Chapter 387: A Step Forward

Kingdom of Dawn, Royal Palace.

The news spread like wildfire across the five kingdoms.

CRACK! The sound of shattering glass echoed through the throne rooms of distant capitals as spies delivered their reports. The Kingdom of Dawn and the Kingdom of Britannia—two of the five great powers of Vaelor—had merged into a single entity.

In the Elven Kingdom of Elenoir, Queen Aelithra Tauriel sat in her council chamber, her emerald eyes fixed on the trembling scout who had delivered the news. Her fingers tightened around the armrests of her living-wood throne.

"A merged kingdom?" she murmured, her voice a silken whisper. "And King Alaric... he agreed to this? After decades of hostility?"

The scout bowed lower, his forehead nearly touching the moss-covered floor. "Yes, Your Majesty. And there are rumors... rumors of a mysterious cultivator behind it all. A demon, they say. One who commands a beast of terrifying power."

The elven elders exchanged uneasy glances.

Elder Thalion stroked his silver beard. "A demon? On Vaelor? That is... concerning."

Queen Aelithra’s eyes narrowed. "Send more spies. I want to know who this demon is and what he wants. If he thinks he can conquer Elenoir as easily as he did the human kingdoms, he is sorely mistaken."

In the Vampire Kingdom of Crimsonia, the crimson-eyed Queen Seraphina listened to her own reports with cold, calculating interest. So, she thought, the humans have finally found a leader worth following. Or perhaps... a master worth fearing.

In the Kingdom of Fangmoor, the Wolf King Kael had heard of only in passing—a massive, scarred beast-kin named Fenrir Lupus—slammed his fist onto his throne. CRACK! The stone armrest shattered.

"A demon?" Fenrir growled, his yellow eyes blazing. "Let him come. My packs will tear him apart."

A Month Later, The Astral Void Realm.

FWOOSH!

Kael sat cross-legged on the barren ground of his Inner World, the Orb of Soul Nourishment floating before him. The Tier 1 Grade soul treasure pulsed with ancient, ethereal energy, its translucent surface rippling like water.

Hmmm... Kael breathed in deeply, the orb’s energy flowing into his soul core. The sensation was like drinking from a cool, endless spring. With every breath, his soul core expanded, the dense spiritual energy refining and purifying itself.

Around him, the Soul Vein Crystals from the Gra-Khazul tribe were arranged in a perfect circle. Each crystal was inscribed with intricate Rank 5 runes—Kael’s own handiwork. The runes glowed with a soft, violet light, creating a Soul Vein Amplification Array that continuously drew in ambient soul energy from the surrounding void and concentrated it into a dense, breathable mist.

This is much more efficient than my previous methods, Kael thought. The Gra-Khazul truly understood the soul path.

He reflected on their techniques—the Breath of the Deep Green, the Soul Vein Crystals, the meditation methods that allowed their warriors to sense souls from meters away. He adapted their teachings to his own understanding, combining them with his Astraeon bloodline and his unique soul structure.

Two months passed in the Astral Void Realm.

CRACK!

A sharp pain shot through Kael’s soul core. The barrier that had held him at Mid Soul Condensation was fracturing. He gritted his teeth, pushing more of the orb’s energy into his core.

Shatter! he commanded.

BOOM!

The barrier broke. A wave of dense soul power erupted from Kael’s body, the Soul Vein Crystals pulsing brightly as they absorbed the excess energy. His soul sense expanded dramatically, sweeping past the two-hundred-meter mark and settling at a staggering 250 meters.

Ding!

[Breakthrough! Host has advanced to Late Soul Condensation Realm. Soul Sense expanded to 250 meters.]

Kael let out a long, satisfied breath. Late Soul Condensation. Good. But not good enough.

He turned his attention to his rule powers.

Crackle! Lightning danced around his fingertips, denser and more refined than before. He was pushing closer to the Fourth Step: Refinement—the stage where rule power became stable enough to form a domain seed.

Whoosh! Gravity warped the air around his other hand, bending light and compressing the ambient mana. Rumble! Darkness pooled at his feet, a living shadow that responded to his every thought.

I’m making progress, Kael thought. But the Fourth Step still seems out of reach. I need more time. Or should I fight more people who have already reached the fifth step?

He focused on his Flame Rule Power. The Demonic Asura Lotus Flame flickered around him, its purple-black flames roaring to life. FWOOSH! The flames condensed, becoming denser, more controlled.

Ding!

[Flame Rule Power has advanced to Third Step: Articulation.]

Kael smiled. Nice. Now all my rule powers are at least at the Third Step.

The Royal Palace, Kingdom of Dawn.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Kael sat on the throne of Snowfall, his fingers drumming rhythmically against the ice-cold armrest. Before him knelt a Shadow Hound, its white mask speckled with frost.

"My Lord," the Hound reported, "our infiltration of Elenoir is proving... difficult. The elves are tightly knit. They share a collective consciousness through the ancient trees. Kidnapping one of them would draw immediate attention."

Kael frowned. "Then don’t kidnap them. I’m sure I don’t have to give you every instruction. Observe. Map their patrol routes, their communication methods, their weaknesses. I want to know everything, every damn thing about their defenses before we make a move. "

"As you command." The Hound vanished into the shadows.

Kael turned his attention to the two puppet kings standing before him. Bjorn and Alaric stood side by side, their eyes hollow, their wills completely suppressed by the slave runes.

"Consolidate your armies," Kael ordered. "Prepare supply lines. Fortify the border with Elenoir. I want the merged kingdom to be a fortress before we march on the elves."

Both kings bowed. "As you command, My Lord."

Kael then asked, "What about mana stone mines? I need high-grade stones."

Bjorn spoke first. "The Kingdom of Dawn has only low-grade mines and a small stockpile of mid-grade stones."

Alaric added, "The same is true for Britannia. However... the Kingdom of Fangmoor and the Kingdom of Crimsonia are rumored to possess high-grade mines."

Kael leaned back, his silver-flecked eyes gleaming. "At least, there’s soon usefulness in coming to Vaelor. Otherwise, I would be really disappointed. Bring me all the mid-grade stones you have. I have... plans for them."

The two kings hesitated for a fraction of a second, their suppressed wills fighting against the command. But the runes on their foreheads blazed, and their resistance crumbled.

"As you command," they said in unison.

The Astral Void Realm, Three Months Later.

RUMBLE!

The Astral Void Realm had expanded to twenty square kilometers. The barren void was now dotted with small, crystalline formations—mana stones that Kael had planted, slowly replicating and spreading their energy through the realm.

ROOOOAR! The Void Behemoth trained in the distance, its massive form crushing the ground with every step. The Dark Wyvern soared through the nebula above, while the Dark Serpent and Dark Wolf sparred in the shadows.

Kael sat in the center of it all, the Orb of Soul Nourishment floating before him.

He placed his hands on the orb, drawing all of its accumulated energy into his soul core. FWOOSH! The energy flooded his meridians, a tidal wave of spiritual power that threatened to overwhelm him.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

His soul core shattered, reforming, shattering again. The pain was excruciating, but Kael gritted his teeth and endured.

Shatter! he commanded. Break through!

BOOM!

The barrier exploded. A massive pillar of soul energy erupted from Kael’s body, piercing the nebula above. The Astral Void Realm trembled, the ground cracking under the sheer pressure of his soul power.

Ding!

[Breakthrough! Host has advanced to Peak Soul Condensation Realm. Soul Sense expanded to 300 meters.]

Kael opened his eyes. His soul power radiated outward, a terrifying, almost physical pressure that made the very air vibrate. He clenched his fists, feeling the immense power coursing through his veins.