Lord of the Truth

Chapter 1952 Settling Accounts - 1

Booooom ”ELEANOOOOOOOOR!!!” ”Hah?!” Elenorʼs body inside the grand hall shuddered violently the instant she heard that thunderous roar, a scream saturated with hostility so dense it felt almost tangible. The sheer killing intent behind it sent a chill through her very bones.

Then-whoosh- she slammed her foot into the ground, the floor cracking beneath her as she propelled herself outward with explosive force... she would never, under any circumstance, fail to recognize the owner of that voice, no matter how many centuries passed! ”Whatʼs happening outside?” The planetary emperor shot a sharp glance toward his uncle, his expression tightening, before bursting forward after Elenor. The elderly Nexus State did not hesitate either, pushing his limits as he followed close behind.

Within a single second, all three of them had exited the hall, their figures freezing as they beheld a sight that was both horrifying and utterly surreal...

The palaceʼs space portal had been reduced to nothing more than a collapsed heap of twisted rubble. The surrounding region had sunk deep into the ground, as if the land itself had been crushed downward by overwhelming force. It was obvious that the area had been obliterated by an immensely powerful attack. Yet their gazes did not linger on the destroyed portal. Instead, all attention was drawn to what floated above it.

There, suspended amid swirling dust and debris, was a shadow... a vast, oppressive shadow that pressed down on everyone present, suffocating their breaths and weighing heavily on their souls.

Whoosh ”Show yourself!” Elenor shouted, swinging her arm with force. The violent wave she released swept through the area, instantly dispersing all the dust and smoke. ”It really is you!!”

A woman stood revealed.

She wore black-and-gold armor, exquisitely crafted and clearly tailored for her alone, each plate hugging her form with both elegance and menace. From behind her extended nine exceptionally thick and beautiful tails, fanning out in nine different directions, each one radiating terrifying vitality.

Above every single tail hovered a star-blindingly bright, crushing in presence- each shining with a unique color and possessing its own distinct and unfathomable properties!

Yet neither that breathtaking armor nor those oppressive, radiant stars were what seized the eye the most... it was her gaze.

The womanʼs eyes resembled a volcano on the brink of eruption, churning with fury. The sheer magnitude of rage and hatred contained within them was beyond any measure, so intense it seemed capable of burning the world itself.

There was only woman with such description in the 100th sector... The Emperorsʼ Slayer. ”Renara...” Elenor stared at the newcomer with naked fury and confusion. ”What are you doing here? Have you grown tired of living? Do you want to die?! And also...” Her gaze swept Renara from head to toe. ”How did your blood density reach this level?!” ”Hmph. Renara-the former Empress of our Nine Paths branch, and the current ruler of a wing subordinate to the Cradle Empire,” the planetary emperor of the Twilight Spectrum said as he folded his arms, his tone dismissive. ”What brings a side character like you to a place like this?”

The planetary emperor lifted his chin, yet inwardly his mind was racing as he examined Renara with extreme caution. Her aura... it was unstable, surging, as if it were standing right on the edge of a breakthrough. Was she about to step into the peak of the Nexus State?

How was that even possible?!

Just two centuries ago, Renara had only been a mid-level Nexus State!!

What kind of monstrous growth rate was this?! ”Elenor...” Renara ignored the planetary emperor completely, her attention fixed solely on her sister as she met her gaze head-on. ”You sealed your fate as a weightless, honorless traitor the moment you chose to side with an external power instead of seeking better paths to strengthen your own people... and you sealed your fate as a dead woman the moment you leaked information about His Majesty.”

She then calmly extended her hand forward, her voice cold and merciless. ”Today, I have come to collect all the taxes.” ”Renara!” The girl with the orange tails hurriedly raised her hands, gesturing for her sister to calm down. ”Hold your horses and come talk to me. Everything has a price, and every step has a purpose. Iʼm doing all of this for our future-for the future of the empire... the empire that you lost, and that I still blame you for to this very day!”

She then pointed behind her toward what remained of the hall. ”Come with me. Perhaps we can find neutral ground, somewhere that could work for everyone, even now.” ”...” The royal uncle was no longer thinking about Renaraʼs strength or the terrifying density of her bloodline. His eyes darted across every direction, sharp and alert... something was deeply wrong.

Where had Renara appeared from so suddenly?

If she had entered through the planetʼs atmosphere, the alarm systems and defense arrays would have reacted immediately. As for space portals, none had been activated either, and no breach had been logged anywhere in the system... so where did she come from, and how had she done it? ”Neutral ground?” Renara repeated softly, a smile slowly spreading across her lips. Then-whoosh-one of her tails, the one bearing a perfectly round orange star, lashed forward with overwhelming force and released its attack without hesitation. ”This is bad!” All three moved at once, scattering in different directions, not even sparing a fraction of a second to think about defending head-on.

Boooooooom

A massive fiery explosion erupted outward, completely engulfing the grand throne hall. The structure vanished in an instant, reduced to blazing rubble and collapsing debris. ”Nooooo!!” The planetary emperor of the Centennial Twilight Spectrum screamed at the top of his lungs. There was no humiliation greater for an empire than having its very throne-its symbol of sovereignty-obliterated before its eyes! ”Renara, I hope youʼre prepared to pay the price for this!!” the planetary emperor of the Twilight Spectrum roared in fury as a spear formed in his grasp, its shaft and tip woven entirely from radiant pearls. ”Wait!” the elderly Nexus State suddenly shouted, scanning the surroundings rapidly. ”Something is very wrong. We need to leave immediately.” ”What do you mean?!” The planetary emperor glanced around in confusion and saw nothing out of place. Then he expanded his soul sense to its absolute limit, sweeping the entire region. His expression instantly changed. ”Oh no...” There were no fewer than fifteen Nexus States surrounding them, each one precisely dismantling the control panels of every space portal on the planet. Their movements were so exact, so flawlessly timed, that even the guards stationed nearby wouldnʼt realize what had happened until it was far too late. Those fifteen Nexus States were closing in from all directions at this very moment. Breaking through even a single one of them without a fight was nearly impossible.

And the worst news of all? He had sensed several more figures above-beyond the planetʼs atmosphere-slowly descending toward the surface with terrifying calm. ”How?! What happened to the sensing arrays? What happened to the defense arrays?!” The planetary emperor staggered back two steps, shock written clearly across his face. ”This is not the time to start investigations. Weʼll sort that out later!” the royal uncle snapped. He completely ignored Renara-and she returned the favor. Choosing a direction at random, he shot upward like a missile, vanishing into the sky without looking back even once. ”Damn it!!” The planetary emperor of the Twilight Spectrum hesitated for a brief moment. He cast a long, heavy look around-at his dominion, at the planet that was being invaded at this very moment-then whoosh, he surged upward after him as well. ”Wait!!” Elenor cried out, stunned by their sudden retreat. She pushed off the ground and rushed upward too, refusing to be left behind.

But-

Zzzzn

A blue, four-headed star came screaming through the air like a meteor, nearly splitting her body in two. Only a desperate, last-moment evasion saved her from being cut in half. ”Renara!!” Elenor screamed as she landed back on the ground. Her chest heaved as she violently scanned her surroundings, releasing her soul sense in all directions like a raging storm. She watched the approaching Nexus States closing in on her from every side, like reapers coming to harvest souls. ”Are you really going to let your most hated enemies escape and turn all of this on me instead? How far has your hatred for me gone?!” ”Donʼt worry,” Renara replied calmly, lifting her head slightly as if looking down on everything before her. ”You and them are no different. Today...”

Her eyes hardened. ”No one will survive.”