Slight surprise appeared on the gradually transparent face as it replied.
"My identity will be of no use to you right now, and you will eventually see me again if you follow the path you are on now. As for my purpose…"
His disappearing figure gazed around the trees surrounding them as he continued.
"...well, as hypocritical as it is, peace is one of my goals. Along with the simple destruction of cowards that continue to bring us closer to ruin because of their prideful ideals. But none of this will be of any use to you now. I have interfered as much as I can, and things will now play out depending on your future choices. Trust in yourself and those around you, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you again before you know it."
A smile that seemed to contain a variety of emotions remained on the fading Sect Master Inuit as his blank eyes continued to gaze at Noah, until he disappeared from his sight.
The particles that made up his being disappeared in a blink as they crossed through space, shooting off faster than the speed of light to a faraway distance, only to arrive and covertly disappear into a particular star.
The particles of light made a swift beeline for a location deep in the center of this star, going towards a dark space near the core where there was a simple styled golden cage that was holding a single being.
The cage was simple in its style, but unlike anything seen before as it held countless spikes that pierced the being held at the very center. The spikes were golden and went forward to pierce the body of this being thoroughly, entering one side of his body and leaving through another. Countless bloody gashes were apparent as golden-red blood continued to leak from the body of this being, the blood following a created path on the floor as it was drained into some unknown location. A strong beating heart could be seen among the gashes on the impaled body, drawing an interesting contrast.
The particles of light entered this impaled being, causing a wheeze to come out as sickly coughs were released, even more droplets of golden-red blood leaking out. After this fit of coughing, a calm smile appeared on the face of the being that was impaled on all sides.
Aside from the many spikes impaling him throughout, a level of strength that many beings would never come across their entire lives was vibrantly showing even while a tremendous amount of blood continued to leave the body of this being.
The head that was impaled along with almost all other parts of the body rose as blank white eyes looked up from the dark space they were in, peering across the prison and overlooking many of the locations on the star they were on.
Among the many things the blank eyes saw, one of them was the scene of a wizened old man holding a vibrant Watering Can as he tended to treasured Medicinal Plants in a simple styled monastery. A golden light bounced from his body and into his surroundings as he had no idea he was being observed, continuing with his routine as usual.
The impaled being observed this and many more things occurring on this star that held more powerhouses than many would see in their lifetimes as a calm smile spread across their disfigured face.
'The cards have been set, and all the pieces are in place. Now, we only wait for time to pass and see where fate leads us.'
In the silence on this enclosed space holding a golden cage, a being closed their blank white eyes as they observed and waited.
Chapter 252 - Serenity
Noah looked around the peak he was on as many thoughts passed through his mind, realizing he did not really get any solid answers, but knowing that there was an unknown being somewhere who could be considered to be on his side.
None of the memories he held were of any help as he gazed at the peaceful vegetation and trees surrounding him, his thoughts wandering from his next goals, and what he wanted for himself.
He thought of the beings around him, those that depended on him, and those that he stood above. He thought of the two women he still did not fully open up himself to, as well as the woman taking care of a small Star City he had nearly forgotten about.
He could be considered strong and powerful to an extreme degree when others looked at him, but there was always a place where one would be weak at.
After the loss of his parents, he did not open himself up to anyone fully, not wanting there to even be a possibility of feeling the same pain he felt back then. Without his conscious knowledge, he had gotten extremely close to some of the women around him, that when he witnessed one of them ripped apart right in front of him, he was reminded of a pain he never thought he would feel again.
Even when he reversed everything and events returned to a better past, he still held those memories, and they weighed heavily on his mind. This was why he was not against it when Barbatos said she wanted to remain in the Spiritual Land and do her training there. This was why he continued to let the Ice Queen manage the Frozen Kingdom as a Ruler, and not someone he wanted to fight on the front lines.
Gradually, he was realizing that he was slowly opening himself up again to these people around him. This provided a conduit that could cause him great pain, something he had experienced before and never wanted to come across again. He gazed at the serene trees on the mountaintop he stood on as he continued to be lost in his thoughts.
Was it truly worth to open himself up to others like this? To open up the possibility to feel a tremendous amount of pain again?
Many thoughts appeared and disappeared in his mind as he was not able to find an answer. He stared at the leaves of trees swaying peacefully on the mountain he stood on as he closed his eyes and felt the abundant essence that could be felt everywhere in the World of Cultivation.
He felt the bubbling power in his body that was constantly boosted by Ultimate Skills from the Seven Deadly Sins, by Transcendent and Saint Ranked skills, as well as the naturally powerful Golden Sea Body he gained from the Lost World.
With his eyes closed, he began absorbing the many Saint ranked cores obtained from the Devilish Time Unveiler and the Magus, Black Serpent. He held Saint ranked abilities because of Skill Combination, and he could use them all without any problems because of the large mana pools he had access to. But his actual attributes were not in the Saint Rank. Barring the [Focus] attribute, his [Vitality] and [Strength] attributes were still capped at the peak of Transcendent Rank.
He absorbed the Saint Ranked [Core]s from his loot as his body gradually entered a serene state, and he fell asleep.
[Sleep Evolution] - When the user breaks into a new stage, they'll fall asleep, and their body will evolve in a favorable way.
[Awaken Sleep] - The user is aware of everything going on around them, while they're asleep.
The subskills of the Ultimate Skill, {Sin of Sloth}, were activated as even in this state of sleep, Noah could sense the surroundings and the changes occurring in his body.
The abundant amount of origin he was absorbing from the Saint Ranked [Core]s were rapidly absorbed as a milky white color began to surround him. The [Sleep Evolution] ability came into full effect as it caused this milky white aura to explosively increase, his entire body being covered as he felt his bones and musculature be improved in ways he did not think could be further improved.
His dark hair flowed and became more abundant, obtaining a glossy sheen as it neared his shoulders as if he had not given himself a haircut for the longest time. The already compact musculature all over his body became more pronounced and refined as the milky white color exploded out, revealing a body that he recognized, yet it looked much more beautified.
His gaze lingered on himself for a few brief seconds before he shook his head wearily, not wanting to obtain the traits of a certain arrogant penguin as he stood up from the mountain and took into account the remaining Transcendent and Saint Cores he held with him. Because of [Sleep Evolution], he saw that his attributes at the Saint Rank were already more than halfway maxed, the supposed 'favorable' evolution from this Ultimate Skill not being a joke. This brought about new uses for the cores that he did not really need. A few more points in his [Vitality] or [Strengt
h] would not really do anything for his power, and they could be put to better use if given to those around him.
Many of the beings around him were at the Phantasmal Rank at this moment, and he would divide the remainder of the Transcendent and Saint Ranked [Core]s he did not need to have them upgrade their attributes to enter the next ranks.
Even if they didn't have skills of the equivalent rank, their power would still be boosted as they held Ultimate and Unique skills that only grew stronger depending on what rank the user was.
There was also the abundant [Law Crystals] from the cultivators he had taken down recently, vastly improving any of his skills that could be placed in the category of Water, Time, or Space attribute.
He continued to peruse through all of these gains as his body lifted off the mountain peak, looking around him for the last time and then flying away. Plans about the distribution of loots and his future moves were outlined in his mind as his figure began moving towards the direction of one the three Supreme Sects in the World of Cultivation, the Profound Astral Sect.
In this sect, he had plans of infiltration that would allow him to gain access to one of the prized Treasures that was only given to the Core Disciples of the sect that showed the most promise, potential, and strength.
In the Profound Astral Sect, Elders at the Saint Rank were not rare, with the most talented Core Disciples that could be called geniuses actually having similar cultivation as the Elders of the Sect.
Multiple powerhouses at the Void Fimmerment Cultivation Realm were also situated in this powerful Sect, with many mysteries surrounding the Sect Leader of this Profound Astral Sect.
Yet, Noah had extremely clear memories from a certain Devilish Unveiler that detailed much of the secrecy and mystery surrounding this powerful sect, giving him a very clear picture of how he should start. His memories were a few hundred years behind, but the players remained the same, just slightly more powerful.
His goal was to first observe and collect information on the current Core Disciples of the Profound Astral Sect before making a move and obtaining an identity as one. After that, it was simply careful planning and scheming as he made his way closer and closer to something that even the Devilish Time Unveiler was denied.
His mind cleared up from the reverie of thoughts as his figure became enveloped in a dark light, the [Aberrant Saint] that was proficient in space being activated as a single minuscule ball of darkness flew even faster in the air.
In this small piece of darkness, numerous vicious Dragonoid heads and suffocating tentacles that nobody could see were contained, just waiting to be unleashed at a moment's notice.
Chapter 253 - The Genius Wastrel of the Profound Astral Sect
Among magnificent mountain peaks and landscapes, one of the three Supreme Sects in the World of Cultivation proudly stood with shining grandeur and regality.
Many of the major sects made it a habit to find large and famous mountains to build their Sects on, and the founders of this Supreme Sect occupied the natural wonder that was the Steller Sky Mountains!
The surrounding lands near the abundant mountain peaks were all under the control of this powerful sect that held stupendous techniques geared towards the spatial attributes. Geniuses all over the world flocked over to this sect in order to learn their numerous intuitive ways of manipulating essence to bring wondrous effects in the space surrounding them.
A sect filled with competitiveness and spirit, where the Disciples were encouraged to be free and unbound, staying true to their hearts as they followed their path of cultivation with only a single final goal- to become the strongest!
This was the sect that held sway over ⅓ of all the lands in the World of Cultivation, the birthplace and congregation of geniuses, the Profound Astral Sect!
In the many mountain peaks of the Stellar Sky Mountains, there was a particularly busy one where cultivators left their lonely abodes to come down and revel in the many enjoyments provided from the wealthy peaks around Profound Astral Sect.
This peak was actually termed Sunset Paradise, with the famous lines that once the sun set, paradise with all of its wonders would open up.
In a particular establishment in Sunset Paradise, a rare confrontation was occurring between two disciples of the Profound Astral Sect. This could be considered an extremely rare occurrence as this confrontation was not between some outer or even inner disciples of the sect, this was a confrontation between two Core Disciples of the Profound Astral Sect!
Any disciple that gained the title of a Core Disciple was known to be an unmatched powerhouse, with some of them even nearing the power of some of the Elders of their sect. This was the case for one of the Core Disciples that was involved in this confrontation, vigorous power leaking out of his body which made the observers in the establishment almost turn their eyes away from the sight.
Some observers were whispering in hushed voices as they watched the unfolding show in an isolated space barrier that was erected between the two Core Disciples.
"Is the Shining Son of the Profound Astral Sect back here to pick up the dredge of waste again?"
Words that would be considered extremely disrespectful towards one holding the status of a Core Disciple were thrown out without worry from a bystander as another replied.
"Ay, the wastrel of Profound Astral Sect came down to drink and cause trouble again. How many p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.es do you think he ended the lives of today?"
"Oh, we're still counting? Not really sure if it was 3 or 5 today, all I know is that he's ruining the best spots in town. I can rarely find the just ripe ones as he makes sure to always target them first."
"Haha, then why don't you stand up to him and give the wastrel a beating?"
One friend dared another to openly act against a Core Disciple of the Profound Astral Sect as a silence came briefly, before the entire establishment broke out in a burst of raucous laughter.
"Haha, touch the wastrel? Not unless you want to lose your life!"
"He's the worst, but still the Core Disciple of the Profound Astral Sect. He's untouchable!"
Even though insults were being thrown around at this particular disciple of one the three Supreme Sects, all the beings here knew that they could only watch as he did what he wished, but could never act against him.
The bystanders were careful to only throw words of disdain towards the one known as wastrel of the Profound Astral Sect, but they were very careful to only sing praises when it came to the other Core Disciple confronting him, the Shining Son whose name resounded across the Steller Sky Mountains, the one known as William!
This was a known reality- that one could throw disdain and make fun of only a single core disciple of the Profound Astral Sect, and that was the wastrel that held the name of Crixus.
A powerful name, a waste of a person! That was the only way to describe Crixus.
The Shining Son spoke calmly to the drinking Crixus as his eyes could not hide the disdain.
"Do you hear that? The sound of nobodies are actually laughing right in front of your face with no fear. They are ridiculing you as if you are nothing. Does this not fill you with a sense of shame to actually stop doing the things you've been doing, my dear Junior Brother?"
It was a common message that a caring Elder Disciple would give to another, and William had even cast an isolation barrier and caused no words coming out between them to leak out. This seemed like a courtesy, but whenever he spoke, his lips moved, and this meant everyone in the establishment knew what words were said between them. Of course, this was something that William knew, and had even planned this way!
Seeing no reply from the Crixus that just continued to drink, a dangerous light passed through William's eyes as he turned and began moving away, dissolving the barrier of space as he knew nothing else would get across the drunken brain today.
"Even though you are a waste of space, you are still Profound Astral Sect's waste of space. Any ridicule directed towards you is also aimed at your sec
t."
His vibrant power at the Saint Realm erupted out as a heavy pressure descended, his words carrying with them an insult to Crixus and a warning to the surrounding bystanders who quickly turned away and went back to their food and drinks.
The Shining Son left the establishment with light steps as his body disappeared from everyone's sights in a blink of an eye, but his disdain for his junior disciple still very much apparent!
There was a long history between the two that caused this disdain and conflict that many people did not know, and it was this conflict that caused William to descend from his Cultivation Abode every time he heard the news of the wastrel going wild in Sunset Paradise again.
The simple conflict that was only known among a few cultivators in the Profound Astral Sect was the fact that very early on during their cultivation journeys, William had his eyes on a particular Senior Sister, and so did Crixus!
Crixus was the son of a famous Elder in the Profound Astral Sect, while William was a normal genius disciple just beginning his cultivation. To William's dismay, he found out just a few months into his journey in the Profound Astral Sect that Crixus had used his identity to force himself on this Senior Sister, ruining her face and making her ashamed to even be seen around the sect.
This beautiful senior sister finally could not take it, and with the help of a certain Elder that did not want things to garner too much attention, she ended up leaving the sect to start anew elsewhere, her history with the Profound Astral Sect forever ending.
This event had caused a tremendous wedge to grow between William and Crixus, with William using this rage and directing it towards his cultivation, his genius comprehension being put to full use as he grew to a powerful genius of the Profound Astral Sect and gained the title of the Shining Son!
With his new title, even with the fact that Crixus had a father for an Elder, William could now look down and even act against him as he wished to some extent. This was also one of the reasons why Crixus was drinking and ruining the lives of poor women frequently nowadays, his cultivation had not been able to advance from the Transcendent Realm all these years, and the cause was none other than William.
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