Lord of the Truth

1070  Peak form

”...Seventh son, I need you and the entire southern army here, right now!”

After a few seconds, the voice of the Seventh Prince came through, (...Your Majesty, we are under heavy attack here; we canʼt move an inch!)

”I donʼt care whatʼs happening around you; weʼre losing here. If you donʼt send reinforcements, then even if I manage to kill Robin Burton and his close followers, Iʼll still be surrounded.” Pythor shouted angrily, ”Start sending reinforcements immediately, Seventh! Within five minutes, your entire army MUST be in front of me, even if you have to sacrifice half of it!”

(...Iʼll see what I can do, please hang on there, we all depend on you, almighty Father.) The Seventh Prince responded before cutting off communication.

Pythor then placed the transmitter back into his special travel pouch. ”In just moments, youʼll see the ships raining down troops. Donʼt get too proud of your followersʼ heroics; they will all turn to dust soon enough.”

”Oh, Really? You know, we can just leave right now if we want to.” Robin laughed, tearing open the space beside him with a sharp trrrrr, his gaze locked onto Pythorʼs eyes the entire time.

Pythorʼs expression stiffened slightly. Ever since he saw the Green Flame fighting above, he had a bad feeling —and now it was confirmed. The spatial seal had been broken, nothing can keep Robin and co. if they surrounded them, they will just use their annoying instant space portals and leave. ”Are you thinking of running away now? Is this how the great emperors behave?”

”Heh, do you think mere words can stop me if I truly want to leave?” Robin chuckled, waving his hand to close the rift beside him. ”No need to worry; Iʼm not going anywhere today.”

”...I truly respect you, Robin Burton. It is a tragedy that you must fall today. Why not listen to me and join my side? If we combine our forces, we can take control of an entire planetary sector!” Baithorʼs voice was filled with absolute seriousness.

”No, thanks.” Robin cracked his neck from side to side, still unsure why Pythor spoke as if he were the one losing today. He then raised his fists into a boxing stance. ”Come, letʼs finish what we started.”

”A pity...” Pythor shook his head, his eyes beginning to glow with an intense violet hue. ”No need for more warm-ups, then... Hsss~”

Crack Crack A sound of bones breaking echoed as Pythorʼs body twisted unnaturally. His neck and arms contorted in ways that defied human anatomy.

”Haha, are you admitting defeat in close combat? If I were you, Iʼd—” Robinʼs laughter gradually faded as his gaze shifted upward, watching Pythorʼs growing form. ”Oh...”

Crack Craaaack Clatter

”Hsss! Hssssss~!”

All traces of humanity vanished from Pythorʼs eyes. His hands fused with his body, his legs merged together, and his form rapidly expanded. The once-scaly skin turned into thick, armor-like plates. Finally, his coarse hair shot upward, solidifying and transforming into three imposing horns.

”...Pythor?” Robin took a step back.

The man he had been speaking to was gone—what stood in his place was a monstrous, scaled behemoth, a miniature incarnation of Durger the Devourer!

”FAAAHHH!!!!” Pythor let out a powerful hiss, his colossal form twisting with unnatural fluidity before lunging at Robin. His gaping maw exuded a thick, rolling purple mist, an eerie manifestation of the corrosion law he had mastered. Fwooooosh!

Robinʼs instincts screamed at him as the ominous mist surged forward like an unstoppable tide. He swiftly took several steps back, his mind racing through escape options. The familiar surge of power pulsed through his veins as he prepared to activate a time blink, but the mist advanced with terrifying speed, consuming everything in its path.

Baa! Baa! Baa! Robinʼs fingers moved like bladed spears, releasing precise energy shots aimed at the minor heavenly law of corrosion patterns within the mist. The crimson streaks of energy sliced through the swirling purple fog, dispersing a significant portion of it with each hit. Yet, Pythor showed no sign of relenting.

Fwooooooosh! Another wave of dense mist billowed from Pythorʼs gaping maw, rolling forward in relentless pursuit. Robin cursed under his breath, ”Damn it!” He could feel the oppressive energy of the corrosion law pressing against his skin, corroding the very fabric of the air.

Shuuuuu! Above Pythorʼs monstrous form, another spatial rift split open, and Robin emerged, his body flickering as he soared away. Below him, Pythorʼs corrosive mist engulfed the rift Robin had just used. The sheer volume of the mist was staggering—part of it vanished into the crack in space, but the rest pressed onward.

08:19

With a decisive motion, Robin activated the space piercing law tattoo etched onto his arm. A jagged rift in reality tore open behind him, distorting the battlefield with an unnatural hum. Without hesitation, he leaped through the fissure. The world twisted and reformed in an instant.

Shuuuuu! Above Pythorʼs monstrous form, another spatial rift split open, and Robin emerged, his body flickering as he soared away. Below him, Pythorʼs corrosive mist engulfed the rift Robin had just used. The sheer volume of the mist was staggering—part of it vanished into the crack in space, but the rest pressed onward.

Fwooooooooaaah! The metallic surface of the space portal, once a towering monument of craftsmanship, crumbled instantly upon contact. The thick purple fog reduced it to nothing more than drifting particles in the wind, erasing its presence from existence.

Yet, Pythorʼs own mist, having entered the spatial rift, re-emerged from another tear in the fabric of space—this time crashing down upon his own enormous body with explosive force.

BANG! The impact sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. Pythorʼs massive form trembled, his scales vibrating under the corrosive assault of his own attack. Dust and debris erupted in a towering cloud, obscuring the battlefield.

”Hssssss!!” Pythorʼs enraged hiss echoed through the air, filled with pain and frustration. His eyes, gleaming with malice, scanned the battlefield, searching for Robin with renewed fury. The destruction of the portal meant nothing now; his prey had become his primary focus.

BAA! Without warning, Pythorʼs colossal tail lashed through the air with a deafening crack, breaking the sound barrier as it hurtled toward Robin with deadly precision.

Shaaa! With mere seconds to spare, Robin once again tore a path through space, vanishing just before the devastating strike could land.

BOOOOM! Pythorʼs tail crashed into the earth below, splitting the ground like fragile glass. Cracks spiderwebbed across the battlefield, entire residential blocks crumbling into ruin under the sheer force of the impact.

Robin reappeared several meters away, his gaze cold and calculating as he observed Baithor. The once humanoid figure had fully transformed into a serpent over 60 meters long, his scales gleaming with an unholy purple glow. Every inch of his massive frame radiated the oppressive aura of the erosion law.

Robinʼs eyes narrowed. The mist... it shouldʼve harmed him. The Durgerʼs humans race avoids such exposure at all costs. Yet Pythor stood unscathed, his transformation going beyond mere physical change. His affinity with the corrosion law had deepened to an unprecedented level.

Pythorʼs jaws parted once more, revealing fangs as long as spears, dripping with a sickly purple essence. The mist within his throat swirled with an ominous energy, and his deep, guttural voice rumbled through the battlefield. ”Human, be proud. You are now witnessing the pinnacle of the second cultivation path. No one has seen this true form before... and I will ensure you do not live to tell the tale.”