365-375

Chapter 365 - Battle Preparations

"I see, thank you. You may go do what you need to do."

"Yes, Young Master Leonhardt."

The female servant curtsied to Leon respectfully. Before she left, she flashed Darlene an envious glance.

Since Young Master Leonhardt was quite courteous to her, she could imagine that someone he fancied would not be mistreated. Why was the one who carried the young master to his arranged guestroom, not her?

Being the object of envy, the female servant's gaze did not go unnoticed by Darlene.

As fellow sufferers of the same fate, Darlene shared a relatively good relationship with all the female servants. If opportunity permits it, she hoped her fellow sisters can all find their happiness in life.

"Young—Hubby."

Darlene opened her mouth to speak, but she immediately froze. She had committed the same mistake! Seeing the subtle change in her man's expression, she knew the situation was not good.

She turned around and ran, but how was it possible for her to escape from Leon's clutches?

Pah!

Leon evilly smiled and reached out his hand to smack Darlene's round bottom once more.

"Ahh!"

Darlene cried.

"What did you just call me again?"

"Hubby, I was wrong!"

Leon nodded with a satisfied look and rubbed her round bottom to soothe the pain.

"That's better. What did you want to say?" He asked.

Darlene had no choice but to enjoy Leon's intimate 'treatment' with an embarrassed blush. She heaved a sigh of relief after seeing no one else around.

"This might be too much to ask, but can you also accept all my sisters?" Darlene asked.

"Huh?"

Leon nearly keeled over in shock.

There was no way he can accept all of them into his harem. If he did so irresponsibly without considerations for his other partners' feelings, he would not know when the house catches fire.

"Ahem, no. That is not possible." Leon refused.

Darlene looked disappointed.

However, Leon was not finished and added, "But if they are not against it, I will see if Chief Valencia is willing to let them follow me. Believe me, once they can cultivate, they will no longer need to be servants."

"Mn, I believe you. My sisters will definitely wish to follow you once I talk to them."

Leon nodded and said, "Alright, let us go and find the chief now."

But after taking several steps, Leon frowned and turned back to look at Darlene, who followed behind him faithfully.

"What are you doing?"

"Me? I am… following behind my Hubby?" Darlene answered unconfidently with confusion, not understanding what the problem was. Was there a problem with what she was doing?

Leon shook his head, helplessly.

It seems he would need to help her break her old habits. She was not just a servant anymore, but his woman.

He reached out and grabbed her hand before pulling her to walk alongside him.

"Remember this. You are my woman now, and not just a servant. You do not need to walk behind me, understand?" Leon lectured.

He might have picked up this little wife by accident due to alcohol, but he will treat all his women fairly.

As they headed outside the palace, Leon had a sudden thought.

The kingdom was entirely lacking in manpower and population. If better wine could be introduced and widely distributed to food businesses, the kingdom's birthrates will most likely increase.

Hmm…

No, this thinking was too simple.

The reason the kingdom had low birthrates to begin was due to the poor living conditions of its people. They would not consider having a child when they are already struggling to feed themselves.

It seems he needs to push forward the Elven Tribe migration plan when he gets back.

Once the elves are integrated into the kingdom, the problem of food will not exist with their advanced crop cultivation techniques and abilities.

Outside the palace, Chief Valencia was found at the edge of the rocky plateau with her hand linked behind her back while she gazed into the distant horizon.

When Leon and Darlene approached, Chief Valencia immediately noticed them.

"You're here. I trust you had a pleasant experience last night." Chief Valencia said and flashed Darlene a meaningful smile.

Darlene reacted shyly with a blush.

Everything had been under Chief Valencia's arrangement. She knew it was unfair for Darlene, but looking at it now, it seemed everything worked out alright.

The tribal chief became curious how Leonhardt could win Darlene's heart over in such a short time despite the latter being resistant at first.

Could it be that Leonhardt's skills were truly impressive? In that case, she tempted to have a swing with Leonhardt and experience his skills for herself. Maybe she should invite him over and get him drunk.

Lately, her partners have been unable to satisfy her.

Leon could faintly guess what the chief was thinking about and felt his skin crawling.

The chief was an immensely powerful body practitioner who was more manly than a man. If she was even a little careless with her strength, his little brother might just snap in the process.

"Ahem!"

Leon coughed awkwardly. After a quick shake of his head, he cut straight to the point. "How strong is the incoming Bone Army?"

Once this question was asked, Chief Valencia wore a solemn expression.

In the distant horizon, the dark sky grew darker.

It was like the world's Darkness Profound Energy were all gathering towards the approaching Bone Army.

"According to intelligence, the incoming Bone Army is quite powerful! There will be many Behemoth-class Bone Demons. I fear this battle cannot be won with my strength alone. I will have to trouble the Venerable Shamans to assist us."

���Will you continue to lend your strength to our tribe?" Chief Valencia asked.

"Of course. As fellow humans, we should all work together to overcome these difficult times."

"That is gratifying to hear. Unfortunately, someone like you is not part of our tribe. Are you sure you do not want to join our tribe?"

Leon slightly narrowed his eyes. He expected Chief Valencia to bring up this matter again sooner or later.

"Well…"

Leon pretended to hesitate and flashed Darlene at his side a glance. After which, he appeared to be in deep thought before asking, "What kind of benefits can you give me if I am willing to join?"

Chief Valencia's eyes lit up immediately.

Leonhardt did not refuse her but asked for conditions. This was different from the reports she has been receiving from Ironhead. It was apparent that his stance against joining the tribe has changed.

'In the end, men are all the same. They are quite simple. Just give them beauties, and they will be swayed.'

Chief Valencia's lips curved into a smile as she thought this. As she was about to speak, a warrior rushed over to report abruptly.

"Chief Valencia!" The warrior greeted.

Chief Valencia's brow slightly furrowed at the inopportune timing, but she still nodded and said, "Speak!"

"Yes!"

"The hunting team led by Big Brother Goldeneye and the Blackwind Tribe survivors have safely entered the city. The temporary leader of the Blackwind Tribe survivors is currently seeking an audience with the chief to discuss the battle arrangements for his people."

"Understood. Bring him to see me now."

"Yes, Chief!"

After the warrior acknowledged her order and quickly left, Chief Valencia turned to Leon and said, "It seems we will have to talk about the benefits later."

Leon nodded and shrugged.

"It can't be helped. There is an impending battle to worry about after all. How much time do we have until they arrive?"

Chief Valencia turned to the warrior beside her and asked, "How much time?"

The warrior held a strange shell with runic engravings and brought it to his ears before speaking and listening to it.

It appeared to be some sort of long-distance communication artifact, according to Leon's observation.

After some time, the warrior nodded and said, "According to the scouts, they will arrive within half an hour at their current pacing, Chief."

"What about our preparations?"

"The defensive measures are being set up while war supplies are still being delivered to the walls. However, everything should be ready by then."

"Very good."

"Will you be heading over to the wall, Chief? Your presence will certainly boost the morale of our warriors."

"I will, but not now. As for boosting morale, I think someone is already doing a fine job over there."

Chief Valencia directed her gaze towards the southern walls.

On the southern walls, warriors were lined up like disciplined soldiers. Sabertooth gave them all a stern and solemn look.

"Listen up, ya hotheaded maggots! This battle will be nothing like the one we fought the other day. I do not want to see anyone charging out like an idiot, ya hear me? Warriors of the Darkmoon Tribe can be brave, but they cannot be stupid. Is that clear?!"

"Yes!"

Chapter 366 - Missing People's Whereabouts

"By the way, Chief Valencia. Have you seen my friend Lumi anywhere? Hopefully, she had not caused any major trouble when I left her unattended last night." Leon asked.

He inwardly sweated when he recalled Lumi's evil alter ego or whatever it was. It would have been a disaster if something happened last night and cause her to switch personality.

"Lumi? Ah, yes, the Banshee. She did not cause any trouble. On the contrary, she was very well behaved and friendly. It is hard to believe that she is a Banshee. She is practically human if not for her spiritual body."

Chief Valencia took a moment to recall. Afterward, she turned to the side and ordered a female servant to lead Leon to Lumi.

Leon knew Chief Valencia was meeting someone soon to discuss important matters unrelated to him. It was only right for him to leave.

Shortly after Leon bid goodbye and left with Darlene and the female servant, Goldeneye arrived with Razorleaf, the temporary leader of the Blackwind Tribe.

Goldeneye had arrived much earlier on his Dark Wyvern give his warning. After that, he returned to his team to lead the rest of the way for the survivors.

"Chief Valencia."

They both greeted.

"En."

Chief Valencia acknowledged their greeting with a nod.

"Razorleaf, right? I remember you were still a brat the last we met at the Seven Tribe Summit. It is impressive how much you have achieved in this time. You have grown into a fine man."

Her gaze roamed Razorleaf's well-developed and chiseled body.

The last summit between the seven-tribe alliance was held 15 years ago. At that time, Razorleaf was not the Great Warrior he was today, nor was Chief Valencia a Battle Master and tribal chief then.

"Such achievements are insignificant in comparison to you, Chief Valencia. I thank you for allowing my people to take refuge in your city." Razorleaf smiled wryly with a bit of helplessness.

Fifteen years ago, they were roughly equal in strength, but fifteen years later, the gap between their cultivation was as wide as the Grand Chasm.

Chief Valencia is the daughter of the Darkmoon Tribe's previous tribal chief, while he is only from a branch family that served the Blackwind Tribe's tribal chief's family for generations.

Nevertheless, he had nothing but respect for Chief Valencia.

The previous Darkmoon Chief died prematurely while exploring the ruins beyond the Death Passage with the other two tribal chiefs from Blackwind Tribe and Crimsonfog Tribe.

With the tradition of the tribal chief position belonging to the strongest warrior in the tribe, Chief Valencia's Dark family would have lost their long reign to another family if not for her efforts.

Her current position and power are worthy of envy. Many know of her glory, but how many remembered her desperation and grueling hard work to defend her Dark family's longstanding rule and honor?

"Feel free to stay for as long as you need to recuperate. It was unfortunate what happened to Blackarrow. He was a great man and a great leader. My condolences for your losses. There's no need for your people to participate in the upcoming battle." Chief Valencia spoke.

The survivors were worn out from the long journey and consisted of elderlies and children. Only a few capable warriors remained in their group.

If they participate in the upcoming battle, Chief Valencia was afraid that Blackwind Tribe will be wiped out and become history.

Personally, this did not really concern her. But if the other tribes in the alliance jump out to point fingers and ostracize the Darkmoon Tribe for it, she would be annoyed to death.

It seemed like something they would do for petty gains.

"No, this is what I came to discuss. We want to fight alongside you." Razorleaf said with firm conviction.

"You want to avenge your chief?" Chief Valencia asked.

"No."

"Oh? Am I wrong?"

"Well, not exactly. I won't deny that intention. We just cannot sit around and let the Darkmoon Tribe clean up our mess. If you do not mind, I want to fight together with the Darkmoon Tribe as one."

Chief Valencia raised an eyebrow. Razorleaf's words were somewhat ambiguous; it almost sounded like some unromantic proposal. However, she knew that was not what he meant.

"You mean…"

"Yes."

Razorleaf nodded before Chief Valencia completed her question.

"Blackwind City has been laid to ruins, and the majority of our warriors have been slain in battle. Even if we survive this ordeal, the Blackwind Tribe cannot stand up again. In this case, the best choice for my people is to join another tribe. If Chief Valencia does not mind us joining, we would like to be part of the Darkmoon Tribe."

Chief Valencia almost failed to hide her excitement as her lips rose slightly when she heard this.

To say that she was not interested in swallowing the Blackwind Tribe would be a lie, but she also knew that it was not appropriate to bring it up first.

Since Razorleaf brought it up first, it was an entirely different matter.

"If you and your people are willing to join, then why would I be unwilling?!" Chief Valencia accepted with grandeur and laughed heartily.

Razorleaf soon paid his respects to Chief Valencia once more and swore his allegiance to the Darkmoon Tribe.

"About our battle arrangement…"

…

As Chief Valencia and Razorleaf discuss battle arrangements for the survivors, Leon and Darlene arrived at Lumi's location under the female servant's lead.

She was found in the Chief Palace's outer courtyard. The place was crude and straightforward without any decorations, but it was to be expected. The land was infertile. It was too much to expect them to have a garden full of plants.

"Leon!"

Lumi was excited to see him and darted over to latch onto him. Due to her momentum, her body weightlessly swung a few cycles around his body before coming to a complete stop.

She was about to share a piece of good news, but her excitement dampened when she realized that they were not alone. She immediately covered her mouth with both hands cutely before the words could escape.

She looked at Darlene cautiously before bringing her head close to Leon's ear and whispered, "I found the whereabouts of the people we are looking for… I think."

Lumi felt smug about her accomplishment, but at the same time, she was not too confident. She had never seen the faces of the missing people, but neither had Leon.

However, the people she saw had pale skin. Such complexion was so rare in the Darkmoon Tribe that she felt they were likely the people she was looking for.

"Oh? Where are they being held captive?"

"Eh? They are not being held captive."

Leon was immediately taken aback and asked, "They're not?"

Lumi shook her head.

"They are working as servants here in the palace," Lumi answered in a low voice only audible to Leon.

"What?"

Leon was surprised by this revelation.

The situation was different from what he expected. His brows furrowed in ponder for some time before his eyes lit up with enlightenment.

"I see, I see. So, that's how it is. Alright, I understand. That is some good news."

Leon nodded.

He was able to infer everything.

It was a simple rule of survival. If you cannot beat them, join them. His adoptive mother and the others made the most logical choice they could make to survive and joined the Darkmoon Tribe.

Not only does the Darkmoon Tribe treat their people well, practicing the body cultivation method will eliminate the risk of the Demon Cores germinating in the short term.

With Master Woodrow's hypnotic mysticism, they would not be able to hide any secret anyway, so there was no point in being stubborn, nor did they really had a place back in the Crawford Kingdom. Settling in the Darkmoon Tribe was not a bad choice.

On the other hand, it was not necessarily bad for the Darkmoon Tribe to learn more about the Human Domain either.

It will be easier to negotiate trades and alliances once they gain a better understanding of the Crawford Kingdom.

But before that, he still needed to improve his strength.

Lumi was confused when Leon said he understood. What exactly did he know? Why can't she seem to follow what he was saying?

If she knew how much Leon had inferred, she would have been amazed.

At the side, Darlene had an even more bewildered look. She was sensible enough not to eavesdrop on the conversation and distanced herself for them to talk comfortably. Even so, she did not see Leon's lips moved once. Were they even talking?

Throughout the entire exchange between them, Leon did not utter a single word. Everything had been mentally transmitted to Lumi through a skill of his.

When Leon saw how sensibly Darlene behaved despite her curiosity, he could not help but reach out and rub her head.

"Hehe."

Darlene enjoyed Leon's intimate head rub with content. Although she moved away mainly due to her old habits as a lowly servant, she thought it was worth it.

"Who is this?"

Lumi studied Darlene seriously. The intimate contact between Leon and Darlene naturally did not escape her notice.

After Leon did a short round of introductions, he told Darlene to stay back in the palace before preparing to head out with Lumi.

No matter how unwilling Darlene was feeling in her heart, she could only comply with Leon's wish and watch them leave.

"What shall we do about the missing people working in the palace?" Lumi asked.

Leon briefly paused and answered, "If what you said is true, then they should be doing fine for now.. The upcoming battle is our bigger concern."

Chapter 367 - Liches And Ghouls

Blackwind City.

The remnant flames died down, and the scattered ruins of the city sank into deeper shades of darkness.

Soul Weapons, equipment, and tools among various miscellaneous items could be seen littered on the surface, yet not a single corpse was present, nor bloodstain remained behind. If not for the lingering heat, it would appear like the city had been deserted for decades.

Along a broken street riddled with rubbles and cracks, two humanoid figures masked in cloaks of darkness casually strolled as they scoured the area.

These cloaks of darkness were not made of material substances but comprised of Darkness Profound Energy and Death Energy.

A gust of wind blew against their cloaks and scattered traces of darkness along the ground, leaving a trail of desolation.

"Keke, those pile of bones really did a number on this place. Much to my disappointment, there is nothing left for us to collect. Just when I was expecting to pick up a few minions on this trip too." One of the figures spoke in a ghastly and eerie voice.

The figure grinned, but an average person would be able to tell. Both figures were skeletal without an ounce of flesh. Also, they appeared to be unrelated to the Bone Calamity and moved independently with free will.

They were Liches.

"Gaining some low-level minions is inconsequential. The real prize lies in the Blackwind Catacombs. But before that, we must collect all the remnant negative feelings for our lord, Astaroth." The other Lich spoke with a glimmer of red light from its eye sockets.

When the first Lich heard this, it smiled wickedly.

"It's a great pity that Lord Karau's undead army only knows how to kill and not torture humans. This place would have been seething in negative energy, otherwise. The foolish humans never learn their lessons. I wonder which foolish one made Lord Karau upset this time."

The Liches each held an unsealed black gourd in their bony hand and drew in blackish air from time to time.

The black gourds were Demon Artifacts specially manufactured for the collection of intangible and negative feelings such as despair, anger, and hate.

"Nothing we can do about it now. Lord Karau needs a gargantuan amount of souls to revive while our lord needs negativity to restore his power. If not for the existence of that intolerable Demigod, we would not need to be so lowkey."

"We should hurry. It'll be troublesome if a Battle King arrives."

"You don't need to worry about that. The Bone Calamity has not caused enough waves for the humans to wake those slumbering old monsters from their underground coffins. The Demigod will not interfere either if we do not blatantly reveal ourselves. However, I do agree. We need to hurry. The Primal God race is showing signs of awakening. One Demigod is already enough to give us a headache. We do not need more." The second Lich said.

"Right."

The first Lich grinned.

The two Liches paused at the collapsed entrance of the Blackwind Mines.

The first Lich waved its bone hand, and a wave of black flames swept towards the broken rubbles impeding their path to the mines.

An eerie scene played out as the broken rubbles corroded into fine dust, like withering plants dying quickly after experience a significant change in the flow of time.

Shortly after, the two Liches disappeared into the darkness of the mines.

…

Darkmoon Tribe.

The Darkmoon Tribe warriors lined the walls at the front, while the Blackwind survivors provided support at the back. This was the arrangement made after the discussion between Razorleaf and Chief Valencia.

Close combat fighting was the most preferred method of the warriors, but it was only the only way.

The city walls were equipped with large siege weapons like Ballistas and Catapults for long-distance attacks. It was rarely used, but now it was being managed by Blackwind survivors and other tribesmen below the Great Warrior Realm.

To combat the powerful Bone Army, the ammunition used for these siege weapons were naturally not ordinary. It could be said that ammunitions prepared were equivalent to many Tier 3 Soul Weapons and above.

It was an extravagant waste of resources to manufacture something rarely used. Still, such extravagant waste has now become a necessary expenditure for the survival of the Darkmoon Tribe against the Bone Calamity.

"Don't think for a second that I will acknowledge you people as one of us just because we will be fighting together. Exactly what is your Blackwind Tribe plotting? I don't believe the great Blackwind Tribe could fall so easily." Goldenrod said in spite.

As a Peak-ranked Warrior, Goldenrod felt humiliated to be put in the same group as the Blackwind survivors. Someone like him should be standing at the front, along with the other Great Warriors.

Why did his elder brother place him together with these little children, elderlies, and disabled warriors?

Goldenrod's words made all the Blackwind Tribe survivors feel uncomfortable in their hearts, but they chose to remain silent. If their ancestors were still alive, would they have fallen to such a miserable state?

Battle Masters were rare, but Battle Kings were even rarer. Even so, every tribe had at least one or two ancestors at the Battle King realm.

Due to them being very few and far between with extremely high risks of undergoing Demon Possession, the Battle King ancestors mostly spend their time in deep slumber underground until they are needed.

They were the true guardians that guard human tribes and lands against the demons of the south.

The Blackwind Tribe had two Battle Kings. They were the ancestors of the Black family and the Wind family. But because of a conflict of interest five years ago that ended in a civil war, both Battle Kings lost their lives in the battle against each other.

Goldenrod was ignorant of such events. Seeing the survivors keeping their silence, he continued to mock them.

"Hmph! You useless things better not hold me back later."

"That's enough, Goldenrod! The battle is imminent. What the hell are you trying to do by sowing discord at this moment?" Chief Valencia harshly rebuked after overhearing his displeasing remarks that affected the morale of the troops.

"It does not matter whether they were from the Blackwind Tribe in the past. What's important is that they are now one of us. You better start treating them with proper respect."

"Y-Yes, Chief! I'm sorry!"

Goldenrod quickly apologized.

He did not expect the tribal chief to have such sharp ears and overhear him from the main southern tower.

Not only did Chief Valencia heard him, but a lot of other people on the main southern tower did so as well. One of them was his elder brother, Goldeneye.

Goldeneye swept his little brother an impassive glance, filled with hidden disappointment. His little brother was a frivolous person who liked to butter up to important people, but things did not play out as he had hoped.

'This is a battle of unprecedented danger. I placed you in the back to protect you! At the same time, it was your chance to get closer to the Blackwind Tribe's Shamans. But not only did you fail to do so, but you also embarrassed me! Why do I have a useless brother like you?'

As the earth began to rumble in the distance, no one further paid Goldenrod any attention and directed their gazes to the front with a solemn expression.

When the Bone Army came into view, a few narrowed their eyes while most widened them with shock.

"What the hell is that?"

"Can that still be called a Bone Army?"

"An army of Ghouls seems more appropriate, no?"

"Right, they look like freaking Ghouls!"

"Is this the true nature of the Bone Calamity?! To prey on the flesh on the living and revive?!"

The warriors broke into discussions with sheer shock. They had never encountered such a situation, or rather the problem was never dire enough to reach such a point!

"Ah, that's our chief! Chief Blackarrow is still alive!"

"Wrong! That is not Chief Blackarrow! Look carefully! Something is different about him! He is leading the Bone Army!"

The Blackwind survivors were excited for a moment before they sank into deeper despair. If Goldenrod were not afraid of being reprimanded again, he would have jumped out to criticize these emotional people.

'You are all part of the Darkmoon Tribe now. What do you mean by 'our chief,' huh? Chief Valencia is your chief now, not Blackarrow.'

"So, they got him too."

Chief Valencia had a forlorn look.

In the distance, the 'Bone Army' was being led by a Bone King that assimilated with Chief Blackarrow's body.

All the Bone Demons following behind also had some layer of flesh attached to them. They were absorbed by the dead warriors back in Blackwind City.

'Chief Blackarrow was an Early-ranked Battle Master when he was alive. Now that he is an Undead, he can only be much stronger. I am afraid that his strength should be somewhere around the High-ranked Battle Master Realm now. The Bone Demons behind him do not look like pushovers either. This battle is going to be… difficult!'

Chief Valencia quietly analyzed the situation.

Chapter 368 - Start Of Battle

On the left tower of the southern wall, Leon was deployed here together with Lumi and a small group of Shamans, whom he had already met the night before.

They were Old Tailor, Master Woodrow, and Old Hammer.

He was the most familiar with Old Tailor and Master Woodrow amongst all the Venerable Shamans in the tribe. Perhaps, they were placed together because Chief Valencia was aware of this.

The rest of the Venerable Shamans were placed in the right tower next to the central southern tower.

"How do you feel, Lumi? Do you think your soul attack will be effective against them?" Leon asked as he watches the enemy approaching.

The 100 thousand-odd Fleshies were like tireless machines. When the Darkmoon Tribe came into their view, their momentum neither slowed down nor sped up. They had been moving at maximum speed.

It was the reason they managed to catch up so quickly despite the survivors getting several hours head start.

An ordinary person would not be able to gauge the enemy's strength across such distance, but Lumi was not an ordinary person.

She was a spirit, and spirit sees the world differently to living entities. They had a particular set of eyes that allow them to gaze directly into a person's source and see their soul form.

To Lumi, the form of Leon's soul was no different from what he usually look to others on the outside. They were the spitting image of each other. This is because the body contains one part of the soul.

However, the Bone Kings were different. They were dead, and the body they possess are not their own.

When Lumi looks at their soul, all she sees is a ball of grey fire, much larger than her own. As for the mindless army, only a tiny wisp that did not even belong to themselves could be seen.

"There are several strong presences that my soul attack will not work on, but the rest will be at my mercy."

"That is good enough—No, it's perfect. Those strong presences must be the Bone Kings. If the rest can be immobilized, we will have a better fighting chance." Leon said.

Having Master Woodrow to fill him in on the demon classifications of the Bone Calamity, Leon knew where the problem lies.

The evolved Behemoth-class Bone Demons might be strong, but they were nothing if they cannot move. It was the evolved Bone Kings that they had to worry about.

"It has been a long time since I've stretched these old bones of mine. Who knew that I would still have to fight after retiring from the battlefield?" Old Tailor mildly complained.

A huge bone saber was rested on his shoulders with an awe-inspiring aura, and vigor Leon had not felt before was emitted by Old Tailor.

"You can complain all you want after we survive this battle."

Master Woodrow laughed lightly.

As the army of Fleshies entered a certain range, Leon immediately cried, "Lumi!"

Without hesitation, Lumi knew what she had to do. She leaped off the tower and soared forward away from the humans on the wall.

"Hm? A Banshee?"

The Bone Kings immediately took notice of her, but before they could think further, Lumi blew hard on her bone whistle and sent out a formless sound attack to swept across the field.

"Fire!"

Chief Valencia roared at the top of her lungs.

With her weapon pointed at the enemy in the distance, two dozen large enchanted bolts and boulders were fired from the heavy ballista and catapults mounted on the wall.

The largest of the Behemoth-class demons were the easiest to fall prey to the first round of fire as large bolts directly pierce through their hardened bone and onto the next, while boulders exploded on impact and burst into a sea of flames.

These boulders contained the fat and oil extracts of demonic beasts inside them.

Despite the damage taken, none of the enemies died. Chief Valencia narrowed her eyes and began issuing a string of commands.

New bolts and boulders were loaded before they were fired at will. The people wanted nothing more than to continue rain hell on these evil creatures.

Suddenly, Chief Valencia felt a looming sense of danger and immediately barked, "Deploy the barrier!"

The tribesmen worked quickly to activate the city's formations as a dome-shaped barrier of semi-transparent red light encompassed the city.

Boom!

A bone arrowed struck the barrier and sent ripples along its surface like the ocean waves battering against the sandy shores.

The barrier shook considerably, but it withstood the attack while the bone attack was ground to dust against the barrier.

Leon studied the defensive barrier seriously and thought how much lives could have been saved if the Darkmoon Tribe had fought defensively in the first battle.

But then again, the activation of such a large and strong barrier would have consumed a large number of resources, something that is scarce, and the Darkmoon Tribe would refrain from using if given a choice.

"Is that a bone arrow?"

A warrior widened his eyes with great shock, fear, and cold sweat. If not for the chief's timely warning, he would not have seen the attack coming.

A section of the wall would have been destroyed if not for the barrier's protection. Even so, the Darkmoon Tribe did not know how many times they can continue to withstand such attacks.

Their demonic beast cores were not unlimited, and a gargantuan amount of energy was consumed continuously just to uphold the barrier.

"There's only one in this region of the Infertile Plains who uses bow and arrow. That shot must have been from Chief Blackarrow!"

"Well, it is not Chief Blackarrow anymore, but a demon-possessed Blackarrow!"

"That's true!"

"Buckle up, everyone! We're in it for a tough one!" Sabertooth shouted.

What will happen, will happen.

There was only so much the ballista and catapults can do. The enemy's advance was slowed but not stopped. Both sides eventually collided as the flesh demons rammed into the protective barrier.

The earth shook, the city walls shook, and the barrier popped like a broken bubble.

"Attack!!!"

Weapons drawn, Chief Valencia fearlessly dived straight into the enemy. The Great Warriors followed suit under her lead while the non-combatants stayed behind and sling bottles of flammable liquid over the walls.

Some reached far while some fell short, yet strangely, none of the Great Warriors at the front was hit by their own people. The fiery bottles all found their way to the enemy as if guided by a mysterious force.

"Do you know what the most defining trait of a Shaman is?" Old Tailor suddenly asked amid battle.

Leon shook his head.

To date, he had yet to understand what it means to be a Shaman. He only knew they were people that wield special abilities like Awakening powers and had in-depth knowledge of runes.

Nevertheless, for Old Tailor to bring this up now, he could guess that it had something to do with the mysterious force he had sensed.

It felt the same as his Divine Will, but he did not say anything and allowed Old Tailor to explain despite knowing this.

Old Tailor smirked at Leon's response.

He had expected this and began to put on a wise front as he lectured, "Listen up, boy. The history of mankind can be traced back to several thousand years to tens of thousands of years, but the truth is, we have existed much longer than this—"

Swoosh—!

Old Tailor was interrupted by a wild bone arrow.

In that instance, the old man's seemingly fragile arms exploded with 500-thousands-jins worth of strength and swept the arrow away with his heavy saber like he was swinging a light feather.

Old Tailor realized he did not have the time to give a lengthy explanation and decided to jump straight to the point.

"Ahem, the point is—the most defining trait of a Shaman is to manifest their Will. Although there are rare cases of Shamans awakening specialized abilities like you, this is not actually a good thing."

"This is like learning how to walk before you can even crawl. You might know how to use them, but it will be difficult to improve the ability if you do not understand the process. I must admit that you are a very talented young lad, so I would hate to see your talents buried."

"This is why I am teaching you to work on your Will. Once you can freely manifest your Will, it will be easier for you to improve your special ability."

Old Tailor had high hopes for Leon. If his ability grows stronger, he could treat more people with Demon Possession symptoms without being so easily worn out after the treatment.

"I see, thanks. I will keep that in mind, Old Tailor." Leon said with gratitude.

He truly meant it.

Although the Old Tailor knew nothing about Awakening cultivation, what he said was not without reason and logic.

There was truth behind it.

It seems logical that one should learn how to manifest their Will before they awaken their elemental abilities.

Why do the denizens of the Divine Realm not have these awakening abilities that are apparent in humans of Gaia? In the end, what is awakening, really—and why do people have it?

Leon had pondered these questions before, but this time, he felt like he was on the verge of discovering a big secret.

Unfortunately, the situation had given him no time to ponder further.

Lumi gave her best efforts to keep the enemies at bay with her soul attacks, but it also placed her in a dangerous position.

"Lumi, you are too deep behind enemy lines! Retreat immediately!"

Leon warned.

Chapter 369 - Situational Change

"What the hell is a Banshee doing all the way out here—and to assist the humans, no less. The Banshee Lord is a huge joke! He doesn't even know how to keep his Banshees under control."

The demon-possessed Blackarrow watched as the lone evil spirit in the sky hindered its army's battle efficiency with the constant harassment of soul attacks.

A gloomy air suffused its surroundings as its black pupils turn a shade darker like two small black holes that threaten to swallow everything.

"Banshee or not, since it dares to assist the humans, it is an enemy that must be eradicated!" The demon-possessed Blackarrow spat.

An arrow was drawn from the quiver and nocked before the demon-possessed Blackarrow aimed the Tier-5 Dominator's Bow at Lumi in the sky.

It was at that moment that Lumi heard Leon's warning, but it was too late. A bone arrow traveling at terrifying velocity headed right for her.

Lumi was unable to dodge in time and took a direct hit as the arrow pierced through and sent her plunging into the enemy's ranks below.

Physical attacks did not work on her, but the bone arrow was suffused Death Energy harmful to her. The demon-possessed Blackarrow knew precisely what was effective and ineffective against Banshees and other evil spirits.

"Lumi!!!"

Leon cried.

Seeing Lumi plunge into the sea of enemies, he reacted immediately, hopping onto the ledge of the tower, and prepared to propel himself into the crowd to fetch her.

"Don't do it, boy! It is too dangerous!" Old Tailor warned.

It was a massive loss for the entirety of humanity on the Infertile Plains if something happened to Leonhardt.

Nevertheless, Leon did not adhere to Old Tailor's warning and took off. An invisible burst of mental energy exploded at the soles of his feet and propelled him forward like a cannonball.

At the same time, Chief Valencia also wanted to rescue Lumi. Lumi's ability was far too important for the battle. It was hard to imagine the casualties without her support.

"Chief Valencia, you mustn't! If you leave the formation, our defensive line will immediately collapse!" A Great Warrior strongly advised.

"Dammit!"

Chief Valencia gritted her teeth in frustration.

Without Lumi's support, the pressure on the warriors was immense. If they also lose their chief's help, they will fail to hold back the enemy and be overrun.

The two sides fought like a meat grinder in a contest of strength while the backline continued to sling incendiary bottles over to burn the enemy.

As Chief Valencia was caught in a dilemma, Old Tinker spoke, "Do what you need to do, lass. These old bones will hold the fort for you."

"Venerable Shaman!"

Chief Valencia was pleasantly surprised before she nodded.

They still had the seven Venerable Shamans participate in the battle alongside!

Although the seven Venerable Shamans could no longer progress further as warriors, they were all terrific Peak-ranked to Extremity-ranked Battle Masters at their prime!

It was hard to say how much strength they still wield now, but it was definitely still within the realms of Battle Masters!

"Allow me to clear you a path."

Old Tinker said with a sharp, penetrating gaze.

He tightened his grip on the handle of his heavy sword before he swung his heavy sword in a quick flash of whiteness, sending out a shockwave with unstoppable momentum towards the enemy in front.

All the Behemoth-class demons that blocked the sword's path were directly cleaved in half along with the solid earth.

Behemoth-class demons were strong, but Old Tinker was stronger!

Evolved Behemoth-class Bone Demons with plastered human fleshes were all comparable to Lesser Demons, with strengths ranging between Early-ranked Great Warrior to Extremity-ranked Great Warrior in comparison to humans. However, it was ultimately still within the Great Warrior Realm.

They were no match for a Battle Master, and even more so, a Battle Master that is a Swordsman almost comparable to Sword Masters.

"Go now!"

Old Tinker urged.

The other Venerable Shamans were no longer passive and jumped straight into action, forming a stable defensive line that is not inferior to Lumi's support.

Leon hovered above the area Lumi disappeared and frowned as the bone spear flashed into his hands.

His heart worried for Lumi but not enough for him to lose his mind. He knew that he would be throwing away his life if he tried to dive into the sea of demons below to search for her.

His battle power may be comparable to Mid-ranked Great Warriors, but it was not worth mentioning when the entire army was around this level and higher.

He could only harass the enemy to attract their attention and draw them away from Lumi.

"You can fly?"

Chief Valencia was stunned when she cleaved her way over with her Soul Weapon and found Leon in the sky. Nevertheless, now was not the time for her to be distracted.

At the same time, Old Tailor was even more stunned than she was when he glanced over from a distance.

It became evident to him that Leonhardt already knew how to manifest his Will. Otherwise, it cannot explain how the person was able to hover in mid-air.

All that previous talk about Will made his face flush red with embarrassment like he had been slapped before he vented his feelings on the numerous bone demons before him.

Leon was thankful that Chief Valencia was willing to brave danger to save Lumi. However, when the area was cleared, they did not find Lumi. Instead, a black dome was discovered.

None of the bone demons were able to put a dent on the sturdy black dome, and their attacks were repelled instead.

Something more bizarre began to happen when the evolve Behemoth-class Bone Demons stayed close to the black dome for extended periods.

The human flesh plastered on their bony bodies began to melt off while the Death Energy and Darkness Profound Energy within their bodies were stripped away by the black dome.

Shortly after, these evolved Behemoth-class Bone Demons became nothing more than a pile of bones on the ground.

From Leon's connection to Lumi through the Blood Imprint, he knew she was inside the black dome, and she had been hurt badly by the previous attack.

However, an eyebrow was raised when he sensed the Blood Imprint being erased slowly like a burning talisman paper.

"How is this possible?"

The discovery startled him.

If it were not for the fact that he was the one who cast the Blood Imprint on Lumi, he would have doubted that there was someone who can undo their own Blood Imprint without outside help.

Something big was happening. His instincts picked up a foreboding sense of danger greater than the threat posed by the Bone Calamity.

"Chief Valencia, we should quickly retreat!" Leon advised.

Although he did not know what was going to happen, he trusted his gut instincts. This is even more so now that the Blood Imprint keeping Lumi in check was gone. Once her alter ego takes over, it was hard to tell if she was still a friend or foe.

"What is going on? What about your friend, Lumi?"

"I don't know, but for the time being, she should be safe. Us, on the other hand, we will be in grave danger if we stay."

"En, I also have this uncomfortable foreboding sense of danger. It seems something terrible is about to happen."

Chief Valencia acknowledged.

They retreated to the wall safely. The evolved Behemoth-class Bone Demons did not attack Chief Valencia as she retreated to the wall, nor was Leon attacked as he flew back.

The demon-possessed Blackarrow had every opportunity to snipe him while he was in the sky, but it chose not to. Perhaps Leon was not a threat worthy of it wasting its limited arrows.

The battle unexpectedly stopped as the enemy retreated.

The 6 hidden Behemoth-class Bone Kings returned to the side of the demon-possess Blackarrow, controlled by the soul of the 7th Bone King.

"What is going on? What is this nervous tension I am feeling? I only get this feeling when I am about to meet the Lord."

"To think there is something else out there that can make me feel deep fear and trepidation other than our Lord."

"The problem seems to stem from the rogue banshee." The demon-possessed Blackarrow spoke. Its dark eyes never left the black dome.

"That Half Corporeal state vengeful spirit? Impossible!"

The Bone King denied.

An ominous feeling soon spread through the entire region along with the increased presence of the howling wind.

The dark clouds began to gather en masse in the sunless sky above as crackling thunder was heard and flashes of lightning were seen.

The phenomenal event resembled a breakthrough phenomenon, yet at the same time, it did not.

Lumi was just Half Corporeal vengeful spirit. Even if she was breaking through to the Corporeal state, it would just be on the level of a Transcendent's breakthrough.

What was happening was far, far bigger than that.

No matter how Leon looked at it, it did not seem like good news.

Chapter 370 - First Sign Of Divinity

The dark clouds swirled like the formation of a hurricane as the winding wind grew stronger, and the crackling thunder grew louder.

Purplish-white lightning flashed in the sky like fast-forming cracks, and the world was illuminated from time to time.

Darkness swallowed the world once more with the transformation of lightning as it transitioned from purplish-white to pure blackness, and its appearance brought forth an unprecedented level of dread and danger.

"What kind of phenomenon is this? Is this still the phenomenon of a transcendental breakthrough?! Who can possibly attract such a terrible phenomenon?"

"Do you even need to ask? Look where its center is! The eye is pointing right at the black dome where the Banshee Lumi disappeared! It has to be the Banshee causing this!"

The warriors began to discuss nervously.

The situation was something they had never seen before. Forget about them; even Leon and the demons had never seen anything like this before.

Old Baba heard their discussion and forcefully interjected, "That is impossible. I have been to the Dark Lands that lie on the other side of Darkness Mountain and witnessed evil spirits breaking through to the Corporeal state before. I can tell you now that it does not look anything like this."

"Boy, you had really given me a scare when you flew deep behind the enemy lines. I thought you were going to recklessly throw your life away, but I am glad that you made it back safely." Old Tailor said to Leon.

"That's right, Little Brother Leonhardt. If something happened to you, it would have been too much of a loss for the whole of humanity." Master Woodrow added.

"My apologies."

Leon was apologetic, but given the same choices, he would have done what he did again. He had brought Lumi to this dangerous place.

If something happened to her and he did nothing about it, he would regret it. He did not need something like that weighing on his conscience.

Knowing his words had no weight on Leon's decisions, Old Tailor could only shake his head and shift the topic as he focuses his gaze on the black dome in the distance.

"Still, I thought your friend was just a Half Corporeal state Banshee? This phenomenon is not something a Half Corporeal state Banshee can create. What is she really?" Old Tailor asked.

"You are asking me, but who do I ask? I also want to know what is going on."

Leon shrugged.

He appeared nonchalant, but he could not hide the concerns in his heart. He could no longer sense Lumi's condition now that the Blood Imprint was erased.

"Do you know what is happening, Maya? Exactly what kind of cultivation did you give her? How can it be so powerful?"

"Hmph!"

Maya grunted when she heard his questions and felt the connection being established to share senses between them.

A single short response was enough for Leon to know that the artifact spirit was still upset with him. Nevertheless, he did not have the time to be concerned about placating the artifact spirit when there were more pressing matters at hand.

"Maya!"

Leon urged.

The strong pleading and urgency in his tone made Maya aware of the severity of the situation.

She unwittingly took a glanced through Leon's vision lazily before she suddenly became attentive and studied the phenomenon with a serious expression.

At that moment, both Humans and demons suddenly trembled as dark rays descended upon the black dome quickly, yet quietly like cascading moonlight on snow.

There was no deafening impact. Just an eerie silence that fills one with an inexplicable sense of unease.

Ba-dump!

The hearts of men thumped with a quickened beat, and the bones of demons rattled subconsciously from a wave of pressuring aura that compels them to prostrate to the black dome—or rather, the one inside the black dome.

They resisted the compelling force as they watched the black dome slowly shed its shell, and a fairy-like figure in black dress stepped out from its dissipating black light.

It was like an inviolable existence was stepping into being and all lower lifeforms have no other choice but to submit and bend to its will.

An otherworldly aura of holiness radiated from the fairy in black dress, but her cold, gloomy gaze could freeze the hearts of people and send them plunging into the depths of icy hell.

It was a contradictory feeling between evil and divine.

"Divinity."

Maya uttered a single word in shock as if she could not believe what she was seeing. When Leon heard her, he jumped with greater shock.

"A Divinity?! The same as the Old Gods from primordial times? Lumi is?"

Leon was in disbelief.

He was aware of Lumi's history. She was just a regular human 400-odd years ago when she was still alive. How could she be a divinity?! Was it related to her other persona? Could it have been the soul of a Divinity all this time?

Leon stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in the distance with wide eyes. Previous lily-white Lumi has become a black rose filled with thorns.

From her countenance, he could immediately guess that it was not the normal Lumi he usually interacted with, but the other persona filled with resentment and murderous intent.

"Divinities have limitless lifespans, but they are not necessarily all gods; they can also be devils. In this case, she is a Devil. I don't know how, but the Devil Aura on her body cannot be faked." Maya said.

"How strong is she?" He asked.

If Lumi was a True Divinity, wouldn't she be able to lay waste to the whole world—or rather, destroy the world as a whole in an instance?

"Not that strong. She is not a True Divinity. She has only awakened the fragment of Devil Soul in her. According to this world's classification, I'd say she should be around the half-step Celestial realm?" Maya said.

"A half-step Celestial is not that strong?"

The corner of Leon's lips twitched when he heard this.

"What do you know? The power of a Divinity is not something the likes of you mortals can understand nor dream of reaching! If not for her true cultivation at the Corporeal state and newly awakened Devil Soul limiting her, her strength would be much greater!"

"The Gods and Devils were beings who understood the Great Way and heavenly laws to destroy and create stars as they please. Would you still think the strength of a half-step Celestial is great compared to this?" Maya asked.

"I see…"

Leon's neck could not help but shrink.

His entire discussion with Maya had been through mental transmission, and nothing has been uttered verbally at this while. Nevertheless, Master Woodrow still noticed his strange behavior and asked, "What are you doing, Little Brother Leonhardt?"

"Shh, let me hide for a bit. I don't know what is going to happen, but it will be bad if Lumi sees me." He whispered softly.

"I thought you two had a great relationship?" Master Woodrow said with doubt.

"Hahaha…"

Leon chuckled bitterly.

He had a pretty good relationship with the good Lumi, but the evil Lumi? Not so much.

There was a high chance he would be killed by her if she spots him. Even worse, he would not be able to resist at all!

Chapter 371 - Law Of Destruction

The demon-possessed Blackarrow and Bone Kings gather around with doubt and wariness as they watch the black-dressed Lumi come into being with a completely different aura to her previous self.

"This sort of presence… is not inferior to our Lord. Just who is this banshee? How can she make us feel such deep reverence and fear with her aura alone?"

"There is only one way to find out, and that is to ask the banshee in question. Trying to guess will not get us anywhere."

"Since you say so, you should do it. We will watch you from behind."

"What kind of undead demon are you? Can you not be so cowardly? You are embarrassing me. We all have our Lord's divine protection. Even if our vessels are destroyed, our souls will still return to our Lord. There is nothing to be afraid of."

"Then stop speaking nonsense and go ask already."

"Hmph, I will!"

The demon-possessed Blackarrow and the Bone Kings quietly discussed before the army cleared a path for the brave Bone King to approach the banshee.

"Who are you, and what is your relation to our Lord? Why do you assist humans and go against us?"

The brave Bone King questioned with an interrogative tone. The demon-possessed Blackarrow facepalmed itself when it overheard this from a distance.

"This idiot…"

It muttered and no longer cared about the Bone King. It had one job and could not even do it right due to its pride.

The black-dressed Lumi had been quietly studying her surrounding to understand her situation. Seeing the hole in her chest, she immediately frowned and placed one hand over it.

Darkness immediately gathered towards her pale hand before she used it to fill the empty void in her chest. Within a blink of an eye, her chest was restored perfectly without a single blemish or scar to indicate the wound once existed.

Only then did she sweep her chilly gaze over to the foolish Bone King that provoked her and snorted coldly in response.

"I do not like your tone. Such insolence towards me is deserving of death!"

The black-dressed Lumi said.

Her condescending attitude, in turn, angered the Bone King.

"I don't know how you cause such a stir in the world, but do not forget who put that hole in you, banshee. You are just a Corporeal state evil spirit. Do not think that a little breakthrough will make you unstoppable! If I want, I can easily—"

The Bone King immediately froze after sensing an invisible yet powerful force of suppression weighing down on its very soul.

The suppression was so strong that it could neither speak nor move. Despite feeling like an insignificant ant in front of that power, it could not comprehend why that is so.

"Easily, what?"

The black-dressed Lumi coldly asked.

The Bone King wanted to answer, but it could not do so despite strongly resisting the power of suppression with all the strength it could muster.

All that could be heard as a result of its efforts was the rattling of its own bones.

"All that talk and this is all you can amount to. Trifling weakling. Just disappear from my sight." The black-dressed Lumi said.

A deathly wind blew past the Bone King before the crimson light in its eye sockets dulled and faded into nothingness shortly after.

The bone-rattling stopped, and the Bone King becomes still without the slightest movement, but not for long. Its human flesh blackened from corrosion, and its bones creaked before breaking down into the finest of bone dust.

Eventually, the body dropped to the ground with nothing left behind.

The flesh had vaporized into thin air, and the bone dust scattered to the wind.

As for its soul, it faded from existence.

Like the mandate of heaven, inviolable and absolute, the Bone King disappeared just as the black-dressed Lumi had spoken.

The Bone King was erased from existence in both body and soul.

An evolved Behemoth-class Bone King with battle strength rivaling Greater Demons, and Battle Master had been killed just like that.

The battlefield was so silent, only the whistling of the wind was heard. Not a single human dared to breathe as they stood frozen with fear.

The scene was too eerie and frightening.

None could comprehend the powers and laws that worked behind it. It was beyond the realm of mortal understanding.

"Can you tell what laws she used to erase the demon from existence, Maya?" Leon mentally inquired with a glimmer in his eyes.

He had a preliminary understanding of the Nihility Law and knew that Nihility Law could also erase things from existence.

However, what he witnessed seems to be slightly different from what he knew about the Nihility Law. It was not true nothingness.

There seemed to have been traces of multiple laws such as the Death Law, Temporal Law, Wind Law, and Darkness Profound Law, but he was not sure.

He felt like he was still missing another law, the most important one, but his perception and comprehension were too limited to understand what that law was.

Nevertheless, he had this feeling that if he could gain some understanding of that law, he would be able to use it to further his comprehension of the Nihility Law.

Maya did not answer his question directly but quizzed him with a question of her own.

"If the Old Gods were the masters of creation, then what do you think the Devils were the masters of?"

"Destruction, the Devils were the masters of destruction."

Leon answered.

It was not a difficult question when Maya put it like that. The answer quickly came to mind when he referred to the concept of cosmic duality governing the world.

"Correct."

"The Destruction Law, huh?"

Leon quietly muttered.

He sat down on the spot and closed his eyes in meditation as the scene replayed in his mind.

Supreme laws were almost impossible to comprehend because they were difficult to observe.

However, if he had a basis for observation, things would become relatively easier. Nevertheless, the Destruction Law was a supreme law belonging to Divinities. He was not sure if he could comprehend it at his level.

Even so, he already had a preliminary understanding of the Law of Nihility. What could be more complicated than that?

Because he wields multiple elements, he cannot achieve transcendence through conventional methods.

The peak of the Ranked Awakener realm had become his bottleneck. If he did not want to be stuck at this bottleneck forever, he needed to forge his own path to transcendence.

While Leon attempted to comprehend the Destruction Law, there was an uproar in the enemy's ranks after the black-dressed Lumi suddenly disappeared.

"Where did she go?"

The Bone Kings searched their surroundings nervously. They have not felt such fear in a long time after serving their Lord faithfully.

"B-Behind you!"

The Bone Kings froze as the demon-possessed Blackarrow swiftly turned around to check behind it. There, the black-dressed Lumi stood.

No one had been able to catch her movements. She had simply disappeared and reappeared like teleportation through spatial manipulation.

"May I ask what your divine self needs from this lowly being?" The demon-possessed Blackarrow asked respectfully.

It was not stupid.

Someone who can casually destroy a Greater Demon with a mere wave of its hand had to be on the level of Demon Lord, or at least, infinitely close to the Demon Lord level.

Resistance equaled death.

The black-dressed Lumi had her eyes rested on the Dominator's Bow in the demon's hand and asked, "You were the one that shot my sister?"

The demon-possessed Blackarrow was immediately confused. Nevertheless, it would be a fool to admit anything that antagonizes this divine being.

"No, it was the humans over there that did it."

"…"

The black-dress Lumi did not even bother to look where it pointed. Her eyes turned a shade colder as the Bone King's spirit got forcefully ejected from Blackarrow's body.

"I do not like liars. You have one more chance to speak truthfully." The black-dressed Lumi stated grimly.

The was only one bow-user on the entire battlefield. She was not foolish enough to believe in such a blatant lie that might only work on children.

The Bone King's spirit trembled with fear. It had no control over its own life and was wholly at the mercy of the divine being.

No matter which answers it gives, death was undoubtedly the only outcome.

Chapter 372 - Unstoppable

The patience of the black-dressed Lumi grew thin as she waited several breaths for the spirit of the Bone King to reply.

After waiting for a few more breaths without receiving any response, her cold eyes flickered with surging killing intent.

The answer was no important, anyway.

Since she intends to kill, nothing can stop her. All who harms her sister must pay the price regardless of who they are.

The Bone King sensed the divine being's surging killing intent and trembled with greater fear. It knew that its time was up.

With no other ideas on stopping the divine being from carrying out its divine punishment, the Bone King resorted to its last option.

It immediately reached out to the wisp of will that laid ever dormant within its soul. It was the will of its Lord that can be found in all of the Lord's close followers.

'Save me, my Lord!'

It cried.

As if receiving some response, a deathly aura immediately gushed from the Bone King's soul and manifested the Lord's will in the form of a large black skull with a jade serpent coiling out from its empty eye sockets.

The black-dressed Lumi was surprised by the sudden change, but not enough for her to retreat with caution.

Nevertheless, she halted her execution and observed with interest, no longer in a hurry to kill.

As the black skull apparition appeared, the other Bone Kings all retreated and kneeled behind it.

"This servant greets you, my Lord!"

They all spoke.

The black skull apparition acknowledged their greetings before sweeping the surrounding with its studying gaze.

After gaining some general understanding of the situation, a wave of deathly aura swept over the Bone King's soul and freed it from its immobility.

"Thank you, my Lord!"

The Bone King's soul showed his deepest gratitude before repossessing Blackarrow and joining the other Bone Kings behind the apparition.

There is a price to pay for summoning its Lord's will, but at this moment, it was not feeling any of the pain that comes with that price, the price of offering half of its accumulated energy.

It was just thankful for being alive.

"En, I have pretty much understood the situation."

The black skull apparition said.

It proceeded to face the black-dressed Lumi after.

"I sense great power of understanding of the Death and Darkness Profound Laws from you. Judging by the aura, I sense on you; you should be one of my kin. There is no conflict that cannot be resolved among us denizens of darkness. Why not pardon my little follower and let him go? I will be most appreciative."

The apparition suggested.

In response to its words, the black-dressed Lumi raised her hand and snapped her fingers. In the next moment, the repossessed Blackarrow's body exploded like scattered ashes before dispersing into the void.

Nothing was left of it; destroyed and reduced to atoms.

The other Bone Kings trembled with fear. Even if they hide behind their Lord's manifested will, they can still die if the other party wants them to.

That being was utterly unstoppable!

"You are just the wisp of a Demon Lord's soul. You are not qualified to negotiate conditions with me. Besides, if I want to kill, nothing can stop me!"

The black-dressed Lumi said imperiously.

The black skull apparition's expression cannot be seen, but its surrounding aura grew more decadent and dark with gloom.

It did not understand the law that destroyed its follower, but it was evidently offended by her actions.

"You are making a mistake. Now is the time for the denizens of darkness to unite and regather our strength. We should not be fighting amongst ourselves. It does not benefit anyone. You will only make yourself an enemy of everyone."

The apparition spoke with a threatening tone.

"Whether I am making a mistake or not, I do not know. But I do know that your words have cost you another follower."

The black-dressed Lumi said.

She snapped her fingers, and another Bone King exploded into scattering white powder before vaporizing into thin air.

The apparition became gloomier.

Yet again, it did not understand how its follower killed in both body and soul. None of its followers had ownership of their soul. They all belong to it, the Demon Lord Karau.

Even so, it could do nothing except sense its follower's soul disperse to nothingness beyond its control. The banshee used a law it did not understand. How could this be?

"You… You are not one of us… Your aura is similar, but it is actually different. Who are you—No, what are you?"

The black-dressed Lumi responded with another snap of her fingers, sending another Bone King into oblivion.

The apparition was immediately enraged.

Each follower was exclusively bound to it by a contract between master and servants. Not only were the followers; faithful servants, they were its collectors of souls.

"You—You are completely unreasonable! Do you really want to go against me for these humans?!" The apparition howled.

"For these humans, you say?"

The black-dressed Lumi paused for a moment to glance in the direction of the Darkmoon Tribe before she snickered, "I couldn't care less about the humans."

"Then, why?!"

"Because your minions hurt someone, it should not have hurt."

The black-dressed Lumi coldly answered.

The remaining Bone Kings began to disappear one after the other. No expression could be seen on their faceless head, but their despair could be felt.

"My Lord…"

The last Bone King cried its final words before it faded from existence like the rest.

"Dammit! I will remember you!"

The apparition growled.

Many Bone Kings have been killed in the Bone Calamity, but those were only the destruction of the bone vessels. The souls of the fallen Bone Kings had all returned to its embrace. With appropriate vessels, they can be revived endlessly.

However, it was different this time. It had permanently lost 7 followers. The lost pained it so.

The Darkness Profound Energy and Death Energy began to gather and congealed into a strange symbol before the apparition shot it forward.

Faced with the incoming symbol, the black-dressed Lumi simply blew at it, and the strange black symbol dispersed.

"You want to mark me with a Death Symbol to keep track of my whereabouts? You are not qualified!"

The black-dressed Lumi laughed coldly.

A powerful pressure soon weighed down on the black skull apparition before it slowly dissipates from the Destruction Law destroying it.

However, due to its high understanding of the Death Laws, it was able to resist the Destruction Law somewhat and not wholly disperse in an instant.

In the end, the black skull apparition was just a wisp of will and not its true self. It did not possess any substantial battle capabilities.

"Hmph! If you have the courage, then come find my true body in the Land of Darkness."

The apparition left these words before the last traces of it dispersed.

…

On the human side, everyone was still rooted on the spot, stricken with fear and uncertainty. No one rejoiced despite seeing their strongest foes eliminated before their eyes.

"All the Bone Kings were killed just like that… is this still the banshee we know? Is she still a friend or a foe?" A warrior asked nervously.

"How did she become so powerful? She is completely unstoppable!"

"I'm afraid only Leonhardt can answer these question, but…"

Following the warrior's gaze, the surrounding warriors turned to Leonhardt, who was seated in meditation.

"…He is meditating… Not sure if this is the best time for that…"

"It shouldn't be… He is a proclaimed spirit tamer. Maybe he is communicating with the banshee telepathically…"

"True…"

The warriors attempted to understand the situation. Unfortunately, their guesses were all wrong. Leon was truly meditating.

Furthermore, he did not have all the answers.

"What are your orders, Chief?"

Sabertooth asked.

Chief Valencia furrowed her brows in thought. For better or worse, the battle had been halted, and they had not suffered significant casualties like she had assumed…

...But their future remains uncertain.

The black-dressed Lumi was too different from her previous self. It was like she had become an entirely different person. Her aura had completely changed and appeared more malevolent and wicked than any vengeful spirits they have ever seen.

How and why she had become like this, Chief Valencia did not know. She only knows that if her hostility is pointed at them next, they could very well be facing total tribe annihilation.

"Everyone is to remain on standby and hold your positions. We will continue to observe the situation for now."

Chief Valencia said.

Chapter 373 - Sweeping The Battlefield

When all the sentient leaders of the Bone Calamity's undead demon army were slaughtered and absent from the ranks, the Behemoth-class ghoul-like Bone Demons resumed their most basic command to hunt down the humans in sight.

In a short moment, the undead demon army began to charge towards the city walls once more, completely ignoring the black-dressed Lumi that stood in the middle of their ranks.

The Darkmoon Tribe warriors did not have to standby for long before they were forced into battle once more.

"Prepare for battle!"

Chief Valencia roared.

Standing at the front to receive the brunt of the charge along with the 7 Venerable Shamans, they were the only 8 Battle Masters in the tribe.

Not all Shamans can achieve the Battle Master realm during their prime. Many fall short at the Extremity-rank Great Master realm before their eventual decline.

"Haiz, it seems these old bones got to be put to work after all."

Old Fjord said.

The Battle Masters clashed with the undead army of Behemoth-class Bone Demons and crushed hundreds of them in the first wave of attacks.

As the battle resumed, the black-dressed Lumi watched with indifference from a distance. The undead demons were not her allies, but neither were the humans.

Now that she was free, she began to ponder some things. An invisible force of destruction weaved around her hands as she casually played with it.

There was a fragment of foreign memories in her mind that did not belong to her nor her little sister, the real Lumi.

That being the case, the memory fragment appeared to have been awakened from within her—or rather her little sister and grant them grant high comprehension of multiple laws.

It was unclear why they innately possessed such a godly memory fragment, but some conditions must have been met to trigger its awakening.

Her little sister was not receptive to pain as the stimulus triggers deep trauma buried within her. This was also how she came into being.

She was the strong persona her little sister had subconsciously created to bear all the pain and suffering her little sister cannot handle—At least, that is what she thinks.

Sometimes, she was not sure what she was. However, she grew to accept her role as the strong big sister that protects her little sister.

This is also why her little sister was never aware of her existence while they shared the same body since her little sister subconsciously buries and rejects all the negative emotions.

She only takes over when her little sister suffers grievance and pain she cannot bear.

Reviewing the memories before her little sister blacked out, the black-dressed Lumi figured everything out.

The attack that punctured their chest had been too fast for her to take over immediately, causing her little sister to bear the full brunt of the damage.

The great stimulus might have been what led to the forceful awakening.

There was not much personal information within the memory fragment for her to find out about the memory's owner's true identity.

Still, it was not important as far as she was concerned. What is important is that this newfound power is useful to them.

After settling aside these thoughts, the black-dressed Lumi swept her gaze over the ongoing battle in the distance.

She was looking for the one that tried to enslave them and brought them to this dark world. In her opinion, her little sister would not have suffered if that person did not bring them to this land.

She snorted when she failed to locate the person.

Nevertheless, the person should be hiding somewhere nearby. Knowing this, she began making a beeline for the southern walls of Darkmoon City.

"You're in my way. Move it."

She headed straight through the ongoing battlefield and waved her fair white hands like she was shooing away flies.

The power of destruction swept over the Behemoth-class Bone Demons impeding her path and reduced them to scattered ashes.

Her high-profile movements could not be missed by the Darkmoon Tribe.

"Everyone, retreat! Lumi is coming over! Be careful not to get swept up in her attack!" Chief Valencia warned.

"Yes, chief!"

The warriors efficiently retreated under the cover of the Battle Masters.

Hundreds of Behemoth-class Bone Demons were destroyed within moments of the black-dressed Lumi's approaching figure.

The gruesome and bloodied flesh of dead humans plastered on their beings were not something even she wanted near her.

Despite the Behemoth-class Bone Demons getting slaughtered along the way, the entire Darkmoon Tribe grew more nervous and anxious with the black-dressed Lumi nearing them when they were facing the bone demons.

They could still resist when they are facing the bone demons. But if they were to be touched by that strange power, they would disappear from the face of the earth.

They were not so conceited as to think that their bodies were more formidable than the Bone Demons.

By the time the black-dressed Lumi reached the foot of the city walls, several thousands of bone demons were erased from the battlefield.

A trail of sweat trickled down Chief Valencia's face.

Even a battle-hardened warrior like her cannot help but feel a bit nervous standing in front of the black-dressed Lumi after her unstoppable display of might.

"You… you're Lumi, right?"

Chief Valencia.

The black-dressed Lumi glanced at her and did a quick memory check. Although the person had not treated Lumi well, the person had also not mistreated her. It could be said that their relationship was relatively normal.

Since there was no beef between them, there was no need to be hostile. She nodded and moderately answered, "Yes, but also no. You can call me Duna instead."

The black-dressed Lumi naturally puzzled everyone who overheard her answer.

Duna? A split personality disorder? Two souls sharing one body? Or something else entirely?

Although Chief Valencia was puzzled, she did not voice her doubts. Duna did not seem like a patient person.

"I see… I wonder what I can do for you?"

"I am looking for someone. I don't think you need me to say who I am looking for, right?" Duna asked.

Chief Valencia nodded and pointed Duna in the right direction of Leonhardt's location. Little did she know that her action might put Leonhardt in danger.

Duna offered her thanks and continued on her way. But after a few steps, she stopped and looked back.

The Darkmoon Tribe continued to fight against the undead army with their lives on the line, but despite this, Chief Valencia did not request any help from her.

Perhaps, the person understood that Duna did not have any concerns for the humans and might not help even if they asked.

Nevertheless, Chief Valencia had done Duna a favor, no matter how small it was. She did not like owing anyone anything.

She turned towards the demon army's direction, and the surrounding air suddenly intensified like an invisible power was being gathered.

Afterward, Duna made a swiping gesture at the demon army, and more than half of the remaining 80-thousand-odd army was obliterated in an instance.

Deep within the Black Swamp's inner region that lies on the other side of Darkness Mountain, the Land of Darkness, Demon Lord Karau was dealt a massive blow due to the loss.

A wisp of will was attached to every undead, and follower Demon Lord Karau controlled. Losing a few dozen to hundreds at a time was only like a scratch to it, but losing more than 40-thousand wisp of will at once was like suffering from a terrible soul attack that not only harmed its core but impacted its cultivation.

"ARGHHH! CURSED YOU, BANSHEE!! I SWEAR THE DAY I AM FREED; I WILL FIND YOU AND MAKE YOU SUFFER A THOUSAND DEATHS!!!"

Demon Lord Karau swore venomously with great anguish and pain.

His demonly figure cannot be seen, but his powerful voice echoed far and wide from a bottomless, dark pit of enormous proportions that laid at the center of the Black Swamp's innermost region.

Despite Demon Lord Karau's great fury, only the nearby demons that resided within the region were aware of it. His voice did not reach the Infertile Plains.

Back at the Darkmoon Tribe, Chief Valencia and the other warriors showed their gratitude to Duna before fighting with new vigor.

Duna flew over the walls and soon stopped in front of Leon. The warriors guarding him all ran away after Duna flashed them a cold look before resting on Leon.

Due to his deep meditation, Leon was unaware of the danger before him.

Chapter 374 - The Way To Achieve Transcendence

Unbeknownst to his surroundings, Leon had wholly sealed off his senses from the outside world to focus on comprehending the Destruction Law.

Snippets of the scene replayed in his mind from dozens of times to hundreds of times to thousands of times. Despite the countless replays, he made zero progress in comprehending the Destruction Laws.

'A law beyond mortal understanding.'

He thought.

His soul was far stronger than any Transcendent, but it was still not enough for him to perceive the Law of Destruction.

The Law of Destruction is a supreme law that stands above any individual laws part of the cycle of five elements. Even the Laws of Life and Death cannot compare to it, let alone the Laws of Space and Time.

The Laws of Destruction and Creation were both laws infinitely close to the source of beginning born from nothingness.

Without comprehending the Laws of Space and Time, Life and Death, there were little hopes of him understanding the Destruction Law.

The [Hegemon of Primal Chaos] also required the mastery of the first three stages before the commencement of the fourth stage.

But he had not even started on the second stage of space and time, let alone begin the third stage of life and death. The fourth stage of creation and destruction was far out of his reach.

Leon began to ponder deeply as the scene continued to replay in his mind.

How can the Destruction Law help him further his comprehension of the Nihility Law when he cannot comprehend it at all?

He decided to stop the replay and enter his sea of consciousness to visit the Black Vortex for answers. After all, that was where he was enlightened to the Law of Nihility.

The laws of the five elements were weak on their own, but they produce a power much closer to the source of beginning and more than the Destruction Law when merged together.

After all, the Destruction Law cannot produce pseudo-Grandmist energy on its own. It was supreme law in breaking things down to their most universally basic building blocks.

If he is not wrong, the fusion of the Creation Law and Destruction Law will produce a far more complete Grandmist energy than the fusion of the five elements could.

That being the case, the same could also be said for the fusion of the life and death laws, and the fusion of space and time laws.

'Hm?'

Leon suddenly paused in front of his soul core.

The color of his soul core seemed to be slightly different from how he remembered it. In addition to colors brought by the merge of the Fireseed, Iceseed, Lightningseed, Metalseed, Earthseed, and Woodseed, there seems to be another color. It was the color black.

The faint laws emanating for the black patch made him doubtful. When did he have the time to comprehend another law?

"This is… Darkness Profound Law—No, this is Spatial Law!"

Leon was alarmed.

Or rather, he was pleasantly alarmed!

"But how?"

The discovery puzzled him. He quickly spun his mind for an answer before shortly arriving at term he recently learned about, Void Body.

"From Darlene?"

He became even more confused.

Darlene could not cultivate—No, that is not correct. She definitely can cultivate, just not in the darkness body cultivation methods of the Darkmoon Tribe.

The correct way to put it should be that she had not cultivated yet, because she had yet to awaken.

That brings him back to the same question, how? How else did he gain comprehension into the Spatial Law? Because he was a Divine Origin realm practitioner in his past life?

He relied on cultivation pills to swiftly reach such a level. His comprehension of Fire Laws was substantial, but his Spatial Law comprehension was mediocre at best.

From what he had observed, all his partners were already Awakeners before he benefited with them through intimate dual cultivation.

Leon felt like he was thinking too deeply that he blinded himself from the simple truth. The answer was present all along.

'Darlene's inferior complex runs quite deep. She has been ingrained with the idea that she cannot cultivate.'

Leon pondered.

An Awakener's ability is heavily reliant on their will to control their element. If Awakeners strongly believes they cannot do something, they will never be able to do it—Not because they cannot, but because they have never tried.

'Hmm… It is quite possible that Darlene may have already awakened to the spatial element but have yet to realize it.'

He figured.

Awakeners needed to cultivate to improve their abilities, but they did not necessarily have to cultivate to awaken.

The very first Awakener to walk the land did not awaken because they knew how to cultivate. Cultivation methods were created after they learned of awakening.

Awakening could come naturally, or it can come forcefully. It was an innate power hidden within themselves.

Suddenly, Leon paused.

'Humans were not born with the innate ability to control the elements. Awakening made this possible, but not all humans can awaken. Only in this world, they can.'

He remembered the Destruction Laws Lumi awakened to control during battle and came up with a startling possibility.

'What if there is a fragment of Divinity in every human?'

He pondered.

As ridiculous as it sounds, it all made sense to him.

Why were the humans here able to manipulate the elements upon awakening while the denizens of the Divine Realm must toil hard and long comprehending and learning for countless years before they can do the same?

Everything fits if he said there was a fragment of Divinity in everyone.

Awakening, bloodline abilities, special physiques, and divine bodies, everything can be understood if a fragment of Divinity dwells within the souls of every being in this world.

Once this possibility cemented in his mind, he no longer found it strange that humans can awaken, nor was it a coincidence that Aria and Lynne both had special physiques that he failed to notice at first glance.

They were awakened after.

'The Divine Realm searched their whole life for the vestige of gods and the path to everlasting, but nothing was ever found except the records they left behind. As it turns out, all of it was here, in the one place they never searched, the black hole that swallows everything.'

Leon began to review the star map etched in his memory.

The small starfield was most likely formed after the age of Gods and Devils ended. How their era ended, Leon did not know.

What he did know was the Gods and Devils were supposedly born during the formation of Primal Chaos. Thus, their bodies were made entirely of Grandmist energy.

If all that Grandmist energy gathered inside the black hole en masse, it would not be strange for it to form a sub-universe the size of the starfield he was seeing on the star map.

'Is this the true secret of this world? The remains of their body formed the world, and their scattered soul fragments gave life to it? Should I call this a small starfield or the fabled God Realm everyone was looking for?'

After a moment, Leon shook his head. Everything was just inference and conjectures and needed more evidence. Even so, he was more or less convinced that this was as he had imagined.

He came across an amazing discovery, but he had strayed far from his initial purpose, which is to further his comprehension of the Nihility Law.

The answers to his path to transcendence lie within the secrets of the Black Vortex.

Despite gaining an initial understanding of the Nihility Law, why did it not form a seed of comprehension like the other laws?

Because it was the Nihility Law, the Law of Nothingness.

It cannot be seen or felt, but it was present—or perhaps not at all.

It is so profound and mysterious that even if he partly understood it, he felt like he understood nothing at all.

The Nihility Law is the most primordial law, more grand and powerful than even the Laws of Creation and Destruction.

It was the ultimate law, existing yet not existing before the beginning of time, before the appearance of Grandmist, and before the formation of Primal Chaos.

Leon cannot transcend because he wielded too many laws, none of which were powerful enough to be the governing law that rules over the other existing laws.

But if there was even a possibility of transcendence, it would lie within the Nihility Law that stands above all.

If he can reach a certain level of understanding in the Nihility Law, there might just be hope for transcendence.

He was not sure how to further his comprehension of the Nihility Law before, but the presence of Spatial Laws had pointed the way for him.

Destruction Law cannot be comprehended for the time being, but within the destruction, there was devastation, breaking, corrosion, withering, decay, and so on.

The Laws of Darkness, Death, Time, and other minor laws were present.

He needed to comprehend the Temporal Laws and use the [Hegemon of Primal Chaos] technique to merge space and time.

Whether it will give him insights into the Nihility Law or not is still a possibility, but the production of a more complete Grandmist energy is a certainty.

Chapter 375 - Temporal Law

The battle between the Darkmoon Tribe and the remaining undead demon army raged on, but the Darkmoon Tribe was not as desperate as they were before.

There were no more enemies with battle strength comparable to Greater Demons within the enemy's ranks. As such, they were all easy pickings for the 8 Battle Masters.

Even so, 8 Battle Masters were not enough to cover the entire battlefield.

Many warriors were still required to put in the efforts to fend off the enemy attacks and stop them from breaking into the city to slaughter their helpless children and elderlies.

Casualties were ensured.

With each brave soul laying down their lives to protect their home and family, the surviving warriors fought more fiercely.

While Leon was oblivious to everything outside, Duna's killing intent grew with each passing moment, so much so that even though Leon was not aware of it, his skin was still instinctively crawling with goosebumps.

Duna despised Leon for what he had done, even if it was part of a cooperation agreement between him and Lumi.

They had been trapped and treated like an inexhaustible power supply for hundreds of years. Although they had regained their movements, they have not truly regained their freedom.

Anyone that encroached on their freedom was deserving of death.

Duna raised her hand and prepared to drop the execution hammer upon him. However, just as she intended to do so, she paused with a frown.

Duna and Lumi were essentially one being.

Although Lumi was not aware of Duna's existence, Duna was fully aware of hers. Even Lumi's feelings were passed onto her and affected her own judgment.

'Why am I hesitating? Lumi, ah, Lumi, why are you so naïve? This person tried to enslave us. There is no proof that this person would keep his promise and set us free after.'

'If we had not awakened this godly power, I'm afraid that we will continue to be at his every beck and call. He is a detestable human encroached upon our freedom. He deserves death! Just let me end him!'

Duna was conflicted with her desires and fell into a dilemma between whether to kill or not kill. In a short while, she began to vaguely sense the disturbance in the laws surrounding Leon and gave herself an excuse not to kill.

"Trying to comprehend the Destruction Law? Interesting, I will watch you struggle and let you live a little longer."

She quietly muttered.

Duna lowered her hand and found her spot on the ground some distance away, where she can squat down and observe Leon attentively.

Some further distance away from her, a few tribesmen supporting the battle from the backline sweated when they witnessed everything.

Did the banshee just try to kill her master?

They looked at each other and saw the doubts in each other's eyes before laughing nervously. Hahaha... Nah, probably just their imagination.

…

Inside the sea of consciousness, Leon resumed replaying the memory in his mind. He knew it was not a good time to be meditating, given the current circumstances, but it was a rare chance to deepen his understanding of the Nihility Law.

Also, the evil persona of Lumi did not like him. If she wanted to kill him, can he escape?

If she did not awaken, no one would have ever known there was a Divinity fragment deep inside her. But why was her awakening so much more powerful than anyone else? What was the prerequisite to draw out this hidden power?

Is it because she already lost her physical body and only exists as a spirit, so there is not much left to be hidden when she is awakened? Or perhaps the few hundred years of suffering that brought her close to this point?

What about himself? As a reincarnated being, did he also have a Divinity fragment within himself? How can he awaken it?

These were questions that he can only ponder later.

The universal laws were intangible and mystical. The higher their level, the more profound and difficult to comprehend.

These were known facts.

The best way to comprehend them is to be in the same place where the source of their presence is strong. It is not easy to understand through memories alone.

Memories were just memories. All the precise feelings of that moment in time become vague and indecipherable the longer they are left as memories.

Therefore, Leon wasted no time to revisit the scene countless times in his mind. He needed to keep the memory fresh in mind.

Comprehending the Destruction Law was already a near-impossible task. One can only imagine how much greater the difficulty if it is done with a vague memory.

However, since his focus is no longer on the Destruction Law but the Temporal Law within it, the difficulty should be lowered by at least two levels.

What is the Temporal Law? Or in other words, what is time?

Time is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events from the past, through the present, and into the future.

It is elusive and can be said to exist on a higher dimension of reality. It cannot be seen, felt, nor tasted, but its passage can be measured.

Everything in existence had time. It can be a short time, or it can be an indefinitely long time.

Regardless of how much time everything has, they will crumble, wither, or decay from existence once time expires.

Leon replayed the memory in slower motion as his concentration peaked.

The disintegration of the Bone Kings, the breaking down of its physical components, and the scattering of its being.

Leon focused solely on observing the aspect of time and ruled out the other law factors in play in the destruction of the Bone Kings.

What was left is the acceleration of time.

The ancient bones of the Bone King were something that existed for more than 10-thousand years and may very well continue to exist for 100-thousands more years. However, give it 1-million, 10-million, or even 100-million years, and the answer becomes indefinite.

Even the toughest of steel can be eroded by time, let alone something that comes from living beings with clear expiry dates.

Leon does not know much time had to be accelerated in an instance to produce such a result on its own, but it was clear that it was not something mortals can hope to achieve.

This was the Realm of Divinities.

Even so, Leon did not hope to accelerate time in the millions of years. Just being able to accelerate time by the minutes or even seconds would do.

If he cannot even accelerate the time of others, he could at least accelerate the time of himself. But if that is not even possible, there were still other aspects of time that can be studied and applied.

Acceleration was not the only aspect of time.

If time can be accelerated, then it can also be decelerated.

But that is also not all that can be done with time. There were endless possibilities for applications. The only limitation is one's own imagination.

Duna quietly watched Leon's futile attempt at comprehending the Destruction Law with ridicule, but her expression stiffened when she sensed fluctuations in the flow of time surrounding him.

"Oh?"

Her surprise soon turns to amazement.

For Leon to distort the flow of time around him after such a short period of meditation, his perception and comprehensive talents could be said to be quite terrifying.

What might have easily taken other people tens of years before they gain a rudimentary level of understanding into the Temporal Laws, Leon had achieved it in one short session.

"Is this luck, or something else…?"

Duna pondered.

She suddenly found Leon to be quite mysterious and became curious. Come to think of it, neither she nor Lumi knew much about this person.

"Hm?"

Duna suddenly felt a tug on her arm. A little boy had unknowingly approached her as he carefully addressed, "Big… Big Sister Spirit."

"What do you want, little runt?"

Duna asked.

"Can… Can you help us?"

The boy pointed over the wall to where the sounds of the ongoing battle were happening with fear and anxiety, but more importantly, worry. The large casualties from the first battle made him fear for his father's safety.

Duna wanted to refuse, but she suddenly found out that she was actually not good at dealing with children.

She could only furrow her brows and say, "I don't do things for free."

The boy bit his lips and rummaged through his small pockets for something before taking out a pea-sized Dark Crystal and showing it to her with tears that threatened to flow.

"Will… Will this be enough?"

The boy asked.

"…"

"Is that a… no?"

"It is enough."

Duna accepted with a sigh.

The Dark Crystal was a little bit useful, but she must be crazy for selling her service so cheap.