Soul of Searing Steel

The Great Khan could not hear Joshua.

Still, it would not comprehend his words if it did, and there was no purpose even if it could.

When it noticed that two more unbelievable luminous dots of energy shone upon the body of that intimidating silver Giant God, emanating terribly powerful electromagnetic radiation. The Great Khan knew at once that a blast far beyond the one before was coming. He truly felt threatened from that strike, which was why it did not delay in gathering all its strength to form its strongest defense.

The Starherders were a race that commanded Void Behemoths and had them carry their world upon their backs, possessing the one of the most profound worlds shaping technology in the Multiverse as well as powerful soul and magical skill. The Great Khan, who was the greatest amongst the Starherders, certainly embodied power that surpassed all those eight-legged fungi.

As space warped with a ear-piercing sound that could only be heard by individuals with supernatural senses, the Void Crab began to tear everything before it with its sturdy pincers, creating dense spatial pits with its own mass, each of which were filled with near solid magical energy—in less than a second, the Great Khan had create a thin ‘world’ and ‘World Barrier’ before itself, with space as a base.

That world was simple and small, and a single thin base layer apart from the World Barrier. If such a world truly existed in the Multiverse, its inhabitants would be the same like ants—never to know the concept of three dimensions even if they lived in it. That world that was made temporarily to be instantly destroyed was essentially a tough shield, and to pierce it required the power to break a world.

However, that moment was too long.

When the Great Khan had finally created that world, it no longer had the time to do anything else, which appeared intent on: such as augmenting the World Barrier and inscribe runic defenses upon it. It was stopped halfway through, however, and naturally not deliberately—exceedingly violent energy blast ceased all enchantment, and in no time at all, the Great Khan could see endless light shooting out of the Giant Steel God, turning into vast blue light in the Great Khan’s senses the moment it appeared.

Blueshift phenomenon.

Everything was too late when it saw the light of shortened wavelength. As the Great Khan subconsciously set up a defense for the World Fleet behind itself and not attack preemptively, it had lost all chance to attack or counterattack, along with any possibility of victory.

For it saw a gigantic fist that could break worlds and all things.

Because Joshua’s punch that swung out in thirty percent lightspeed at arrived.

Boom!

The Steel Fist that could shatter planets easily broke the Great Khan’s World Barrier into pieces, reforming warped space. The mere swinging of that giant fist wielded peerless, great force that dragged a trail akin to a ditch in dimensions. Every being behind Joshua could only see a blinding red light, and conversely, all the World Fleet saw was a dazzling blue light.

With two miniature pulsars at his shoulders acting as cores providing electromagnetic force, but the tremendous force on that fist would only accelerate by thirty percent even when charging. Even so, it could break all things amongst the world.

The sheer momentum of the punch did not decrease after breaking the World Barrier, and directly splintered the Great Khan’s soul shield as well, and viciously struck the Void Crab’s two pincers. The violent power easily dented the spiritual body that was sturdier than any alloy, cracking it as massive gaps appeared over the pincers, tearing it off the Great Khan’s body.

Boom!

Even if the Void was vacuum, a great rumbling could be heard—the sound of flesh turning into smudge and bone breaking all resounded for one instant. The Great Khan could feel its pincers disappearing, while its entire crab body rolled like a bowling ball backward. Still, its shell, thick like a fortress, blocked the last shockwaves from that lightspeed punch and kept its entire body from breaking.

Without hesitation, after a short moment to gather its breath, Joshua once again stepped upon the Void. He ignored the World Fleet that was trembling in a corner or the Void Behemoths that used their pincers to cover their own faces and pretend they did not see him, instead quickly darting towards where the Great Khan was sent flying.

Bang, bang, bang! Heavy but rapid reverberations echoed. It was the sound of dead worlds floating in the Void being used as stepping stones as the warrior accelerated—some were massive enough to easily absorb the warrior’s trampling, and some so small that Joshua’s full-power step would kick them out of their orbit and happily waft towards other directions. Joshua’s figure vanished amidst the raging dimensional turbulence, and when he appeared again, he was already right in front of the Great Khan, who had stopped rolling.

There were large worlds and small worlds, with only a single ocean and a continent, or just one continent with a huge pool in its middle. In terms of size, those worlds were one or two times larger than Joshua at present, and lesser in terms of mass.

Larger worlds were those like the Mycroft continent, having a vast ocean and multiple continents, even having demiplanes and other tributary worlds. Such a world was ten or hundred times the size of small worlds, but the Great Khan’s form was comparable to them.

Larger worlds would have satellites and planetary systems, even a smaller galaxy. Such worlds had boundless edges even in the Void, but they were few, and were only found at the center of galaxies. The larger ones were resembled Stellaris or even a singular universe, or was very much one.

The world was so vast and grand, therefore when Extraordinary individuals obtained power comparable to worlds, they would never be struck down with one blow.

Though maimed from that single strike, the Great khan had no intention to surrender. It could tell that that move from Joshua needed time to charge and could only be used once in some time, just as it did not play its own trump card despite being grievously injured. Naturally, their battle was not one of life and death, and by now both sides have to admit that their opponents have the power to seal the Evil God.

Still, truth be told, would it end so simply with the fight having unraveled to such a state?

‘Have to let them know my power.’

The same thought appeared in both the Great Khan and Joshua’s mind.

Therefore, without sparing time for nonsense, Joshua lifted his feet at the defenseless Void Crab, and kicked it down sharply at its head across thin air as if swinging an axe.

On the other hand, the Great Khan which body was shattered and appeared to have lost all resistance abruptly rose. Its body, filled with cracks instantly turned into gray-white molt that peeled off, just as a whole new crab that was one size smaller but in perfect condition and appeared much more spirited faced it head on!

The Giant God which had four arms, and radiated blinding light from his shoulders and chests, hence met the Void Crab with two pincers, eight claws and a fortress-thick body in the dimensional turbulence.

***

Meanwhile, in the Black Form world.

The Nature’s Magister, who was racking her mind and using neutralization, assimilation, parsing, shredding and various methods to nullify the isolation seal of that world could not help turning back. The corners of her lips curled as she looked to the distance, where immense light burst intermittently and the dimensions warped.

“There’s no place for me there…”

Galanoud certainly did not believe herself weaker compared to the Great Khan’s true form that was immeasurably huge. Size was relative, and larger did not mean stronger—she was confident enough to evade its charge and dispel its world shield, hence unleashing various bacterium erosion or plants, moistening silently to weaken and burn its opponent’s power and keep it occupied.

Still, the Nature’s Magister estimated that she would have to fight over a few hundred days at least for any advantage to present itself, and hundreds more for signs of victory, the tide would definitely turn more than a few times halfway through as their depth burst out…

Victory or defeat would at least take seven to eight years.

By then, the Evil God could have freed itself, or even sealed by someone else.

The progress of the battle notwithstanding, there were certain other things the Nature’s Magister felt helpless about—just like the tremendous shockwaves from Joshua’s fight that simply does not allow allies supporting him.

Now wonder Nostradamus always had that expression on his face, for what else could he do? Count Radliffe was simply not someone to fight side-by-side with unless someone wanted to experience friendly fire along with enemy fire. Furthermore, would his mass not shift every attack onto himself? It teasingly and compulsorily ignores ally or foe.

“Looks like he has the advantage…”

Through the energy signatures and the margins of distortion in the Void, the Nature’s Magister could clearly sense who was controlling the tide. There was no question that Count Radcliffe, whose ability improved once more could hold down the enemy—even if the Great Khan’s energy signature was not weaker but a few times that of Joshua’s, the colossal Void Crab which had to protect the World Fleet would never triumph against that man in terms of power density and ferocity.

Galanoud could also feel that the flock of Void Behemoths which had been intimidating and imposing were now sitting in a corner like good children and utterly fearful of passing the silver border. Even as dimensional turbulences occasionally drew some of them involuntarily towards the border, others would hurriedly extend their pincer and hold them amongst their ranks.

“Fine then, that means not trouble.”

Without disturbance, the Nature’s Magister could quickly disintegrate the Black Form outer layer, and soon thick Nature Power permeated the darkness that completely absorbed and distorted light, entering the realm beyond the Black Form.

In that very second, the Nature’s Magister sensed the thick, near solid presence of Chaos!

At the same time, the Chaos sensed the intruding Nature Power from a realm beyond, and swiftly reacted.

Starting from the depths of the world, endlessly dark presence saturated all of the realm—the oceans, the continents, the mountains and even the deepest place below islands. In truth, the presence of Chaos was not black, nor was it any color: it was a turbid, indescribable and seemingly carried all shade and ill-intent, soaking the color of a billion years amidst despair and rot. As those abnormal mist arose, they all turned into thick tentacles, canes directed towards the sunlight or serpents driving towards food, extending themselves as much as possible to reach the dark green upon the top of that world.

The tentacles of Chaos stretched eighty meters above, towering above all mountains of that unknown world. Beneath the illumination of the orange sunlight and the dark green of Nature’s power, they flailed tremendously and spread vast sheets of shadows over the entire world… and that was not the end. Right behind the tentacles, endless unusual forms resembling tree leaves rose from beneath ground, rising and closing at the edge of the silver mountains as if fly traps. As if a squid, a sea anemone or a carnivorous plant, it wrapped around the nine Hubs on the ground along with the many Mother Lifetrees.

Both the Hubs and the Lifetrees instantly launched their counter offensive. As silver dots of light shone upon various parts of the world, rainbow magical radiance illuminated most of the world just like neon lighting. Soon, however, dozens of massive spirals appeared around the Mother Lifetrees and the various Hubs, and stirring the earth as if water.

Within the bottom of those spirals, countless thicker Chaos tentacles which out from beneath the world, bounding away, each near ten thousand meters long.

The tip of those tentacles had oscillation that flashes like smoke, reducing the Hubs and Lifetrees counterattack into nothing the instant they appeared, withering everything incapable of defense. The spindle-shaped mana core that could have lasted millennia more self-combusted at once, no longer able to gather mana around it while the Chaos energy charged within the Mother Tree devoured it, directly converting it into a wood of Chaos.

In moments, the Evil God that was about to awaken tore an upheaval that could upturn the surface, while Chaos presence spread, swearing to devastate all that there is.

“Troublesome!”

The Nature’s Magister certainly noticed what the Chaos had wrought, and the Mother Lifetrees it had corrupted. She naturally realized that there might be many elven survivors that survived in that world, which was why with a turn of expression, she promptly unleashed her full power and displayed her profound power.

Suddenly, a grand tree that pillar the skies and the ground formed behind the Nature’s Magister, seemingly to break through the Void.

Soon, its roots began to spread, entrenched upon the Black Form world. Dark green Nature’s Power reversed the preexisting balance and mutualism, turning into a presence of immeasurable bloodlust that enforced the law of the jungle without any concealment. It delved deep inside the world, transfiguring into seven humongous roots high upon the skies, clearing and countering the raging Chaos.

One of the roots turned into a hexagonal prism where a pink gem rapidly formed at the center. The air reddened amidst the adorable and mild flash, and soon, a plasma storm hotter than the planet’s core descended upon the oceans, shattering the dark Chaos roots over the seas while stirring super typhoons above class seventeen.

Another root turned into a protrusion similar to a tap. Liquid drummed, and soon green organic acid rained down. Green smoke therefore billowed from the tentacles of Chaos, along with the earth that had been perfect condition, and then melted like ice upon a heated stove.

The tip of another root turned into a translucent crystallized body, where a powerful light far surpassing that of stars brewed. In the very next instant, specks of light torrented, shattering the dark turbidity covering the ground and simply purifying it all.

Various powerful offensive met the Chaos forces that reached out from beneath ground and majorly suppressed it. Meanwhile, after the Nature’s Magister four remaining tentacles finished dismantling the Chaos power that shrouded the Mother Lifetrees and mountain Hubs, each quickly dived deep beneath ground, preparing an even more terrible attack.

Galanoud was certain that the main body of the Evil God of Chaos was inside the core of that planet. Clearing the tentacles was akin to clearing the spikes of a sea urchin, a mere step before feasting upon it, while a more difficult battle awaited her.

And it would have been fine if things developed that way.

As the Nature’s Magister focused, controlling her four roots as they dug deeper beneath ground to unleash a terrible strike that could devastate all life on the surface, she suddenly sensed an abnormally warped dimensional signature behind him.

Turning back in surprise, Galanoud, Nature’s Magister, the close friend of the Elven Queen, the leader of the Far Southern elves, the highest druid and protector of the woods was at once scared off her living daylights.

For she saw an incandescent silver speck pushing a Void Crab that kept flailing its pincers and struggled without stopping, crashing down towards her position—the Black Form world!

“Hey, Joshua! Wait!”

She could no longer mind the so-called Chaos—was it anything compared to horror before her eyes?! At her top speed, Galanoud pulled out the roots of her truth form and fled as quick as she could from the world’s surface. Nonetheless, it was obvious that Joshua had stamped the Void Crab’s shell incessantly as if intent on shattering it utterly, just as the Crab determinedly tried to catch the Giant’s God body with a vice grip using a single pincer, only for the warrior to block it with all four hands, preventing it from closing.

With the battle turning out so violently, both sides already had no excess effort to observe their surroundings.

But in the turn of that moment as Galanoud detached her nine roots and barely hid to a corner, the Giant Steel God and the Void Crab that were tangled upon each other crashed into the Black Form world.

***

The sizes of worlds were different.

There was a single planet and an energized sun inside the Black Form world. Though larger than continental realms, it was smaller than most planets—the crash of Giant Crab and Giant God upon that world was not a force that could be ignored.

Therefore, in that instant.

The Black Form barrier that the Nature’s Magister spent a long time to peel a single gap off hence broke into nothingness.

In the very next moment, both crab and giant quickly broke through the world barrier and fell inside that unnamed world.

***

Inside the world.

The raging presence of Chaos also thus paused at once.

The tentacles which had been flailing wildly, as well as the branches that converged and dispersed all seemed to stop moving at once as if a freeze spell had been cast upon them. Soon, all of them shrunk back to the depths of the ground below, revealing a devastated surface of the world.

But it was all futile, a meaningless disguise. In the very next instant, as the World Barrier shattered with a terrible rumble, a massive Void Crab that was as large as a continent was hence driven by the Giant Steel God through Void, nine moons and down to the world.

Boom! Amidst the boundless, frightening rumbling, a terrible momentum scrapped past three out of nine moons and caused them to whirl in the air like tops. That hemisphere of the entire planet abruptly became a scarlet sea of fire, and as the spherical planet dented as if an apple that had a huge chunk bitten off, the Void Crab and the Giant Steel God thus fell into the very heart of the planet.

“You damned arrogant fool!”

Subjugated from head to tail, the outrage Great Khan did not give up on counterattacking even after crashing into the planet’s core that was welling with Chaotic presence. Facing Joshua, who remained impassive, the white shell of the Crab began to release burning soul fluorescence, and the Otherworld Legend which never had the chance to unleash his true power finally found an opening for a full-strength blow in that very moment.

Peerless spiritual shockwave directly permeated the mind of the Giant Steel God, and the eight-legged fungus’s sharp, piercing cry seemed to echo right beside Joshua’s ears.

“I would have you taste fear!”