Chapter 49: The Emperor's Fury: A Path of Annihilation
The farewell from the Celestial Court was a solemn yet grand affair. Liam, now a Nascent Soul Realm expert, was no longer just an "honored guest," but a revered figure. The members of the Celestial Court, their auras filled with serenity and immense power, bowed to him, their gazes filled with a profound respect. Celestia, her galaxy-like eyes filled with a captivating mix of awe, admiration, and a strange, ancient longing, stood before him, her Starlight Staff resting lightly in her hand.
"Go, Inheritor," Celestia's voice resonated through the hall, a soft, melodic sound that held an immense weight. "The Celestial Palace's portals will open for you. Use them wisely. And remember, the Star Emperor's legacy is not just about power, but about the choice to wield it. Your destiny, your people, your path, they are all intertwined. And your compassion... it is your greatest strength." She then reached out, and a small, shimmering artifact, a miniature star of pure, crystalline energy, materialized in her palm. "Take this. It is a Cosmic Star-Shaped Artifact. It will aid you on your journey back. It will protect you. It will guide you."
Liam's heart pounded with a mix of gratitude and awe. This was not just an artifact; it was a testament to Celestia's trust, her admiration, her profound belief in him. He looked at her, then at Sael and Lyra, and a deep sense of belonging filled him. His journey to become the Star Emperor was not just about power; it was about building a family, a legacy, and a home.
With a final bow, Liam, Sael, and Lyra entered the Celestial Palace's portal, a shimmering vortex of starlight and energy that tore through the fabric of space and time. They emerged at the edge of the Outer Reaches in a flash, the desolate dunes and the scorching twin suns a stark contrast to the serenity of the Azure Sky Realm. But their peace was short-lived.
Liam's Nascent Soul power, a boundless expanse of spiritual light, immediately sensed the spiritual tremors of a massive, destructive battle. The Blazefire Sect, led by Patriarch Inferno, had not been idle. They had formed a grand, dark alliance, their army, numbering in the thousands, laying siege to the Cloud Serpent and Star Ore tribes' defensive array. The sky itself was on fire, filled with a torrent of destructive fireballs, and the air crackled with a malevolent energy.
"They are here," Sael stated, her Golden Core Middle Stage energy flaring, her whip materializing in her hand. "The Blazefire Sect. And their alliance."
Liam's heart clenched with a cold fury. He saw his people fighting bravely, but their faces were etched with desperation. Patriarch Inferno, a man who had now ascended to the Nascent Soul Realm himself, a testament to his sheer, unyielding will, stood at the forefront, his Nascent Soul aura a raging inferno, his eyes blazing with a mad obsession.
"You have come to your end, little worm!" Patriarch Inferno's voice, amplified by his immense Nascent Soul power, resonated like a thunderclap, silencing the entire battlefield. "Your secrets, your legacy, your power... they are all mine! I will strip you of your soul, and your people will be incinerated into dust!"
Liam's gaze hardened. He saw Inferno's Nascent Soul, a small, ethereal replica of himself, a reflection of his obsession, his ambition, and his boundless greed. But he also saw a flaw, a subtle instability, a weakness that was born of a forced breakthrough, a lack of true spiritual refinement.
"Your Nascent Soul is flawed, Patriarch," Liam's voice, resonating with a serene, otherworldly power, cut through the din of battle. "Your ambition has blinded you, and your soul is tainted by hatred. You will not ascend. You will not command. You will only perish."
With a flick of his wrist, Liam unleashed his Nascent Soul power. It was not a physical attack. It was a direct assault on Patriarch Inferno's Nascent Soul. A boundless expanse of pure, cosmic energy, a sentinel of the stars, surged from Liam, tearing through Inferno's Nascent Soul aura, and striking him directly.
Patriarch Inferno shrieked, his eyes wide with utter horror. He felt as if his soul was being torn asunder, shredded into cosmic dust. His Nascent Soul, flawed and unrefined, was no match for Liam's pure, cosmic essence. He was a master of fire, but Liam was a master of the cosmos, of creation, of destruction.
"Impossible!" Patriarch Inferno shrieked, his voice filled with a primal fear. "You are a monster!"
He unleashed his most powerful technique, the 'Infernal Judgment,' a colossal beam of pure, destructive fire, at Liam. The sky itself seemed to be on fire.
Liam met his gaze, his eyes blazing with a fierce resolve. He didn't move. He simply became one with the air, a phantom of the cosmos. The beam of 'Infernal Judgment,' a force of nature itself, passed through him, as if he were not even there. It hit the ground far behind him, incinerating everything in its path.
Patriarch Inferno stood frozen, his eyes wide with utter horror. His ultimate technique... it had been useless! He saw Liam, unharmed, his form now a shimmering, golden mirage, a true master of the void. A primal fear, a fear of the unknown, gripped him.
"This is your end, Patriarch," Liam's voice resonated, coming from all directions at once. "You have lost." He appeared directly in front of Patriarch Inferno, his hands glowing with a golden light. He didn't use a powerful technique. He simply placed his hands on Patriarch Inferno's chest.
Patriarch Inferno's eyes widened in disbelief. "What...?"
Liam channeled a pure, concentrated burst of his Peak Stage Nascent Soul energy directly into Inferno's dantian. It wasn't destructive. It was corrosive. It would not kill him instantly, but would slowly and painfully consume his core from within, a fate worse than death for a cultivator.
Patriarch Inferno let out a silent, agonizing scream, his body trembling violently as his peak-stage Nascent Soul began to unravel. He looked at Liam, his eyes filled with a terrifying mix of pain, hatred, and a dawning realization that he had underestimated the power of the Star Emperor's legacy. He had been defeated, utterly and completely.
Liam, his hands glowing, stood calmly, his figure a golden beacon of triumph. The Blazefire Sect's army, their Patriarch vanquished, now broke and fled in complete disarray, their morale shattered. Sael and Lyra, their own battles won, rushed to Liam's side, their eyes filled with a fierce pride and unwavering devotion.
Liam looked at the defeated Patriarch, then at his victorious tribes. He had done it. He had protected his people. His power was proven, his destiny, sealed. His journey as the Star Emperor was no longer just about cultivation; it was about laying the foundation for a new, powerful order.