The Finale
The Nirvana Battlefield was a place created by two World Wills, the most stable land within the astral plane.
However, a terrifying earthquake suddenly rocked it in its entirety. Space trembled, thick and complicated chains of laws revealing themselves as they began to fall apart. The shackles that could confine Breaking Dawns broke all of a sudden, as the land that was more firm than magic alloy cracked. It was like the end of the world was nigh.
“What’s going on?” “Why is this happening?”
The earthshaking changes immediately alarmed several existences. Be they greater gods or peak rank 8 Magi, everyone ignored their subordinates’ injuries and rushed towards the epicenter. A strong sense of unease was spreading within their hearts.
The Nirvana Battlefield, the intersection of Gale Gorge, the Dark Cage, and the Battle Hills, was shaking, violent explosions rocking the lands as columns of fire soared into the sky. The heat could reduce anything to nothingness, leaving a huge dark pit that led to the core of the battlefield.
“Spacetime laws!” the Darkness Lord muttered in excitement, “Someone broke through into the fight between the World Wills. Who is it?”
The Magi and Gods looked at each other, immediately placing their suspicious on Leylin and Jergal. A majority of the dense fog of Leylin’s original sin had dissipated in this earthquake, and given the absence of the strongest members of each side it was sufficient to explain several questions.
“The laws of space and time!” “Eternity!” “Let’s go!” The Magi didn’t hesitate in the slightest as they headed for the Nirvana Battlefield. It was instead the gods that hesitated, eventually following Silvanus and the four elemental gods into the deep pit.
“LEYLIN! LEYLIN!” The first thing everyone heard when they entered the Nirvana Battlefield was a voice full of resentment and unwillingness. All they managed to sea was the Nightmare Hydra roaring, filled with an aloofness despite the scales on its body being scattered around and some of its heads injured.
Leylin was wielding a longsword with both hands in the hydra's shadow, having pierced through Jergal’s tome of death to directly behead him.
A strong devouring power exploded forth as the God of Death turned into black liquid, being greedily absorbed by Seven Sins. Absorbing the primordial laws of death, the hydra rapidly healed from its injuries, growing more and more powerful.
“An inexhaustible body, the ultimate inexhaustible body… Nobody below rank 9 can contend with the Lord of Original Sin…”
Silvanus and the Darkness Lord cried out involuntarily.
“Everyone is here... That’s great! How could beings of law miss the passage of history?” Leylin looked around him with satisfaction.
“Lord of Original Sins, what exactly are you planning?” The Darkness Lord asked, a slight sense of excitement in his heart.
“Hmm?” Leylin turned back, releasing the power of original sin mixed with Jergal’s laws of death. Seven Sins rumbled as it struck the barrier where the two World Wills were fighting, and it began to crack.
“It’s obviously to pursue eternity and truth!” A terrifying aura exploded forth as Leylin shot forth with one final blow. Having been struck several times as Leylin guided Jergal’s attacks in their battle, the barrier finally exploded with a huge bang. It caused the two frighteningly powerful World Wills to descend upon them, full of blazing ire!
The Overgod and Magus Will had expended much of each other’s energy, but they weren’t too weak yet. It was far too easy for them to suppress a group of peak rank 8s.
“Overgod!” Silvanus and a group of gods immediately knelt down.
“Mighty Magus Will!” Cold sweat dripped down Darkness Lord’s forehead as he bowed alongside the other Magi.
Only Leylin stood tall in this atmosphere, looking at the glamour of the two World Wills in ernest.
“Indeed, only wills with this much power can satisfy my requirements and allow me to advance!” Leylin burst into a manic laughter, his Nightmare Hydra growing in size as the power of original sin was flaunted.
A violent fury emanated from the two wills, like giant dragons that had been challenged by ants. A seal of spacetime was formed once more. The Magus World gazed down at Leylin, about to mobilise the law of time to thoroughly exterminate this ant who dared to resist.
“The time has arrived!” However, Leylin revealed a strange smile at that moment.
……
A while ago, in the seventh subterranean level of the Magus World.
Leylin’s A.I. Chip clone was present here, surrounding Mother Core alongside Shar, the Snake Dowager, and a host of Lords of Calamity.
“You know what we need, hand it over!” The A.I Chip clone stood out, looking at the seriously injured Mother Core, “I already helped you obtain Chauntea’s powers. Live through this, and you’ll be able to pry into the next realm…
“Now that we don’t owe each other, will you surrender your will fragment or do you want to fall?”
Mother Core had been seriously injured in the battle with Chauntea, and all the other existences had rushed underground. There was nobody to come rescue her.
“Your actions make me lament…” A green light flew into Leylin’s hands. When faced with survival and death, she’d decisively chosen the former.
“Great, let’s begin!” Shar walked out in leisure from behind Leylin, sending a golden seed to Leylin’s hands. This was why she hadn’t appeared at Gale Gorge.
Once the green light and golden seed came into contact, a terrifying change occurred. The seed grew instantly, growing tender branches and soft green leaves as it became a lofty grand tree.
“Tree of Life Project, activate!” The clone laughed loudly, a myriad of threads hanging from the huge Tree of Life beginning to spread around the entire Magus World. The Tree of Life absorbed the nutrients of the Magus World, strengthening and growing. The injured Mother Core could only sigh sadly at the scene, leaving the range of the Magus World.
Leylin had been pondering one question ever since his return from the Shadow World, and that was on how to deal with the World Will. The Overgod and Magus Will would definitely become a hurdle on his path to rank 9, something that he couldn’t overcome himself.
Leylin hadn’t been able to think of a way to deal with these powerful existences until Shar’s actions inspired him. Although the two World Wills were powerful, they were still the same as the World Will of the Shadow World. They were existences composed of the consciousness and thoughts of the entire world!
The Tree of Life project could thus be used the same way. With some analysis and modification, the A.I. Chip had refined the Tree of Life. It was already a huge tree of light that occupied the entire Magus World, and other than Mother Core and his family that had been shifted out beforehand nothing was spared.
Having been native to the Magus World, Leylin had long since initiated the mutations and implanted himself into the subconscious of the Magus World. He was even more thorough than Shar.
“The most difficult thing to complete the Tree of Life is existences like Mother Core,” the clone muttered, “But I only need 50% of the authority to influence the World Will. Even if I don’t occupy the entirety of the underground, Mother Core’s portion makes up for the difference…”
Peak rank 8 existences formed a significant portion of the World Will. That was the reason Leylin had been so nice to Mother Core all this while, reinforcing her when she was in trouble. He intended for success in one fell swoop. With his methods, he’d already gained control of more than 90% of the Magus World!
“It has begun!” The chaos within the Nirvana Battlefield had been transmitted over at that moment. The clone entered the Tree of Life.
*Bang!* The glowing Tree of Life opened its crown, spreading through the World of Gods as well. and started spreading throughout the God’s World.
Numerous fine lights similar to willows descended from the skies of the prime material plane. Every living creature, the mountains, the rivers, the consciousness of the land itself… It was all stripped, being assimilated into Leylin. The same went for Baator, the Abyss, and the Celestial Planes. Other than some of Leylin’s subordinates within his divine kingdom, nobody was spared.
Indeed, Leylin had completed the Tree of Life Project in the Magus World, having tasked Shar to prepare for this a while prior. With the Overgod forcing mutations in the prime material plane to adapt it to the darkness, Leylin had been given the opportunity to take action there as well, initiating Project X.
Furthermore, Leylin had just swallowed the most powerful god of all, Jergal. With the fragments of some other divine forces, he held more than 80% of the authority there as well.
An omnipresent Tree of Life reverently descended above the dumbbell shaped fused world, releasing beautiful light into the astral plane.
……
*Kacha! Kacha!* The gods and Magi looked on in shock within the Nirvana Battlefield, as the original killing intent of the World Wills ground to a halt like machines without oil. Numerous roots from the Tree of Life slowly wrapped the two up, radiating lofty light as it took control of them.
“I still need the fragments of will from the surviving beings of law to completely control the World Wills…” Leylin’s eyes swept over the gods one by one, and they started to flee in fright.
“Space Blockade!” he smiled indifferently, manipulating the Overgod into taking action. The frozen space cut off the hopes of the gods, even pulling out and caging a green figure.
“Overgod… Why?” Silvanus asked with teary eyes. Sadly, his calls had no effect on the World Will as Leylin’s sword penetrated his head.
A small light flew out, increasing Leylin’s control of the Overgod. The World Will’s roar swept all the remaining gods away.
“What about you?” Leylin looked to the Magi native to the Magus World, “Will you hand control over voluntarily, or would you prefer I take it by force?” Seven Sins was dripping with blood.
The Magi understood the situation well, immediately handing over their portion of the will and increasing Leylin’s control once more.
“More than 99.99% control…” Leylin’s gaze flickered, “Fuse together!”
The two enormous World Wills slowly started to merge together within the Tree of Life, as if in the process of exchanging laws. The Overgod had its laws of space, while the Magus Will seemed to fluctuate in time.
“With my path as the lead, guided by the power of spacetime…” The Nightmare Hydra and the path of original sin appeared behind Leylin, merging with the Tree of Life.
“He’s advancing! He’s advancing to rank 9!” Tears appeared on the faces of the Darkness Lord and the other Magi. They wanted to kneel, but the frozen space prevented from moving. They just watched on at the birth of a rank 9, as if they were on a pilgrimage…
The most important requirement for one to advance to rank 9 was that their path support the laws of space and time. With peak nightmare force, Leylin completely met that requirement. The laws themselves? They would come from the merged World of Gods and Magus World.
The first thing he acquired was the Overgod’s law of space. The blurry figure was wrapped up in nightmare force, integrated into the path of original sin.
[Beep! Host has devoured the Overgod. Comprehension of the law of space is currently at 100%...]
The same prompt followed for the Magus Will as well:
[Beep! Host has devoured the Magus Will. Comprehension of the law of time is currently at 100%...
Host path is compatible, spacetime laws perfected. Beginning advancement…]
*Bang!* A great pressure suddenly rocked the astral plane, sweeping the Darkness Lord and the rest into a random corner of the universe. Leylin’s path of original sin grew larger and larger, expanding until it encased both the large worlds. The essence of the two started to merge with Leylin, as the lights of eternity gradually blossomed.
……
……
……
Leylin’s conscient awoke after an unknown amount of time. “This is rank 9?” he asked himself, “All-knowing and omnipotent.”
He sensed the locations of Syre and Daniel, Isabel, Shar, and the rest of his kith and kin. They were doing extremely well in a large world.
Right now, Leylin could learn of anything in the astral plane in an instant, performing any task he wished immediately. He was rank 9, the Magus of Magi, a god amongst gods! Nothing in the astral plane could deceive him, even the ancient Wisdom Tree hidden at its fringes. It had exuded a friendly aura, its posture humble and insignificant.
‘So the ancient Wisdom Tree gave up on rank 9, allowing itself to roam across the universe. Even though its powers were close to that of the Magus Will, it couldn’t intervene in the real world…’ Leylin could now kill the tree with a mere thought.
However, he didn’t have any conflict of interest with it, in fact having been done a favour in the past. He thus let it live in peace… Perhaps this was a form of wisdom shown by the tree itself.
Although he could meet his family with just a thought, Leylin still decided to scan his own body first.
“Eternity… Are rank 9s truly eternal?” Leylin knew he had unlimited life. Even if the Magus World and World of Gods were destroyed, he would not be affected at all.
However, this was only within his own universe. He now sensed many other beings outside the astral plane, possessing similar power to him. There was technology, supernatural abilities… All kinds of beings came before his mind.
“The more you know, the smaller you actually feel…” Leylin’s will had surpassed the shackles of the astral plane, entering another region outside it. He detected another universe nearby, equal in power to his own. From it he detected a familiar scent of science and civilisation, and noticed the planet he’d lived on before his transmigration.
‘I am close to eternity, but not truly there. With the laws of spacetime mastered, the next task is to create a law that surpasses all others, standing on the path of the truth… The larger the multiverse, the more there is for me to explore…’
Always on the pursuit of truth, Leylin found himself a new target. With a path ahead, a goal to achieve, he would never grow disheartened, never lose his motivation to forge ahead on his path.
“The future… it seems extremely interesting!” He looked over the astral plane, seeing through everything.
……
In a distant time, on a blue planet that relied heavily on science and technology. This world shone in its technology, almost every citizen having their own A.I. Chip that surpassed human ability.
*Rumble!* The skies slowly turned dark, revealing a terrifying black hole.
*Bzzzz—* Many strange, malevolent insects flew forth from the black hole, devouring everything in their path as they left behind a trail of death and terror.
“Not good, the A.I. Chip can’t analyse them!”
“Teleportation isn’t effective… What in the world are those things?”
“The starfleet and the fighters were all annihilated!”
“Bioweapons failed… The superhero team was defeated. Dimensional combat is ineffective, and the time machines have stopped functioning… The Federation is about to perish…” A lot of news was being spread through the A.I. Chips, causing despair to surface on the faces of this world’s citizens.
They’d relied on their technology to conquer world after world, developing into an unimaginably powerful civilisation. How could they be so vulnerable to external attacks?
“You can’t run away, Khail.” A face of strange worms spoke out, like a god’s decree. A sorry figure escaped from the black hole.
“This… Who are you?” a small boy asked, stunned.
“My name is Khail… I came here to escape someone. Sorry, I’ve brought you trouble!” An apologetic look surfaced on the silhouette’s face.
“That thing that’s about to destroy the world?” The small boy was flabbergasted, but the A.I. Chip in his brain told him this fellow wasn’t lying. “Who is it?”
Khail smiled bitterly. “It’s the Ultimate Destroyer, the Incarnation of Sin… The Seeker of Truth, travelling the endless multiverse… The Nightmare Hydra, Lord of Original Sin. The rank 9 Magus— Leylin Farlier!”