Gazing up at the moon Shinji had just hand-crafted above them, the Lampbearers felt as though they had fallen into a surreal dream, their eyes filled with a daze of disbelief.
"He... he actually kneaded a celestial body into existence?"
"Is this something a human is capable of doing?"
"Is it possible he really is a Hegemon in disguise?"
The dumbfounded Lampbearers murmured meaningless words under their breath.
In their understanding, only a Hegemon could contend with another Hegemon. Now that Shinji had sealed the creature—a suspected part of the Propagation Hegemon—within a celestial body, they couldn't help but harbor deep suspicions about Shinji's true identity.
Roar!
Suddenly, a violent roar erupted from the firmament!
This roar did not come from within the celestial body Shinji had just created, but from the depths of the profound universe.
The starry sky above the cloud layers actually falls within the domain of the Sixth Ring World and remains within its spatial barriers.
Thus, when Shinji pushed the Chibaku Tensei toward the stars, he was not pushing it into the outer universe where the Hegemons resided.
To put it simply, the Sixth Ring World is an independent plane. The planet it occupies, along with the surrounding celestial bodies and the starry sky, all belong to the Sixth Ring World.
The universe where the Hegemons reside exists outside the plane of the Sixth Ring World; it only appeared as if the Hegemons were attacking from the stars because of the nature of their invasion.
And that roar just now clearly originated from the deep universe beyond the spatial barriers of the Sixth Ring World!
"As I thought..." Shinji whispered to himself.
Hearing that roar, he knew that the creature he had spent so much effort sealing was not the Propagation Hegemon's true, complete self—or at least, not the entirety of it.
However, judging by the raw fury contained in that roar, Shinji's Chibaku Tensei had at least sealed a significant portion of the Propagation Hegemon. Of this, there was no doubt!
Shinji then scanned the surroundings, finding a landscape of absolute desolation.
"Sigh!" He let out a sigh.
He had tried his best to control this battle to prevent it from spreading too far, but at his level, even the aftershocks of his techniques were natural disasters to ordinary living beings.
Though a heavy price had been paid, Shinji had, in any case, won this round against the Propagation Hegemon by half a step!
Rumble...
Suddenly, another thundering roar echoed from the sky without warning!
"Not good!"
Shinji snapped his head up to find another vortex appearing in the deep universe. Something was once again trying to force its way through the spatial barrier.
Clearly, the Propagation Hegemon, having suffered a major loss at Shinji's hands, did not intend to let the matter drop!
Realizing the Propagation Hegemon wanted to fight again, Shinji immediately shouted to the distant Arcane: "Stop it!"
Alice was the first to react, urging Arcane: "Quick, use the power of the Lamp to stop it!"
Arcane hurriedly activated his Lamp. As the Lampbearer guarding the Sixth Ring World, as long as he was willing to expend Ember, he could strengthen or even repair the spatial barriers.
While Arcane was empowering the barrier, Shinji didn't stay idle. He transformed into a streak of rainbow light, soaring instantly into the stars to pinpoint the exact area where the Propagation Hegemon was attempting to infiltrate.
Staring at the spatial barrier warping under the pressure of the Propagation Hegemon, Shinji flipped his hand. Nine Truth-Seeking Balls instantly converged in his palm, transforming into a brilliant golden sword.
Shinji had no intention of standing by while the Propagation Hegemon broke in to destroy his Chibaku Tensei and reclaim its sealed body parts. He stood guard at the infiltration zone with his Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion active, waiting for the moment the Hegemon breached the barrier to deliver a vicious, preemptive strike!
At that moment, as Arcane unleashed the Lamp's power, the spatial barriers of the Sixth Ring World were instantly reinforced, causing the Propagation Hegemon's breakthrough to turn sluggish.
Shinji did not lower his guard, continuing to pour pupil power into the golden blade, holding his strike in reserve.
Crack!
As expected, despite Arcane's efforts, the Propagation Hegemon's sheer persistence allowed it to eventually breach the barrier and force its way in.
Boom!
The moment the Propagation Hegemon's head emerged, Shinji didn't hesitate for a second. The Golden Wheel Reincarnation Explosion in his hand lunged forward, delivering a devastating head-on blow to the newly entered invader.
Roar!
In the deep universe, another soul-shaking roar resounded!
However, Shinji wondered if it was his imagination, but compared to the previous roars, this one seemed to contain traces of genuine pain.
The wounded Propagation Hegemon lashed out, spraying countless black liquids toward the area where Shinji stood.
Shinji didn't dare tank it head-on. With a wave of his hand, the golden sword vanished, returning to nine Truth-Seeking Balls that fused into a sphere, protecting him from all angles.
Chiii chiii chiii...
The sound of corrosion followed immediately. Even the mighty Truth-Seeking Balls struggled against the black liquid, as gaps of various sizes were burned into the defense.
Just as Shinji was about to reform his defense, he felt a sudden, frantic surge of intuition. He instantly dispelled the protective sphere and looked toward the breach in the spatial barrier. The gap was already empty; the Propagation Hegemon had vanished!
Shinji didn't breathe a sigh of relief; instead, he assumed a stance as if facing a mortal enemy.
Because in that very split second, he had sensed another aura of overwhelming power—and it was because of that aura that the Propagation Hegemon had retreated.
Roar!
Another roar echoed from the deep universe, but unlike all the previous ones, this roar was clearly laced with panic.
Immediately following, the tremors of two terrifying powers colliding echoed through the deep universe!
"It's the Plague Hegemon!" Shinji's expression became incredibly solemn.
He could sense that outside the spatial barriers of the Sixth Ring World, the Propagation Hegemon and the Plague Hegemon had entered a battle far beyond his imagination. And from the roars, it was clear that the Propagation Hegemon was currently at a disadvantage.
Shinji's mind raced.
Previously, the Plague and Propagation Hegemons had clearly been at peace, not interfering with one another. Yet, for some reason, the Plague Hegemon had suddenly attacked.
"I see... the balance has been broken!" Shinji realized in an instant.
The two Hegemons had coexisted before because their strengths were roughly equal; neither could do anything to the other.
But as the Propagation Hegemon suffered consecutive losses—with a portion of its body even sealed within the Sixth Ring World by Shinji's Chibaku Tensei—that balance was shattered. Thus, the Plague Hegemon chose the moment the Propagation Hegemon was locked in combat with Shinji to strike!