Chapter 368: The Iron Crown of Vaelor

WHOOSH!

The heavy, mana-dense atmosphere of World Thirteen split open as a colossal, silver spatial vessel ascended into the void.

Kael stood on a high balcony, his dark robes whipping in the wind. He watched the Family Head, flanked by Cassandra and a retinue of High Elders and Blades, depart for The Starless Grave. The ancient monster was gone, leaving the estate to the vipers.

"Good riddance," Kael murmured, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Without wasting another moment, he turned and went to the teleportation chamber going through the spatial portal. Whoosh! The world dissolved into silver light, and when it cleared, he was standing in the grand foyer of his mansion in Starfall City.

A week passed in focused isolation.

BZZZT!

Inside his private training chamber, Kael sat cross-legged in a massive, rune-inscribed tub. The tub was filled with the dense, silver liquid Cassandra had given him—the Gravitas Heavy Water. The water pressed down on him with the weight of a mountain, but he didn’t resist it. He absorbed it.

In his hand, he held a glowing, earthy pill refined by Kelvin: the Titan’s Marrow Cleansing Pill (Tier 6 grade pill). It was a masterpiece of alchemy, designed to forcefully evolve the bone marrow of body cultivators.

"Down the hatch," Kael muttered, tossing the pill into his mouth. Gulp.

BOOM!

A terrifying, explosive energy erupted within his body. The Heavy Water began to boil. Sizzle! Kael gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead as the Tier 6 pill and the Heavy Water synergized. His bones groaned, CREAK-CRACK!, densifying and turning a faint, metallic silver.

"ARGH!" Kael roared.

FWOOOSH!

A massive pillar of dark, physical aura exploded from his body, shattering the heavy tub into dust. The ground beneath him cratered. His muscles bulged, his skin glowing with a terrifying, impenetrable sheen.

CRACK! CRACK! SNAP!

Kael gritted his teeth, blood dripping from his lips. His bones were fracturing and reforming, his muscles tearing and weaving back together with terrifying density. The Void Sovereign Physique went into overdrive, absorbing the essence of the pill and the crushing weight of the water.

RUMBLE!

An immense, physical aura erupted from Kael’s body. The steel platform beneath him shattered into dust. The heavy water in the vat was instantly vaporized, exploding into a thick, silver steam that filled the chamber.

THUD-THUD!

Kael’s heartbeat sounded like a war drum. He opened his eyes, a faint, bronze glow radiating from his skin.

He had finally broken through. Late Tier 5 Body Cultivation.

Ding!

[Congratulations, Host! You have successfully broken through to Late Tier 5 Void Body Refinement.]

Kael let out a long, heavy breath, the dark aura retracting into his body. He clenched his fists, feeling the terrifying, raw power coursing through his veins.

Whoosh. The System materialized beside him in its fairy-like form, its wings shimmering. "Congratulations on your breakthrough, Host. Your physical strength now probably eclipses weak Early Origin Realm cultivators."

Kael smirked, wiping a bead of sweat from his chin.

[Current Balance: 80,000 ASC]

He had spent a significant amount of Ascension Coins recently, purchasing the Tier 6 pill recipe and several high-tier rune crafting manuals. But it was worth it.

"System," Kael commanded. "Open the technique shop. I need a King Grade darkness technique for stealth and presence concealment."

[Affirmative. Searching...]

A holographic screen appeared. Kael scanned the list before his eyes locked onto a technique that perfectly suited his needs.

[Shadow Veil (King Grade) - Cost: 30,000 ASC]

Description: A supreme concealment art. The user weaves the darkness around their body, erasing their presence, sound, and soul signature entirely. When mastered, the user can become completely invisible to the naked eye and standard soul sense, existing as a literal shadow in the material world.

"Purchase it," Kael ordered.

[Ding! 30,000 ASC deducted. Remaining Balance: 50,000 ASC.]

Kael felt the knowledge flood his brain—the hand seals, the mental visualization, the precise control of darkness mana required. He took a moment to digest the intricate pathways of the Shadow Veil. It was a perfect tool for him who needed to move in the shadows.

Knock. Knock.

"My Lord," a servant’s voice echoed from outside.

"Enter."

The servant walked in, bowing deeply, and presented a storage ring. "The mana stones you requested from the city’s reserves, My Lord."

Kael took the ring, checking its contents. It held thousands of mid-grade mana stones. He frowned slightly. Starfall City could only produce low to mid-grade stones. He needed high-grade ones.

I’ll have to find a high-grade mana stone mine in Vaelor, Kael thought, a strategic glint in his eyes. If I can harvest a massive amount of high-grade stones and plant them in the Astral Void Realm, the realm will eventually replicate the high-density mana naturally. As my comprehension of laws improves, the Inner World will become a perfect cultivation sanctuary.

Whoosh. Kael vanished into the Astral Void Realm.

He stood in the barren, 10-square-kilometer expanse. He opened the storage ring and began scattering the mana stones across the dark ground. Crash. Crash.

Three Weeks Later.

The remaining time passed in a blur. Kael locked himself in his mansion, dedicating every waking hour to mastering the improved versions of the Chapters of the Gravitational Paradox and practicing his Rank 5 Runemaster skills.

Kael also focused entirely on his rule powers and rune mastery, preparing for the bloodbath to come.

Departure.

Whoosh!

The Schuyler family’s state-of-the-art fast ship hummed on the launchpad.

Kael stood at the ramp, dressed in dark combat robes. Sophie stood in front of him, her eyes misty. Elena and Nora were clinging to her skirt, waving.

"Come back safe," Sophie whispered, her voice trembling slightly.

Kael leaned in, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Smack. "Don’t worry love."

As Kael turned and walked up the ramp, Sophie watched his back. Clench. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. I am already at the Peak Spirit Soul, she thought, a fierce determination igniting in her chest. But it’s not enough. I need to break through to the Origin Realm. I need to be strong enough to fight alongside him too.

Aboard the ship, Kael looked at his entourage. Five Pillar Knights stood at attention, their auras dense and disciplined.

"Gentlemen and ladies, Introduce yourselves," Kael commanded.

The first stepped forward, a mountain of a man with a scarred face and a massive greatsword on his back. "Garrick, My Lord. Late Spirit Soul. Vanguard specialist."

Next was a slender woman with sharp, silver hair and piercing blue eyes. "Selene, My Lord. Late Spirit Soul. Ice mage."

A woman with sharp, hawk-like eyes stepped forward. "Caelum. Peak Spirit Soul. Wind affinity. Assigned by Lady Cassandra for aerial reconnaissance and assassination. I’m also a sharpshooter."

A towering, bald man with stone-like skin followed. "Ferris. Late Spirit Soul. Earth affinity. Siege and defensive formations."

Finally, a lean man wrapped in dark cloth stepped forward, radiating a dangerous, sharp aura. "Soren. Peak Spirit Soul. Shadow and blade affinity. I am your executioner, My Lord."

Kael nodded, satisfied. It was a balanced, lethal squad. "Good. Let’s move. If you guys do well on this mission, I will help you in anyway I can to help you reach the Origin realm."

"Thank you, My Lord", The five of them shouted in unison.

"How long is the journey to Vaelor?" Kael asked.

Garrick checked the navigation console. "With this Schuyler vessel, two days, My Lord. We will drop out of hyperspace directly in the Kingdom of Dawn’s airspace."

"Good. Do not disturb me."

Kael retreated to his private quarters, locking the door. He sat on the bed and closed his eyes.

Whoosh.

His consciousness plunged into the Astral Void Realm.

Inside the vast, barren expanse, Kael sat on the Monarch’s Throne. He didn’t focus on his physical body. He focused entirely on his Rule Powers.

In the real world, two days passed. Inside the Astral Void Realm, ten days passed.

Kael’s eyes snapped open. BZZZT!

A terrifying transformation occurred. His rule powers—Lightning, Gravity, and Darkness—had all advanced to the Third Step: Articulation (Foundation).

The first step, Sensing, was just feeling the ocean. The second step, Resonance, was learning to swim with the currents. But the third step was different. It was absolute control.

Kael raised his hand. Crackle. A bolt of lightning didn’t just appear; it formed into a perfectly structured, crystalline spear of pure lightning rule power. Before, he had to force the lightning to obey. Now, the lightning wanted to obey. He was commanding the fundamental force of the universe.

He clenched his fist, and gravity bent to his will, not just as a heavy force, but as a localized law. He could dictate that gravity would flow sideways, or upwards.

And his Darkness rule power, fueled by his 65% Astraeon bloodline, had finally caught up to the others. The shadows around him weren’t just tools; they were extensions of his very soul.

Ding!

[System Quest Generated: The Iron Crown of Vaelor]

Objective: Conquer the five kingdoms of Planet Vaelor and bring the planet under your absolute rule.

Time Limit: 6 Months.

Reward: ???

Kael smirked at the unknown reward. It meant the stakes were high.