Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

Chapter 1155: Dao

Lumianʼs figure abruptly disappeared into the boundless cosmos, following the mystical connection established by the malevolent dragonʼs response to his offering, ”transporting” himself to Its domain.

Surrounding him were layers of dense, overlapping colors and wailing souls.

The spirit world!

Unless entirely and specifically isolated, every place was connected to the spirit world and the astral world.

This was one of the symbolic meanings of a Pillar.

However, waiting for Lumian was an overwhelming brilliance that swept away everything. It was as if two galaxies collided, tearing through the spirit world.

Lumian did not linger in the spirit world. Before the exploding sea of light engulfed him, he transformed into an abstract symbol and concept, entering the astral world.

An infinite flood of light, heat, and matter surged after him.

Reaching out with both hands, Lumian created a door directly within the astral world, amidst a composition of symbols and concepts-a ”painted” door, layered and intricate.

The door was instantly opened, and Lumianʼs figure disappeared from the astral world.

His eyes then beheld the entwined, colossal forms of the malevolent dragon.

Finally, he had arrived at the domain where the dragon lay coiled, a place where It could not unleash calamities. He reached this location through a ”door.”

The contract seal he activated was not one from Zedus, as that form of ”transportation” belonged to spirit world creatures and could not access the astral world or open a ”door.”

Instead, he used a newly acquired contract seal-one obtained a month ago from Gehrman Sparrow!

By its nature, the contracts of a Contractee lost the ability to forcefully compel agreements or obligations once they reached higher levels of power without the qualitative enhancement provided by Inevitability. However, if both parties willingly agreed to and honored the contract, and the contracteeʼs body and soul could bear the power transmitted by the other party, it remained effective. Such mystical connections, though, were fragile and could not sustain more than two uses, being easily disrupted.

Before facing the Primordial Demoness, Lumian had ventured into the astral world, where he sought angel-level boons of true gods for his puppet soldiers. He had also signed a contract with Gehrman Sparrow, who wielded the Door pathwayʼs Uniqueness, to prepare for situations where he couldnʼt rely on his puppet soldiers.

In that prior battle, while the Primordial Demoness had indeed held back, so had Lumian, keeping some of his cards hidden!

Earlier, Lumian waited until the sacrificial ritual took effect and the malevolent dragon responded before activating the contract seal that represented high-level power from the Door pathway. This was to confuse the dragon with his persistence and journey, catching It in a moment of distraction so that It would not detect or disrupt the contract connection in time. Additionally, the ritual strengthened the mystical connection between Lumian and the dragon, ensuring he could locate It and reach his destination, despite the dragonʼs potent Fog of War.

The negative effects of signing a Door-related Uniqueness contract with Gehrman Sparrow originally manifested as ”frequently getting lost and encountering hostile, dangerous entities.” However, after being Fooled by The Fool Klein, the drawback changed to ”potentially getting lost and encountering hostile entities only while using the contractʼs abilities.”

In the current scenario, the most hostile and dangerous entity to Lumian was undoubtedly the malevolent dragon!

Once Lumian ”opened the door” to enter the sealed domain of the malevolent dragon, he immediately felt the calamities stemming from the dragonʼs influence subside.

The power of the Wish returned, and he once again entered his state of ”occasional” lucidity!

The malevolent dragon roared, emanating powerful Conquest and Charm, but despite Its ferocity, It could not easily break free from the dragon-sealing chains and the countless demons holding It down.

While relying on the chaotic vortex face on his left shoulder to resist the Conquest and Charm without yielding quickly, Lumian stood above the dragon within the blood-colored sea. He deactivated the Virtual Persona and turned his gaze toward the terrifying, grimacing demons on the dragon-sealing chains.

Having learned from Mr. Fool about the origins of the chains and demons, Lumianʼs expression was filled with respect and admiration. Using a phrase he had deliberately learned from Franca in the Western Continentʼs language, he addressed the demons, ”Fellow Daoists, please aid me in ending this calamity!”

The terrifying, twisted demons suddenly froze.

Fellow Daoists... This ancient title, seemingly long lost to history, echoed in their ears.

Their fierce expressions softened. On their green and white phantom-like faces, there was a look of reminiscence.

Still straining to maintain their positions along the various nodes of the chains, ensuring that the malevolent dragon remained sealed and could only use abilities like Conquest and Charm within the domain, some of them extended their hands to straighten their crooked, tattered crowns. Others painstakingly tidied their rotting, flesh-exposing garments. Some lifted trembling hands to wipe the bloodstains from their faces...

A gentleman must not lose his crown, even in death!

The Haoli sectʼs leader, standing beside the dragon-sealing well, also heard Lumianʼs words. As a high-ranking figure of the River of Eternal Darkness, He slightly relaxed His control and suppression over the demons.

The demons raised their heads and looked upward, shouting to Lumian in unison, ”Fellow Daoist, I shall aid you!”

These cries interwove and echoed, spreading in waves.

With their permission, Lumian quickly incorporated them into his army, making them his teammates and soldiers to resist the dragonʼs forceful Conquest and terrifying Charm.

One after another, the layered phantom images of the demons materialized behind Lumian- these were their mirror selves.

The demons at the bottom of the blood-colored sea numbered in the tens of thousands, if not more. While maintaining the chains and the seal to prevent the dragonʼs escape, they awaited Lumian to lead their mirrored selves in a devastating attack against the dragonʼs true form. Lumianʼs six arms either ignited intangible flames, formed chaotic vortices, grasped soul- freezing black flames, held up an illusory red altar, carried a grayish-white aura, or raised a scorched banner-all simultaneously unleashing attacks on the dragonʼs massive body.

These six powers, belonging respectively to the Red Priest and the Primordial Demoness, intertwined to form a giant black-flaming sword of destruction.

The demonsʼ mirror selves also launched their own attacks under Lumianʼs rank, especially those who had once belonged to the Haoli sect and its related factions.

They obtained approval and blessings from the Haoli sectʼs leader outside the dragon- sealing well and the Underworld Daoist within the River of Eternal Darkness, each borrowing a droplet of the colorless, dark river water.

These droplets transformed into countless illusory arrows that filled the sky, flying toward Lumianʼs sword of destruction. Some were repelled by the Red Priestʼs team abilities, while others merged into it.

What was the Dao?

The Dao was generations of perseverance, capable of moving mountains!

The Dao was a spark that could ignite a prairie fire!

The Dao was struggling against the heavens with endless joy!

The malevolent dragon roared, unable to unleash calamities or disasters within this domain.

It could only rely on abilities like Conquest and Charm.

It was restricted, and so was Lumian.

The destruction Lumian unleashed remained confined to the mirror world, unable to reach reality. Meanwhile, the dragonʼs true form was not within the mirror-it was sealed and constrained.

The demons who had borrowed the River of Eternal Darknessʼs water, both their mirrored selves and true forms, succumbed one after another to the erosion of the sefirahʼs power. Yet none showed pain; their expressions were calm and serene, with smiles of expectation and hope.

The remaining demons, seeing the black-flaming sword of destruction draw ever closer to the dragon, also smiled.

Come, strike us!

As more droplets of the River of Eternal Darkness merged, the giant flaming sword Lumian had created grew smaller and darker.

Soon, it transformed into a sword of normal size, one that any human could wield.

The sword, entirely dark, continued to contract as though compressing the concepts of time, space, creation, death, destruction, and renewal into a single point.

As the mirrored attack neared the dragonʼs domain, the Celestial Master, Holy Monk, and others around the dragon-sealing well made Their phenomena increasingly evident, merging them into the well.

With a crash, the blood-red waters surged, breaking chain after chain.

At the final moment, the high-ranking figures of the Western Continent lifted the seal, allowing calamities and apocalypses to erupt in the dragonʼs domain.

Lumianʼs attack pierced through the mirror world, entering reality and striking the malevolent dragonʼs heads.

Behind him, the demons dissipated one by one due to the erosion of sefirahʼs power. In front of him, more demons crumbled under the force of destruction.

Seeing this, a surge of intense emotion erupted in Lumianʼs heart.

He shouted loudly, ”Fight!”

Fighting meant giving your all, pressing forward unyieldingly!

Fight meant sacrificing with great ambition, daring to change the heavens and the earth! ”Fight!”

With this cry, Lumian drove the unstable, dark sword into the dragonʼs entwined necks. Immediately, a small, dark singularity formed there, tearing apart surrounding flesh, flames, steel, and bone, consuming all authority, concepts, and symbols.

The malevolent dragonʼs entire body arched back, emitting a soundless howl. Then, along with the sealing chains and the demons, It was devoured by the singularity.

The darkness destabilized, expanding into an explosion that released immense light and heat.

One by one, all of Lumianʼs Mirror Substitutions shattered, and his body appeared outlined on the edge of the domain.

He looked ahead, seeing only emptiness-nothing remained.

But at that moment, a frenzied, violent aura from the dragon began to pervade the void again.

Its massive body was reforming.

As a consciousness derived from the City of Calamity, Its spirit was indestructible. Once Its physical form was obliterated, It could soon be ”reborn” from the City of Calamity. The Western Continentʼs cultivators had not killed the dragon back when they could seal It in a domain where most of Its powers and calamities were nullified. They had understood it was pointless!

Seeing this, Lumian wasnʼt disappointed-he had been prepared.

The second phase of the battle was about to begin-a pure clash of consciousness.