? What could possibly drive him to such madness, to risk the ruin of everything? My mind raced with questions, but there were no answers, only the driving need to act.
Nothing I could think of would help understand what he was planning. The sa went for the Cryptic Sun—his inferiority complex had driven him to madness, pushing him to risk everything, including his own comfortable position as a Sun. The sheer insanity of their actions baffled . Nothing would co from this but the devastation of the Beyond.
The Suns in my territory could likely break free from the barrier, but doing so would unleash such destructive force that it might threaten the very existence of the Beyond. They were holding back, but for how long? The longer they were trapped, the angrier they would beco, and I couldn't promise that the Sea of Demons would survive their wrath.
As the White Sect ca into view, I could see the colorful lights that adorned it from a distance, shimring like a beacon in the night. But those lights weren't a sign of welco—they were the markings of the Cryptic Sun's massive sealing formation. The closer I got, the more I realized the magnitude of what I was up against.
This wasn't just a barrier; it was a fortress of intricate inscriptions, layered with defenses designed to repel even the most powerful of beings. Read latest stories on empire
The mont I reached the barrier, several cultivators erged from the shadows, their faces hard with resolve. The situation was dire, and I could understand their caution. They were ready to fight, to protect their sect from any threat, no matter how small.
"Who are you?!" one of them shouted, his voice edged with suspicion. "Identify yourself!"
The demand was sharp, filled with the tension of the mont. They had every right to be wary. After all, a stranger at their doorstep during a ti of crisis was not sothing to be taken lightly.
"I'm here to help," I replied, trying to keep my tone calm, though I knew they wouldn't be easily convinced.
"You haven't identified yourself yet! Who are you?!" the cultivator insisted, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized . They were on high alert, and I couldn't bla them. In this body, they wouldn't recognize as Shen Bao. To them, I was just another stranger, a potential enemy.
Before I could respond, the familiar voice of the Wisest Sun echoed through the sect, filled with the wisdom and authority that only he could command. "Child, what are you doing here?" His voice was calm, but there was an undertone of urgency. He knew that ti was running out.
"I'm here to help, old man," I said, a small smile tugging at my lips despite the gravity of the situation. The disciples around were visibly confused, their expressions shifting from suspicion to bewildernt. Who else would dare to address the Wisest Sun as 'old man' unless it was another Sun?
"Right then," the Wisest Sun responded, not missing a beat. "Assist in solving so of these inscriptions. Don't use brute force; they're too delicate for that."
"No," I replied firmly, causing the disciples to bristle. They exchanged looks of disbelief and outrage, as if my refusal was a slap in the face. But I wasn't here to follow orders blindly—I had my own thods, ones that would be far more effective in this situation.
"What do you an, 'no'?" one of the disciples snapped, his hand inching toward his weapon. "You said you were here to help!"
"I am," I said, holding up a small cube, its surface gleaming with a soft, ethereal light. "But it'll be the other way around. I'll handle this differently."
The Wisest Sun's curiosity was piqued. "What is that device?" he asked, watching as I tossed the cube into the air. It hovered above us, humming with energy, its many faces rotating and shifting as if it was alive.
"The thing about the Cryptic Sun's formations is that they rely heavily on quantity rather than quality," I explained, my voice steady as I kept my eyes on the cube. "He overuses inscriptions to create layers upon layers of defenses, much like I do, but without the finesse. He's buried this place under a mountain of formations, but there's a weakness in that approach."
The Wisest Sun nodded thoughtfully. "I've managed to solve three hundred thousand of his formations so far, but there are just too many of them. It'll take ti—more ti than we have."
"Exactly," I said. "That's why we're going to turn his own strategy against him. You see that cube?" I gestured to the floating device. "It's one of my Artificial ridians. Its job is to learn, adapt, and replicate. Once you teach it how you've been dismantling those formations, it'll apply that knowledge to every similar formation in this entire do.
We'll neutralize them in seconds."
The Wisest Sun's eyes lit up with understanding. "I see. You want to teach the cube the thod I've been using to break down the formations."
"Precisely," I confird. "You've already identified six unique formations within the barrier. Show the cube how you're dismantling them, and it'll do the rest."
Without hesitation, the Wisest Sun stepped closer to the cube, his hands moving deftly as he plucked a small formation from the barrier. He began to dismantle it with expert precision, his fingers dancing over the inscriptions. The cube mirrored his actions, its many faces rotating and shifting as it absorbed the knowledge.
It was like watching a master teach his pupil, the two working in perfect harmony.
"That's the first," the Wisest Sun announced, his voice tinged with satisfaction.
"Good," I replied, "Show him the rest!" I said while throwing ten more cubes into the air. They imdiately connected with each other, forming a network of glowing nodes that spread out across the sky. The cubes began to change, their speed increasing to a blur as they processed the information they had been given.
Faces shifted and twisted rapidly, each one showing a different part of the formations they were dismantling.
The entire do's light began to dim, the once-bright inscriptions fading as the cubes neutralized them by the millions each second. It was like watching a towering structure crumble from within, each layer of defense collapsing in on itself. The base of the barrier was being eroded away, bit by bit, until the whole thing collapsed in a matter of monts.
The massive do that had once been an impenetrable fortress now lay in ruins, its power broken. The air around us felt lighter, the oppressive weight of the barrier lifted.
"Good enough," the Wisest Sun said as he stepped back, his eyes scanning the now-faded inscriptions. He turned to , his expression serious. "We need to hurry."
I collected the cubes, their work done, and nodded. "You're right. But I'm too slow compared to you. You should go ahead—I'll only slow you down."
The Wisest Sun considered my words for a mont, then took one of the cubes from my hand. "This has learned most of the formations, correct?"
I nodded. "Yes. If you run into the Cryptic Sun again, use it to break free."
The Wisest Sun's eyes darkened with determination. "Then it's settled. But you're coming with . We're going back to the Sea of Demons."
I blinked in surprise. "Why? Wouldn't it be better for to head back there and release the others?"
The Wisest Sun shook his head, his expression grim. "Because the Death Sun's true lair lies beneath the Sea of Demons. And we'll need every bit of help we can get."
The gravity of his words hit like a cold wave. The enemy was living under my own ho... that was sothing I didn't see coming. Well, shit.
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