NOVPUB
Chapter 157: One of the Primordial Laws
In an unknown place.
The dim light from torches along the walls casts a faint glow, illuminating a throne at the center where a black silhouette sits. The figure’s usual nonchalant expression is gone, replaced with a solemn look and a hint of disbelief in his eyes. The encounter with Aldrian still lingers, leaving him shocked.
"How can he comprehend the Death Laws?" he wondered.
The Death Laws are one of the foundational forces that shape the universe. Since the dawn of creation, their presence signaled the emergence of laws that have structured the universe ever since. These laws maintain cosmic balance, much like the relationship between yin and yang, without them, the universe would spiral into chaos. The wheel of existence continues to turn smoothly because of these fundamental laws, with Death being one of the core pillars.
’Death’ can mean many things, but its essence remains the same: it signifies the end of existence, whether for a living being or an inanimate object. The death of a living creature, for instance, embodies part of the Death Laws, while an artifact that has been used until it crumbles is also considered to have ’died’ in its own way. Since the creation of the first existence, the Death Laws have been intertwined with life, shaping the cycle that sustains the universe.
As one of the primordial laws shaping the universe, the Death Laws can only be touched by higher beings. The karma required to comprehend these laws is so immense that it triggers a heavenly tribulation. Additionally, the complexity of the Death Laws makes them exceptionally difficult to grasp, it is natural that only beings with divine characteristics can understand them.
The Devil Lord knows all this from knowledge passed down to him by his own source. He understands the nature of the Death Laws, the form they take, and the aura they emanate when a cultivator comprehends them, which is why he was shocked to see them under the control of a low-level cultivator on this continent. Recognizing the terrifying potential of the Death Laws, he realizes that if one of his subordinates were killed by this cultivator, the situation would be dire.
He sensed that this cultivator is located in the southwest of the continent, where a disturbance was reported a few hours ago. The rumbling sounds of lightning strikes even reached his location, prompting him to grow serious.
It was unusual—too many strange events were unfolding on this continent at once, and he couldn’t help but wonder what was happening. From the mysterious swordsman, to the phenomena in the skies over demon territory and the Ivory Empire, the birth of a mid-tier divine artifact, and now a heavenly tribulation echoing across the land.
Despite it all, he believed the continent would fall into his hands. He had planned meticulously for this moment, and failure was not an option. He would not repeat the mistakes of his ancestors. Yet, the appearance of a cultivator capable of comprehending the Death Laws forced him to adjust his plans. This cultivator was a dangerous, unpredictable factor—and he seemed to harbor a deep hatred toward him.
"I must find him and eliminate him, even if I have to come out myself."
However, he couldn’t simply charge into either orthodox or unorthodox cultivator territories to hunt him down—that would unite the entire continent against the devils. For now, he needed to cancel his operation in Forgeheart Kingdom, this unknown variable cast too much uncertainty over the success of his plans. After a moment of thought, he smiled—for the first time in ages, he had found a truly interesting challenge.
He had lived a long time, waiting for the day foretold by prophecy—the day when all beings would be shrouded in darkness. That day would come, and when it did, he would finally break through to a higher realm, leaving behind this place.
"Soon... soon."
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At the foot of Dragon Back Mountain, Duke Badin and two cloaked men waited for their subordinates’ report on the mountain’s situation. The first wave had moved ahead to scout and clear the way, while the following waves provided support, already blocking all paths leading to the mountain’s central area.
The latest report from the first wave indicated they had crossed the bridge, and the strange phenomenon had stopped, allowing them to proceed without issue. However, moments later, one of the cloaked men frowned and turned toward the mountain.
"The first wave is dead. All of them," he said with raspy-voice. Duke Badin, stunned, quickly took out an artifact to check the status of Vandal, one of his family’s guardians. To his relief, Vandal seemed unharmed. The cloaked men exchanged glances, puzzled—whatever had killed the devils had spared the dwarves. The raspy-voiced man voiced his thoughts.
"Someone killed the devils but left the dwarves unharmed."
"Could it be Mardred? Or perhaps Duke Valiard and his group?"
"I don’t know, but the entire group was wiped out at once—a one-sided massacre," replied the raspy voice, though a small smile crept across his face, showing little concern for the loss of his men. Yet, his smile vanished abruptly as he sensed the annihilation of the next wave of devils, then the following, and the next. 𝓃𝓸𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
He frowned deeply and turned to the cloaked man beside him.
"Whatever it is, it’s only killing the devils."
The other man remained silent, and by now, all the devils who had climbed toward the mountain’s central area were dead, leaving only the two of them. Suddenly, they received a voice transmission from someone, and both turned their attention toward the central area.
"Change of plan. I’ll check the mountain. You continue—" The raspy-voiced man abruptly stopped, stunned by the sudden appearance of dwarves surrounding them. The dwarves seemed unconscious, showing no external wounds, which left the two men baffled. The other cloaked man realized what was happening.
"This is teleport—" he began, but before he could finish, their surroundings shifted. When they regained their senses, they found themselves in a different place—a rocky field where Aldrian had recently undergone his heavenly tribulation. The intense aura and energy of the place instantly registered in their bodies. Fortunately, they had artifacts designed to shield them from the oppressive Heavenly energy and aura.
As they tried to process the sudden change, they noticed a young man standing not far from them. Though they had been transported here by some unknown means, they still held trump cards they could use if needed. Confident in their ability to escape if things turned dire, they regarded the young man warily but remained self-assured.
"To be honest, I’m really surprised that one of the Seven Deadly Sins has come to this place. It looks like Mardred or the blueprint is quite important to you. If I had to guess, the devils need the blueprint more than Badin does, right?" Aldrian said.
"Ohhh, clever guess right there. Who are you? How did you know that the Seven Deadly Sins were here? And were you the one who just triggered that tribulation?" the raspy-voiced man asked.
"Who am I? Maybe you’ll find out after this. As for the tribulation—who knows?" Aldrian replied with a smile.
Aldrian, whose domain enveloped the area where Duke Badin and the two devils stood, instantly teleported the two men to face him after he finished dealing with the groups trying to investigate the mountain. After slaughtering the first wave of devils and instilling fear in the dwarves, he teleported them to the foot of the mountain where Duke Badin was located.
The man frowned. Even if this young man somehow triggered a heavenly tribulation of that scale, he believed Aldrian must be using an artifact. There was no way anyone could withstand such a tribulation without preparation. Perhaps this young man possessed a middle or even high divine-grade artifact, recklessly using it in a desperate manner to survive. Alternatively, he might have employed a high-level defensive formation.
"Then I suppose we have to force you—" the raspy voice stopped as Aldrian appeared in front of the other cloaked man, his hand already coated in golden energy and sword will.
DUD
However, Aldrian’s surprise attack met with the hard armor beneath the cloak—a shiny silver armor that radiated divine grade aura. Aldrian didn’t seem surprised, he instantly teleported back to his initial position.
"As expected from the Greed Devil, you truly enjoy collecting these kinds of things, don’t you? Rijk van Denberg," Aldrian said.
