Chapter 901: Shards of Primordial Spirits

Monarch and the Violet Prince had been destroyed, forever erased from the universe by the power of the Banishing Strategy.

Red light drained out from Lan Jue’s eyes. He had been the one to guide their concentrated power. Now that Monarch was destroyed, at last the threat of alien aggression had passed.

He revealed no pleasure from their victory, no excitement. There were still problems to address – chief among them, how to restrain the Strategy safely. They hadn’t been sure they could even succeed in establishing the attack, and thus had given stopping it not even a passing thought.

Through the power of faith they were ultimately able to overcome the enemy. The Banishing Strategy had been enacted and was stable, endowing them with a caliber of strength that far outstripped their wildest imaginings. 

As the prayers of billions were continuously laid upon them, the swords thirstily drank of their gifts. The Banishing blades used it to complete what the sword bearers couldn’t do on their own.

In a series of flashes Lan Jue and the others appeared, standing at the four corners of the Strategy. However, none of them were holding their weapon.

Lan Qing looked from one to the other, his expression uncertain. “What now?”

Lan Jue smirked at his brother. “How do I know? Wine Master, could I trouble you to report Monarch’s death to Kang Hui? All remaining enemies have been destroyed. That should curtail the faith flowing into it. I’m afraid if we don’t do something to weaken it the Strategy will continue to solidify.”

The Wine Master interjected, curious. “What’s the problem with that?”

“Well, to start if it keeps getting stronger I’m not sure we’ll have the means to stop it,” he answered. “It would remain here forever, and this whole area would be too dangerous to ever go near again.”

His old friend nodded. “What do you think is needed to get it to stop?”

Lan Jue pondered out loud. “According to our estimates we would need to be Da Luo-level immortals if we wanted to exert that level of control. If one of us were that could be enough.” He sounded unconvinced even as he said it.

Lan Qing wryly added his voice. “And it has to be you. You were the one who led the Strategy.”

The Wine Master sucked in a surprised breath. “So you’re saying that anyone who enters this field will be instantly killed?” If the Strategy would bring down a god, he shuddered to think of what it might do to a normal person.

“Not necessarily,” Lan Jue answered. “If one of us – the sword bearers – guided someone through then they would be fine. After all, we’re part of the Strategy ourselves. But if someone were to enter without us it would probably end as you’d expect. I… don’t recommend you try it.”

The Wine Master’s brows furrowed in thought. “If it’s simply a matter of closing of a section of space that shouldn’t be too great of an issue. It’s impossible to expect you to reach the highest level of immortality any time within the conceivable future! Are there any other dangers we need to consider?”

Lan Jue explained further. “Right now the Strategy is still under our control, and there is no immediate problem. However, I think it’s fair to expect that the zone will expand once we leave and are no longer maintaining its borders. None of us can know how large it’ll spread, but if I had to guess I’d say it would at least swallow up Europa and everything around it. But before we consider that, it isn’t completely unthinkable for us to reach Da Luo.”

As he spoke, he swung his eyes toward Europa floating placidly in the distance.

Monarch and the Violet Prince had been vanquished, but the fruits of their evil labors remained. Basking in a pale golden glow the newly crafted immortal realm flooded the area with its aura. Lan Jue and the others, now risen to the Infinite, could feel it clearly from where they stood.

Indeed this was their next problem. What were they to do with the alien’s immortal realm?

“We can deal with that later. Right now there are more pressing matters.” Li Ke interrupted them. His voice bore a somewhat urgent tone.

Lan Jue turned his attention toward the spirit. “What is it, brother-in-law?”

After absorbing so much faith, Li Ke was almost indistinguishable from any of them. The Pharmacist was even holding his hand, and the smile on her face betrayed her happiness.

Li Ke, however, was not smiling. “You have to gather the spirit shards. Fragments of what remains of the Paragons’ souls. In a way what we call Paragons can be likened to ‘half immortals’, Taoist magicians of the ancient times. After spending so long cultivating, their souls become like primordial spirits. Primordial spirits don’t disappear so easily, just like the ancient gods whose essence remains even though they lost to universal protogenia....