The barrier shattering was just the beginning. Engulfed in light, Kuro seemingly turned into dust, and the Blade of Ephemeral Haunt fell right back into Mythpoint Reach. Well, not that there was much of it left. The beam continued to charged forwards, breaching all the defences that the Black Masks had put up. Everything from the Nine Payircis that protected the Tree of Darkness, to the Tree of Darkness itself. They were all wreathed in the glorious light that Deus Citadel had produced.
Shin watched everything unfold, his expression as broken as shattered glass. He was the Prince of Water, the young scion of the Lantis Republic and the one slated to become the next Spirit Immortal. Shin’s experience far exceeded anyone of his age, heck it even exceeded most hundred-year-old humans. However, never in his entire life had he witnessed such an awe-inspiring battle. Even if he unleashed the full might of the Celestial Dragon and joined hands with his bodyguard Zishen, Shin couldn’t hope to contribute to the battle that was unfolding. One move could seal the heavens while the other could tear it apart… Who else on the planet could match that strength?!
And that wasn’t the most fearful thing that occurred. What scared Shin the most, was the pure white beam that flowed from the bottom of his feet. Deus Citadel, the flying fortress that was synonymous with the Blacksmith’s League, had unleashed the most blinding beam that Shin had ever witnessed. His eyes were burning, even if he closed them, and the sound trumped anything in the area. Shin felt as if his entire world was crashing down upon his shoulders as he unwilling took a knee. And he was still one of the better few.
All those beneath the Spirit Venerate realm couldn’t help but fall flat on the floor, their bodies not willing to get up in fear of being destroyed. The weakest among them all were salivating from the sides of their mouths while their spines continued to tingle with an encroaching fear. Deus Citadel’s Aether Beam… The power that utilised the entirety of a Paradise Heart… Was that powerful.
“Fuck me! I can’t see!” Isadore screamed with all his might. He was a martial artist and a Rank 49 Spirit Spectre. A powerhouse in his own right. However, against the blinding beam that Deus Citadel spewed out, the toned young man was nothing in comparison.
“Grit your teeth and bear with it!” Shin wasn’t able to see Isadore either, and could only shout in the direction of his fallen friend. The Paradise Heart was just far too domineering, and the engineers from the Blacksmith’s League hadn’t thought to put any protection for those within Deus Citadel. Just like the barrier protecting Mythpoint Reach, Shin and the others had to withstand the aftershocks from the beam with their own willpower.
“...”
The Aether Cannon’s whitebeam went on for a good minute and a half, only to finally wither away like the passing rain. The skies that had been engulfed in flames had been split in two as the wind pressure by the beam eroded all the elements above and below ground. The six Spirit Saints looked at one another, their eyes all sharing the same amount of disbelief. One universal thought ran through all of their minds at that very moment. It wasn’t if the Black Masks were annihilated, and neither was it about the state of the Allfather. All they could think about was one thing…
‘Could we withstand that attack?’
They glanced around carefully examining one another. Saint Longyu Tian tried to remain expressionless, but her anxiety was clearly showing. She was biting down on her lower lip, and her body was shaking like a leaf. Saint Atossa and Saint Firebird were also trying to put on a brave front, but it was to no avail. Even Saint Geom, the strongest among them, seemed to have dark lines emerging from his brows.
There was only one answer to that question…
No.
None of the Spirit Saints, living or dead, had the capability of withstanding the Aether Cannon’s attack. Even the Saint of Shells from the Lantis Republic, Heigui Zhengkang, couldn’t hope to block one move from that deadly weapon. Escaping the range of the Aether Cannon was simple, even the weakest of cultivators could run away given enough time. However, what if the Aether Cannon was directed at a major city? Or what if it were aimed at any government halls?
That very thought sent shockwaves down the Spirit Saints’ minds.
‘A new weapon of mass destruction has been born… Fortunately, it was the Blacksmith’s League who have created it...’ Saint Firebird looked at Saint Thor, who was the only one drunk with happiness at his creation’s effectiveness.
As the Alliance stood, the Aether Cannon would only be used against the Black Masks, the enemy of humanity. However, when the Allfather and the Black Masks were destroyed, and the Alliance had fulfilled its purpose… What then? The three superpowers would, without a doubt, start a bidding war to obtain the new technology. Not to immediately start a war of conquest against their fellow nations, but to protect themselves through deterrence.
“Congratulations, Saint Thor...” Longyu Tian was the first to strike. “You’ve created a technology that had never been seen in the history of mankind. You must be so proud of your Blacksmith’s League’s engineers!”
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“That’s right!” Saint Firebird instantly could tell what the Saint of Time’s scheme was. So, he also moved to butter up the Saint of Hammers. “It must be a monumental accomplishment for your Blacksmith League! Perhaps this new invention would trigger the new Golden Age of Blacksmiths! Your name would be written down in legend!”
“Hahaha! I can’t claim all the credit!” Saint Thor laughed heartily. It has been a while since he was this happy. “Our Ingram was the lead in developing the Aether Cannon! Also, the Prince of Water was the one who generously supplied the Paradise Hearts and the numerous blueprints of the Payircis!”
“Still, you’ve done a great deal for humanity! Creating this weapon that could destroy Mythpoint Reach’s barrier this easily.”
“HAHAHA!!! I guess you’re right!” The Blacksmith Saint continued to be showered with praises, and he gradually accepted all of them.
Saint Geom, who had been silent all this while, finally opened his mouth: “Is there a name for this weapon?”
“Hahaha! Of course there is!” Saint Thor bellowed out. “We’ve thought about it long and hard, even before the weapon was put into production! Also, we’ve gotten the Prince’s input for the name as well!”
What could the new weapon of mass destruction’s name be? Was it something that would honour its creators? Or was it a name that paid homage to Spirit Immortal Dream, the woman who created the Paradise Heart and the numerous inventions that made the Aether Cannon possible? Whatever it would be, the name would be repeated for centuries, no millennia to come. Therefore, everyone was eager to find out what it would be.
“The Light that shatters the Darkness. The beam that eradicates humanity’s despair and the eternal guardian that protects all life… We’ve named the Aether Cannon, the Ray of Hope.”
It was neither of the names that the Spirit Saints had thought up. Shin, alongside the other prominent engineers of the Blacksmith’s League, were of the opinion that the Aether Cannon should only be used for protecting humanity. They all knew how dangerous the new weapon was. With the Aether Cannon powered by a full Paradise Heart, a small island-nation could match up against either one of the superpowers, even without any Spirit Saints or Immortal-Grade Spirit Armaments.
Shin didn’t provide the Paradise Hearts for such a scene to unfold, and neither did the lead engineers of the Blacksmith’s League. They created the weapon of mass destruction to raise the world from despair, to destroy the Darkness that the Black Masks had brought it into. They didn’t want to see a scene of humans murdering other humans with the Aether Cannon.
Hence, they gave it a name that would show the creator’s intent, wishing that future generations would take that into consideration before using the Aether Cannon.
“Ray of Hope… That’s a nice name,” Longyu Tian sighed. She could tell that Shin had a good amount of authority when it came to naming the new weapon. She even felt guilty for lusting the weapon.
“Yes… We should really use the Ray of Hope, only to bring the world out of despair...” Saint Firebird shared the same sentiments.
“Hahaha, younger brother Shin is really something else!” Saint Geom chortled. He no longer called Shin as a child, but by a familial tone. In the Spirit Saint’s view, Shin was already standing side-by-side with the world’s leaders, the Sword Saint included.
However, the Spirit Saints couldn’t laugh for long. As the smoke started to clear, the six Spirit Saints knew that they had to focus on the task at hand. They’d come to eradicate the Black Masks, and it was best to finish the job.
“Is Mythpoint Reach destroyed?” Saint Atossa unconsciously asked.
At that moment, all of the Spirit Saints woke up from their stupor. They turned their attention away from the death ray and peered downwards. The barrier that protected Mythpoint Reach had melted away like butter on a swelteringly hot summer’s day. Without its main protection, the Tree of Darkness and all the nine Payircis should have been destroyed… right?
“It’s… Gone?”
The expected rubble and shattered pieces of Mythpoint Reach were nowhere to be found. In its place, there was a bottomless abyss, one that seemed to have no end in sight. There was no way that the Ray of Hope, a beam that was aimed horizontally, could have created such a feat.
“This is!”
[Call of Darkness!]
A booming voice beckoned the entire region, forcing everyone to stop in their tracks. The Darkness-Elements that had been voided by Saint Geom and Saint Firebird returned to the lands. However, instead of sealing the skies, it tunnelled deep into the broken earth. In a panic, the six Spirit Saints all unleashed their Spirits to the maximum, desperately trying to regain the balance of elements.
“ARGHHHH!!!” Saint Thor unleashed his Thunder Hammer, and a billion coils of lightning slithered through the skies, raining down vengeance upon the abyssal pit.
“DIE!!!” Not to be outdone, the ruler of the skies turned back into a Phoenix and cast his Flaming Rain ability once more. Fire-Elements joined with the Lightning-Elements, becoming a double threat when bridging through the Darkness. Even Saint Longyu Tian and Saint Althea jumped into the action, desperately wielding their Immortal-Grade Spirit Armaments.
Saint Atossa, the one least adept in this situation, stood far back and focused on releasing Wind-Elements into the area. It was the least she could do, while the other Spirit Saint focused all their attention upon the abyss.
[It’s futile...]
The voice sounded out once more. It was toneless and lethargic like it was a machine speaking. Hands attached to snake bodies emerged from the newly formed abyss, slithering their way up into the atmosphere. The elements that dared to challenge the Darkness all disappeared with one contact of the many hands.
“You!” Saint Longyu Tian gasped. “Everyone, get out of range of the hands!” Without even looking back, the Saint of Time hastened her own body and ‘teleported’ away from the abyss’ range.
“Saint Longyu Tian! You know what are those monstrosities?”
“JUST DO WHAT I SAY IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!” Longyu Tian shouted once more, this time a little more frantic.
Realising the danger, all of the other five Spirit Saints moved far away as well, just narrowly escaping the clutches of the encroaching hands.
[A shame...]
The Allfather’s voice sounded out again, this time with a little more emotion.
[I’d thought that I would be able to get rid of at least one Spirit Saint, but you’ve realised it too quickly… Was it your future sight, Saint of Time?]
“...” Longyu Tian didn’t respond. However, her eyes that were initially azure had long turned golden, validating the Allfather’s question.
[Impressive. You’ve improved yourself to this point… Perhaps I’ve overlooked you just a little.]
“Shut up, you monster! Tell us, what have you done to the Terre Continent! What have you done to trigger the Worldquake! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MYTHPOINT REACH!”
[What do you think?]
The Allfather sounded a little coy. He had lost three consecutive times before this moment, and it was nice to finally get a win.
[Do you honestly think that I will sit back and let you destroy the Black Masks? The organisation that I had spent so much time and effort to build?]