Chapter 131: A Pact with the Demonic Sovereign
The ethereal twilight of the Sacred Dimension Pearl shimmered, then dissolved. Kael and his Union stepped out, the cool, crisp air of the hidden lodge a stark contrast to the mana-saturated crucible they had inhabited for what felt like endless decades. Only the faint, almost imperceptible dust on the ancient stone floor hinted at the passage of time outside.
"How long...?" Selene murmured, her voice laced with a newfound depth that resonated with the power now thrumming beneath her skin.
Kael's senses, amplified by his Heaven's Echo (Low Tier - Tier 1) realm and System Level 56, easily parsed the subtle shifts in the ambient mana, the faint echo of seasons passed. "Approximately two and a half days have transpired outside," he stated, his voice resonating with a quiet authority that had deepened over the internal 'decades' of relentless cultivation. "Twenty-five years have passed for us within the Pearl."
A collective awe settled over his wives. Twenty-five years of growth compressed into less than three days. The sheer magnitude of their progress was dizzying.
As they absorbed the implications, a clear, analytical voice echoed in Kael's mind, a presence now fully integrated and accessible. "Analysis complete, Host. Your collective power, including your Union, has increased by an average of 1,700% across all primary combat metrics. Realm disparities against the Eternal Crown Realm have decreased from a factor of approximately 10,000 to a factor of 10. Your current capabilities render most Lower Realm threats negligible."
It was Nexus, Kael's newly activated System AI. "Nexus," Kael thought, testing the mental link. "What is your assessment of our immediate strategic options?"
"Optimal primary objective remains the neutralization of the Aetherial Dominion's Elder," Nexus replied, its data streams flowing directly into Kael's awareness. "Secondary objective: Acquire intelligence regarding the Elder's true nature, vulnerabilities, and the location of the Primordial Ascendant Realm traversal method. Engaging Demon Empress Vanessa for an alliance remains the most statistically favorable approach to achieve both."
"And her reaction to our presence?" Kael probed.
"High probability of recognition of significant power increase," Nexus calculated. "Her long-term objective of achieving Primordial Ascendant Realm remains constant. Your increased strength and potential for rapid future growth now present a viable, mutually beneficial partnership. She will perceive you as a tool, but one that is growing too powerful to simply discard."
As Nexus spoke, another System notification flashed for Kael, the final culmination of his long training and battles.
[Sin Points Cap Reached! Initiating Sin Tier Advancement!]
[Kael Viren has advanced to Sin Tier: Tyrant Rank!]
A surge of raw, destructive power flooded Kael. His previous Warlord Rank felt like a mere shadow. This was the might of a true Tyrant, capable of bending sin itself to his will, a perfect complement to his burgeoning Heaven's Echo cultivation.
"Good," Kael affirmed, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Then we make our presence known."
The journey to the heart of the Demon Capital, to Demon Empress Vanessa's hidden palace, was swifter than before. The world outside seemed to ripple slightly around Kael and his wives, their newly ascended realms creating a subtle distortion in reality itself. Peasants and even lower-tier cultivators instinctively shied away, sensing the overwhelming power emanated by the Union. The very air around them crackled with suppressed might.
They arrived at the Obsidian Spire, the formidable fortress where Vanessa held court. Unlike their previous, more cautious approach, this time Kael walked with an air of absolute confidence, his wives moving in perfect, synchronized grace behind him.
The demonic guards, sensing the sheer, unbridled power emanating from the group, hesitated for only a moment before parting, their instincts screaming not to impede this force of nature. They were ushered through cavernous halls, the air growing thick with ancient mana and the scent of ozone, until they stood before the massive, twin gates of Vanessa's audience chamber.
The gates swung open silently, revealing the vast, dimly lit hall. At its far end, upon a throne carved from obsidian and shadowed by the skulls of forgotten beasts, sat Demon Empress Vanessa. Her eyes, ancient and piercing, fixed on Kael and his Union.
Silence stretched, heavy and expectant. Vanessa's gaze swept over each of them, her power subtly probing, evaluating. Kael met her gaze, unflinching. He could feel her surprise, a flicker of genuine astonishment in her otherwise impassive aura.
"It seems," Vanessa's voice finally rumbled, a deep, resonant sound that vibrated through the very stones of the hall, "that a mere handful of days have brought about... an unusual change. Worldpiercer Tier 2, you were. Now, Heaven's Echo (Low Tier — Tier 1), all of you. Such accelerated progression is... almost unheard of in this age." Her eyes lingered on Aelisa for a fraction of a second longer.
Kael stepped forward, his presence commanding the space. "Empress Vanessa, my Union and I have achieved this growth through a specialized training regimen. We are here not to impose, but to propose an alliance."
Vanessa leaned forward, her interest piqued. "An alliance? Against whom, pray tell? And with what, precisely, do you intend to barter? My goals are singular: to transcend this realm and pierce the veil of the Primordial Ascendant Realm. I have no patience for petty squabbles."
"The Aetherial Dominion's Elder," Kael stated, his voice firm, "He seeks to absorb or destroy all unique powers and realms to further his own twisted ascent. He threatens your ambition as much as he threatens our existence."
"Indeed," Vanessa drawled, a flicker of irritation in her eyes. "His attempts to subtly undermine my domain have not gone unnoticed. But what makes you believe a temporary coalition can stop a being of his caliber, when even I choose to remain... uncommitted?"
Vanessa's eyes narrowed, not in anger, but in intense calculation. "You speak of a 'specialized training regimen' and 'unique means.' Grand words, Kael Viren. But words are cheap. The gulf between a new Heaven's Echo and my own standing at the Eternal Crown Realm is still immense. I require a more... direct demonstration. Show me this accelerated power. Show me that your 'unique means' translate into genuine combat prowess against a force of a higher caliber. Face a portion of my peak might."
The air in the chamber grew heavy, mana coalescing around Vanessa. It wasn't a challenge to the death, but a test of absolute power, a display of the gap between their realms. A subtle, yet overwhelming pressure emanated from her, making the very air vibrate.
Kael's mind instantly connected with Nexus. "Risk assessment, Nexus?"
"Probability of Host's survival: 98.7%," Nexus replied with detached calm. "Probability of Host successfully impressing: 92.3%. Proposed strategy: Focus on defensive integrity, then a calculated counter-demonstration of offensive capabilities. Utilize Abyssal Dominion for spatial manipulation and Soul-Forged Armament for concentrated offense. Prepare for high-magnitude energy absorption."
A grim smile touched Kael's lips. "Understood." He met Vanessa's gaze, unflinching. "As you wish, Empress. Show me the might of the Eternal Crown Realm."
Vanessa chuckled, a low, resonant sound that seemed to shake the very foundations of the spire. Her hands, adorned with ancient, dark rings, rose slowly. The air around her pulsed, drawing in all ambient mana, crushing it into a swirling vortex of pure, corrupted energy. A sphere of chaotic, ebony lightning the size of a carriage materialized before her, crackling with devastating power.
"Behold," she announced, her voice echoing with the might of ages, "a taste of what stands between you and true transcendence: the Shadowfall Oblivion Orb."
With a casual flick of her wrist, the orb shot forward, not with explosive speed, but with an inexorable, grinding force, consuming light and sound as it advanced. It was designed not to strike, but to engulf, to utterly obliterate all that it touched into fundamental dust.
Kael's eyes blazed with crimson. This wasn't merely a test of strength, but of will. He roared, activating Abyssal Dominion. The space around him warped, shimmering like disturbed water, trying to divert the orb. At the same time, his Shadow-Flame Broadsword manifested, absorbing the ambient shadows of the hall, condensing them, and flaring with intense, dark energy. He charged his Wrathflare Lance within the blade, a concentrated burst of destructive intent.
The Shadowfall Oblivion Orb collided with the warped space, distorting reality further, but it pressed onward, slowly pushing the dimensional barrier inward. Kael grit his teeth, the immense pressure threatening to crush him. The sheer power radiating from the orb was like facing a collapsing star.
"Now, Host!" Nexus urged.
With a primal scream, Kael brought his Shadow-Flame Broadsword forward. The accumulated dark energy, imbued with the potent force of his Tyrant Rank sin, erupted into a concentrated blast of pure, infernal flame and shadow, meeting the incoming oblivion head-on. The Wrathflare Lance plunged into the center of the orb.
For a terrifying moment, light and darkness, creation and oblivion, clashed. The hall filled with a deafening roar, the very essence of power tearing at reality. Kael's feet dug furrows into the obsidian floor, his muscles screaming under the strain. His wives watched, their faces taut, ready to intervene at any cost if Kael showed signs of failing.
Then, with a final, shuddering groan, the Shadowfall Oblivion Orb shattered, not merely dissipating, but exploding outwards in a silent, implosive shockwave that peeled the air itself. Kael stood his ground, battered but defiant, his broadsword humming, still crackling with residual power. He was singed, his clothes tattered, but unbroken.
Vanessa watched, her expression unreadable. She remained seated, but her aura, previously calm, now pulsed with a subtle, internal tremor. Her eyes, ancient and wise, studied Kael, acknowledging the sheer resilience and explosive force he had just demonstrated.
"Impressive," she finally conceded, her voice holding a new, genuine respect. "You truly possess a remarkable capacity for growth, Kael Viren. To not only withstand a portion of my Shadowfall Oblivion Orb, but to actively shatter it... Very well, your proposition holds merit. Your unique means are indeed potent."
She rose from her throne, her towering form radiating immense power. "I will agree to a temporary, strategic alliance. My terms are simple: you will provide me with all intelligence gleaned on the Elder and his Dominion, and you will, in turn, demonstrate the full efficacy of this 'accelerated cultivation' you speak of, not merely through your own progress, but by aiding me in a specific venture that leverages this capability. In return, I shall lend my considerable influence and power against the Elder, and share my own knowledge of the higher realms, including insights into the true nature of transcendence and pathways to the Primordial Ascendant Realm."
"Consider this a pact, Kael Viren. Do not fail to meet your end of the bargain, for the consequences will be... most severe."
Kael met her gaze, a thrill of challenge and triumph running through him. "Understood, Empress. We accept."
A powerful alliance, fraught with danger and mutual ambition, had just been forged in the heart of the Demon Capital. The path to the Elder, and the true higher realms, now lay clearer, albeit perilous.