In the hazy world, Yan Zaizen's eyes drooped and his shoulders rose up and down, coinciding with every single labored breath. He felt a feeling of invigorating excitement and a hint of disbelief in his heart. Lifting his palm to his face, his eyes effused exhaustion. "So...this is my Paragon Soul World." His words were but a whisper, but within the hazy world, it echoed like an announcement.
He had discovered this ability after ascending to the Paragon Soul Realm. It was a form of advanced astral projection. Instead of projecting a strand of his soul temporarily, it was to induce a tangible recreation of his actual soul. It forcefully brought everyone and everything soul-related into his soul, an ultimate expression of self.
"It's still flawed...however," he softly remarked. If his soul was a true recreation of his Paragon Soul Realm cultivation base, then the aspects of his soul, such as the Dao Heart and Blackhole should've manifested. Instead, only his soul was projected.
"Tch," he clicked his tongue and looked to his right. A body was floating within the hazy world, lifted by strands of soul energy. This was Lady Ching-chien, her soulless body. Her body still exuded vibrant lifeforce.
"Foolish." His eyes radiated disdain and contempt. She wished to actually capture him, but did she truly believe his life was so soft, so easy to claim? Was it worth it? He had no enmity with her, yet she was intent on setting herself against him. If she hadn't taken action first, she would still be alive today, enjoying the breath of life.
Woosh!
A ray of energy was drawn to him, moving at the speed surpassing light itself, but Yan Zaizen immediately reacted. Lifting his hand, he grasped towards the ray of energy and clinched it within his palms. His hand chaotically trembled for a brief period before simmering down into a whispering quake.
Inspecting his hand, he softly smiled. "This is her soul." When he was young, he had been a lot more reckless in his treatment of life. During which, he discovered the properties of his blackhole. One of which was its ability to automatically absorb the souls of others he slain. He had tested the theory a few times, but he knew it only affected those he personally killed.
The energy in his palm was the fragmented, yet regathered, soul essence of Lady Ching-chien. "The Blackhole still has many mysteries I've yet to discover. Firstly, its ability to absorb the soul of others I've slain for my own gain. This is a tyrannical ability. I absorbed Ezekiel and obtained soul cultivation before even knowing what it was. In the Serene Moon Cove, I'm certain I did it again, allowing me to advance my cultivation once more."
He pondered on various events and discovered how they've truly supported his rise and development. The blackhole was the most essential aspect of himself, and now his soul and it was one and the same, far unlike before. With his newfound control over it, he could exhibit a faint trace of its ability, absorbing spirituality, physicality, and essence.
Taking a deep breath, he allowed the regathered soul to enter his glabella. Before he could even conceive a thought, the exhaustion he felt was washed away. Before, he was like a tank bottoming out, but now, his soul energy was refilled and then some. He felt bursting with energy, overflowing and overpowering. "Her soul source cultivation wasn't high, but her soul was incredibly refined and powerful, capable of manifesting and controlling the Heavenly Law of Souls. To be capable of taking this route meant her soul was definitely cultivated via some method.
"Incredible. Her soul strength truly exceeded my own in terms of raw energy and power, further reinforced by her heavenly cultivation base and law energy." He clenched his fist, riveting in the abundant amount of soul energy circulating throughout his body. His blackhole has always had the ability to instantly refine material into his own form of energy, and he only understood the basic principle, but nothing more. Outside of its raw devouring ability which seemed to have no limit, even capable of absorbing the laws of an entirely different universe, he knew there was more to it.
"Is devouring all you can do? I don't think so." As he thought this, he inspected his soul and regarded the various forms of laws avatars sitting firmly within his soul. They were brilliant and bright, and he knew it wasn't just devouring, but enriching and assimilation. Asenath, the Heavenly Monarch of the Dreaming Devil Law, had been absorbed by the blackhole. Because of this, he had refined her Original Law.
An original law can only be conceived by someone who can exceed the Heavens, built upon the foundation of the heavens. It was an achievement that enabled divinity-like powers and abilities. Not to mention, the power of which would enable the lifespan to reach millions of years. If he could absorb one Original Law, could he absorb others?
He spent a little bit longer thinking about this before turning his attention elsewhere. The hazy world started to recede by his will, re-entering his soul in a rapid retreat. The world became clear once more. The skyships that floated in the void, those worldships that were like planets quietly berthed in the sky, were all quiet. In this environment where the strong were abundant, they were all paying rapt attention to the events.
To them, especially those who were knowledgeable, they were startled by the eruption of Yan Zaizen's Soul World. According to the records of the world, only Divine and Immortal Soul Realm experts can create a Soul World. This phenomenon made them hesitant, especially the weaker ones. However, the silence and tension became even greater when Yan Zaizen's figure emerged, his hand gripping Lady Ching-chien by the throat. Her lifeless body was dangled carelessly in his grip, as if he was carrying a piece of trash.
Her lifeforce was rapidly living her body. After her soul expired, Yan Zaizen wouldn't allow such a refined body to deteriorate without a purpose. From his palms, a siphoning black light erupted. The aura and will it exuded was tyrannical, domineering, and furious.
Sealed within his body, he felt a rampaging monster roar viciously, snarling to the high heavens with malevolent intent. This intent reflected in his eyes, turning the amber-gold shine to become devilishly black. It was as if the pitch black night had surfaced in his gaze, unleashing it terror upon the light and life of the world.
Shocked, Yan Zaizen felt this rampaging monster and elation entered his jet-black eyes. "Death!" He exclaimed.
When he entered the Heavenly Origin World, his Immortal Herculean Physique had been suppressed. He hadn't felt its powers for a while, and he had to handle the fragility of a normal body. In fact, he was injured several times before. However, the familiar sound of death's roar was like music to his soul.
"Why is my Immortal Herculean Physique awakening now?" He felt disbelief, but then a solemn droning resounded alongside the ferocious roar. A hint of cyan emerged in his eyes, at the very corner. When it did, his excitement exploded.
"Soul! My physique is returning. Why aren't you guys being suppressed?" As he thought this, the sounds didn't stop, as sizzling combated the roars. A white light of life and eternal aegis-like characteristics intermixed within his eyes also, signifying the white flame.
While his excitement was palpable, he didn't have time to relish in this feeling of reunion. His gaze turned solemn and heavy, turning towards the skyships. At the moment, he noticed three individuals floating beside each other, and their auras were unfathomable. Comparing their auras to Lady Ching-chien would be an insult to them, but to try to describe it: it was like a child to a titan.
"Heavenly Monarchs…" While there were the title 'Heavenly Monarchs', the truth was, there were four phases in this cultivation: Minor Heaven, Grand Heaven, Original Law, and Original Path. These signified a very, very different level of power. This was even further divided by their foundation, depending on how many Minor Heavens, Grand Heavens were established. Each difference was as vast as the difference between the sky and earth, unfathomable!
Asenath had reached the Origin Law Phase, supported by three Grand Heavens. Her cultivation base could truly be described as heaven-exceeding! Yet, Yan Zaizen had killed her thanks to various factors. A large reason for this was due to her attempt to lull Yan Zaizen's soul, which inevitably led to her downfall. Against soul cultivators, he could be considered invincible.
However, these three figures were definitely different. They weren't rippling with strong auras of the soul, but other unfathomable laws.
He didn't bother looking at them any longer, sneering, giving them a side-view smirk of contempt as he casually lifted Lady Ching-chien's body as allowed his deathly might to engulf her body, devouring her remaining lifeforce entirely. In a blink, she turned into ash, scattering endlessly.
Only after did he smack his hands together, as if patting off dust, and calmly said: "Who's next?"