Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Laying on the ceiling, I stared up at the sun bearing down at me. An intense heat filled my body as I studied the sun. While I held a hint of disdain for the sun, it was a major element I needed to study. Many would only focus on one Dao, but I knew that survivability was more important.

The light had many destructive properties, but its real power came from the support it grants: healing, Instantaneous Reflex, speed, and powerful nemesis of demonic creatures. Oddly enough, light didn't really have a negative effect on me. It may be due to my lightning immunity or in what I manly believe was due to the darkness.

But as I gazed up at my sister, I began pondering the various Dao of the Heavens. Wind, Earth, Fire, Water, these were the elements I wished to learn. I had minimal experience with the Element of water, but my understanding began to evolve as I looked up at the snowy field.

Lilith had taught me a little trick to increase my comprehension without overusing Soulforce. I only needed to force Enlightenment to happen, and anything that entered my gaze would become my focus. It had been about a week, and my understanding regarding the heavens began to be enhanced.

"Damn it, Lisa," Rave quietly yelled as he stared angrily at his lovely wife. "Why are you so mad I joined? I just wanted to spend more time together. We have been married for about twenty years, and this is our first time traveling together. I'm trying to make an effort. Meet me halfway."

Snickering, I glanced down at the Pale Lisa. Her face was all but ashen as she heard Rave's words. Guilt was all but present, but Rave was blind to it. I must give it to Rave, he truly loved Lisa, but honestly, I think Lisa was too young. A pathetic excuse, but it was true.

Honestly, it was kind of like earth. While she is far older than me, most cultivator's mental ages do not evolve much. Many people don't know this, but the majority of most humans have a mental age of sixteen, even when their real age is around thirty or forty.

(A/N: This is actually a real thing.)

Even I am subjected to such behavior. I am about thirty, yet there are times where I act like a young man that just graduated high school. It's quite common to see; the only difference between them and me is that I am self-aware of my actions, or at least that's what I tell myself.

Taking a whiff of the air, I arose, looking off in the distance. Removing Dragonsbane from the carriage, I smiled, sending the couple a wink before taking my leave. As much as I love watching Lisa run herself into a hole, I needed to gather the souls I lost.

Roald also arose as he smiled, "Found any bandits? It's been a week, and I need a little exercise."

With a bloodthirsty grin, I nodded, "Aye, shall we leave the couple to argue amongst each other?" I said, sending Rave and Lisa a side glance.

Rave seemed a little grateful, but Lisa looked heartbroken as she stared at me with begging eyes. Trying my hardest not to laugh, I left in a hurry shooting into the snowy field of Midgard. Looking at the flames in the distance, I could hear the laughter of men as they began drinking in the early morning.

A cold hue could be seen in Roald as he bent down in the bushes, "What is your plan?" He asked as I almost burst into laughter.

"Plan? This is training!! We are rushing in like badasses," I yelled, gripping his shoulder before tossing him high in the air before he could reply, much less react. Like a shooting rocket, Roald became a twinkle in the sky.

"TEAM ARSENE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!!!" I yelled, enjoying the shooting star.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHH" He screamed as I laughed, watching him land inside of the small encampment of bandits. A look of surprise filled the entire field as Roald arose with a frightening expression.

"Fuck you, Arsene!! You are using me as bait," said Roald as he eyed the bandits glaring daggers into him.

"ENEMY ATTACK," They screamed; however, my bow was already drawn as I fired in quick succession, killing multiple bandits as they looked at Roald. Pushing Soulforce in my mind, I entered a state of enlightenment once more.

Like a mindless killing machine, I charged in, still shooting my bow. Releasing a rain of death down before I dropped my bow. Drawing dragonsbane form by back, I did a sinister sweep of my blade, showering the ground in guts. A look of despair filled their gazes as they dropped to the ground, trying to push their organs back in.

<Arcane Gale>

Suddenly a massive invisible sphere appeared as I walked through the entire encampment, severing life like it was grass. The screams', the Wails of anguish, did not enter my ears, only my blade as my spear intent began to overflow in the area. Growing more powerful with each kill I obtain.

Like a sponge absorbing water, I began understanding more regarding the concept of my spear the more I killed. Momentum slowly began to become my spear's best friend as I began using gravity and the various vibration around me to push my spear to greater heights.

Einstein said for every reaction; there was an equal but opposite reaction. So forever parry every step I made, every vibration I made, I pushed that force into my spear. Slowly but surely, Dragonsbane truly became a true dragon as I walked through the bandit encampment. Like a wild beast, the craved nothing more than madness dragonsbane slowly became the embodiment of what the Chaos aspect of the Spear of Order and Chaos was meant to be.

"Call Boss So'val. We need help. CALL FOR HELP; HE IS KILLING EVERYONE." Someone bellowed right before Dragonsbane severed his head from his body. Watching the geyser of blood rain. A new understanding of blood began to flow like streams through my mind.

At this point, I could not even differentiate between the water and blood as they slowly began to merge with each other. Blood was just a derivative of water that somehow became a Dao.

It was not long before a stream of blood began orbiting around me like a ring. With a feral growl, the mark of Sacrilege activated as my mind slowly began turning more clear. As if I could finally see the world, my comprehension began to skyrocket.

"So this is how SoulBenders train. No wonder Grey became a World King and why we are being hunted. We are monsters, "I whispered in a hollow tone. With a pause, I suddenly glazed at the man approaching me from behind.

I could feel Qi? With an indifferent gaze, I turned to the sorcerer as he drew a longsword from his belt. A frightening Qi began to fill the air as I spoke without a hint of emotion. " Peak Saint and A peak life gate."

Saint was comparable to life gate. However, Life Gates was a little stronger. Nevertheless, as I gaze at the man before me, all I could feel was excitement even within this state of Enlightenment. It was like my Demonic Bloodline was raging, warping the holy concept of Enlightenment. No more was I an emotionless drone but rather a demon clawing for knowledge.

I could feel the black scales rising up from my skin behind the amour while a set of fangs began to appear. A rather fiendish aura that seemed to swallow the very heavens erupted from my form as I grinned savagely.

"Fresh Meat?" I started looking at the moving food before me.

Gulping down So'val shivered, when Roald appeared with an astonished look, "What the hell are you?" they said with a frightened expression.

Black flames began to grow as I shot like a bolt of black lightning to So'val. In less than a second, my knee shot towards his face as he raised his blade to defend.

DING*

Parrying my strick, So'val lowered his center of gravity, ready to sever my body in two with one clean strike. However, Dragonsbane was already raging like a dragon basting him away. A look of disbelief filled his gaze as he looked down at his armor with a long gash in the center.

Growing serious, So'val seemed to vanished, appearing above me in a flash. Marveling at this speed, Dragonsbane clashed with his strike as I felt my gauntlets began to shine. I could feel my bones tremble as I leaped away in a hurry.

Unfortunately, So'val was quite persistent as he appeared right before my eyes, blasting me away with a slash that would have severed my head were it not for my spear moving at the right time.

A cold sweat covered my head, but my excitement never left me as I skitted over the ground blasting through multiple tents. Pushing my body out of the rubble, my blood began to boil as I felt I had finally found my equal. No wounds shone on my body as my armor began to shine, telling me I was protected.

Raising his longsword, So'val's eyes began to shine with radiance as I saw the Norse symbol of Sever and Blood glimmering with a crimson light. A heavy pressure began to rise as the Pale rider could be felt holding his blade to my neck.

"A little shit like you making me use my runes. How disgraceful, my brother would laugh at me if they heard of this." So'val screamed as his body began to pulse with the QI of Heaven and Earth.

<Phantom Step>