The Domain of Dreams was Shin signature ability, one that amplified all elements that were under his control and greatly impeded any foe that dared to step within its borders. When Shin first created the ability at Rank 40, he’d thought to use it to gently incapacitate his enemies without causing much damage to them. Throughout the years, the Domain of Dreams had served that purpose quite well.

Many weaklings that were put down by Shin weren’t caused any severe physical or mental trauma. With the Domain of Dreams, Shin could forcibly put them all to sleep with a snap of his fingers, particularly now with his impressive Rank 79 cultivation level. However, the first ability of the Domain of Dreams was useless against the enemies that rushed out from the dark crevice sandwiched between the mountains.

“Mmmm… My Prince, you do know that Mind-Elements don’t work on the Umbras, right? Why are you amplifying your Domain of Dreams to such an extent?” Zishen asked, a little puzzled by Shin’s decision.

“Oh right, Senior Zishen you’re mostly ignorant about the affairs of the crevice...” Shin stroked his chin while the Celestial Dragon spun around him. “The darkness crevice created by the Allfather is intelligent. It would remain in hiding for the longest time, never showing itself to the outside world. In a sense, it’s like a dormant volcano that wouldn’t erupt… Unless...”

As Shin said those words, his Domain of Dreams burst into life. Elements dripped down from the heavens like a celestial rain that blessed every single soul that lived under its umbrella. At that moment, thousands of dark beasts emerged from the crevice, wailing out in a banshee-like cry. They were in all shapes and sizes. Hulking big colossus’ or birds with wingspans the size of houses burst forth from the crevice and forged a flank powerful enough to take down a platoon of the world’s best soldiers.

“This is...”

“The Umbras have to be triggered by an external force, and in this case… My Domain of Dreams...”

Shin ha deliberately used this ability not to damage the Umbras, but to force them out of hiding. The Domain of Dreams was by far the most expansive ability that Shin had. Just by casting this ability, Shin could easily affect a radius of ten kilometres. To the Umbras that laid less than a kilometre beneath him, such a significant area of effect was more than enough.

“Errol, Cassiel, Luciel… Watch carefully...” Shin’s voice echoed out as he raised his right hand up. The spiritual energy that bottled up within his body burst forth like a wrecking ball and the entire sky seemingly changed seasons. White clouds were rapidly transformed into a darkened background, and the temperature drastically dropped down to below the freezing point.

“Let it snow...”

At the peak of his powers, Shin snapped his fingers. Crystalline snowflakes dripped down from the heavens. Slowly but surely, the snow gradually grew in size. In no time at all, the snow condensed into vicious icy shards and eventually, hail fell down like broken shards of glass. The weaker Umbras couldn’t handle the icy barrage, and many of them fell by the hundreds.

“The… weather changed?” Cassiel, the young girl who was enthralled in fairy tales, couldn’t fathom the sudden shock. She had heard of Spirit Saints, and powerful Spirit Venerates that could change the atmosphere at their leisure, but little did she know that her father was capable of performing the exact same feat.

“Yes, that’s your father’s science ability at work...” Lady Seph nodded in fervour as she watched her disciple’s power in full effect. “Back in the day when I was still mentoring him, your father would come up with all sorts of scenarios to affect his surroundings without using his spiritual abilities. Seeing him manipulate the principle of thermodynamics with ease is really something to be admirative of.”

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“Father is amazing!”

Naturally, the children were unable to comprehend the complexities of Shin’s abilities. In the end, they all just gave out shouts of worship, as one would with such a mighty father.

“That’s not good enough…” Though his children were in awe of his abilities, Shin wasn’t all that happy with his performance. Raising both his hands, Shin increased his mana output by ten percent, creating an intense rift in the surroundings. Even Lady Seph’s barrier, which was capable of protecting against a full-fledged attack by a Spirit Emperor, trembled at little at her disciples raise of power.

“Hey, Shin! Raise it in moderation!”

“Ah, right…” Noticing his blunder, Shin moved closer towards the crevice and gradually adjusted his power output.

However, just because he reduced the spiritual pressure that he was sending out, it didn’t mean that he was pulling his punches. With two snaps, much of the crystalline snow instantly melted into ice. The water was as clear as a diamond while an intense glow emerged from its molecules. In no time at all, the crevice was flooded at least by a metre, and rich mana essence was pulsating out from the ground.

“Rise...” Once again, Shin snapped his fingers. Gallons of water created by Shin’s blizzard congregated into one spot, and various humanoids arose from the depths. Some of the humanoids held onto sharp spears and swords, creating an immortal army of water golems.

It was yet another variant application that Shin had perfected through trial and error. After watching the Himmel Ancestor raise an immortal army, Shin thought to do the same with his own first spiritual ability, create water. Firstly, he perfected the art of the water golem. Eventually,... each soldier within Shin’s army was equivalent to that of a Spirit Core cultivator.

However, the next stage of perfecting the immortal army was harder than Shin had anticipated. He was unable to figure out the principles that would keep the immortal army going. But fortunately… Shin had encountered the dark crevice that spawned Umbras by the droves. Shin studied the phenomenon extensively and in a mere two months, had figured out the principles behind creating an infinite, immortal army.

Just like that, Shin had copied the world’s most powerful bloodline’s only spiritual ability… The spiritual ability that had made the Himmel Empire prosper for thousands of years.

Granted, there were many limitations. For instance, Shin’s water golems weren’t as powerful as the Himmel Ancestor’s immortal army, and they certainly weren’t as varied. However, as Junius had said so many years ago, Shin’s first spiritual ability had indeed turned out to be his most powerful.

The Umbras, stunned that their signature move was being copied, started to panic and sent shockwaves of attacks flying at Shin’s water golem army. Alas, it was far too late. Shin was generating waves of mana that spawned even more water golems, and in due time, the number reached a few thousand.

“Six thousand… That’s my limit for now, huh?” Shin sighed. He had gone all out, and he was still shy of four thousand soldiers to match the Himmel Ancestor’s and Isadore’s ten-thousand-strong army.

“No, six thousand should be enough… Once I reach the Spirit Saint realm, I won’t be limited by the ten-thousand-army limit...”

As Shin was contemplating his inevitable rise to supremacy, the Umbras were going into panic mode. They raised breaths all throughout, trying to protect the crack of earth that they crawled up from. However, how could Shin simply let them do as they please? With snaps that moved like a conductor would an orchestra, Shin ordered his minions to do the deed.

Umbras, no matter how powerful were subject to the wrath of the Spirit Emperor. Elements of all colours surged up into the sky, and Shin’s three children were treated to a feast for the eyes. After all, Shin had brought them over to experience the power of the Black Masks and the Umbras first-hand. It was the first time in their young lives that they’d seen such a spectacular scene. It was so beautiful, yet so terrifying...

Bit by bit, the Umbras sheer numbers were chipped down. No matter how hard they tried to attack the water golems, the water from the melted snow would create a fresh batch, ready to attack at any given moment.

One astute Tier 7 Umbra realised that it wasn’t smart to stand around and watch the immortal army run amok in their territory. If it wanted the immortal army to stop… It had to go for the head.

The raptor-like Umbra leapt up from the ground and flapped its giant wings like a menacing falcon. Each time it swung its wings, a torrential wind would blow like a storm. Wind-elements surged as its body rose up higher and higher, aiming to take down Shin’s head once and for all.

Alas… It was picking the wrong fight…

“Foolish little creature...” Shin smiled and closed his eyes. Shockingly, the Celestial Dragon did the same. A radiant light beamed out from Shin’s inner core, and a divine aura emerged. The light coiled around Shin and soon turned into a hundred-metre-long figure.

Towering presence… That’s what the Umbra felt as it stayed its movements in the air. Deep down to its innate core, it knew... There was nothing that it could do against that behemoth that was being created.

“That’s...”

“... Father’s Avatar...”

Errol finished off his younger sister’s words.

That’s right. The hundred-metre-long behemoth that was encircling Shin’s floating body… Was precisely Shin’s eight spiritual ability… The one ability that could only be unlocked by reaching the Spirit Emperor realm…

The Celestial Dragon’s Avatar.