Duality of Shadows-Chapter 955: Chaotic Virtues

The whale floated in the dark void of the underworld, while Alm and Bruno reflected on everything. They had only seen seven minutes, but it was enough to get a good idea of what had happened. In the end, both felt satisfied.

Throughout the whole time, the people around them matched the resources and efforts they had invested; no one became a burden they had to protect. Kaiyka was captured, but she turned that capture into an opportunity. Surely, she didn’t know they would see the past, but she was aware they would investigate and, through her, they could gather valuable information.

No one inside their inner universe had any idea the queen possessed an item of the Primordial Chaos. The queen herself likely avoided revealing this directly, perhaps because she didn’t trust anyone. There was no need to expose this secret, so if something went wrong, it would remain a hidden weapon.

Her power wasn’t absolute. If she reached this level, someone else could get there too. Even with all her control, the universes were too vast for her to know everything.

From what they felt from the crown, it was the power of this item, combined with the queen’s level, that allowed her to partially control the heavenly laws. However, it was only a subtle interference; she couldn’t rewrite them deeply. The will of the heavens remained independent and opposed to her.

From her actions, when she claimed to have allowed the Heaven’s Will to continue existing, it seemed like half a truth. She could have chosen to pressure it more, but lacking the power to truly control everything, she let the missionaries emerge. This way, she could use them to try to find ways to elevate herself even further.

In the end, she was just a person like anyone else, with her flaws, facing situations that even pure power couldn’t solve. Controlling other items of the Primordial Chaos was crucial for her. When she realized she couldn’t do this alone, she allowed wolves to grow in her house to use them to her advantage.

Bruno sighed: ’Why not try accepting her flaws and join the people? Why want to be above everyone and control everything? Calling that bitch greedy seems too simple.’

’She certainly went through things we don’t know, and I don’t care to know. Whatever the reason,’ Alm retorted coldly. ’She chose to use people and steal from them what she lacked. It’s pretty simple.’

Bruno concluded: ’We, on the other hand, chose to unite those who have what we don’t. We have very different worldviews; we can’t coexist.’

What happened recently with Kaiyka wasn’t a surprise after thinking it through. The queen had a celestial soul like theirs, and probably due to her equivalent cultivation, sneaking her closer to them wasn’t abnormal.

After they killed the heroes, the queen could have simply sent her directly to invade the place.

The main problem was that not even the queen could know where they were in the middle of that domain and in the ethereal form. So how did Kaiyka know exactly where they were and attack?

’The array,’ Bruno concluded.

Kaiyka was inside the array. The queen revived her and trapped her in a separate world, where the array didn’t connect to them. Then, with her power, she made Kaiyka leave there without triggering the array. At the same time, through the connection with them, which was at the center of everything, Kaiyka knew where they were.

’She definitely knew this technique. Using her crown and celestial soul, she made this deadly move. We barely saved ourselves,’ Alm said coldly.

The two huffed and turned forward. In the end, they managed to escape and didn’t reveal their identities, but the cost was high. They had intended to use the elemental calamity at the meeting with the heroes and the sects of the universe, catching everyone off guard, stealing as much as they could, and fleeing to the underworld. Now, the queen would prepare.

’We don’t have many options. The time until the temple is finished is, at most, two years. Let’s find that Goddess. If we get a way to steal the spear and escape, it will already be a win,’ Alm spoke flatly.

Unfortunately, they might have to abandon the resources of that universe. Still, they needed to come up with something for this meeting. They wouldn’t let Kaiyka fall into the queen’s hands, no matter what.

Bruno focused and was able to feel exactly the direction they should take. Eraser appeared, and they broke the space, moving. However, this was the underworld. Even using all their power to go as far as possible, they still hadn’t gotten anywhere.

They had to restore their soul energy more than ten times, covering a distance of more than a hundred of the queen’s universes, which was already an insanely huge area. Finally, they stopped in an isolated region, very far from any black hole containing a universe within it.

Bruno took out the handbell and the statue, feeling the closest faith connection. Caipora had said the place was within the void in the underworld. It didn’t have a fixed entrance and changed constantly, so she couldn’t help them.

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Alm and Bruno thought for a moment. What exactly was the void? Technically, it was the definition cultivators used when a power expelled all the laws and particles far away, creating a small "empty" region. However, this lasted very briefly, like a sea split in half, with the waters quickly closing again.

Coltia’s Holy Light Law could create a small gap in space as if it penetrated and created a tiny void. That, by itself, was surprising, but it didn’t allow placing a person or a world inside. Also, it wasn’t a true void. Even Alm and Bruno, with their divine souls at the time, could feel it if they knew of its existence and focused.

On the other hand, what was in front of them was different. Even with their celestial souls, they couldn’t feel anything there. But it didn’t take long for the whale to sense something strange. They watched carefully ahead, and soon they noticed something that left them surprised.

The celestial laws seemed to be subtly stirring. It wasn’t as if space was opening up for them, like the entrance to a common separate world.

The space ahead cracked open, as if a channel opened up, within it, celestial law runes appeared and also opened up. They were identical to the runes that covered the whale and led them to the main missions. This wasn’t common power.

They took a deep breath and jumped in.

There, they found themselves in the middle of a sea of celestial runes, but when they activated their celestial souls to the max, at that moment, both were completely stunned.

Around them... they saw ahead a flowing stream. It was like glimpsing the waters of a river, and within it, they saw countless ethereal forms completely asleep.

’Are those souls... is this... the river of reincarnation?’ Bruno murmured.

Since they first entered the Wuji state, they had been able to feel the flow of this river. They even noticed the fragments of souls being reunited and thrown back into the river, which they thought was for them to reincarnate one day. But now, that was right in front of their eyes.

It lasted only a second, until everything faded, and they felt like they had truly entered a separate world.

The whale appeared above. It was a region the size of half a Gloom planet. Everything was dark, with no light, vegetation, or life. It was like seeing a massive dry desert.

In the center, a small town made of mud houses existed. They slowly fell toward the town, until they could feel and see more clearly its inhabitants.

They weren’t alive... but rather souls. There were thousands of them, in all sorts of shapes. What confused Alm and Bruno was that Caipora hadn’t mentioned this. She had said they were people from various races, who had hidden right after the war. But these souls weren’t even divine...

Suddenly, they looked into the eyes of a humanoid figure that resembled a dark elf. It was just a mortal soul, but they felt a strange and hidden power inside it. It was like madness or internal chaos.

[Optional Mission available]

[Understand the Chaotic Virtues]

[Reward: 01 Free use of a celestial miracle, at full strength]

[Accept?] [Yes / No]

They read the mission, confused by the objective. As they landed on the ground, all the inhabitants of the town came out and turned toward them. Soon, a voice sounded.

"Welcome. Finally, the day has come..."

They turned, and then noticed a female figure taller than them, almost four meters tall. She had a pair of horns, a slim body with well-defined feminine curves. She wasn’t a spirit; she had black hair and bluish eyes. She was a beautiful demoness in every sense, even though she was tall enough to intimidate any humanoid.

"Where is Venjio? Did you manage to bring him?" Bruno asked quickly.

The figure nodded: "He... yes, I managed to bring him, despite that missionary..."

"I know everything. Let’s not waste time, tell me everything you know." They spoke quickly, and she nodded, showing them a path to a nearby simple house.

Inside, they were left alone. The Goddess of the Void soon bowed, saying, "I am Ciceya, thank you for coming."

The whale nodded. They quickly asked directly why this place was different from how Caipora had described it. The answer was simple.

"Everyone had to sacrifice everything... thousands died completely, others survived by abandoning their bodies. Unfortunately, living in this place isn’t simple, evil is always trying to devour us."