Chapter 54: Now Why Did You Do That?
Beaming with joy, Baal quickly strolled around the circle to shake Jun Dong Min's hand. However, just when he was a few meters away, he suddenly paused, his expression unnatural. In fact, everyone's expressions had distorted, before focusing on Baal, be it a member of the Divine Palace or Demon Palace.
Within the Immortal Realm, many immortals possessing significantly developed domains could not help but pause. Taking in a deep breath, they all simultaneously cried.
"Baal, you incorrigible bastard, you promised once in a hundred years! It hasn't even been fifty years since the last time, why is it happening again!?"
The Divine Palace was not spared, the entire continent shaking as all immortals residing on it stamped their feet and professed their indignation. Facing all five piercing stares in the conference chamber, Baal gave a light shrug, seemingly unbothered by the entire matter.
"What?" he spoke, even leaning against the disk, sporting a careless smile that contrasted against his refined image. "My sloppy little son wanted to do a little experiment, go blame it on him."
When selling out his own son, he remained completely careless of the consequences, perhaps even gloating at Balthazar's newfound misfortune.
"Demon Palace's Baal!" hissed Archbishop Janus. "Even if it is your precious son, do you not understand the consequences!? That is a direct bypass of the ascension procedure mandated for mortals!"
"So what?" chuckled Baal once more. "Archbishop Janus of Gold Reprise, don't tell me you think that nobody really knows of your antics? Although you claim to abide by the Divine Palaces' regulations regarding your specialized construct, who knows just how many immortals join your Domain each year?"
Archbishop Janus blanched slightly, before bristling in rage. Directly pointing at Baal, he unleashed a salvo of words accompanied by spittle in his loss of control.
"But this is your manual we're talking about, not my shoddy construct. My construct only permits mortals to ascend as the lowest existences in the Immortal Realm, with many failing to retain their immortality. However, your <Heretic's Manual> can allow one to ascend with a fully stabilized artificial spiritual core, just how much imbalance do you think a mass ascension will cause!?!?"
"That's to be considered," mused Baal.
"However, did you forget how one would ascend with the <Heretic's Manual>? In exchange for completely ignoring the ascension tribulation protocols we instilled when establishing our domains, the mortal must successfully inherit all nine of the minor constructs I denoted within. Most of them have even failed to inherit one, don't even talk to me about anyone successfully ascending with my bypass, for not a single mortal has inherited more than the first seven since a million years ago when I created it!"
"However, you are indeed breaking convention," interrupted Jun Dong Min, his brows furrowed.
"Even if it is practically impossible for a mortal to ascend by your inhibitory methods, how can you guarantee everything? What if by some ungodly chance, that every immortals' domains afflicted by your <Heretic's Manual> produces an overpowering immortal? How will you prevent such an occurrence?"
Hearing Jun Dong Min's concerns reflecting everyone's sentiment, Baal allowed his lips to rise in a gentle curve. However, within that smile, existed a sinister intent so evil that even Bai Feng and Julian couldn't help but shy away.
"So what if they ascend as powerful immortals? What will they even be able to do? I'll let the Divine Palace know of this information, which should also explain why I allowed my son to disseminate the <Heretic's Manual> so early."
Slowly circling the disk, the soft sounds of his steps beating in everyone's ears, Baal walked to the opposite side of Jun Dong Min and the rest, before gently flourishing. His relaxed, steady voice rang in everyone's mind, bringing forth a combination of admiration, approval, and fear.
"I made an agreement with the Divine Spirit Vein. This time, the <Heretic's Manual> will be released much earlier than usual, with a few changes. The <Heretic's Manual> will provide the mortal with an absolute strength and ability per inheritance. However," his smile thickened, no longer bothering to conceal his sinister aura.
"The eighth and ninth inheritances will be replaced with the constructs banned by the Progenitors. Hence, once the mortal ascends or completes the ninth inheritance, he will be automatically assimilated into the Divine Spiritual Vein. Say, Archbishop, what do you think now? Is my <Heretic's Manual> such a risky maneuver?"
"Y-you're insane!" spluttered Archbishop Janus. "Assimilation by the Divine Spiritual Vein? Such a process would only be capable if the Divine Spiritual Vein had provided you with the blueprints to complete the <Sword of Ashoka>! Just what did you say to convince it to provide a legacy of the Progenitors!?"
"Why do you even worry, Archbishop Janus?" This time, it was Julian who spoke.
"Brother Baal has already distributed the results of his agreement with the Divine Spiritual Vein with the Demon Pillars within our Demon Palace. The Divine Spiritual Vein itself stated that the blueprint is largely incomplete, and that even itself had not received the full blueprint from the Progenitors.
Allegedly, the designs and concepts that Brother Baal obtained do not even constitute the handle of the <Sword of Ashoka>. No need to worry, Archbishop. The Demon Palace is not intending on replacing the Divine Palace's seat of power."
Chun De smiled bitterly, before raising his own question. "Demon Palace's Baal. How did you even obtain the <Sword of Ashoka>'s blueprints in the first place? Did you –"
"Not at all," spoke Baal, his dark eyes reflecting an endless amusement. "Rather, it seemed as if the Divine Spiritual Vein was in a rush to distribute the blueprints to the Immortal Realm. It was the first to initiate an agreement, and wouldn't offer anything other than the <Sword of Ashoka's> incomplete blueprint." Having finished his piece, Baal returned to where everyone stood, his joy magnifying by the second.
"The Divine Palace requests for a copy of the blueprints."
Jun Dong Min spoke, his voice hoarse. He had been stealthily operating as the information relay towards the other Pavilion Heads, and their responses had been overwhelming. Pressured by the seventy-odd Pavilion Heads screaming directly into his mind by a transference of divine essence, he wanted to get this matter concluded as soon as possible.
"Not possible." Spoke Baal without a single moment of hesitation. "What has the Divine Palace done in contribution of my <Heretic's Manual>? I will share it among my brethren in the Demon Palace as we operate as a single cohesive unit, but why distribute to someone who is strife with internal conflict?"
He gazed at Jun Dong Min, his irises radiating a brilliant violet as divine essence unconsciously channeled within his body. "What has the Divine Palace done for our Demon Palace? Did they initiate the agreement with the Divine Spiritual Vein, or do they assist us in exploring the constantly expanding void? Or must everything submit as you are called 'Divine'?"
Switching his gaze over to Archbishop Janus and Chun De, Baal's originally refined and gentle voice became rough, displaying his indomitable will. Without anybody realizing, ink-like wings had already expanded from Baal's back, lighting the entire room with an eerie, black light.
"Speaking of which, how did our Demon Palace and your Divine Palace even form? Was it not by picking up the scraps after the Progenitors left in their boredom? Why even claim authority – did we establish it ourselves, or was it given to us?
The Demon Palace and Divine Palace were formed at the same time, not one after another. I know you're listening, Pavilion Heads, utilizing Pavilion Head Jun here as your beloved intermediary. Hold steadfast to my words, for I declare to you once more.
Just because We have left ordinary governance of the Immortal Realm to the Divine Palace and adopted a low profile, does not mean that the Demon Palace will acquiesce! If the Divine Palace desires a war, the Demon Palace will gladly oblige!"
Finished speaking, Baal retracted his manifestation and aura, returning to the gentleman he portrayed. Waving towards Julian and Bai Feng, the three departed from the conference chamber, leaving Jun Dong Min, Archbishop Janus, Chun De, and the other Pavilion Heads speechless.
"We'll see each other once more in a week, Divine Palace. Hopefully, the Ghost King's Remnants can be found."
Once the Demon Palace's representatives left, Jun Dong Min and the others could only look at each other wryly. Now what?
-
Relaxing in a hot bath after Balthazar had departed, Jun Meng Chen stretched his muscles and sighed. The pleasure of experiencing the accumulated sorrows and fatigue wash away in a hot spring was truly irreplaceable. However, now that he had the time to properly reflect, Jun Meng Chen's countenance could not help but darken once more.
His heirloom, the Elysia's Tear, had been seized, and he had been relegated from the owner to a glorious guest. Once he had frantically departed after hearing news about his siblings, he would never be able to return unless receiving express permission from the 'owner'.
How frustrating! His thoughts had been muddled with worry for his siblings, and the fatigue gathered from eight months of constant observation, that he had failed to notice that fact at that time. Now, he could only wallow in regret.
Suddenly, Jun Meng Chen's body trembled, his mind in an uproar as he fervently gripped the walls of the hot spring. Quickly accessing his domain, he discovered that among the vast mortal planets in his eight Earthly Charters, one of them was releasing an unusual frequency of spiritual qi.
Investigating closer and discovering that the fluctuations of spiritual qi and its trace closely resembled that of divine essence. As confusion dissipated to be replaced by a sheer terror, Jun Meng Chen began to panic as he calculated the age of his mortal domain.
Eight thousand, three hundred, and thirty-seven years had passed since his mortal domain had formed, average among immortals born in the Divine Palace. It was four thousand years ago that Jun Meng Chen had fused together his Prefectures into an Earthly Charter, and this phenomenon had happened a total of forty-two times.
However, the last time he had noticed such phenomenon was forty-two years ago! Demon Palace's Third Pillar Baal had promised to the Immortal Realm to disseminate his <Heretic's Manual> once every hundred years, the next distribution shouldn't have occurred so soon!
Quickly drying his body and changing his clothes, Jun Meng Chen forgot about drying his hair as he appeared in his domain. Lightly panting from the sudden exertion and transition from a fully relaxed state, he navigated through the countless mortal planets, attempting to directly locate the source.
Standing before a small planet with more landmass than water, Jun Meng Chen's brows furrowed as his hands clenched. Once again, he felt that unique fluctuation of spiritual qi that was extremely similar to divine essence, causing him to tremble violently.
Oh, how he hated that <Heretic's Manual>! Archbishop Janus' specialized ascension construct was indeed a handy tool that Jun Meng Chen appreciated, for he could directly control who could ascend into immortality.
However, the byproduct of a successful implementation of the <Heretic's Manual> was no doubt a direct catastrophe to Jun Meng Chen, for the ascending immortal would be able to confront him without any disadvantage. Although the <Heretic's Manual> was constructed in such a form that ascension was literally impossible, the sheer potential of such a bypass terrified Jun Meng Chen.
Unfortunately, he and the other immortals had to abide in the agreement that the practitioners of the <Heretic's Manual> could not be touched until they attempted ascension. Otherwise, Jun Meng Chen would have rushed directly at this odd, miniscule planet with the land surrounded by water in the shape of a dragon submerged in flames, and tear that mortal to shreds!
But why would the Third Pillar Baal disseminate the <Heretic's Manual> earlier than expected? As Jun Meng Chen pondered over this matter why hatefully glaring at the small planet, he suddenly froze, his body unusually stiff. His body's joints creaking like a badly rusted machine, Jun Meng Chen trembled, before throwing his head back to release an unearthly roar.
"Balthazar, you incorrigible bastard, you can dream about courting my little sister while this Father is present!!!"
In the a secluded courtyard within the Demon Palace, Balthazar reclined against a luxurious and comfortable recliner chair, snacking on a pile of grapes. Reveling in the heavenly soft furnishing of the chair, he closed his eyes in satisfaction, relishing his memories of a young maiden with long, black hair, milky-white skin, large black eyes, and those adorable and soft cheeks.
The moment his mouth curved in a sloppy, infatuated grin, he could not help but violently quiver, causing him to wake and sit up.
"Is someone cursing at me?" he thought, gazing at the walls of heart crystal stone.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Clouded_Jade
Clouded_Jade Chapter 4/4! Merry Christmas, everyone! Another Mass Release will be planned for New Years (hopefully more than four chapters...)
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