Thunder rumbled, the sound crashing through the air like the roar of an earth dragon. Lightning webbed through the dark skies, illuminating everywhere like a flash of midday, while the earth was cracked and cratered from the multiple impacts of crashing cultivators and deflected projectiles. The air had been stirred out of its calm state, angered and whipping with the intent to destroy; only the aura and will of the spirit lords kept it in check.

All over the continent, the ambient energy saturating everywhere was kicked into a storm, destabilizing Cosmo regeneration all over Greensend; Cultivators from all over the world powerful enough to divine the cause of this storm waited, tense, and fearing for the worse; it wasn't surprising, as the last time the ambient energy was pushed soo out of balance, the world's population of spirit lords was drastically reduced and an Empire arose, taking over a third of the continent and shifting the power status of the entire continent and beyond, putting every sovereignty worth their salt on alert mode.

Damien watched the faces of the Solarian spirit lords turn white as his full astral image was revealed.

Unlike other spirit lords whose astral images looked significantly different from theirs, with multiple aesthetics to make them look more regal and intimidating, his wasn't much different from his base form; The only difference was the eyes, which instead of the normal grey pupils, both his eyes were twin dull glowing grey orbs, which was intimidating on its own, telling from the way the spirit lords refused to look straight at it—even those allied to him. Aside from that, his image looked exactly like him.

And like other spirit lords, his entire image looked intimidating and scary, inducing the feeling of prey facing a predator, but unlike some of them, his was backed by true power, which was completely overwhelming and suffocating, he noticed.

Ever since he stepped into the realm of spirit lord, he'd hardly found the need to summon his entire image, his partial image being enough to settle the truly worrisome opponents. Even now, he could have still stuck to the usual partial image, but for once he wanted flex, to showcase his true power and cow the ones who thought they could chain him. This demonstration wasn't only for the ones in front of him.

For his first act and to cut off all easy escape, he took care of the one worrisome cultivator.

Damien pointed his spear and a thick breath of destruction thundered. Before anyone could even react, the beam grey beam speared through the space cultivator, killing him instantly; his body fell, crashing down to join his comrade.

Damien nodded, as he'd thought, the man must have been too weakened to even survive that simple attack.

From his actions, he expected an immediate reaction, with astral images being summoned; but the response he got instead was surprising, and more..... satisfying.

The entire battlefield was immediately swallowed in quiet stillness, with all fearful eyes on him. Even the clash between the fire and ice cultist had immediately stilled, with Menoe looking at him in surprise.

The fire cultists were more surprising, since they were all battle maniacs, wanting for more daring and risky battles; but it seems there were some battles they were unwilling to risk.

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Honestly, Damien didn't need to have killed the space cultivator to get his message across. Unveiling his astral image was message enough. But he knew talent, and he knew that, unlike the many spirit lords who flocked toward the Empire for power and prestige, this one had true talent. If the man had been left to advance further, he'd have become a true menace with techniques capable of getting into and out of places without anyone noticing. A true hidden pillar.

He didn't want to risk a talent like that being molded into a weapon by the emperor and aimed at their hearts.

True, Damien could have just found a time and place outside the empire to ambush and intimidate the man into leaving the empire, but he honestly didn't want the stress.

Besides, any spirit lord who flocked toward the empire was either a battle maniac or power-hungry individual. There was no shortage of things to fight on the planet that you'd need to subjugate yourself to another.

Call it ruthless or immoral, but the empire had enough weapons as it was; he didn't want to risk another potential dagger falling into their hands.

{Soo ruthless.} Gray lamented inside Damien's mind, his voice modulated to sound sad and distasteful.

Damien ignored him, putting on an innocent face and turning towards the empire group. "Thank you for your attention, it is really appreciated." He said. "Now that I have it, I'd like to ask a simple question."

He paused for dramatic effect, looking at their faces and the extreme wariness that was being displayed.

"How would you like to beg for your lives?"

And like that, a storm of emotions scrolled through their faces as he finished. Shock, anger, indignation. He could see it all.

He knew that what he'd just said was a serious affront to their status as spirit lords. These were people who stood at the peak of the world, capable of crushing cities on their lonesome, so the insinuation that they'd have to beg for their lives must have stabbed deep into their pride.

He stabbed it a bit more.

"Remember, I hold your fragile lives in my palms, and it could be..... crushed at any time, so please think carefully of your next words." He said sweetly.

"Is that so?" A whisper swept through the area.

Everyone immediately turned to the voice, searching for where it came from.

They found it.

A Golden flame soon appeared, materializing out of reality. It was blinding in its radiance, with speckles of tiny white lights, like stars on a night sky, except this one was golden. The heat radiating from it would have bothered him if he wasn't currently being empowered by his image, and judging from the way the two groups of spirit lords edged away from its proximity, he wasn't the only one feeling it.

Moments later, the golden flame compressed, reducing in size until the frame of a human took its place, blank at first until individual features began showing, its features becoming clear and....familiar.

This time, the spirit lords couldn't hold back from exclaiming. Exclamations of shock and surprise, not only from the empire group but this time, Damien's group joined. Except him.

"Your arrival has been greatly waited upon, stranger....or should I say.... Emperor Solar."

The very familiar features looked at him, face neutral, except for an inquiring eyebrow.

The others began looking from one emperor to another, seeing their stark resemblance. They looked like twins, identical, but if one truly looked, they'd see the difference, as one face looked natural, but the other seemed too perfect to be natural.

"How did you know?" The latest arrival asked, or more like demanded, his tone commanding.

Damien only shrugged, his features nonchalant, but deep down, a deep sense of danger swept through him as he studied the man.

His plans were already going to shit.

Normally he'd not have been scared of any spirit lord, no matter the tier. The man in front of him emitted the aura of a spirit lord, no problem about that; but it was the core of that aura—the part that projected one's true being— that truly made him wary. What he sensed was a power he'd never come across before, and didn't think he'd do for some time.

[Damien, that's a Spirit King.]