Unsealing Emptiness

Chapter 457: Foiled Plans.

"... And yesterday, you said it isn’t important!..."

There were a couple more complaints that Ember shouted uncontrollably, but at that point, Ozul had already zoned out. He didn’t have any energy or any intentions to reply to everything.

Once she had finally stopped talking, as if awakening from a deep slumber, his vacant eyes gained a little gleam again.

"Now that you know, can you do anything about it?"

"..."

Having blown off all the steam, it finally settled in Ember’s mind why he did not immediately come to tell him of the matter.

What could she even do? She could only prepare herself. If the scale of the war was so massive, scheming around with these weak people wouldn’t be of much help.

"Ahem! Forgive me, I couldn’t keep my dignity as a Sage," Ember was a little embarrassed as she admitted.

Ozul didn’t care either way. He knew anyone would give an exaggerated reaction to the news of such a war.

"All my plans are meaningless now..." Ember could now be seen muttering to herself, "And here I was planning on sparking a war between those bastards from Immortal Sect and Wilderness..."

In the Realm of Abezan, although hidden in shadows, the Wilderness alone was an organization that could hope to match the strength and power of the Immortal Sect.

In terms of influence, however, even the Wilderness could not compare since they had to remain secretive.

Ozul heard her mutterings but tacitly decided to ignore that piece of information. If he inquired about her past with the Wilderness again, it would distract him from the real issue ailing him.

"Hey," His voice rang in the room, diverting her attention as she looked up from the desk.

In front of her was a confusing sight. Ozul was standing with his hands in front of him, holding a sheet of Purity.

"Hm?"

"What do you see?" he asked, not sure whether the illusion worked or if it affected her.

"Is this a sarcastic question? Are you trying to teach me something?" Ember couldn’t be more confused. Here she was thinking of her plans to survive the war, so she couldn’t think about anything else.

"Just tell me."

"... You holding that black thing?"

Ember could swear that she noticed a subtle hint of disappointment appear on Ozul’s face before it quickly vanished.

’Maybe she is too strong?’ he thought, in dimming hopes that he could still create illusions with Purity.

Without uttering another word, he made his way out of the room, leaving Ember even more uncertain about the future.

’Has the upcoming war affected him more than he lets on?’ She considered the possibility but dismissed it just as quickly. It didn’t make sense since he was even more cool-headed than her in this regard.

"Hu..." She exhaled deeply before circulating her cultivation technique.

’Politics will only go so far in the war. I need to quickly break through...’

This was the surprise she was preparing for the whole world. After all, there were no more than 25 known Sages in the Realm of Abezan. And she was preparing to ascend even above that!

Once she did, she wouldn’t even need the vain protection of the Celestial Phoenix. She had learned firsthand how useless it was when push came to shove.

’The Mind’s Eye of that bones of a man had enough energy to take half a step into the next realm. He was too old, however; his physical body wouldn’t have allowed such a change.’

Not only was she already at the peak of the Sage realm before her fall, but after absorbing the Mind’s Eye, she only had to refine all those Spiritual reserves to make it hers.

’I just need to comprehend the path now...’

With her plans foiled, cultivation became her priority as well.

...

While Ember was preparing herself to take half a step into the next realm, Ozul was approaching the trio who were all training outside.

As he stood in front of Blaze, the latter slowly opened his eyes. "Is there anything you need? Please?" He asked with hope in his eyes.

They had been cultivating nonstop. Even he, with an absolute resolve to serve Ozul in the future, could not help but become sick of cultivating all the time.

Other than going through the Trial of the Phoenix, they would only leave the estate to run small errands of Ember with calculated difficulty.

Even Ozul was stumped when he heard the word ’please’ from Blaze. He glanced at Raven and Zier, and they too eyed him with hopeful eyes.

Understanding their problem wasn’t difficult for him as he could read their emotions.

’Ha... If I don’t help them, their cultivation might stagnate...’

For now, however, he had something more pressing matter, "What do you see?"

There was a chance that Ember was immune to his ’illusions’ since she was at the Sage Realm.

"Purity?" Blaze asked, he too was confused just like Ember.

"Okay..." Ozul replied softly, giving up on the idea of creating illusions with Purity altogether.

He had tried everything. All elements, and yet nothing worked. If he were to say he wasn’t disappointed, he would be lying.

’I need something else...’ Since it seemed to him that he may be lacking in imagination, he thought that maybe a change of environment might help.

Looking up at the hopeful faces of the three, he was even more firm on the idea.

"Get up, we are going into the forests." While working together with Rai, he had visited more than a few places of interest.

Without a single moment of hesitation, the three of them instantly stood up, excited to follow Ozul into an adventure again.

The trio needed a challenge and he needed a change of environment to help him think straight.

And so, without informing Ember, the four of them embarked on a journey under Ozul’s lead.

They exited the estate and Ember was immediately notified of that, but she didn’t stop them.

Rai had informed her of Ozul’s progress with him and he was more than capable of handling himself.

If anything, after the Trail of Phoenix, even the Immortal Sect would think twice before harming them. No one wanted an enemy out of the Celestial Phoenix.

. . .

Above the Realms known to mortals, in the loftiest land known to all, and atop the palace radiating warm light, stood the being rumored to be the God.

His face was as white as milk, his golden eyes seemingly held all wisdom in existence, and his light gold hair, all of his features, and his presence were so unique, so warm, and so enrapturing that people undeniably accepted him as divine.

The being in question stood motionless against the window again, gazing into his immense, infinite domain of influence.

No emotions could be read on his face as he stood there like a mountain watching rivers fall apart, forests grow anew, and rebirth of life. If no one disturbed him, he would likely stand there unmoving for days.

The birds outside the window were more than happy for such a treat.

They sang beautifully and in perfect harmony, as if in a rehearsed choir, at such a divine sight. Air flickered in a strange rhythm that seemed to calm all beings in the presence of this ’God’.

A mortal would mistake this scene for an art painted by a saint.

To the disheartening of the birds, this harmonious scene was broken by the voice of another person in the room.

"How long will you stay like that?"

It was a soft voice, so strong that not even a wild beast would ignore it, yet so soft that even the most spiteful of beings would find it hard to hate it.

There was another lady in the room, and unlike anyone who would ever come before this ’God’, this lady seemed bold and confident.

However, her beguiling allure was tainted by worry etched into her expression.

The nature of their relationship would be made clear with her next words,

"I thought you trusted me? What ails you so much that you would even let our son march into this battle? You do understand that he is doing this for your approval, right?"

The birds stopped singing as the room came to a sudden stillness.

It lasted for a few minutes, before the ’God’ finally turned around, his face as calm as the stillness of the deep ocean.

"I... could tell you..." He came close to the woman, and stared straight into her eyes as if peering into her soul, "...but would you understand?"

There was no hurry in his tone. He spoke slowly, and almost in a trance.

The woman in question had the most resolute look in her eyes, "Try me." She was his wife, if no one understood him, then she would!

No words were spoken for a while as the ’God’ continued looking into his wife’s eyes.

"No..."

Hearing that, she pursed her scarlet lips.

"... You could not understand," finished the ethereal voice of ’God.’

The woman took a sudden turn, freeing herself from her husband’s grasp, and walked out of the room.

The ’God’ remained motionless for a while before moving back to his original position beside the glassless window.

The air danced, birds continued their choir, and everything gained harmony again.

He was alone once again, left to his own thoughts, no mortal could hope to understand.

How could anyone understand him?

How could they ever understand the truth, as he does, and remain sane in their choices?

How could they stare into the absurd and not go mad?