Merlin stared directly into Jin Huang's eyes with his verdant gaze, his body suddenly emananting a violent aura.
"How do you know about that?" Jin Huang asked as Lin stepped forward. "Not even Lin knew about it."
Merlin saw Lin and a cold smirk arose, "Item Spirit! So you've learned the truth about Arthur, have you? He's an abominable thing, detested by the Heavens above."
Merlin snapped his fingers, and Excalibur materialized at his side, hovering silently. After assessing its condition, Merlin nodded and in the next instant, it was gone.
"Come away from him, before his corruption spreads to you."
"Merlin!" Lin glared. "Regardless of what he is, he is our King! Have the years robbed you of your honor!?"
Merlin guffawed. "Honor? What is honor in the face of certain death? When those immortals descended, and killed our 'King,' do you think they stopped there?"
"I sent you back to the sleep, so you don't even know what happened after. The battles that were fought- the lives lost. I did what I had to do, meanwhile our King skipped on over to a peaceful new life!"
Lu Chen and Cho Yanshi stepped forward, openly hostile. Hei Shisan and Shen Wuyou came to Jin Huang's side, with Qin Shuyue right behind.
"Arthur was false. There wasn't a genuine bone in him. He wasn't real, just an empty shell that took the wrong path." Merlin frowned, his grip on the staff tightening.
"Take them." The emerald reacted to Merlin's voice, flashing as magical energy poured out from both him and it.
Around them, the druid people looked on in silence, their expressions unreadable as the wind picked up.
Jin Huang braced himself, but as the magical energy washed over him, he frowned and looked behind him. He gasped.
They were gone. Without a trace.
Not a single one of them remained standing where they were.
Seeing this, Jin Huang spared not a single second.
Golden energy exploded to life in his eyes and on his body, the world around them trembling violently.
In response to that tremor, Merlin's eyes widened. "Now that's something! You're more powerful than Arthur ever was- and without Excalibur!"
Jin Huang did not care about anything. He roared and bolted across the way.
"WHERE ARE THEY!?"
His fist tore through empty space; Merlin's laughter echoed behind him.
"Your friends? What if I told you I already killed them?" Merlin smirked.
"AAHH!!!" Disappearing and arriving where Merlin now was, Jin Huang's leg swept out with a booming sound, about to kick Merlin's head straight off.
Instead, the old man's figure became smoke, and he reappeared somewhere else.
One hand on the staff, Merlin scratched his beard. "So this one's dumber than Arthur, huh? You're a real hothead, boy!"
Once again, Jin Huang's attack did not land.
He repeated the same hotheaded tactics, his every moment shaking the mystical land. However, the ground was not damaged in the slightest.
Eventually, Jin Huang was panting heavily, but still refused to let up.
"This is getting sad. I thought I finally had a chance to see the Supreme Immortal's capabilities. You're just- Hm?"
Merlin paused because, at some point, a runic mark had appeared on Jin Huang's forehead.
"Incredible! Whoa- !" Evading another attack, Merlin reappeared, dusting himself.
"Arthur might have been an exceptional talent, but he walked the wrong path in the end. Could it be the total opposite with this one?"
Merlin evaded Jin Huang's next attack without vanishing, choosing to stay close and observe.
Jin Huang was relentless, swinging and kicking and grabbing, but never being able to touch Merlin.
"That rune... There's no doubt about it..." He said in between movements, his long grey beard flowing.
Evading a straightforward punch, Merlin swung his staff, causing the emerald to lightly crash into Jin Huang's head.
His energy was entirely dispersed, and the rune on his forehead immediately vanished.
All of his exhaustion hit him at once, and Jin Huang's legs gave out. He fell on his back, unable to catch his breath.
Merlin leaned over him; the druid people whispered to themselves, slowly returning to their lives as normal.
Some tended to plants and trees, other walked with their children or alongside the magical beasts.
Merlin stood over Jin Huang, "Got it out of your system? Your friends are fine; I sent them ahead. You and I need to talk."
Jin Huang relaxed, and became only more exhausted. He tried to wipe the sweat on his face, but couldn't even move his arms.
"Why...." He tried to ask.
"Why are you so tired? The Laws are different up here. They're of a far higher grade than the ones down below. That means the atmosphere is tougher to adjust to, and requires more from you."
"Of course, you wouldn't be in such a sorry state if you weren't an idiot," Merlin jeered.
"You... oh shit.... I'll..." Jin Huang grew frustrated at his inability to speak.
"Just shut up and listen, will you?" Merlin grunted as he sat down next to him.
"You're so gullible. At least that trait didn't skip you. I might not have been able to get you to try to fight me if you weren't."
Merlin let go of the staff, and it vanished much like Excalibur did.
"You see, I needed to know if things would be different this time. If I could make a change, before it was too late."
Jin Huang looked over, and saw both melancholy and relief in Merlin's eyes.
He calmed down, just a bit.
"I was young and foolish. I couldn't see the truth even when it was right in front of me, and stupidly thought that I could change fate. My inaction led to Arthur's demise, and the waste of one of your final incarnations."
Merlin sighed, then looked over at Jin Huang as he became entirely somber.
"The Supreme Immortal is fading. Over countless years, Heaven has killed every single incarnation of the Supreme Immortal, bringing them closer and closer to extinguishing it one and for all."
"Arthur's death was the key. If you die by their hands, then they will be able to pierce the veil into the Primal Chaos. Heaven will not only eradicate your Dao, but all other Dao outside of itself."
"What I'm saying, Jin Huang... is that you are the last incarnation. The last person that will ever possess the Supreme Immortal Body."
Jin Huang took a breath. Part of him had considered the possibility, but there was so much more to it that he could now know.
How was Heaven going to eradicate all other Dao? Was it not true that Heaven just altered the probability?
"Perhaps, if I had been born earlier than I was, Arthur would have been the one to set things right. Unfortunately, I did not guide him when I had the chance; I had not learned enough."
Jin Huang felt a restorative power enter him, and his fatigue left him that same moment.
He sat up, his lips pressed into a thin line.
"I don't get it. What's even the point of all this? Why do I have to care about what Heaven wants to do? Why does Heaven care so much about eradicating every other Dao- "
"Because," Merlin interjected, "the Dao of Heaven exhibits the very height of selfish desire, having only its best interests at heart."
"It wants to ensure it occupies the greatest height, and that all else are subservient to it."
Jin Huang groaned, "It's nothing I haven't heard before. That's just bullshit. Why does Heaven's Dao have to go around bothering all the others? Who decided that!?"
"I hear you," Merlin sighed. "Unfortunately, no one can just waltz into Primal Chaos and ask that question. Well, no one but the Sovereigns, but only the Sovereign of Heaven is still around."
"And you, of course."
"Me?" Jin Huang asked, perplexed.
"Well, of course. A Sovereign is the foremost authority on any particular Grand Dao, not like those posers who say they're Sovereign while only being tethered to Lesser Daos."
"You are the only person capable to walking your path, which is the path of a Grand Dao. Hence, you are a Sovereign in the truest sense."
"However, you're not just a Sovereign- you're the Dao itself. If anyone can find the answer to your earlier questions, it's you. You have the potential to pierce through to Primal Chaos and discover the truth."
Merlin nodded, eyes closed, entirely pleased with himself.
Suddenly, he felt Jin Huang's hand press down on his shoulders. He cried out, an old wound flaring up.
"Yow! Easy, easy! You think I was running away from your attacks for nothing! I'm old- decrepit! Mercy!"
Apologetic, Jin Huang moved back while Merlin massaged himself and winced. "What's got you all excited, anyway?"
Jin Huang gulped, "You said that I can find the answers. How?"
Merlin groaned, slowly moving his arms. "Well, it's easier said than done."
Nodding, Jin Huang leaned in. "I know, but I don't care. If there's a way for me to get to the bottom of this, then I'll do whatever it takes."
"Well," Merlin inhaled deeply.
"You need to successfully complete your Dao Integration."