Chapter 211: All According to Fate
In the skies hovering over Grimhollow Valley, a giant heavily-armed Magical Aircraft floated high above the clouds.
Aboard that aircraft, in a certain chamber, sat eleven individuals—five on one side and six on the other. It was clear there was a divide between the two groups.
On one side sat the Black Hero of Helmsley, Marquess Jerome Helmsley, with five experts beside him.
On the other side sat his brother Jumanga Helmsley, flanked by six followers, his grimacing smile radiating murderous intent as their conversation grew tense.
"Oiii Jerome, I hope you're not planning on getting in my way? Those people need to be disposed of for the sake of Brawlmanica's interests—more importantly, for our Helmsley family's interest!" Jumanga said, his expression sharp and venomous.
"Brother Jumanga, I'm not necessarily against what you're plotting," Jerome replied calmly, "but I think you should be a lot more careful with your actions. Those guys are definitely not that simple—especially now."
Jumanga sneered, slamming his fist against the large table so hard the metal nearly ruptured.
"Ohh? Those are some very fear-inducing words. Tell me, Brother—what have you observed that warrants such caution, especially with all these other forces moving about, some with the same intentions?"
"I was there to observe everything about the Dragon Spear Hero of the León Clan," Jerome said evenly. "He's not only extremely strong, but also incredibly charismatic. Many follow him willingly. He even made a breakthrough—strong enough to fight toe-to-toe with a typical Early Stage Mortal Lord, albeit with difficulty.
I'll admit, I'm uncertain if I could win against him.
But I'll tell you one thing—Daoist Black Devil Blades, Zoro Tatsumaki, is likely stronger and far more attuned to killing intent.
And there are others waiting for our Helmsley Clan to slip up, regardless of our internal factions. Prince Hunter has already made hidden moves. He'll seize any power we lose and make it his own if things go wrong."
"Then I'll just have to take my chances, you see?" Jumanga said, his eyes glinting with dark malice.
At that moment, both brothers received a message through their communication devices. As they listened, both were stunned and slightly confused.
"Hmm… so the forces under Daoist Black Devil Blades have already begun to move away toward another location—and the scouts ahead only spotted them in the distance. Why have they dispersed so quickly?" Jerome murmured, his voice barely audible.
Jumanga's usual grim expression faded into thought.
"They even managed to pass through those barbaric territories in Grimhollow, on top of the war in Dusk Harrow," Jerome added quietly.
"Hah! It doesn't matter. This just makes things easier for us, doesn't it? We'll pick up the pace and take action while investigating." Jumanga's eyes gleamed with a predator's light.
Jerome fell silent, unease creeping through him. Something felt off—far too orchestrated. It was as if unseen hands were moving all of them like pieces on a board. Not even his cunning cousin Prince Hunter could manipulate things this perfectly.
He thought back to the words of his younger half-brother, Jacob.
"Haaa… Must you all willingly provoke these monsters?" Jacob had warned him. "There are far too many hands in the pot called White Star Radiance, and many will eventually get burned.
Let's say our Helmsley Clan actually disposes of the Black Reaper Corps—do you realize how many casualties we'll suffer?
I'd be confident if our clan were at its peak, but we've been weakened by these endless wars, especially since Brawlmanica Kingdom fought the Fighting Brawlman Sect.
And why aren't you all paying more attention to Daoist Heavens Star Eyes and the White Flame Magi Erica Soloman? Both have heavy backing.
Don't forget about the elusive Daoist Blue Heavens Sword, who's always at the center of every storm!
Big Brother, please… move with caution!"
Jerome's brows tightened as he remembered. Secretly, he respected that younger brother more than most. Jacob's cultivation talent might be modest, but his skills in information and investigation were among the best Jerome had ever seen. And lately, Jerome had noticed… Jacob's abilities had evolved dramatically since White Star Radiance emerged.
Suddenly, Jerome's communication device flashed again—this time, a secret channel.
A panicked but strangely excited voice came through.
"B-Big Brother Jerome! I've got big news!! I've found the White Flame Magi—no, that name doesn't fit anymore. She should be called the White Corrosive Flame Empress—Erica Soloman!
S-S-She appeared in the Central Region's southern territories and wiped out an army with a sea of white flames!
And there was this powerful six-winged serpent demonic beast wreaking havoc before that!
That's what—uh—my friends in the area said!
Oh, and Daoist Blue Heavens Sword and Daoist Heavens Star Eyes might be there too!"
It was none other than Jacob Helmsley's voice, trembling with excitement.
Jerome froze as all the pieces began to align. He traced the Black Reaper Corps' movements on his mental map, connecting them with Jacob's intelligence.
Everything fit.
Yet deep inside, Jerome couldn't shake the feeling that something larger—something beyond even Prince Hunter's schemes—was quietly unfolding behind it all.
…
"Brother Zoro and the others should be here eventually. I was able to contact Joe, and he was able to relay my messages to everyone there. Hehehe, they're moving incredibly fast with so many people in their ranks. It will take some time for all these different forces to even think of catching up with what's happening!" Shayleaf, through the doll, exclaimed happily.
"That's excellent news. It won't be long until more troublesome people start arriving—either for revenge or just to deal with us as a new threat," Christy replied while weaving hand signs. Her glowing eyes and the gem on her forehead shot out a beam of light toward a strange luminous pattern.
"I've set plenty of traps inside and outside the barrier, so it won't be easy for just anyone to barge in here," Erica said nonchalantly as her gaze followed Christy's movements.
"But really, who would've guessed we'd find what we were looking for so quickly? Or rather, it's astonishing that no one was able to find this place after so many centuries." Elton sighed as he watched Christy work.
"Well, honestly, it would be extremely difficult for others to see through this—especially since it was buried underground and surrounded by enchantments that cut off sensory abilities. I can't confidently say I would've found this had I not awakened my Kokon Tengan. Not to mention Gege somehow being able to sense this general location…" Christy said thoughtfully before pausing, her mind shifting away from Elton's condition.
Elton smiled wryly. He could tell Christy suspected more than she let on, but she never pressed him about it.
Erica glanced at Elton with a faint frown, her expression conflicted. She wanted to say something but only sighed, a fleeting sadness crossing her face.
"Brother Elly, when we get married, you'll tell us everything about you, riiiiight?" Shayleaf's doll tilted its head sweetly.
Everyone in the room—besides the doll itself, and probably even the real Shayleaf—stiffened slightly at the question. In that instant, Elton realized how long he'd kept his closest friends and loved ones in the dark. Perhaps they'd avoided prying out of respect, but he knew they all sensed there was more.
Elton exhaled softly, then smiled. "It's a deal, then. Once we all marry, I promise to tell you everything. Thank you for being patient with me until now."
The three women each reacted differently.
Christy tried not to break her concentration, though her gaze flicked briefly toward him—shock first, then a small, wry smile.
Erica's eyes glimmered with longing, curiosity, and quiet happiness.
Shayleaf, as excitable as ever, cheered through her doll and hugged Elton's arm. "Then it's a promise, Brother Elly!"
Meanwhile, on the Purple Starmist Continent…
A land lay in ruin—thousands of corpses scattered across blood-soaked soil.
In the midst of that devastation sat a bipedal buffalo-like creature clad in purple armor, cross-legged in a pool of gore. Clouds of blood mist seeped into its body with every breath until it finally opened its eyes.
"Hehehe-haw-haw-haw! That old fool would never have guessed that retribution would come this way! I'm not finished yet, though. Since you're all so busy, I'll oblige you—by leaving every last thing you've built in ruins."
The buffalo man flared with bloody light—and in the next instant vanished, his movements completely unknown.
Standing in the middle of a large and now desolate area filled with the destructive flames of battle stood an allied army of different forces on one side. On the other side stood only three experts. In between them—but closer to the three—was a brilliant blue glowing phantom light in the form of a person.
What was interesting about this battlefield was that the massive army on the opposite side now stood frozen in terror. Their countless warriors were locked in horrified expressions, their bodies unmoving yet faintly alive. Only a few among them — the strongest Mortal Lords and Master Realm experts — remained conscious, though even they trembled under the crushing pressure that blanketed the area.
Eight Master Realm experts from that coalition stood among the survivors, faces twisted with fear and disbelief. Three of them were grievously injured and were those that had previously fought against the 5 alliances, where Aetherial Master Jinhyuk Bluescinos had led the charge.
Across from them, beside Jinhyuk, stood Pristine Master Regan Rojaheavens of the Aka Boshi no Tengan Clan and another Master Realm expert of unknown affiliation. Each was covered in wounds, their attire tattered, and yet all three wore mixed expressions as they stared at the being before them.
The corpse of the orange skinned Aetherial Master who had faced Jinhyuk lay sliced into three pieces—half by Jinhyuk's blade and half by the phantom's power. The being's gaze locked sharply onto Jinhyuk, its aura horrifying, though oddly free of killing intent. Realizing this, Jinhyuk forced himself to calm.
"You. I feel the aura of Master lingering on you. Who are you to Master?" the phantom demanded, its tone overbearing and direct.
"…Who exactly is your master? For such an incredibly powerful being like you to appear before me, I can't fathom that I've met such a person—or at least, I'm not aware of it," Jinhyuk replied slowly.
"No. You have Master's aura on you. I can see it through fate! So tell me—who exactly are you to Master?" the phantom insisted, completely rejecting Jinhyuk's response.
"I really don't know… Can you describe him to me?" Jinhyuk asked with a weary expression.
"Master looks… Eh? Why… Why? WHY?! I—I can't remember!!! WHHHHYYY!!!"
Suddenly, an explosion of power—far greater than the Early Stage or even Middle Stage Master Realm—erupted. A brilliant light engulfed the entire area, swallowing everyone within from all sides. All the Master Realm experts on both sides struggled desperately to defend themselves, yet they could hardly withstand the blast.
The explosion's energy rippled throughout the entire region, its might felt across one-tenth of the Purple Starmist Continent. Even the humanoid buffalo, somewhere within that range, felt the horrifying pressure and coughed blood as the ripple struck.
"Th-th-th—that power!? Was that a Peak Late Stage Master Realm expert?! Or perhaps… a Grand Master Realm's attack?! Oh no! Those people will definitely sense my presence now!" it gritted out before fleeing into the distance.
Back where Jinhyuk and the others were—
He and the remaining two were badly injured but still able to move.
"Guhh! W-Who was that person… and where are we?" the unknown expert muttered through clenched teeth.
"We're all asking the same thing," Regan Rojaheavens said, his face bloodied but eyes sharp. "But let's ask the being in question directly. Who are you, sir—and why have you done this? Just because Aetherial Master Jinhyuk may not know who your master is, doesn't mean you should drag the rest of us into your madness."
Jinhyuk, the least injured, stood tall beside them, gaze fixed on the phantom, which now floated silently with a thoughtful expression as it looked toward the sky.
"Hmm… I still don't remember Master's face," the phantom said at last, its voice calmer, "but after watching what you just did, I confirmed something. You are certainly related to Master. It shows in your abilities—abilities that break this world's cultivation boundaries."
The moment he heard those words, Jinhyuk paled. A dreadful realization dawned on him. "Y-You're… a remnant soul of a senior brother?!?!"
Suddenly, the surrounding space began to collapse as another surge of light swept outward. The trio braced themselves as reality twisted—and in an instant, they found themselves back within the Whispering Expanse True World, their allied armies still not far away.
The phantom's fading voice echoed one final time before vanishing into the ether:
"It appears my Blue Star Sect truly is no more… but it will rise again, one way or another.
Master is still moving… and I can now vaguely sense the fate of the White Sage.
In that case…"
The voice faded into the winds of essence, leaving behind only silence—and three trembling Masters staring into the glowing remnants of blue light.