Unsealing Emptiness

Chapter 417: Conclusion?

The war raged incessantly on all sides.

All of the neighboring kingdoms were now involved in some form. Others acted in their own best interests, while some supported either Steel Mountain or the Blue Lion Kingdom.

People were skeptical when the news of Ozul killing two Origin cultivators alone spread to others.

Especially since there was a lot of exaggeration, such as him losing one of his hands during the battle but miraculously reattaching it later.

People had differing reactions to the news and the most concerned was Ember.

In her office, she stood with multiple reports on the table scattered like dry leaves in a forest.

"How much do you need..." she muttered while cracking her fingers in irritation.

"There has been news of two intermediate Origin cultivators dying inside the capital of the Blue Lion Kingdom..." one of her officers earnestly reported.

’And yet it didn’t open...’ Ember once again sighed, continuing with her thoughts, ’Would the blood of a peak Origin cultivator suffice at least?’

She could assassinate one of their kings and be done with the deed at the expense of some treasures that she possessed, but there were chances that she might leave a trail in such a battle.

What worried her was Ozul’s stubborn attitude. He refused to return until the gate opened and with the intensity of the war increasing by the day, it became unclear whether he would really survive until then.

According to her, his main advantage was his stealth, but nothing was a certainty in the chaos of war. There weren’t any seasoned soldiers who didn’t expect an attack all the time.

With the latest news of his surviving two origin cultivators, it became clear that things weren’t in his control anymore. Sighing, she faced the three people standing in her room and spoke in a stern tone,

"I will be departing for the Blue Lion Kingdom. Cease the active surveillance and tell everyone to report only important events."

"As you command," answered one of them as they left the room

Although her Core was still reduced to quasi-Origin Realm, she still had the means to protect Ozul if need be.

...

The impacts of the war had reached far and wide.

The lower region of the continent was engulfed in the flames of bloodshed all because of the careful triggers Ember had laid in all the kingdoms.

The central region of the continent, though, remained as uninvolved as ever.

The outer regions had scarce resources and even those weren’t important enough for these forces to give them any attention.

The forces which resided in the central area were also the ones responsible for bringing the Dragon Hatchlings into the Real of Egon.

In under a month, two of the neighboring kingdoms were on the verge of destruction, and yet the central forces didn’t step up to stop the madness.

They simply didn’t care as they had their worries.

The weaker forces of the continent remained oblivious to the matters of the transcendents. Hence, they didn’t know that even if Ozul and the trio were killed, there would actually be no immediate repercussions.

After all, the entire central region was in upheaval due to the actions of a particular young-looking man and the few renowned old monsters working with him.

They couldn’t afford to worry about the stray Dragon Hatchlings who refused to join under their banners.

Bodies piled on the streets of unfortunate cities day after day.

The platoons thinned down in number every other day, adding more workload on the surviving soldiers.

The soul manifestations of each cultivator were unique and sometimes gave them unpredictable abilities. Under this pressure of war, Ozul also learned to fight against the Origin cultivators, not underestimating them anymore.

Meanwhile, it took a few more weeks for the trio to break through to the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Finally, they felt as if the invisible cage that they chipped away little by little had finally disappeared.

Their souls, like a bird born in a cage, required some effort to spread their wings completely.

Yet, the most important element in the Nascent Soul was in their grasp. They had all achieved the Soul Manifestation!

Zier once again beat the other two in their race followed by Blaze and finally, Raven who didn’t seem as bitter as Ozul expected her to be. She was more excited about getting stronger.

In the time that they pushed for the breakthrough, Ozul felt it important enough to stop laying around all day. He assumed the responsibility to order the soldiers while the trio focused on their cultivation whenever there wasn’t an attack that they were defending against.

One day, Ozul began to sense a presence near their camp, but he didn’t bother about that.

It didn’t take long for him to recognize that aura as it had been around half a year since he last met her.

From that point onward, the presence remained but she never showed herself.

’Do you want me to come to you?’ Ozul thought before shrugging his shoulders. He was too lazy to care.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to face more than one Origin cultivator after that day.

And that was also the reason Ember hadn’t shown herself yet. This might have been the only time she went to so much trouble for someone else.

’You sure are desperate for whatever the gate will help you with...’ Having realized that she was there to protect him, he couldn’t help but be curious about this gate.

Though his curiosity was piqued, he could wait more for this gate to open seeing the boost in the trio’s cultivation.

There was no surprise when Blaze’s soul manifestation was literally something akin to a blizzard. According to the manuals, all elemental soul types were unique.

On the other hand, as if she had absorbed her name, Raven’s soul manifested into a crow with three red eyes. This was rare since it wasn’t a normal animal but a beast.

Its usefulness could only be proven later, however. Either they would need to read what type of beast it was or Raven would have to explore the abilities on her own.

Zier’s soul manifestation was the most interesting to Ozul. When he brought it forth, there was only a murky purplish smoke that embraced him intimately.

But Zier instinctively knew that it was also an elemental soul manifestation; the element being poison.

Knowing there were healing properties in his blood, Zier was the most confused.

But he wasn’t regretful in the slightest. The power that surged through his body gave him a massive confidence boost. And when one really thought about it, poison was a dangerous element. If it was potent enough, he would have a clear advantage over others in a battle.

Although Ember was keeping an eye from a distance, she was still able to feel that the trio had achieved a breakthrough to the peak of Nascent Soul.

And to say that she was shocked would be an understatement.

"This is too much... Not all Dragon Hatchlings should be this monstrous," she muttered to herself thinking about another Dragon Hatchling who had already died in the central region of the continent.

While Ozul continued to fend off occasional attacks on his platoon and the trio solidified their cultivation base, the number of soldiers dwindled in the army.

There was also the news of another Division Commander losing his life. Most of the soldiers in that division also deserted.

But according to the main camp, Ozul received the report that the Imperial Prince was readily advancing toward the Steel Mountain Kingdom’s capital. Now, it wouldn’t be long before the war ended.

. . .

Ozul waited every day to hear the news that the Imperial Prince either died or captured the Steel Mountain Kingdom’s capital.

Just like everyone, he was of the opinion that the war would only conclude with one of those scenarios.

But they were gravely mistaken as the final outcome of the war was something else entirely.

No one expected it when two peak Origin cultivators infiltrated the Blue Lion Kingdom and after a fierce battle, managed to kill the king!

At the same time when the king’s blood was absorbed into the land, something began to change.

...

When the moon hung high in the night, Ozul woke up when he sensed the presence rushing toward his camp.

’Did something happen?’ he wondered as he noticed that it was Ember.

Just as he stepped out, Ember appeared before him.

"It’s time to leave," she spoke in a serious tone.

Although Ozul was going to comply anyways, he still wanted to know the reason, "Did the gate open?"

But Ember shook her head, "It hasn’t yet. But now that the king is dead, I can feel it in the air...It is opening."

Seeing Ozul’s confused face, she spoke, "The king of the Blue Lion Kingdom has been killed. They lost the war, so there’s no point in staying here anymore."

Ozul released an annoyed sigh before he nodded and called the trio.

He wasn’t happy since this outcome meant they wouldn’t be rewarded for all those fights. Gone were the promised treasures.

But he didn’t dwell on these thoughts more than necessary. Even if the Imperial Prince had lost, they wouldn’t have gained anything and to him, the chances of that happening were fifty-fifty.

Before the news even reached the ears of their main camp, Ozul along with the trio sneaked out from their platoon along with Ember.

They used one of the teleportation gates and in under a few minutes, they disappeared from the battlefield and appeared in the lush green estate crowded with the Beastkin.

"And now we wait..." muttered Ember as Ozul made himself home and went to take a nap.