“Cough, cough...”
Deep within the grand halls of the palace, the gaunt old man reclined, shrouded in gold-trimmed black dragon robes. His coughs echoed against the gilded walls. His face was pale with a sickly green hue, and his once-sharp eyes were dulled by fatigue.
“Amitabha...”
Not far from him, a long-bearded monk in black kasaya pressed his palms together in solemn prayer. Concern flickered in his gaze. “Your Majesty, this humble monk remembers your strength well. How have you weakened so drastically in just a few days?”
As he spoke, the monk’s pupils shimmered faintly. He peered closely, reading the Emperor's life force.
Moments later, his face grew grave.
“Your vitality... it is dangerously unstable. It fluctuates wildly, like a candle in the wind. What in the world has happened?”
The dragon-robed man, Muren Aurenthal, the Emperor of Emberlight, sighed wearily.
“A vài words cannot explain it,” he rasped. With a trembling hand, he gestured to a thick black dossier on the nearby desk. “You will understand if you read this.”
The monk stepped forward and lifted the book. Embossed across the cover in crimson was a single word:
Classified.
“A state secret?” The monk glanced at the Emperor hesitantly.
“It matters little now. Read,” Muren said softly.
The monk opened it and began to scan the contents.
[Year 249, March 6th]: The Imperial Scientific Expedition discovers a prehistoric relic in the Arctic ice fields. The team investigates; only two return alive.
“Year 249...” the monk murmured. “That was fifty years ago.”
[Year 253]: Joint Intelligence dispatches a full task force. Ecological anomalies discovered, and casualties are high. In the depths of the pit, a humanoid corpse is found.
Radioisotope analysis: over 3 million years old.
National academies, tech bureaus, and military labs are mobilized. A Bio-Lab is formed.
Corpse skin is harder than high-density alloys. The subject resists laser dissection and displays Regenerative capability beyond normal parameters.
DNA vastly deviates from known Earth-based lifeforms. It emits an unknown magnetic field at irregular intervals.
[Year 256]: Genetic material is successfully extracted from the humanoid entity, codenamed 【Remains of God】.
Compatibility with human subjects is unusually high.
Results: limb petrification, psychosis, cognitive collapse, cellular disintegration... some subjects simply explode.
Those who survive display extraordinary Vitality.
The 【Ascension】 Project begins.
[Year 278]: 【Immortal Pill Version 1.0】 is synthesized. Test subjects attack staff and are terminated.
Version 1.2 has latent risks. Continued monitoring is required.
[Year 281]: Mass riot at Northern Ridge Lab. Military deploys. Subjects are annihilated, and the facility is sterilized.
The Project relocates to Snow Mountain.
Versions 2.4, 2.9, 3.3—all subjects eliminated.
The Project reaches a standstill due to technical limitations.
Through the Fifth Prince, cooperation with Frankenstein Corp is established in exchange for blood samples.
[Year 290, March 12th]: 【Immortal Pill Version 3.6】 passes all trials.
Results: subjects gain a superhuman constitution akin to Evershield Body martial artists. Life expectancy exceeds 200 years.
The monk lowered the book, his expression pale.
So many decades of research. So much blood spilled. Over a hundred thousand subjects sacrificed in the name of godhood.
“Amitabha... Time buries everything, but not the Karma left behind.”
He set the document down, his eyes half-lidded with sorrow.
“According to the Royal Academy of Science,” the Emperor said slowly, “the 【Remains of God】 may hail from a prehistoric civilization, one lost to time.”
“Prehistoric?” the monk gasped. “Astonishing. But Your Majesty, surely you have already taken this 【Immortal Pill】? You have achieved the Evershield Body?”
“I have.” The old Emperor raised a frail hand, and a burst of wind howled through the chamber.
“And not only I,” he added. “Several nobles. The Marshal. The Chair of the Aristocratic Council. The Merchant Guild’s head. Members of the Grand Parliament. Over half the empire’s ruling elite have taken it.”
He smiled bitterly. “Such a treasure... how could I hoard it alone? I am but an Emperor in name now.”
The monk bowed his head in silence. He understood all too well. A century ago, war drove Emberlight to reform, transforming the absolute monarchy into a constitutional rule. The Emperor’s authority had waned, curtailed by nobles, generals, and parliament. In this new era, reclaiming total power was as impossible as grasping mist.
The Emperor spoke again, his voice softer. “Liora, I assume you have sensed the substance we call Ether?”
The monk nodded. “Indeed. In the past, Ether was elusive. But after the Great Ether Tide, it flows freely now. Even I can feel it surging through the air.”
Muren sighed. “A hundred years ago, scientists observed a high-energy particulate stream engulfing the Earth. Ancient legends spoke of it as 【Ether】, 【Primis】, 【Mana】...”
“I have heard these terms before,” the monk replied. “But Your Majesty, why bring this up right now?”
The Emperor's expression darkened.
“Because just two days ago, the Academy’s detection systems recorded an Ether spike, a surge one thousand times above the baseline.”
Liora’s eyes widened.
“Three minutes later,” Muren continued grimly, “the 【Remains of God】, stored in the Snow Mountain Lab, reanimated.”
The monk’s face blanched.
“When the army arrived,” Muren said, his voice like steel, “the facility was gone. The staff were dead. Blood covered every floor. The corpse had vanished.”
“If it attacks again—”
“It won’t,” the Emperor cut in. “It was already weakened. Even if it escaped, it will need time to recover. I have sent agents across the mountains to track it.”
“And if it comes for me...” His eyes gleamed coldly. “Then it will find that Ashara is not easily breached. Our defenses are stronger than ever, and my Royal Guard are not ornamental.”
The 【Ascension】 Project had borne many fruits, not just the 【Immortal Pill】. The Royal Guard alone had seen their strength soar. Former lower-tier Vitalis martial artists now stood among the elite, and high-level ones pushed new boundaries.
Yet, despite his confidence, a seed of unease had taken root in Muren’s heart.
Such a massive Ether tide... what if the 【Remains of God】 was not merely revived, but reborn?
Superpowered individuals were emerging across the world. Veterans had grown stronger, enhanced a hundredfold by Ether’s surge.
Could it be that the divine corpse had changed as well?
And if so, where was it hiding?
The Emperor of Emberlight pondered these questions.
Then, with a shake of his head, he silenced his thoughts. There were too many unknowns. For now, survival required composure.
"What is more important now is not that entity, but this..."
The Emperor of Emberlight rolled up his thick sleeves, revealing the constantly squirming, dense black veins on his emaciated arm. They looked extremely hideous and terrifying.
"The factors within 【Immortal Pill】 were also stimulated by the Ether surge. They actually began to extract vital energy and marrow from my internal organs, condensing into a mass of blood that has started to counter-absorb my very life force."
"In just one day, this blood mass has aged me by several decades!"
The Emperor of Emberlight shook his head and said sadly: "Time, alas, fate, alas. The 【Immortal Pill】 was originally crafted for immortality."
"Hiss..."
The old monk's face showed shock, saying, "Your Majesty, could it be that all the high-ranking officials of the Empire..."
"Haha."
The Old Emperor gave two tragic laughs. "I don't know why, although those old fellows have all been injected with 【Immortal Pill】 like me, the most tragic symptoms seem to be happening to me alone."
"For others, the most severe cases can be temporarily survived by amputation or organ transplantation, although it is not a long-term fix. Even the mildest cases won't be life-threatening. Taking medication regularly can maintain a relatively normal state, and attending various activities won't be a problem either. Alas, only me, only me!"
The Old Monk’s brows knitted tightly, his voice laced with concern. "Then... Your Majesty, your current condition?"
"The Imperial Academy of Medicine has examined me thoroughly." The Emperor’s voice was hoarse, his tone tinged with fatigue. "That blood mass has rooted itself deep into my body, entangling my vital organs and even my bone marrow. If it is damaged, I too will suffer grievously. For now, there is no cure, only to let it fester and grow."
He paused, then added bleakly: "I take more than ten medicines each day, along with strong concoctions, just to prolong my breath."
The Emperor of Emberlight let out a long sigh. "Though the Academy dares not say it aloud, I can feel it myself. I don't have much time left."
Faced with such grim words concerning the lifespan of a monarch, Liora dared not speak. He remained silent, hands folded respectfully.
"Liora." The Emperor’s voice cut through the stillness.
"This monk is here." Liora bowed his head solemnly.
"You’ve served at my side for more than a decade. I know well your background. Once a disciple of the Celestial Truth Sect, now a monk of the True Enlightenment Temple. You walk the path of both Tao and Buddha. You’ve mastered the essence of both and cultivated your fate techniques to the point of discerning the Mandate of Heaven..."
The monk’s eyes narrowed slightly. He now understood the true purpose of this summons.
The Emperor sought to pierce the veil of fate.
Liora’s face remained calm, but his mind stirred with memories.
A lifetime ago, when he was still a Taoist, he had shown remarkable talent in fate techniques, mastering almost all of his Sect’s hidden arts by his early twenties.
Then came a pivotal moment. Through divination, he foresaw a future fatal calamity, one intertwined with the destiny of the Emberlight Empire.
And so, he made a fateful decision. Abandoning the Taoist robes, he entered the Buddhist path and secluded himself in the True Enlightenment Temple. There, he delved into Buddhist fate scriptures, and years later, accepted the Emperor’s invitation to serve within the Palace.
There were two goals: to access the imperial fate records, and to watch the tides of Emberlight closely, ready to avert that foretold calamity.
But time wore on, and with deep cultivation, his fear of death waned. When the feeling of impending doom returned recently, it no longer struck terror into his heart.
Instead, he felt curiosity.
What exactly is this calamity I’ve feared all my life?
"Perhaps it is divine trial. Or perhaps, merely a test of will." He sighed inwardly.
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At that moment, the Emperor pushed himself up with great effort, gripping the edge of his desk. He fixed Liora with an earnest gaze.
"I ask you to use your fate technique to divine the future of my children. To glimpse the flow of national destiny. I must know who is most suited to become the next sovereign."
He paused, voice growing solemn. "I know this will cost you dearly, perhaps shortening your lifespan, damaging your soul. But both the True Enlightenment Temple and the Celestial Truth Sect, their fate is tied to Emberlight’s fate. If this nation prospers, so too will your Orders flourish."
"Think carefully, Liora."
At those words, a chill ran through Liora’s body.
His breath caught, his skin prickled with goosebumps.
It was as if, at that very moment, he had been targeted by the Unrestrained Heavenly Demon mentioned in ancient sutras. That oppressive, cosmic sense of inevitability, the feeling that one’s fate is decreed by the heavens and cannot be defied, crashed down on him like a wave.
"The fatal calamity! This is it!"
He understood.
So this request, this royal decree, is the very calamity he once foresaw.
"Every sip, every step, perhaps all predestined."
But strangely, he did not feel despair. Only profound puzzlement.
"Divining the future... even if it concerns the fate of the Empire, at most I might damage my body or lifespan. But surely, this alone would not send me spiraling into reincarnation?"
It didn’t make sense.
Yet he bowed, hands clasped together. "This monk obeys the imperial command."
The Emperor smiled at last, a rare gleam of satisfaction in his weary eyes. "Good. Very good!"
"Oh, and one more thing."
The Emperor spoke gently, yet with gravity.
"You’ve already read yesterday’s report, have you not?"
Liora nodded. "This monk has seen it."
"Mm." The Emperor’s gaze turned distant. "Seraphine... I never imagined she had been hidden so deeply."
"When the first Royal Guard reports came in, I was furious. I thought those fledgling agents were fabricating tales."
He shook his head slowly. "But when I saw the detailed profile of Velos, that demon of blood and steel, I knew the report was real."
Liora’s brows furrowed. "That being is shrouded in karmic blood. His sins cry out to heaven."
"Hahahaha..."
The Emperor chuckled hoarsely. "There’s no point being angry with the dead. All it does is exhaust your spirit."
Liora folded his hands once more. "Amitabha. Your Majesty is right. I shall calm my mind."
But his eyes still held doubt.
“There is one thing this monk does not understand. Why are the nobles and magnates of Emberlight still so calm? By all logic, they should be...”
“Bowing, scraping, wagging their tails like loyal dogs before their master?” The Emperor smirked.
Liora hesitated, then nodded silently.
“You still don’t understand them.” The Emperor’s voice turned cold.
“Those old foxes would never tolerate the emergence of a second ‘symbol’ in Emberlight. They may bark like hounds, but never forget: they are leashed. They only see what their masters allow them to see.”
“...I see,” Liora whispered, as realization began to dawn.
“If it were just an Evershield Body,” the Emperor muttered, eyes narrowing, “then it would not be a problem.”
The Emperor of Emberlight slowly said, "Lumen Shepherd, huh. Heh heh, some people are about to be unable to sit still."
The topic concluded, and the palace immediately fell silent.
"Right Liora, what do you think of her?" The Emperor of Emberlight abruptly asked.
"Amitabha ~"
Liora clasped his hands together and chanted a low Buddhist name, "This monk did not expect the Ninth Highness could actually break through the supreme heavenly barrier, truly stepping onto the path forward in martial arts that no one has reached in thousands of years.
This monk just received this news and still dare not believe it. Alas, it is truly a laughingstock for the world."
"Haha ~"
The Emperor of Emberlight let out a hearty laugh. “Lumen Shepherd: what a grand and lofty title.”
“I’ve experienced the power of the Evershield Body firsthand. I know how awe-inspiring it is. Yet, when facing Velos, even several Evershield experts were like mere children: completely powerless.”
At this, a trace of admiration appeared in his eyes. “I can hardly imagine the true extent of power Sera must possess, if she could subdue Velos with a single strike.”
Liora folded his hands in quiet reflection. “Her Ninth Highness’s destiny... is indeed not of this world.”
The Emperor fell silent, quietly listening, a rare and peaceful smile lingering on his face from start to finish. He did not speak further, but his mood was evidently bright.
A few moments later, the Emperor gave a command.
Palace attendants were sent across Ashara to deliver an imperial decree: all princes and princesses were to enter the palace immediately and present themselves before the throne.
At the same time, outside the palace walls, the hundreds of martial artists who had been concealed in the shadows began to quietly retreat.
Not one of them showed any expression. Cold and disciplined, they dispersed like melting snow.
Among them, those at the Roaring Vitalis level made up nearly seventy percent.
The remaining twenty percent were elites of the Metalborn and even Indestructible Furnace realms.
The final ten percent—about four or five individuals—exuded the unmistakable presence of Evershield Body cultivators.
At the head of the formation walked a man whose presence felt even more overwhelming. He had not yet crossed into the next path of martial arts ascension, yet the aura he emitted faintly surpassed even the Evershield Body realm.
All of them were warriors of the Royal Guard: the empire’s most formidable and loyal martial force.
...
Emberlight Ashara, in the Ninth Princess Mansion.
"After the last Martial Arts Convention, numerous martial artists were deeply affected by the massacre of people by that demonic figure Velos.
Furthermore, sensing the arrival of a new era, they respectively proposed establishing an alliance organization that could support each other: the Emberlight Martial Arts Alliance."
Vale paused, looked at Seraphine, who was standing far away, gazing at the garden scenery outside the window, and continued:
"Among them, it includes the Quintessence Fist Sect, Eagle Talon School, Willform Sect, Diamond Sect, and several other North-South fist sects.
As well as major gangs such as the Man Ship, Verant Bamboo Union, Brotherhood Pact, Crimson Lotus, etc.
There is also the Northern Daoist General Association, like the Celestial Truth Sect, Pill Cauldron Sect, and other Daoist sects.
Ah yes, there is also the Daijaku-ji where that old bald donkey Veritas resides.
They are all willing to support Your Esteemed Master in sitting on the position of the Overall Alliance Leader of Emberlight Martial Arts."
Kael interjected from the side: "So Your Esteemed Master is where everyone's hopes lie.
First, Xelorian was defeated by Your hand, and then Velos submitted under Your power.
If not for Your existence, who would join this useless Martial Arts Alliance?
I think they just want to bask in the light of Your esteemed Lumen Shepherd."
"Lumen Shepherd..."
From her disciples' mouths, Seraphine heard this title that the Martial Arts World used for her.
But she remained completely undisturbed.
Vale glanced at the grinning Kael, curled his lip, and thought to himself: This little guy is really good at brown-nosing.
Seraphine turned her head to look at Vale and said calmly: "What is Heavenreach Sect's reaction?"
Vale frowned and thought for a moment, then said: "Uh, it seems there's no reaction."
"Mhm, very good."
Seraphine nodded and said, "Then the two of you, go destroy the Heavenreach Sect. Oh yes, bring me all of their cultivation methods and secret manuals."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, the two disciples, one old and one young, were startled, momentarily unable to react.
"Uh..."
Kael stammered, scratching his face with a bit of hesitation, "Esteemed Master, isn't this a little..."
Without even responding first, she wants to exterminate a sect and steal their secret manuals?
This... is a bit too brutal.
"Martial arts advancement requires the infiltration of fresh blood."
Seraphine clasped her hands behind her back, looking towards the vast clouds drifting across the horizon, and said calmly: "When you possess the qualifications to act as you please, remember not to retreat. Because, at that time, it insults your power!"
"Is that how it is? I understand."
Kael lowered his head and slightly furrowed his brow, seeming to gain some sudden insight.
Vale on the side also looked thoughtful, feeling that his Esteemed Master's words carried a profound truth.
Suddenly, Seraphine frowned again and looked at the two: "How about it, is it very difficult?"
Without waiting for them to answer, she stroked her chin and said thoughtfully: "It does seem a bit difficult. Although you are already Mystic Aperture realm martial artists, your Vitality has only been tempered less than half. Your Combat Power is at most 30% stronger than that Xelorian."
"Uh... hm..."
The two looked at each other, momentarily unsure how to respond.
They could only open their mouths awkwardly in silence.
Once upon a time, they never had the ability to fight a Xelorian head-on.
But now, in just two days, their Combat Power had already increased several times, a change considered earth-shattering in the Martial Arts World.
The current Martial Arts World already regarded them as Demi-Immortal level martial artists.
They were weaker than Seraphine and Velos, but far stronger than a normal Evershield Body.
"Alright then, I will help you take a step to the right place."
Having finished her deliberation, Seraphine raised her head and looked at her two disciples. She raised both hands like lightning and extended two fingers, precisely touching the center of Vale's and Kael's foreheads.
BOOM!!!
Kael and Vale instantly felt as if they had returned to the moment they first received the transmission of power.
They felt a wave of intense heat, like molten iron, drilling in from their foreheads and rapidly engulfing their entire bodies.
Within their bodies, the robust Vitality, propelled by this external force, constantly circulated and was refined like a churning mill.
It saved them nearly several months, or even half a year, of painstaking cultivation time in an instant, miraculously transforming them into a body of pure Aether.
"Hoo ~"
"Hoo ~"
The two let out a breath, their bodies crackling, and their Physical Strength instantly surged several times.
At the same time, a martial art appeared in each of their minds.
Kael received 《Drifting Cloud Hands》.
Vale received 《Dragonwave Crash》.
Seraphine looked at Kael and instructed:
"Drifting Cloud Hands relies heavily on martial arts talent and memory. Although you cannot fully control it, two or three tenths is still possible, which should be sufficient."
She then looked at Vale: "Dragonwave Crash is insidious and vicious, it suits your path. However, use it in moderation to avoid injuring yourself."
"Thank you, Esteemed Master!!"
After carefully comprehending the martial arts in their minds, the two greatly praised the marvel of the techniques and their Esteemed Master's generosity.
In fact, although Seraphine was overbearing in her actions, she was never a stingy person.
Furthermore, these two martial arts techniques, which leaned toward close-quarters combat, were of little use to her. At present, she merely used basic attacks as wide-area artillery. It was better to bestow them upon her disciples.
"Hm ~"
Seraphine thought for a moment, then said: "I also need to prepare some trump cards for you. If you encounter opponents beyond your level, you'll have a good chance to counterattack from a desperate situation."
Clearly, she was thinking of Velos.
Thus, Seraphine slowly extended her smooth palm, spreading her five fingers.
BANG!
A sharp piercing sound suddenly rang out in her palm.
Strands of black light burst forth, condensing into a streak of Starlit Sword Qi.
"This is Starlit Sword Qi, derived from the Heavenreach Sect's Primordial Ether Unification Art. Once activated, it is lethal to objects and people alike."
"However, this is still not enough."
Seraphine then thought of the middle part of the original work, where the Heavenreach Sect produced many experts after the Ether recovery.
Among them, a boss named Aurel Xuan was the most difficult to deal with.
That old Taoist used Starlit Sword Qi as a basis to forge a new path and create an extremely troublesome secret art: Immortalsteel Sword Aegis.
In the original plot, it gave the protagonist Kael a major headache.
After a long struggle, Kael finally resolved Aurel Xuan.
Thinking of this, Seraphine began to act.
In an instant, streaks of Starlit Sword Qi continuously appeared and flew out around her.
A few streaks, dozens of streaks, hundreds, thousands of streaks...
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG BANG!!!
Accompanied by loud sword cries that pierced the ears, countless black Sword Qi quickly filled the entire room.
These thousands of streaks of Sword Qi, under the control of Seraphine's mind, swam around like mischievous fish.
The startled Vale and Kael dared not move.
Neither of them had truly seen the power of Starlit Sword Qi before.
But the faint sharpness of these Sword Qi was already making them break out in a cold sweat.
This was a terrifying killing move where any single streak could severely injure or even kill them.
DING DING DING DING DING DING!!!!
A series of clear metallic sounds rang out.
These Sword Qi, under Seraphine's control, quickly gathered and began to overlap and condense.
After a while, they molded two sword blades, each about a foot long. They looked like the starry curtain of the night sky, beautiful and flawless.
Seraphine slowly lowered her hands behind her back and said calmly: "These Sword Qi are called 【Starspan】, formed by overlapping and condensing three thousand streaks of Starlit Sword Qi."
Vale and Kael looked at this beautiful but lethal Starspan and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Holy crap, it's really cool!"
Kael widened his eyes in praise.
"This disciple has heard of Starlit Sword Qi before. It is rumored to be difficult to cultivate and store. But your Esteemed Master consumed so much Sword Qi to condense this move and bestow it upon us, your own..."
Vale frowned slightly and said gloomily.
"It doesn't matter."
Seraphine waved her sleeve, speaking casually, "I can condense 50,000 streaks of Sword Qi in one night: it's so much I can't even use it all up. Even this level of moves is of no great use to me now."
"Hiss ~"
The two disciples were instantly shocked and gasped.
In fact, since her realm surged, the power and storage amount of the Sword Qi Seraphine condensed also increased proportionally.
Not just Starlit Sword Qi, she could even condense 50,000 Palm-Heart Lightnings in one night during a thunderstorm.
However, the systems these two secret arts are based on have been completely cultivated to their peak by Seraphine, so their power and storage can no longer increase.
Thus, they had become somewhat useless to her.
Ignoring their buzzing, Seraphine lightly raised her finger. The two galaxy-shaped Sword Qi instantly materialized and then turned back into an illusion, entering the bodies of the two disciples.