Immortal Paladin

[POV: Hei Mao]

The Great Beast smashed through the Dark Veil with terrifying ease. The barrier surrounding the Hollowed World ruptured like brittle glass beneath the pressure of its monstrous existence, and the impact alone caused countless fractures to spread throughout the nascent Spiritual Plane that Hei Mao had painstakingly constructed from the remnants of the Underworld. Entire sections of the half-formed realm collapsed into black storms of shattered laws and screaming souls. Mountains split apart before they were even fully born, while rivers of death qi evaporated beneath the sheer corruption radiating from the Great Beast.

The seven heads of the Great Beast elongated grotesquely as they emerged through the torn veil. Their necks stretched across the heavens like colossal serpents, twisting unnaturally as they roared in unison. The sound itself was blasphemy. Space folded apart wherever the roars reached, and the newborn Spiritual Plane trembled violently as reality itself began rejecting their existence. The seven mouths opened wide before vomiting torrents of maddened scripture and corrupted laws that carved through entire continents.

Yet despite its overwhelming might, the Great Beast could not catch the whore.

Hei Mao floated high above the collapsing world, his expression deathly pale. Streams of black blood flowed from his nose and ears as the Hollowed World groaned beneath the burden of continuing existence. Beside him stood the Judges of the Underworld, their expressions grim as they watched the Great Beast relentlessly pursue Hei Mei across the skies of the dying realm.

Hei Mei’s body radiated an irresistible aura beneath Divine Possession. The Great Beast focused entirely upon her existence, as though all hatred and hunger within creation had converged upon a single target.

One of the Judges clenched his fists tightly. “This cannot continue forever. The Hollowed World is already breaking apart.”

Hei Mao’s gaze remained fixed upon the Great Beast. “It was never meant to continue forever.”

The Judges turned toward him.

Hei Mao inhaled slowly before speaking in a calm voice that contrasted sharply against the apocalypse unfolding around them. “We alternate between the Spiritual Plane and the Mortal Plane. Every time the Great Beast breaches one side, we abandon it and escape into the other before it fully stabilizes its existence there. The transition slows it down. It buys us time.”

“And if both planes collapse?” another Judge asked darkly.

Hei Mao’s eyes narrowed faintly. “Then we continue running.”

The Judge stared at him in disbelief. “To where?”

Hei Mao finally looked toward them, exhaustion and resolve mixing within his crimson eyes. “The False Earth if I have to.”

Silence followed his words.

Even the Judges could not conceal the horror that crossed their expressions. The False Earth was a forsaken place abandoned by nearly all higher existences. To flee there meant the situation had already surpassed catastrophe.

Hei Mao lowered his gaze toward Hei Mei in the distance. Divine Possession remained active between them, linking their souls together while using her existence as bait. Every moment strained his mind closer toward collapse, but he endured it without hesitation.

Because if the Great Beast stopped chasing the whore even once, then everyone else would become its prey.

…

..

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[POV: Alice]

Outside the Hollowed World, the surviving military forces hastily regrouped amidst the endless void. Thousands of warships drifted across shattered space while massive formations continued firing destructive beams toward the Great Beast lodged halfway into the Hollowed World itself.

The creature looked impossibly enormous.

Its lower body remained buried within the Hollowed World while its seven necks towered across the void like pillars supporting the apocalypse itself. Entire fleets resembled grains of dust beside it. Every movement of its limbs caused violent tremors throughout the Hollowed World, while countless chimeras continuously spilled from wounds across its grotesque flesh.

Many had already perished attempting to stop the Great Beast within the Seventh and Eighth Layers. Entire armies had vanished beneath its advance.

Yet some still survived.

Da Ji stood atop the command platform of the mothership, one arm hanging limply at her side while cracks of unstable spiritual energy spread across her body. Beside her, Zhou Yong leaned against a shattered console, her breathing ragged despite the extensive healing already performed upon her injuries.

“We can still fight,” Da Ji declared coldly. “Just point me toward the bastard.”

Zhou Yong wiped blood from her lips before nodding grimly. “We’re not sitting here while that thing tears apart everything.”

Alice stood before them both, her crimson hair drifting softly amidst the trembling light of the bridge. Though her expression remained calm, the pressure radiating from her soul caused the surrounding space itself to distort faintly.

“You two are in no condition to challenge the Great Beast directly,” Alice said firmly. “Focus on the chimeras. Protect the evacuation routes.”

Da Ji frowned immediately. “Alice—”

“That is an order,” Alice interrupted quietly.

The firmness in her voice silenced both women.

Alice turned her gaze back toward the Hollowed World displayed across the enormous viewing screen. Countless ships continued firing desperately while Void Beasts hurled themselves against the Great Beast in an effort to pry it away from the world. Most were slaughtered instantly. The chimeras spawned endlessly regardless of the casualties inflicted.

Beside her, Ru Qiu folded his arms while staring grimly at the battlefield. “This is futile.”

Alice remained silent briefly before answering.

“We still have to try.”

Ru Qiu looked toward her and immediately understood what she intended.

A vast divine aura slowly began rising from Alice’s body. Layers of golden scripture spread across her skin while her soul resonance connected directly toward Ru Qiu through Divine Possession. At the same time, the authority of Exalted Renewal gathered around them both, causing reality itself to ripple violently beneath the miraculous power.

Yet even such terrifying authority appeared insignificant compared to the Great Beast.

That realization weighed heavily upon everyone present.

Then suddenly, another figure appeared before them.

David emerged silently from layers of distorted dreamlight through Divine Phantasm of Dreams. His body flickered unstably, as though his existence itself remained only partially present. “Please, hold yourself back…”

Alice immediately turned toward him. “What do you want us to do?” she asked, unable to fully conceal the frustration within her voice. “We’re powerless against this calamity.”

David’s expression remained calm despite the chaos surrounding them. “Then we focus on what we can still accomplish.”

Ru Qiu narrowed his eyes slightly.

David continued, “Reduce the number of chimeras. Rescue whoever can still be rescued. Prepare for the final battle.”

Ru Qiu gave a dry laugh filled with exhaustion. “We’re not exactly rich on options right now.”

“No,” David admitted quietly. “We aren’t.”

Alice stared at him carefully before asking the question weighing upon her heart.

“You’re going to risk yourself again, aren’t you?”

David smiled faintly.

“Risk is putting it lightly.”

The bridge fell silent.

David looked toward her with steady eyes that carried the weight of countless failures and sacrifices. “But every time, we’ve learned to do better. To trust each other more. To ask for help when we need it.” His smile widened slightly. “So trust me like you always do.”

Before Alice could answer, David’s figure dissolved into fragments of dreamlight and vanished completely.

The bridge remained quiet for several moments afterward.

Alice slowly closed her eyes while suppressing the overwhelming urge to throw herself directly against the Great Beast regardless of the consequences. She understood better than anyone how hopeless the situation truly was.

But she also understood that despair solved nothing.

When she opened her eyes again, the hesitation within them had vanished.

“Send immediate evacuation orders,” Alice commanded as she dispelled her Exalted Renewal. “All nearest worlds are to retreat toward the furthest layers immediately. Prioritize civilians first. Any fleet capable of movement is to provide escort support.”

The operators hurriedly obeyed.

Outside, the endless war continued raging against the Great Beast.

…

..

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[POV: Gu Jie]

Inside the Hollowed World, Gu Jie stood silently upon the balcony of the palace within the flying city. Cold winds swept past her robes while distant tremors continuously shook the heavens themselves.

Far below, the silhouette of the Great Beast erupted further from beneath the Hollowed World.

Even at such an immense distance, the creature remained incomprehensibly large.

From Gu Jie’s position, she could only see the colossal legs supporting its body and portions of its impossibly long necks stretching upward through the clouds. One of the seven heads barely emerged beyond the horizon itself, towering high enough to pierce the skies above the flying city.

The sight resembled the end of all existence.

The Hollowed World had once felt vast and eternal to her.

Now it looked terribly small.

…

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[POV: Xin Yune]

Inside the mausoleum of the Supreme Death, silence reigned eternal.

The enormous chamber stretched endlessly beneath layers of black stone engraved with ancient funeral scripture. Pale ghostfire flickered softly between towering pillars while rivers of dim soul-light flowed beneath transparent floors. At the center of the mausoleum stood the coffin of the Supreme Death itself.

Xin Yune knelt before the coffin quietly.

Her hands were clasped together tightly while her forehead rested against the cold floor. The weight of exhaustion hung upon her frail body, yet her eyes remained steady despite the despair consuming the outside world.

In her hands rested the prophecy tablet. The prophecy spoke of inevitable ruin. The Great Beast would devour the Four Horsemen. It would consume the Whore. Finally, it would challenge and defeat even the Supreme Void itself.

A future where everything ended.

Xin Yune stared at the prophecy for a long moment before slowly closing her eyes.

“Please,” she whispered softly.

Her voice trembled slightly within the endless mausoleum.

“Let Da Wei triumph.”

The ghostfire around the chamber flickered faintly.

Xin Yune tightened her grip upon the prophecy tablet.

“He carried everyone for so long,” she continued quietly. “He fought when others despaired. He endured things nobody should’ve endured.”

Her breathing became uneven.

“So please, let him win.”

The mausoleum remained silent.

Yet somehow, amidst the stillness surrounding the coffin of the Supreme Death, Xin Yune felt as though something ancient had listened.

…

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[POV: Zai Ai]

Far away from the collapsing worlds and endless battlefields, Zai Ai slowly opened her eyes.

Warmth lingered against her bare skin.

For several moments, she simply laid there quietly while listening to the distant rainfall beyond the windows. The room smelled faintly of incense, sweat, and wilted flowers. Beside her, Nongmin remained wrapped around her body protectively, his breathing slow and calm despite the catastrophe consuming existence itself.

It was the end of the world.

Even Nongmin’s foresight could no longer glimpse the future ahead.

The battlefield still raged somewhere far beyond the horizon. They should have been there supporting the others, guiding refugees, or healing the wounded.

Instead, they chose this.

To remain together.

Nongmin stirred slightly before tightening his embrace around her waist. His tired eyes slowly opened as he looked down toward her.

“You’re awake,” he murmured softly.

Zai Ai smiled faintly while brushing her fingers against his cheek. “You sound disappointed.”

Nongmin laughed weakly. “Impossible.”

For a while, neither spoke. They simply held each other while the distant world trembled beyond the safety of their room.

Eventually, Zai Ai lowered her gaze quietly. “Do you regret it?”

Nongmin understood her question immediately. He shook his head without hesitation. “If the world ends tomorrow,” he said softly, “then I’m glad I spent tonight beside you.”

Zai Ai’s eyes trembled faintly.

Nongmin pressed his forehead gently against hers. “I love you.”

Her fingers tightened against his chest.

“I love you too,” she whispered back.

Outside, thunder echoed across the darkened heavens. Yet for a fleeting moment, the end of the world felt very far away.

…

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[POV: Warden]

Far beyond the Hollowed World, the False Earth trembled violently.

The Sun and Moon orbiting around the False Earth suddenly awakened simultaneously. Ancient radiance erupted across the heavens as both celestial bodies aligned together, causing endless tides of light and darkness to merge into one overwhelming authority.

The fog surrounding the Hollowed World churned violently.

Then the Warden emerged.

Its colossal body towered above mountains and continents alike. Armor forged from primordial laws covered its enormous frame while endless scripture burned across its surface like stars. The blessings of the Six Supremes flowed endlessly through its existence, granting it limitless depth that adapted against any enemy it faced.

For countless eras, the Warden had stood unconquered.

Yet now, seven enormous heads stared back at it through the fog.

The Great Beast had arrived.

The Hollowed World shook violently as the seven heads roared together. Entire layers of reality distorted beneath their presence while corruption spread endlessly through the void. The Warden slowly raised its enormous mace.

Entire continents bent beneath the pressure radiating from the weapon.

Then its voice thundered across creation itself.

“You are the enemy of all life.”

The Great Beast roared in response.

Moments later, the heavens exploded apart as both monstrosities collided.

…

..

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[POV: Conquest]

War collapsed onto his knees amidst oceans of flame.

The battlefield around him had long since transformed into hell itself. Entire continents boiled beneath rivers of lava while storms of black fire consumed the skies overhead. Mountains collapsed continuously from the overwhelming heat radiating from Conquest’s body.

Conquest smiled cruelly while gripping War by the throat.

No amount of preparation had allowed War to overcome him.

Heavenly Flame cried out desperately nearby. “My lord!”

Conquest laughed loudly while tightening his grip. “Victory is mine.”

War coughed violently, blood spilling from his lips. Yet despite his injuries, he still smiled faintly.

“You did well, Flame…” he rasped weakly.

Heavenly Flame froze.

War’s voice softened.

“I release you from my contract.” His eyes dimmed slightly. “And my final order… is for you to escape.”

Before Heavenly Flame could protest, her body dissolved into countless embers and vanished completely.

Conquest burst into laughter.

“How pathetic,” he mocked. “All this strength, and one woman makes you this soft?”

War laughed weakly despite the blood pouring from his throat.

“Then do your worst.”

Conquest’s grin widened monstrously as he bit directly into War’s throat.

Blood erupted everywhere.

Conquest devoured him piece by piece without mercy, crunching through flesh, bone, and divine essence alike. Within minutes, nothing remained of War except scattered remnants swallowed completely into Conquest’s monstrous body.

Yet even after consuming one of the Four Horsemen, Conquest still hungered.

He slowly lifted his gaze toward the sky.

Far above, celestial phenomena illuminated the heavens as the Warden battled against the seven heads of the Great Beast beyond reality itself.

Conquest grinned, and then he leapt.

The continent beneath him shattered apart as he crossed directly into the vacuum of space. He soared past collapsing stars and distorted formations before finally descending toward the False Earth itself.

His impact obliterated an entire city.

Buildings collapsed instantly while streets ruptured apart beneath waves of corrupted blood spreading outward from his body. Civilians screamed in terror as smoke and debris filled the skies.

“A monster!”

“RUN!”

“What is that thing?!”

Conquest ignored them completely. Nearby, a strange metal machine puffing steam traveled along iron rails. A train. 

Conquest frowned slightly. “So noisy.”

He flicked a finger casually.

The train exploded instantly.

Metal twisted apart violently while the surrounding region corroded beneath Conquest’s spreading blood aura. Flesh melted. Buildings collapsed. Entire streets blackened into ruin. Then Conquest began searching calmly through the destruction.

Eventually, he found him.

A bloodied infant suddenly tore its way from a dead mother’s womb amidst the rubble. The infant screamed as it rapidly began growing. Moments later, a young boy stood there. However, he didn’t stop growing, and soon, he was a man.

Famine stared toward Conquest before bursting into laughter filled with disbelief and bitterness.

“So it was you all along,” Famine laughed darkly. “You were the one I should’ve feared.”

Conquest laughed alongside him.

“Well then, brother,” he said gleefully, “do you have any last words?”

Famine immediately lunged forward savagely and tried biting into Conquest’s throat. But Conquest moved faster. He grabbed Famine’s jaw and shattered it apart with one hand. Instead, Conquest devoured him whole.

It was not enough.

It was never enough.

Blood smeared across Conquest’s lips as he slowly rose from the ruins. Entire cities burned behind him while oceans of corrupted blood consumed everything touched by his existence. Even after devouring War and Famine, the hunger within him continued growing endlessly, gnawing at his mind and soul like an insatiable abyss.

His body pulsed grotesquely.

The suppression of the False Earth no longer affected him the same way it once had. The remnants of the Supremacy Trait inherited from the Supreme Death had elevated his existence beyond ordinary Rulers of Laws. He had become something far more monstrous.

Something that should not exist.

Conquest grinned savagely before launching himself back toward the Hollowed World.

He crash-landed upon an enormous continent, splitting entire mountain ranges apart from the impact. Shockwaves flattened forests and shattered nearby cities instantly. Thousands died before they even understood what had descended upon them.

Then Conquest began hunting.

His clones were everywhere now.

Every fragment of blood he had spread throughout the Hollowed World had become another extension of himself. Entire armies discovered their comrades suddenly mutating into grotesque copies of Conquest. Farmers twisted apart in the middle of their fields. Officials tore through government halls. Nobles devoured their own families amidst banquets.

The infection of Conquest spread endlessly.

And yet, the armies of the Hollowed World still fought.

Even now, they refused to surrender.

Conquest found it almost amusing.

Countless cultivators hurled themselves against his clones despite certain death. Fleets continued bombarding him from the skies. Entire cities detonated themselves just to slow his advance by mere moments.

“Idiots,” Conquest laughed while crushing another defender beneath his heel. “Do they still think they can win?”

Eventually, he found what he sought.

A lone woman stood amidst the ruins of a broken city while ash drifted softly around her. Calm eyes stared directly toward him despite the monstrous pressure radiating from his body.

Conquest smiled.

“Yuan Shun, is it?” he asked pleasantly. “Do you still remember the deal you made with me?”

He could sense them clearly.

Three souls occupied the woman before him.

But it did not matter.

He would devour them all the same.

The woman merely looked at him quietly before speaking.

“The existence known as Yuan Shun perished long ago,” she replied calmly. “Any deal made with her is defunct.”

Conquest burst into laughter.

“Now, now,” he mocked lightly. “That’s just unfair. Don’t make it difficult for yourself.”

After devouring Famine, Conquest no longer required physical contact to consume others. Merely willing it into existence was enough.

So he did.

His stomach suddenly split open into an enormous maw lined with endless rows of teeth. The horrific mouth expanded outward while a monstrous suction force erupted from within.

The woman was dragged screaming into the abyss of flesh.

Crunch.

Silence followed.

Conquest shuddered violently afterward.

Boils erupted across his skin. Countless diseases bloomed throughout his body before stabilizing beneath his monstrous regeneration. His flesh rippled continuously as conflicting authorities merged together inside him.

Slowly, he began laughing again.

“The prophecy…” he muttered softly.

The Game Master’s prophecy had nearly been fulfilled. He had devoured the Four Horsemen. He had devoured the Whore. Now, only one thing remained. The Supreme Void. Conquest slowly lifted his gaze toward the heavens. At that moment, understanding finally settled completely within his mind.

The Great Beast had never truly existed to destroy worlds.

Its primary purpose had always been singular.

To destroy the Supreme Void itself.

Everything else was merely collateral damage.

Conquest vanished.

The next moment, he appeared beside one of the Great Beast’s colossal legs. The monstrous creature still battled against the Warden amidst collapsing star formations while its enormous form towered over the Hollowed World itself.

Conquest spread his arms wide.

“Hollowed World!” he roared joyfully. “Witness my ascension into a higher existence!”

Then he rushed forward laughing madly.

The moment he touched the Great Beast, both monstrosities began merging together violently.

The Great Beast roared in agony.

Across the entire Hollowed World, every fragment of Conquest responded instantly.

Every clone. Every infected soul. Every person touched by his blood. Farmers abandoned their homes. Cultivators tore through battlefields. Officials walked calmly from command centers. Nobles leapt from palaces. All of them rushed toward the Great Beast. Toward Conquest.

Millions threw themselves willingly into the merging flesh.

The Great Beast screamed as genuine pain emerged from the creature. What little sapience and sentience it possessed was overwhelmed and devoured by Conquest’s infinitely consuming will.

Its flesh began boiling apart.

Entire layers of skin sloughed away into oceans of black corruption before collapsing into shadow itself. The colossal body slowly melted downward while the skies darkened beneath expanding darkness.

Finally, the Great Beast disappeared.

At the center of the endless shadow stood a single figure, tracing along the tail of the Great Beast. Conquest stood at the tip of the enormous shadow’s tail. The shadow didn’t match the figure, creating an eerie sight, countless writhing shadows twisting beneath his skin. Endless mouths whispered from within the darkness surrounding him while his eyes burned with apocalyptic light.

Behind him remained the enormous hole the Great Beast had carved into reality itself, connecting directly toward the Greater Universe beyond.

Conquest slowly spread his arms.

His shadow stretched upward into the heavens, covering nearly the entire Hollowed World.

Then his voice rebounded across every layer of existence.

“I am the Father of the Apocalypse.”

The skies trembled.

Worlds beyond shook.

Suddenly, something enormous descended from above.

The Warden crashed down before him with overwhelming force, its titanic body radiating the authority of the Six Supremes themselves. The mere pressure of its existence caused entire regions to collapse.

Yet Conquest merely sneered.

“You again?” he mocked. “Fuck off and know your place.”

The Warden stared down at him silently, and then it spoke.

“WHAT DID I TELL YOU, DA WEI?”

Conquest blinked.

“THAT THE NEXT TIME YOU USED ME, I WOULD TEAR YOUR EMPIRE ASUNDER.”

Conquest frowned deeply.

Da Wei?

Where?

Another voice emerged from his own mouth.

“I know,” Da Wei sighed tiredly. “And I apologize. But this time, it was really inevitable.”

Conquest froze completely.

His eyes widened in horror.

“What…”

He slowly touched his lips.

“That wasn’t me.”

Laughter suddenly echoed throughout his mind.

War.

War laughed hysterically.

“You stupid bastard,” War wheezed mockingly. “Did you really think devouring me meant I disappeared? I’m a carrier, bastard!”

Another laugh followed shortly afterward.

Da Wei’s.

Conquest stumbled backward as agony exploded throughout his body. Half his face suddenly shifted grotesquely. One side remained Conquest’s monstrous visage. The other became Da Wei. His body began becoming more human against his will.

“What happened?” Conquest snarled desperately. “How is this possible?!”

Da Wei slowly opened one eye from the other half of their shared face as he smiled.

It was not a kind smile.

“You arrogant piece of shit,” Da Wei said softly.

Darkness trembled violently around them.

“You spent so long devouring others that you forgot something important.” His smile widened cruelly. “Every soul you consumed is still inside you.”

Conquest’s expression twisted.

Da Wei continued speaking.

“You wanted conquest?” His voice became colder. “Good.”

Black veins spread rapidly across Conquest’s body as countless imprisoned souls began resisting from within.

“Because this time,” Da Wei whispered, “I’m the one conquering you.”

Then he grinned savagely.

“And when I’m done, I’m going to give you the most miserable end imaginable.”