Junius walked deeper into the ravine, filled to the brim with dense, white fog. Dozens of floating wisps flew by the Brahmin, lowering the temperature and bringing forth a surreal feel to the area. The man nearing his thirties took one deep breath in, sucking in as much mist into his expanded lungs. Mind elementals danced around the lean man as if trying to lift Junius into a higher realm. At the same time, from deep within the Brahmin, a dark power turned itself into dense, black smog. The Mind and Darkness Elements started to counter one another, each one of them vying for supremacy within Junius’ body.

However, Junius didn’t care. So what if his body blew up from an overdose of mana? Junius hardly even cared if he lived past this day. Junius tightened his grip on the two-metre-long, hiltless Odachi in his left hand, while his right summoned out the Obsidian Water Blade. Junius lifted the two swords up, gazing deep into their metallic hue. Both swords could represent the two sides of his relationship with the Black Masks and the Allfather.

Hofuku, the legendary-grade sword that was bestowed to him by the supreme leader himself, represented the merits and prestige that came from serving the Allfather. Every good thing that had come from serving the Allfather. Elevating the Awter Clan to a more luxurious mansion, the extravagant prestige that came from being a Brahmin, having thousands of men and women bending to his every whim… All the luxuries that ever happened to Junius were represented in the glorious legendary-grade spirit armament.

On the other hand, his Obsidian Water Blade was a symbol of the contamination that the Black Mask Syndicate had placed upon his soul. Its original beautiful, azure hue had been stripped bare, leaving nothing but complete darkness. How many had perished under his sword? How many had suffered because he had followed the Allfather’s orders? Junius probably couldn’t count them all. However, Junius could count one person that was affected more than any other soul he’d ever come across. In fact, he knew that person all too well…

Taking a few steps forward, the scenery around Junius instantly changed. The rocky canyons and thick mist had been lifted, leaving behind the glorious scene of a white weeping willow tree. It was pulsating out legions of Mind-Elements, those of the likes that could never be seen anywhere else in the world. Spirit Saints, those that topped the world in every single metric, would be spellbound by the Empyrean Wonder’s power. It didn’t matter if the cultivator was young or old. As long as they possessed a mind, they would be at the Tree of Illusions’ mercy.

And well… So was Junius. The world around him changed once more, and a vast verdant field was laid bare before his eyes. Eleven young children hopped around the fields, blowing bubbles and joking around under the summer sun. A warm cottage with a soot-filled chimney was built behind them, and numerous farm animals wandered the pastures. All eleven of the children were wearing simple linen garbs while their hands were littered with splinters for holding onto wood axes for too long. However, none of them showed any signs of bitterness. In fact, their faces were so radiant that Junius had a hard time looking at them.

“Tree of Illusions… Must you play me so?” Junius sighed, raising the Hofuku up into the air. With two swings, the impossible scene was shredded and left to dissipate into pure mind elements. All eleven of the happy children faded into oblivion, leaving behind nothing but the familiar weeping willow tree.

Junius stared right at the Empyrean Wonder and said: “I know that you’re sentient… Can you tell me what your will is? What’s your true will?” The Brahmin questioned the tree.

“...” There was no answer.

“You chose me… You made me fight Shizen for your own amusement… So I believe that I have every right to know… What do you want from me?”

“...” Still, no answer. It was odd, seeing a man attempting to hold a conversation with a tree. However, Junius knew for a fact that the Empyrean Wonder was hiding something more than meets the eye. If not, why would it have chosen both Junius and Shizen as its champions, forcing them to duke it out until one remained? Thus far, Junius had been serving the Allfather faithfully. He’d carried out all of his orders perfectly and had proven that he was one of the best Brahmins there was. However, it was a different case for the Tree of Illusions.

“Do you want me to kill Shin? The man who inherited the Celestial River? Is that it?” Junius asked while raising his voice. “Do you want me to prove to the world that the Tree of Illusions is superior to the Celestial Dragon? Is that what it is?”

“...”

Nothing. The whistles of fog and mist captivated Junius’ eardrums as the Tree of Illusions remained utterly silent. No one truly understood how Empyrean Wonders worked. Were they sentient? Or were they just blobs of spiritual energy that just somehow happened to form in nature? It was all a blank paper. However, for some gut-wrenching reason, Junius somehow felt that the Tree of Illusions, who many have assumed to be inanimate, was laughing heartily at his expense. It was just… His existence was just too weak to perceive it, much like how an ant would never be able to comprehend the emotions of a human.

“Whatever...” Junius spat on the ground before slamming the Hofuku’s tip onto the soil. Leaning against the trunk of the tree, the Brahmin held one arm over his thigh before throwing his head back. “Shin should be arriving any moment now… If it’s a show you want… It’s a show you’ll get...”

The viridian-haired man closed his eyes, allowing the elements to take over his body. In due time, the one person he’d wanted to see the most, would arrive at his location. The least he could do was to look presentable.

‘Shin… We’ve been chasing each other’s tails for the past seven years...’ Junius breathed in vast amounts of mana, charging up the full might of his Rank 60 Spirit King cultivation level. ‘It’s about time we ended it...’

❖❖❖

Just as Junius began meditating, Shin's lips muttered out the Hymn of Origin’s final verse. After his Spirit evolved from the Sovereign Koi to the Celestial Dragon, Shin had become capable of absorbing all sorts of elements from the surroundings. Naturally, his mastery in the water elements was far above that of the others, but the ability to incorporate all elements still helped in his mana recovery. In less than fifteen minutes, the young Prince was topped off and ready to fight another war.

He gazed down at the battlefield, his eyes coloured in a solid azure hue. The visage of dead Umbras filled his peripheral vision. The Himmel Ancestor, the one called the strongest man in the world, was just one kilometre away from the colossal Obsidian Gate. Though the number of powerful Umbras was multiplying by the second, the Spirit Saint remained utterly unfazed. He didn’t doubt his ability to down the structure at any point and was busy pumping mana into the glorious flag.

At the side, the eight Spirit Venerates that had accompanied Shin from the Lantis Republic all had their humongous Spirits summoned. The Eight Scions of Water, topped off with Pangu’s immense sword ability, were keeping the World Serpent at bay. No matter how many hurricanes the Tier 9 Spirit Beast summoned, it was being quelled by the colossal spiritual energies that the Spirit Venerates shot out. It was like a well-oiled machine, the operation that is. Shin smiled as he watched the fruits of his labour come into fruition.

‘With this… The Black Masks are sure to quieten down for the next few months...’

In this war, it wasn’t the soldiers or the noblemen that suffered the most. The ones that suffered the most were the innocent lives that would perish after every beast horde. The thousands of families that would be displaced. The millions of children that would be forced into orphanages or even worse, forced into a life of crime. Shin had once suffered that fate… The fate of a child broken down by the flames of war. He would never wish that fate upon another living soul, particularly one of a child that didn’t have anything.

“Senior Heigui, you can stop now.” The young Prince stood up within the compounds of the dense Obsidian Xuanwu’s barrier and tapped on his protector’s shoulders.

“Master, Senior Zishen, Bingbing, Venerate Maurice...” Shin turned to the other powerhouses that had been waiting for his recovery. Three Spirit Venerates and two Tier 9 Spirit Beasts. It was a line-up that would make any lower-ranked Spirit Saint reconsider fighting. And Shin was bringing all five of them to face a Rank 60 Spirit King. To call it an overkill was an understatement.

Shin didn’t even bother taking one final look at the battlefield. Once everyone was prepared, they burst through the sound barrier and instantly appeared above the skies of the Illusory Canyon. There was nothing to see, but ethereal mist and tonnes of rock. The odd tree would burst out from the top of the canyon out other than that, the resting place of the Empyrean Wonder was mostly obscured.

“Your Highness,” Maurice stepped forward for the first time since arriving. “I wouldn’t suggest that you charge into the Illusory Canyon, even if Junius is laying in wait.”

“Hmmm?” The black-haired Prince glanced over his shoulder, shooting the Spirit Venerate an odd look. “Why’s that?”

“Your Highness, do you remember how Shizen was killed?” Maurice prompted in a respectful tone. “Junius forced him into a sacred duel where outsiders aren’t allowed to interrupt. Even though the World Serpent and I were present, we were unable to do anything within the Tree of Illusion’s majesty.”

“Ah, you don’t have to worry about that...” Shin shook off the Spirit Venerate’s worry with a smile. “That’s why I only brought people that are much stronger than Junius. If the Tree of Illusions does trigger the sacred duel, anyone of the seniors here would be capable of taking him down.”

“No, that’s not the point! With all due respect, your highness... What would happen if the Tree of Illusions chooses you as the target for the sacred duel? No matter how many Spirit Venerates are present, it wouldn’t help at all!” Maurice’s worries weren’t unfounded. If done incorrectly, Shin would not only fail to kill Junius, but he would run the risk of being killed himself.

Lady Seph and Heigui Xuegang raised their eyebrows, probably thinking if the Master Explorer had gone mad after his long years of exploring. Zishen and Bingbing, on the other hand, were stifling a laugh, amused that Venerate Maurice would ever reach this notion. However, the man couldn’t be faulted. He hadn’t lived in the Lantis Republic over the past three years and had no idea of the true nature of Shin’s Spirit.

The Prince raised his palms and flashed a smirk. “Venerate Maurice… You don’t have to worry about that...”

“What? Hah… Venerate Seraphim, would you...”

Before the man could even seek the help of the one person that Shin would listen to, an immense pressure fell upon his shoulders. Vibrant colours erupted from the depths of the Prince’s soul and lit up the region. The mixture of snow and rain from the heavens had ceased, bowing down to the hegemony of the divine mana that plagued the earth. Mist from the Illusory Canyon attempted to resist the sacred colours, but it was to no avail. The Celestial Dragon, boosted by Shin’s Domain of Dreams, had once again made its appearance. At its rear, a dreamy apparition of the Celestial River flowed down from the top of Shin’s head.

Spellbound, the only thing that Venerate Maurice could do was drop his jaw. He was an explorer that hoped to see every Empyrean Wonder in the world. However, never in his wildest imaginations would he have thought that he’d lay his eyes on the world’s first-ever Empyrean Wonder battle.

“See, there’s no way that the Tree of Illusions would choose me as its champion...” Shin chuckled as he summoned everything out from his arsenal. The Spear of Aiglos, the Azure Dragon Shard, full Spiritual-Body Enhancement, the Domain of Dreams… And last, but not least… His myriad of created water abilities… They were all targeted at the Illusory Canyon…

“How can I be the champion of that tree when I’m an Empyrean Wonder myself?”