Immortal Paladin

485 Decisive Battle

[POV: Origin King]

It had been over three decades.

Thirty years of preparation, calculation, and patience had finally culminated into this single moment. As I stood at the forefront of my army, gazing upon the distant walls of New Risendawn, I felt a quiet certainty settle within me.

This time, things would be different.

The Holy Emperor had shown me a future long ago, one that forced me to confront an uncomfortable truth. At the very least, he could guarantee mutual destruction. His Exalted Renewal, combined with his Origin Art, allowed him to evolve in real time, adapting to me the longer our battle continued.

It was not a power to be taken lightly.

That realization had been the reason for my retreat thirty years ago.

However, the present was no longer the past.

The situation had changed.

I had changed.

Three countermeasures had been prepared.

The first was an ability I painstakingly developed, one capable of dispelling any special state he entered. No matter what transformation or amplification he relied upon, I would strip it away and return him to a vulnerable state.

The second was a precious artifact I acquired at great cost. With it, I could banish him into a separate dimension, isolating him from the battlefield. Even a brief removal would allow me to devastate his armies and sever his source of faith, weakening him significantly.

The third…

The most important.

An Immortal Art granted to me by the Origin itself.

Through sufficient sacrifice and devotion, I had earned the right to wield it. This art would conceal me from his Origin Art, severing his ability to perceive me through that unnatural sight.

It was a decisive advantage and one I intended to fully exploit.

I stepped forward, my voice carrying across the soon-to-be battlefield.

“Da Wei, your city is cut off. My army surrounds New Risendawn from all sides. Admit it. This is your defeat.”

Behind me stood my Six Queens, silent yet imposing, along with an army drawn from countless races across the Greater Universe. At their head were my children, each commanding legions in my name.

The sheer scale of my forces dwarfed anything he could muster.

“You are outnumbered,” I continued calmly. “Even with the number of powerful masters under your command, they are but a drop in an ocean compared to what I have assembled. Please, you must see reason. There is no need for us to remain enemies.”

As far as I was concerned, my purpose was clear. I served the will of the Origin. That meant acquiring the Key and nothing else mattered.

I studied him carefully.

Da Wei stood alone before me.

Clad in dark armor, faint starlight shimmered across its surface, as though fragments of the night sky had been woven into its design. A pitch-black cape flowed behind him, shifting subtly as if it possessed a will of its own.

Despite the overwhelming disparity in numbers, he did not appear concerned.

Instead, he looked contemplative.

“I don’t really get your deal,” he said at last, his tone casual, almost conversational. “You’re definitely way better than the rest of the smug shit I’ve dealt with.”

I frowned slightly at his language.

“The Yellow Emperor was neglectful,” he continued. “The Supreme Void tried to scam me. The Supreme Heart was just… a troll. But you? You’re different. I can tell you’re sincere in a way they never were. You worship the Origin. I don’t like your methods, not even a little, but you’re still a ruler like me. I understand your position. I’d even go as far as calling you my equal. But we’re never going to see eye to eye. You devastated this world. My world. You degraded its people. So here’s what I don’t get… why even bother talking?”

His words were crude, his tone irreverent, and his manner entirely lacking in the decorum one would expect from a sovereign.

Even after all this time, I could not grow accustomed to it.

Still, I answered calmly.

“Because unlike the others you’ve met,” I said, “I do not act out of arrogance or amusement.”

My gaze remained steady.

“I act with purpose.”

I gestured slightly toward him.

“You are a man of ambition. You have united forces that should never have stood together. I’ve heard your stories, wild as it may, I believe them to be true. You have carved order out of chaos. I see no reason for such a man to throw everything away in a futile stand.”

My voice softened, though my intent did not.

“Why talk? The reason is simple. It is because the Origin likes you Killing you would bring me great pain. But if you refuse? Then I will have no choice. The Great Plan must come to fruition.”

Da Wei tilted his head slightly.

“What’s the Great Plan?”

I ignored the question entirely.

“There is no need to concern yourself with such matters,” I said, dismissing it without hesitation. “Instead, I will offer you one final opportunity.”

I extended a hand slightly, as though presenting a choice that had already been decided.

“Give me the Key. Stand down. Your efforts to seize a dungeon and connect this world to the Hollowed World have already failed. Your army is too small, too weak compared to the forces I have gathered. The schemes you have spent decades weaving have yielded nothing. I know this because I ensured it myself. This is your defeat, Da Wei. Accept my grace, and I will leave your city untouched. Just give me the Key.”

Da Wei did not hesitate.

“How about no?”

I exhaled slowly. So be it. I began preparing my ultimate dispel, anticipating the moment he would summon that chaotic army of warriors he called players. However, what followed was not what I expected.

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The ground trembled.

At first, it was subtle.

Then it grew violent.

An earthquake spread across the battlefield, splitting the earth beneath New Risendawn. My gaze sharpened as I focused on the city and found it suddenly bursting with enormous power. The entire city lifted into the air.

I stared.

That was impossible. They did not possess the resources for such a construct. Even if they did, the lack of qi in this world should have made such a feat unattainable. Yet there it was, floating and defying everything I knew.

“You seem to be under a misunderstanding,” said Da Wei. “I didn’t do any scheming. This is just the result of my people’s hard work.”

From the ground where the city had risen, something else emerged.

A vast presence and overflowing with life, asserted itself.

A tree erupted from the earth, its roots bursting outward violently as it grew at an unnatural speed. Its trunk twisted skyward, radiating an immense vitality that clashed against the barren nature of this world.

I did not hesitate.

“Destroy that tree,” I ordered.

At my command, artillery formations activated across my army. Countless spells and siege weapons fired in unison, a storm of destruction aimed directly at the anomaly.

Before the attacks could land, a golden barrier enveloped the floating city. It stretched downwards, shielding the tree in the process. The presence of numerous faith casters surged outward, their power intertwining to form an impenetrable defense.

Every attack was stopped.

Da Wei raised his hand slightly. “Since you brought your army, I suppose it’s only fair I bring mine.”

The tree behind him split, vertically. Its trunk opened like a gate, revealing a massive rift beyond it. Another world.

I felt it instantly.

Qi.

Pure, abundant qi flooded into this realm, washing over the battlefield like a tidal wave. The air itself changed, growing heavier, richer, and more alive. From within the rift, armies began to emerge. Endless ranks of warriors marched forward with disciplined precision. Above them, enormous flying ships drifted through the opening, their scale rivaling entire fortresses.

My eyes narrowed.

How was this even possible?

“Target the ships,” I commanded immediately. “The moment they leave the barrier, destroy them.”

My forces adjusted instantly, siege weapons realigning toward the incoming fleet.

However, the ships did not advance outward.

They descended.

One by one, they settled within the protection of the golden barrier, anchoring themselves in the sky below the city. Structures unfolded across their surfaces, transforming them into mobile fortresses as their own siege weapons began to activate.

I gritted my teeth.

This was not what I had calculated.

My gaze locked onto Da Wei.

“Origin Divine Palm.”

I unleashed the technique with a single motion, the massive construct forming instantly as it surged toward the city. Before it could reach its target, Da Wei intercepted me. He stood before me, his speed bordering on absurdity. One hand rested on his sword as he faced me directly.

“I’m your enemy,” he said simply.

I redirected the attack toward him without hesitation.

The massive palm descended and he split it apart effortlessly.

My eyes narrowed further.

Behind me, the Six Queens reacted immediately.

“My lord, allow us to assist you,” one of them urged.

“We will eliminate him together,” another added, their voices carrying both concern and resolve.

Before I could respond, the sky changed.

An eclipse formed overhead and darkness spread. It was soon followed by bloody rain, crimson raining down from the heavens. From Da Wei’s shadow, two figures emerged.

It was Ru Qiu and Alice.

The Heavenly Demon and the Crimson Empress stood beside him, their presence distorting the battlefield with oppressive force.

I raised my hand without hesitation.

“Origin Art: Wheel of Infinity.”

Behind me, the wheel manifested, its infinite symbol glowing with cold, absolute power.

I had accumulated as much intelligence as I could over the past decades.

Da Wei’s forces were not disorganized rabble as they first appeared. Among them were individuals whose strength rivaled the peak of what this world could offer. Something that wouldn’t pale in comparison from a Lost God. Ru Qiu and Alice stood among the highest of them.

If I could eliminate them quickly, the balance of the battlefield would shift decisively.

This moment was ideal.

They were gathered and exposed.

Alongside them stood the city and that unnatural tree, both of which I intended to erase.

Without hesitation, I activated the Ring of Dark Banishment on my index finger and targeted Da Wei. In an instant, he vanished. He was gone from the battlefield entirely. A faint satisfaction settled within me.

“Ghost Queen, take command of the army,” I ordered. “The rest of you, deal with the Heavenly Demon.”

Cherish moved immediately, retreating to oversee the army while issuing precise commands to stabilize our formation. The remaining Queens surged forward, converging upon Ru Qiu without delay.

I turned toward Alice and she met my gaze with a smirk.

“Final Adjudication.”

The invocation came without warning.

An enormous golden scale manifested above her, radiating divine authority as chains lashed outward in all directions. The attack spread rapidly across the battlefield, burning through my forces with alarming efficiency.

My eyes narrowed.

How?

Was she not a vampire with a Warlock Legacy? This was not consistent with the intelligence I had gathered. I stepped forward and cut down the scale in a single motion. By the time the construct collapsed, Alice was gone.

Whispers filled my ears. They were soft and insidious.

A cascade of curses wrapped around me, their effects subtle yet persistent.

I recognized the structure of the spells. They originated from this world, yet they carried properties reminiscent of the Greater Universe. That convergence made them particularly troublesome.

“Return to Origin.”

My dispel activated instantly, stripping the curses away. Even so, a troubling realization formed. She had bypassed my infinity.

Without hesitation, I slashed at my own shadow.

The blade cut through it, forcing a swarm of bats to burst outward in chaotic retreat. I moved immediately, chasing the true body hidden among them.

Alice reformed midair.

Above her head floated a crown of blood, shrinking as multiple weapons formed around her. Blades, spears, and jagged constructs made of crimson energy launched toward me in rapid succession.

Each one shattered harmlessly upon contact with my infinity.

With a single step, I closed the distance and beheaded her.

Her head fell, yet she did not die.

With vitality comparable to Da Wei himself, she caught her severed head, forced it back onto her neck, and healed instantly before retreating.

I felt a flicker of surprise.

She was far more resilient than anticipated.

I moved again, sword raised to finish her, chasing her through the sky.

Before I could strike, a massive presence descended from above.

A brass bull.

Ox-Head.

Fully manifested in his titanic form, he brought down his battleaxe alongside a crushing gravity field that pressed against my position. I held my ground. My Wheel of Infinity absorbed the force, maintaining the endless distance between us as his weapon crashed down.

My Origin Sword responded.

The energy I had prepared for Alice discharged instead.

Ox-Head was repelled violently, his massive body crashing into the earth below and carving a deep trench across the battlefield.

The war had begun in full.

Our armies exchanged ranged attacks in the distance, spells and projectiles colliding in a storm of destruction. Further away, my Queens engaged Ru Qiu, yet their progress was slower than expected.

What was taking them so long?

“Don’t be so distracted.”

Alice’s whisper reached my ear.

I turned.

She was gone again.

The crimson rain above intensified, twisted, and transformed. From the falling blood emerged primordial dragons, their forms vast and violent as they surged toward me with devastating force.

This was unexpected.

“With the Privilege of Creation bestowed upon me, disperse.”

My command rippled outward, breaking apart portions of the constructs, yet the rain continued unabated. The dragons reformed, their assault relentless.

An Immortal Art.

That explained the persistence.

From my flank, a figure appeared.

Da Wei.

No.

Not quite.

This had to be the rumored double.

“Hybrid Skill, Holy Sword, and Judgment Severance.”

His blade carried an unfamiliar edge.

I parried.

The moment our weapons clashed, I felt a disturbance within my Origin Qi, subtle yet unmistakable.

I pushed him back.

“Origin Divine Palm.”

The force sent him flying, creating distance. Before I could follow up, halos of light manifested around me, locking my position in place. A golden-haired woman descended from the clouds. It was Joan, another named figure within Da Wei’s ranks lauded for her alchemy and miracles.

“I invoke my Divine Right,” she said calmly. “Empowered Halo of Restriction.”

“Futile.”

I tore through the restraints without effort.

Ox-Head returned immediately, his battleaxe descending once more. Again, it failed to breach my infinity as it stopped just on my shoulder, the enormous weapon comically unable to inflict the damage it was capable.

However, something else came with it.

At the far end of the axe stood a familiar figure.

It was Aureon.

No.

To be more accurate, his name was Ao Lun, a Lost God.

He extended a single finger.

“Divine Light of Extinction.”

The beam pierced through. For the briefest moment, my infinity faltered. The light struck my chest, burning into me before I forced it away. It was a minor injury, yet significant in ways that mattered.

Alice’s voice echoed again, laced with amusement.

“You did well, banishing David like that.”

Her tone carried a quiet confidence.

“Pray that you can accomplish something meaningful while he’s gone, because he will be back soon.”

A pause followed.

“Until then…”

Her presence lingered, unseen yet ever-present.

“We will hold you here.”

The air grew heavier.

“Or perhaps,” she added softly, “we might even subjugate you.”