Chapter 782 - Are You Qualified?
The senses of numerous elite cultivators descended upon Blueglow, inspecting the lone figure outfitted in exquisite armor fashioned in an aggressive yet sleek design. The jet-black dragon-head helmet with golden scales was visually exceptional, beguiling the senses and instilling a sensation of power and pressure.
"It's not him?" The Enlightening Soul Saint was taken aback. For some reason, after learning about the Ascendant Emperor of Neo-Dawn's possible connection to the Fire Phoenix, he was under the belief that Wei Wuyin himself would appear here. It was an instinctive feeling within his heart, and these feelings of his were usually quite reliable. However, what arrived was a tall figure covered in full-body armor with a dragon scale design.
His aura wasn't within Mortal Limits as the news of Wei Wuyin would suggest, but far beyond it. In fact, his cultivation was extremely difficult to differentiate, but the faint signs of mysticism emanating from his spiritual aura was noticeable to all Ascended. Regardless of what, he was a genuine Ascended!
The Legion Commander soared upwards in a calm, steady manner as he exited the upper limits of what was originally planet Blueglow's atmosphere. Unfortunately, Bai Lin's nirvanic flames had ruined its atmospheric layers and turned the planet uninhabitable. The various arrays served as an obstacle, yet he acted as if they weren't even there. He continued to rise and breached the barrier encapsulating the planet like a metal needle to a sheet of flimsy paper.
"An Earthly Saint!" Highlord Scarletflame was alongside the rest of the Demi-Mortal Lords as their expressions were solemn and dark. This only intensified as they saw how easily the sealing arrays were punctured without the slightest effort. While it seemed effortless, it was his mystic aura that acted as the sharp instrument.
This Mystic Aura was a genuine sign of an Earthly Saint. These figures had grasped the Mystic Intent to its Awakened State, so their usage of its power and adept control was exceptional, capable of casually integrating it into their bodily aura. It served as an armor of sorts.
The Tang Matriarch's outward visage was unbearably calm. This soothed the others' emotions heavily. That being said, the Voidship was already retreating backwards and escaping with haste. They were in full reverse.
"Something's not right," the Tang Matriarch pointed out with a soft voice. These words might've been softly spoken, but the Ascended onboard all heard it as clearly as a shrieking scream. They turned to their leader to seek out an explanation, already feeling concerned by this Earthly Saint's arrival. While they were fully aware that an Earthly Saint of foreign origins might descend, even expecting it, facing one was an entirely different matter.
The Tang Matriarch could sense their questioning gazes, her heart began to race without warning. She stifled her desire to gulp to maintain a strong front. She clarified her thoughts, "His aura is strange. He doesn't seem to be an Ascended, yet the Mystic Aura suggests otherwise. Furthermore, his life aura is completely absent."
"What does that mean?" Highlord Scarletflame turned towards the Legion Commander who was the picture of oppressive might without doing a single thing.
The Tang Matriarch narrowed her eyes, blazing crimson light flickered ceaselessly within as she executed her ocular spiritual spell to assess this new arrival. "He doesn't seem…"
"...is this person a living being?" The Soul Rising Saint questioned as she noticed this peculiarity. Her blue eyes flashed continuously with vibrant azure light.
"Why do you ask, Hallmaster Soul Rising?" The Soul Erupting Saint curiously asked. He noted the peculiarity but ocular-based spiritual spells wasn't his forte, so he was unable to assess this newcomer with his spiritual sense, especially when shielded by his mystic aura.
"He seems more like a spiritual incarnation, not a living being. Is that what you meant, Hallmaster Soul Rising?" The Soul Enlightening Saint answered, but also sought confirmation of his own theory.
"Yes. It's exactly that." The Soul Rising Saint was befuddled. Was this person an avatar, incarnation, or projection? But that doesn't seem right. A clone devised by an Evil Method? That doesn't seem right either. Her thoughts were rapid yet found no suitable conclusion.
The peculiarity wasn't only noticed by them, even the three black-robed figures discovered this oddity. This Ascended being lacked a stable life aura as if he wasn't alive, but there was a strong soul presence. They were hesitant to act and be lured into a trap by their true target.
"One…three…eight? Eight Earthly Saints." The Legion Commander counted calmly as he moved his right arm with a slow motion, adjusting to the quagmire that was the current fixed space. "Spatial Sludge…they've integrated it into the area. Such a vast quantity, but its merely low Mystic-Earth grade."
The Legion Commander was extremely knowledgeable in all sorts of tactics. Spatial Sludge was a mystic-grade material that could be slipped into fixed space and act as a coagulant for spatial energies. This made it more difficult to manipulate ambient spatial energies or interact with fixed space with any type of spatial power. It would restrict spatial shifting and other spatial abilities, including Spatial Locking.
This was a low-level tactic deployed to prevent Ascended experts from escaping via spatial formations or arts. It was somewhat effective. Unfortunately, this grade wasn't enough to hinder him. He recalled his orders and found it strange that there were no attackers or negotiators sent to discuss matters. If he knew these figures thought he was a poorly made trap laid for them, he wouldn't know whether to laugh or sneer. Probably both.
He wiggled his hand and held out his palm. Since they didn't seek to take the initiative, he might as well do so.
"..." The Legion Commander went silent as he stared at his empty palm. Hidden behind his helmet was a twitching eyelid. He had forgotten that Wei Wuyin used his mortal energies to formulate this body of his, and it lacked sufficient mystic intent and power. How troublesome.
Unable to conjure his weapon or steed, he was left with solely the energy within this body, his innate control of Mystic Intent, and his fists.
"It's enough," he slowly said as he turned towards the Tang Clan Voidships that were mostly empty. They were still maintaining the suppressive arrays around the planet. Clearly, the Tang Clan refused to give up on the Fire Phoenix. They were likely hoping that the Earthly Saints of the Ninestar Starfield or those from Trueborn would act. Unfortunately, they didn't feel that the Legion Commander was real.
He took a single step forward.
BOOSH!
An explosive wave erupted, rippling the entire space for tens of miles as spatial sludge revealed as a mass of viscous liquid. It appeared briefly before vanishing.
The Legion Commander vanished from his position instantly, crushing fixed space as he used it as a solid platform to execute a simple movement.
"OH!" The Legion Commander released an astonished exclamation of surprise. "This is so…so much physical power! Woah!" He couldn't help but revel in such power as he halted directly above a Tang Clan Voidship, looking at his fists with genuine elation. The draconic force, elemental force, and pure physical energies comprising this body was outrageously high in quality and quantity, despite its mortal-level. When he added just a bit of his Mystic Intent within, the power skyrocketed to absurd limits!
The eyes of the Soul Monarchs contracted as they saw the Legion Commander move at such astonishing speed. His action had pushed the Spatial Sludge out of the folds of fixed space for a brief moment. It soon settled and vanished, slinking into the folds of fixed space once more. The level of power required for that wasn't all that impressive, but to their powerful senses, there wasn't the slightest trace of mystic power within that movement!
"Is this spatial energy too? Seems far more purer. Strange." The Legion Commander questioned as he pressed a palm downwards. An elderly Mystic Star Phase expert stared upwards at the Legion Commander with an aghast expression. Then, without warning, he turned into a bloody mist! His bones, flesh, organs, and innate energies were instantly crushed.
BOOM!
The Voidship exploded! It broke into tens of thousands of pieces! The Legion Commander didn't stop to inspect his handy work.
BOOSH!
He moved above the next Voidship piloted by a few members of the Tang Clan purposefully left to brave the risk of death or retaliation of an Earthly Saint. Unfortunately, they were about to experience both.
BOOM!
The Tang Clan's eyes widened. Two Voidships were devastated within milliseconds. Her heart clenched as she felt it bleed. Each Voidship took decades to create. The enormous amounts of resources and effort to tailor them into proper ships suitable for combat!
"Why aren't they acting?!" Highlord Darkflame, a female Ascended, shouted with urgency. They all were fully aware that these Voidships cost was outrageous, and they hadn't just brought over 80% of their forces, but almost 30% of their clan's entire wealth for this venture. Those Voidships cost decades of time to produce and even more resources!
BOOM!
A third Voidship exploded. The Dark Void soon became filled with fragmented debris of the Voidships!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The Legion Commander took down three more simultaneously, picking up the pace. He was growing more and more familiar with the various sources of energies comprising his new body.
"WHAT ARE THEY DOING?!" Highlord Darkflame was hysterical. Was the Earthly Saints of the Ninestar Starfield just going to allow this? They brought fifteen Voidships and six had been destroyed in a blink of an eye! The losses were too severe!
"..." The black-robed figures remained hesitant. Was this being an avatar or incarnation of some sort? Should they act? Or was it just a strange cultivation method that emulated this strange state? Still, they decided to wait until the Voidships of the Tang Clan were completely destroyed before taking action. After all, why would they act to help the Tang Clan? They were here for vengeance against the Earthly Saint that took down the Shadow Egg, not his pet. The Tang Clan were just bait, nothing more.
The Earthly Saints of the Ninestar Starfield was similarly perplexed and uncertain how to approach this situation, but they also contained gleeful smiles as they saw the Tang Clan's Voidships pop one by one with schadenfreude. Even if the situation was more certain, they'd still wait.
Did the Tang Clan truly think they were welcomed here? How ridiculous!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Four more ships met their end. At this point, the arrays enveloping the planet lost its power. Without the arrays, Bai Lin was no longer suppressed by the various restriction arrays designed to restrain her. She was free to act as she pleased.
"Five more left," the Legion Commander halted his movement as he used both hands to grasp the empty space and clenched his hands into tight fists. Without warning, four Voidships started to tremble as if experiencing extreme seismic activity. Then, without warning, they distorted into a whirlpool and vanished entirely.
"Such pure spatial energy! It even contains extremely unique time energies! What is this exactly?" The Legion Commander had tested Wei Wuyin's Void Energy to see its limits when integrated with his Mystic Intent, and it was phenomenal. Not only was it attuned to space, but it could affect time itself. With that, he tested out a space-time phenomenon as an attack, and much to his elated surprise, it was a brilliant success.
The Soul Erupting Saint exclaimed, "Vanishing Points?! HE CAN CREATE VANISHING POINTS?!?!" There was a tinge of fear within his eyes now, and this alongside the Rainbow Bridge-like beam from earlier birthed an unerasable thought: "Is he the Void Voyage Sect's Sect Master?!" This question echoed in everyone's mind as they observed the Legion Commander casually executing his newfound abilities.
The Legion Commander turned his oppressive gaze to the last remaining Voidship belonging to the Tang Clan. It was the largest of the fifteen and contained seven Demi-Mortal Lords onboard. It was already retreating into the distance, yet the Legion Commander's stern and forceful gaze locked on it like a hawk discovering its prey.
The Tang Matriarch's eyes contracted to their absolute limits. She didn't hesitate to grab Highlord Scarletflame and sought to execute her spatial movement art with urgent haste. She had to run, preferably to the Earthly Saints nearby! Her spatial aura was wildly fluctuating, but she was unable to jump through fixed space!
Her hairs stood on end as she felt an aura above her. Her heart clenched as she cursed those bastards of Trueborn! They instilled Spatial Sludge into the environment and her art was thoroughly hindered! She wouldn't be able to run!! Moreover, the Ninestar Sainthall hadn't taken action yet! She cursed them all!
The Highlords lifted their heads to feel a fearsome aura descending upon them, stifling their breathing and halting their heartbeats. Above them was none other than the Legion Commander with those stern, forceful, and cold eyes of his looking at them dismissively!
"Oh no!"
"...haaa…" A soft sigh resounded filled with a gentleness that resembled a musical note. "I think it's time we talked, foreigner."
The Legion Commander lifted his gaze and turned towards a particular direction. An azure-robed woman was there, her eyes calm and unfathomable. She was releasing her Mystic Aura without reservation. She wanted the Legion Commander to know she was an Earthly Saint, and a fearsome one at that.
The Legion Commander looked at her briefly, then calmly asked: "Are you even qualified to do so?" After saying this, he viciously stomped his right foot downwards towards the Tang Clan's last ship!