Duality of Shadows-Chapter 962: It’s Really Over

"DESTROY!!!"

The immortal heroes struck mercilessly, giving the 16,000 warriors no chance to catch their breath. Still, the warriors’ bodies were surging with that unnatural power.

During this time, Almin and Lyra mastered the most basic ability of the supreme cauldron: refining and absorbing anything.

They could capture and refine any energy in mere seconds—soul power, Qi, laws, heroic power... all transformed into whatever type of energy they desired. Of course, stronger figures could escape, which is why they had to come up with a plan to weaken the heroes to the point they couldn’t react before it was too late.

The Law of Chaos and the Law of Order, combined with the cauldron, even if not fully mastered, directly influenced the battlefield, boosting their allies.

These two laws, like perfectly united Yin and Yang but with distinct capabilities, could suppress even immortal-level laws. The cauldron was such a powerful relic that even the queen desired it. Not even the immortals, using all their strength, could confront it head-on.

*Clang! Clang!*

On the first clash, the immortal heroes grimaced as they realized their powers had dropped to less than 1% of what they should have been. That was the influence of Order. Meanwhile, Chaos amplified the warriors’ offensive strength many times over.

However, the heroes quickly noticed the warriors’ energy depleting rapidly. That power was only possible thanks to the refined energy of the previously captured heroes and wouldn’t last more than a few minutes.

"Finish them off!"

The heroes roared, drawing their weapons. Despite everything, they still had vast combat experience and refined techniques. That borrowed power only made the warriors equals temporarily.

*Boom!*

Blades were unsheathed, producing a shrill sound as devastating shockwaves tore through the battlefield. Anyone daring to witness this fight from afar would think countless stars were continuously exploding.

"Attack!!"

A bloodthirsty howl echoed among the troops. The power of Daos and rune seals pushed to their limits caused the heavens and earth to shake and distort.

There was no probing or exchange of words; both sides charged without hesitation. Attacks flew chaotically, hitting no specific targets. It was as if barrels of gunpowder were being detonated continuously. Explosions, roars, and fresh blood marked the beginning of the most terrifying battle yet.

In mere moments, streaks of blood painted the sky as the space surrounding the battlefield distorted and collapsed.

Although no one was dying, both sides spat blood and suffered severe injuries. Combatants retreated to heal quickly before diving back into the fray.

The immortal heroes grew increasingly shocked by the second. Their numbers were several times greater, yet every enemy narrowly avoided death and managed to retreat.

It took a while for them to uncover the reason. Three divine beings were secretly intervening in the battle, and this made all the difference. The heroes recognized one of them—a Fey Goddess—who was covertly providing support using spatial laws, ensuring that all allies could retreat without suffering a single death. Another was an assassin, striking suddenly and unseen at the perfect moments to force the heroes to pull back their attacks. On top of that, a faint sound of a zither could be heard if they focused intently. Hidden and well-protected, a figure was playing the instrument, subtly disorienting the senses of the enemies while sharpening those of their allies.

*BOOM!*

The battle was so intense that even an ordinary peak divine cultivator couldn’t follow it with their naked eyes. The smallest shockwave could obliterate a star.

Every fraction of a second, an unimaginable amount of space collapsed, leaving scars that would last for countless generations.

Cultivators were constantly being flung backward after collisions, thrown miles away from the battlefield’s center before regaining their balance.

Even with all that power, the warriors were holding back. They knew they were no match for the immortals, and the power aiding them was nearing its limit. They were truly one step away from imminent death.

The immortals numbered nearly two hundred thousand. Two-thirds of the queen’s immortal heroes were present. Creating immortals of this level was a slow and painstaking process. After millions of years, only three hundred thousand had been created. As for common heroes, the queen had billions.

Even so, the cauldron’s power was so terrifying that the queen watched the battle with admiration. She was observing the laws and trying to comprehend the power being used.

She had already assumed the cauldron would be hers again. That’s why she didn’t order the heroes to attack the relic directly. She knew that if they all did, Almin and Lyra would likely absorb everyone’s power to defend themselves. Letting them fight and slowly exhaust their energy was far more advantageous, giving her time to study the laws in action carefully.

Minutes of frantic fighting passed.

Around the Demon Eye galaxy, hundreds of other galaxies in a vast circular radius had already lost nearly all life.

The deaths were countless. Cultivators in other galaxies across the universe trembled with fear, unsure if they would be next. They didn’t even consider fleeing, as their connection to the laws was severed, preventing them from using flight or teleportation methods. All they could do was cower and pray.

Luckily, only the divine world was affected. The region of the ascending galaxies was barely touched, and the thin mortal realm almost not at all. But everyone could hear the apocalyptic explosions, see the blinding light, and feel the endless trembling of planets in the wake of this clash.

Since the start of this battle, everything had taken place at the end of the previous day, while the whale faced the evil souls in that isolated place in the underworld. Because they were in such isolation, Bruno couldn’t sense anything through faith, and the array transmitted no information.

After almost an hour of combat, the power of Chaos and Order was finally spent.

At that moment, all 16,000 soldiers, completely covered in blood, gathered tightly around the cauldron in a close circular formation. Anizu was the first to burn through all her power, while the others became exhausted shortly after.

It was right then that Alm and Bruno received the system’s side quest and learned what had happened.

Back on the battlefield, it was the end... Everyone knew it.

"I’m sorry, Master... We couldn’t hold them off until you arrived," Rehvka said, breathing heavily, shielded by the black Cerberus standing in front of her.

Vrix growled through the array: ’If almost everyone sacrifices themselves, I can still create a passage to the underworld. At least 10% of us could escape. If we take the cauldron, the many lives inside it will be spared.’

Everyone heard this, and Rehvka hesitated. But at that exact moment, a small figure stepped out from the shadows, emerging ahead of them, facing the heroes.

Almin’s eyes widened, and everyone recognized her immediately.

"Meru!! COME BACK!" Rehvka screamed with all her might, desperation consuming her.

How on earth had this little girl been on the planet the whole time and remained unharmed? Alm and Bruno knew the answer. The tattoos could shield her from these waves of power with ease. Of course, before, only they could do this thanks to their souls, but now someone else capable of the same had been born. If the power wasn’t directly targeted at her, she could hide and absorb the energy, converting it into Qi for herself.

But... everyone just watched the girl’s back as she stood motionless. She floated, facing the approaching immortals with sinister smiles... until suddenly, they all froze.

The light of the world seemed to warp around Meru.

The heroes and the queen could see a strange, brilliant reflection in the little girl’s eyes. It was as if her eyes were two small mirrors...!

The queen immediately sensed the presence of laws emanating from another item of primordial chaos. It was the law of reincarnation, represented by the mirror.

Suddenly, Meru stretched her arms out. On her fists, two tattoos glowed with full force. Then, the light mixed with the gleam of her eyes.

"Wuji, the Primordial State… Dad, I did it," she murmured, and the power of the law of reincarnation pulsed even stronger. First, it was like a white sun; then the light warped into black tones.

The heroes felt their hearts racing uncontrollably and lost control of their bodies. Meanwhile, the queen recognized its origin. It was celestial karma.

The law of reincarnation wasn’t called that for nothing. It encompassed the entirety of the heavenly laws’ ability to reincarnate souls. The karma of each individual directly influenced this, so it was understandable that this law dominated it. But... this law governed more than just that.

Meru smiled—a smile that would have melted Alm and Bruno’s hearts if they saw it, but to the heroes, it seemed sinister and indescribable.

She waved her hand, and within her soul, the law of Origin—a legacy of her father’s and mother’s souls—moved. A divine soul and a celestial soul, united by the decree of the heavens’ will, were part of her.

At that moment, even the queen froze, stunned.

"Taiji, the supreme and the extreme," Meru murmured, feeling that unique power flowing through her.

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She remembered every lesson and word from her father. Without realizing it, she had created that technique herself, which gave her incredible ease in using it. However, it was her father who had advanced it, creating levels she couldn’t reach. Now, thanks to his teachings and the power she had received from him in her soul, she advanced with ease.

"Dad... I’m going to help everyone…"

She waved again, and celestial karma began to spin, forming a black and white wheel in the skies. The wheel was thousands of meters wide, ethereal and magical; anyone who saw it would feel as though they had seen it before... yet had no memory of it.

Without delay, a black aura covered the immortal heroes like a dark shroud. This was the dense, black karma of all their actions.

At the same time, the will of the heavens seemed to stir, enveloping all the allies with a pure, white mantle.

"AH!"

At that moment, screams of pain and agony echoed among the heroes. The karma within them was like lava, flowing under their skin and burning their very existence.

Simultaneously, the allies felt their wounds completely heal. They turned toward Meru, watching her small body tremble before she collapsed...

Rehvka stepped forward and caught her immediately in her arms. Meru’s eyes were closed, but her breathing was soft and calm. Feeling her body, it seemed like she was merely sleeping, exhausted.

There was no time to think, and her safety was paramount. Almin opened the cauldron, and Rehvka placed her inside without hesitation, sending her into the inner world where the others were.

After that, everyone watched the wheel spinning above, as cries of agony continued among the heroes. They couldn’t use their powers properly and seemed to be boiling under a curse.

The queen gazed intently at the wheel. The energy within it seemed to emanate from an entity as supreme as herself… It was power drawn from the celestial souls of Alm and Bruno. That was the fuel Meru had completely used up.

But the power was quickly running out.

"KILL!"

The warriors didn’t hesitate and attacked again, seizing the opportunity.

The queen scoffed. Immediately afterward, an ethereal crown appeared on her head. All her heroes felt a supreme power surge through their bodies instantly.

*RUMBLE!*

They scrambled to block, feeling the curse vanish. It was the power of one primordial chaos item countering another. In theory, neither item was stronger than the other, so they should cancel each other out.

But… the queen’s eyes widened as she saw the wheel spin faster. The immortal heroes’ screams began again. Even with the crown, it wasn’t enough?

She quickly understood and sighed. Their karma was so dense that the wheel’s power had been amplified, overpowering hers. Of course, she didn’t have full control over the crown. Moreover, she didn’t want to intervene directly. Whether it was to ensure the missionary didn’t escape or because this was an immense opportunity.

No one would escape, and the two items would soon belong to her. They were mastering the law of the items and showing everything. To her, it was perfect to observe and analyze. Her heroes were immortal and wouldn’t die; even if some fell, the gain would be greater.

The missionary was like a turtle in a jar. He hadn’t appeared yet, which meant he was either waiting for a chance to strike or flee. The queen wouldn’t give him that chance. She just needed to wait for the power to run out…

Half an hour passed...

Even with all the cultivators fighting with everything they had, it was impossible to kill the heroes. Though cursed by the spinning wheel above, their bodies were immortal. They were experienced and had extreme survival instincts.

Furthermore, they outnumbered their enemies more than tenfold. Thinking they could defeat them was an absurd dream. Whenever a hero was about to fall, others protected them.

The heroes couldn’t counterattack or use a drop of their powers. It was much worse than the previous power of Order, but still far from enough to defeat them.

’Should we retreat…?’ Vrix murmured through the array.

’No, that’s impossible. It would only make us lose the chance to buy time,’ Almin quickly responded.

He could clearly sense an even greater danger if they considered that option. They had thought about it because they didn’t know the queen had sealed the entire area to prevent the missionary from escaping. Attempting to flee would result in an immediate counterattack from the queen, causing the majority to perish. Staying was the best choice.

But, after another fifteen minutes, the wheel above stopped, becoming ethereal and slowly fading.

At that moment, everyone watched as the immortals regained their powers, now freed.

They all let out heavy sighs. They had fought to their last breath, drained their last ounce of energy...

It was over...

It really was over...

That dark, depressing thought echoed in everyone’s hearts at that moment.

However...

*CRACK!*

Suddenly, space fractured with the sound of shattering glass.

It was as if a channel had appeared, and from within it, a Yin energy from the underworld could be felt. Amid the distorted space, a round figure emerged, holding a pulsating hammer… as everyone stared in shock.

The moment he appeared, the entire universe grew cold, and all living beings felt their souls tremble.