Devil's Rise

The Baron t.i.tan.o.boas became restless, while the Viscount t.i.tan.o.boa soared through the air with its jaws open towards s.h.i.+ Da.

I bypa.s.sed the Viscount t.i.tan.o.boa to engage the Baron t.i.tan.o.boas lying in wait on the Serpent Cedar tree, immediately releasing my true form. The transformation was instantaneous as I flapped my ma.s.sive wings and soared to the Serpent Cedar tree.

My u003cHollow Domainu003e enveloped the entire tree. I could feel the souls of the Baron t.i.tan.o.boas calling out to me, begging me to liberate them from their mortal coil. I would grant them the salvation of death.

My forged weapons were useless now, none of them had been reforged to a Tier-4 weapon. I was far from defenseless, however, the claws of my true form were the most powerful weapon in my a.r.s.enal.

u003cFlame Clawsu003e

I condensed my understanding of the Fire Dao onto the tip of my claws, making them lethal weapons of destruction.

One swipe and a low-Baron t.i.tan.o.boa was cleaved in two, igniting its very soul to be consumed by my u003cHollow Domainu003e.

A second swipe and a mid-Baron t.i.tan.o.boa lost its head as its soul was also dragged within my u003cHollow Domainu003e.

This was power. I was now an apex predator standing at the top of the food chain. I cut through the Baron savage beasts like they were wheat. My claws came stained with blood as I charged mercilessly up the Serpent Cedar tree.

Every swipe I sent was precise, killing a Baron t.i.tan.o.boa with ever movement while sparing the Serpent Cedar tree from my onslaught. I dare not damage my own precious resource.

I became enthralled in the bloodl.u.s.t of battle, slaughtering the Baron t.i.tan.o.boas with no regard for civility. After I recovered from my stupor, all the wheat had been reaped. I flew to the top of the tree and activated my horns as all the slaughtered souls flew around me.

It was a delicious meal, fit for a king. I proceeded to refine the t.i.tan.o.boa souls, to add them to the collective power of my u003cHollow Domainu003e. It didn"t take long for all the t.i.tan.o.boa souls to be refined as I let out a wail, releasing the t.i.tan.o.boa souls to swim within my u003cHollow Domainu003e.

Where my u003cHollow Aurau003e only showed my enemies a vision of the blood and destruction I had caused, my u003cHollow Domainu003e gave a clear ominous picture of it. Those that fought me would have to contend with my army of souls fighting in my u003cHollow Domainu003e.

Domain was not a unique ability of my own. All Viscounts had their own domain, it was a collective part of the power of the realm. In a battle between two Viscounts, those that had the most complete domain stood above the rest. My u003cHollow Domainu003e would be built with the slaughtered souls of my enemies. With every victory my u003cHollow Domainu003e would come closer to completion.

Once I mastered my Fire Dao enough to generate an u003cInferno Domainu003e then u003cHollow Domainu003e would serve as a trump card. I waited patiently on the crown of the tree, refining the souls that lay within. I knew soon I would have to face a powerful enemy, so I had to recover my strength. Whether s.h.i.+ Da lived or died was up to his own fate, I didn"t plan on committing any heroics to save him.

In fact, I was quite hoping he died facing the Viscount t.i.tan.o.boa, refining his soul might let me learn more about the realm he came from. I couldn"t kill him myself, but I was happy to borrow the t.i.tan.o.boa"s knife.

It didn"t take long for the Viscount t.i.tan.o.boa to rear its ugly head. It opened its gigantic maw and hissed at me in rage for slaughtering its kin.

"Savage Beast, bow down and I will grant you a quick death," I said as I released my u003cHollow Domainu003e showing him the souls of his fallen brethren.

He hissed in even more rage, charging forth at me.

u003cConstricting Domainu003e

I felt a great weight wrap around my body as the t.i.tan.o.boa released his domain. But I didn"t relent. My u003cHollow Domainu003e was now empowered by the souls of countless t.i.tan.o.boas. They gave a powerful counter to his u003cConstricting Domainu003e.

The t.i.tan.o.boa began shattering the souls within my u003cHollow Domainu003e making his way to me. The Baron t.i.tan.o.boa souls were no match for an authentic Viscount t.i.tan.o.boa, they were quickly being destroyed just as easily as I had slaughtered them in life. I could feel my u003cHollow Domainu003e weakening with every soul he shattered, I could not let this continue.

Those souls were my gains from the last battle, how dare this foul beast try to destroy G.o.d"s precious gains. I released my u003cFlame Clawsu003e and opened my wings, jumping off the crown of the tree, flying towards the Viscount t.i.tan.o.boa.

My first slash knocked his body sideways as a large gash appeared on the side of his face.

"I told you to bow to this young lord, now you will learn the folly of your ways," I said as I slashed at the Viscount t.i.tan.o.boa again and again.

Giant gashes filled the body of the t.i.tan.o.boa as I poured everything I had in my a.s.sault. His ma.s.sive body was unable to take the onslaught of my attacks. Because his u003cConstricting Domainu003e was hardly effective, I began filleting him like a butcher.

He hissed and howled, unable to push back my a.s.sault. I then poured my Fire Essence into my hollow sockets and released a ma.s.sive torrential eye beam of flames on his body.

u003cInferno Visionu003e

The torrenting inferno bisected his body, as he fell over dead and his restless soul continued to defy me in death. I spent the next few days refining his soul, adding it to the collective power of my u003cHollow Domainu003e.

It surprised me when I finished refining his soul that my u003cHollow Domainu003e gained the abilities of his u003cConstricting Domainu003e. Although it was weak, it still increased the power of this young lord by another fold. When I was done I dug up the Serpent Cedar tree and placed it within my purple-gold ring.

I could feel the powerful vitality emanating from the tree, although it could not take root in my purple-gold ring. It would survive for a time. I would have to find a place to plant it before it perished.

I gathered all the corpses of the slain t.i.tan.o.boas and didn"t see any sign of s.h.i.+ Da around the tree. He wasn"t within the snake head"s belly, so I headed back to the cave to see how s.h.i.+ Da survived his melee with the t.i.tan.o.boa.

Chubs had a new respect for me after witnessing the battle, of course, the cowardly turtle didn"t partic.i.p.ate. Even though he was a Viscount, he was only good for ferrying this young lord around the garden.