27 Return

Shura entrusted the procurement of the materials needed to make his sword to the trading organization.

He was after many rare and exotic metals and other natural treasures that nature gave birth to. The metals were the base, the foundation of the strength of the weapon while the natural treasures would augment and add special properties to the weapon. Then he would combine them and forge a formidable alloy to then cast and shape into a sword.

Although Shura was very knowledgeable about what materials a lower-realm world have and could easily use them to craft something truly formidable, he still wasn't sure that he would be able to find the optimal materials needed.

At first, Shura had wanted to create the best sword that he could with the materials that were possible to obtain in this world, but then he realized that there was no need to get it perfect. Not all the best materials would be found, and he would forge better swords in the future as better materials came his way.

As long as he forged himself a decent weapon that he would use right now, then that was fine. He didn't have a weapon of his own. His first weapon was something he had looted from a demon. After he lost it, he'd just use a spell to construct a temporary weapon. And then there was the spirit artifact that he got from the Long Stream Sect Master.

They were all fine, but they weren't really a weapon that was suited to him. His battle prowess would increase dramatically if he was wielding a sword that fit him.

That was why he commissioned the organization to search for these materials. He'd then make a weapon with whatever materials were found.

His visit to the trading organization was uneventful. This hadn't been his first time there. There wasn't anything dramatic about it at all. There weren't any random strangers who looked down on him because he was dressed badly or for any other silly reasons.

Uneventful time passed again. The materials were assembled. Most of the top-tier metals and wondrous natural treasures couldn't be found, but there were plenty of middle-tier materials found. He should be able to craft something decent with what he had obtained. Although all these materials were needed, they were all involved in only one thing: the construction of a unique and powerful metal with enchantments and special properties.

After that was done, the rest of the process involved the physical work of actually shaping the weapon by hand. Then it was time to temper it.

The construction and refinement of the base metal was a success. After that Shura shaped the metal and tempered it over and over. The finished product was a beautiful long red sword.

Although Shura didn't know anything about forging weapons before, and the only thing he had was knowledge and not experience, he felt that the finished product was decent.

And just like that, Shura made his sword. The thought of giving it a name occurred to him. How could a great weapon not have a name? He didn't know what to call it, however, so he postponed it for later. The important thing was now he had a weapon that suited him very much. No matter what foes he faced in the future, he would be confident.

Now that he had a sword of his own, what then?

As if his body knew that the time was right, Shura felt that he could now attempt to break through again. He would do so, but this time he would take precaution against any accidents.

It would be ridiculous if someone tried to kill him while he was in the middle of ascending again.

Shura glowed like the sun in every color visible to the naked eye. Of course, nobody could see him as he was deep in his residence. These were the many enchantments he cast on himself. Many layers of defensive formation were also erected around him. No matter who they were, unless they were a full-powered Spirit Sovereign, by the time they were half-way through breaking it, he'd already become a half-step Spirit Sovereign.

Knowing that soon he would be going back to Aggradise Continent, and after that, he'd head to a higher realm, Shura became very excited.

Now that he was the strongest in this world, everything seemed to lack color. There was nothing to strive to anymore. And even if he was the strongest, he would continue to live day after day, years after years.

Without using it, what was the point of strength?

Living without anything meaningful going on… such a life was dull.

Cultivation had nearly become his everything. Other people did it so they could enjoy life more, but there was no such thing for Shura. There was only cultivation, the pursuit of greater strength and a higher peak.

…

Shura became a half-step Spirit Sovereign. He was going to leave this world and return to his own world.

He wasn't sure what he should do with the Skyward Empire. Although he was the emperor, it was not like there was a royal family or royal line to pass the throne to.

He was the only thing holding the empire, and by extension, the world together. As soon as he was gone, people's endless desire and greed would change the status quo. The single united empire would split into many warring nations.

Things were dead, but people were alive. He had to at least take care of his people. Even if the empire disintegrated, his people should be well off and be able to fend for themselves. He owed them that much for serving him.

After he settled everything and made sure the people he knew personally were taken care of, Shura left.

He was always a reclusive emperor. Nobody would know in the short term that he was already gone. By the time that the news broke out, his people would already be well off.

Shura tunneled through the endless void and finally arrived above the planet the Aggradise Continent was located on.

This world looked different for him now. He was an all-powerful being, so of course, it looked different from before when he was only a small nobody.

Although he had been gone for a few years, it felt like a few lifetimes since he was last here.

The desolate land of the Aggradise Continent was still desolate, but there were signs of an emerging civilization that was rapidly reclaiming the land and progressing.

Shura continued to scan the continent meticulously with his mental awareness. He was here for Claira. He had to find out what happened to her.

Although the last time Shura was together with Claira was when he was still weak, he still remembered her 'aura'. Even after time passed, if he searched for that 'aura' he should be able to find her if she was on the continent.

But he couldn't find her aura at all.

Unwilling to give up, Shura expanded his mental awareness to cover the entire planet. The world was filled with many continents, including the Short Continent he had been teleported to. He meticulously went through each continent one after another in a quick pace, and then he scanned them over again in greater detail.

The result left him dismayed.

He couldn't find her! There wasn't any trace at all?

Was she no longer living?

Nothing mattered anymore.

Shura was down for only a short moment. No matter whether she was dead or alive he would find her. He didn't have any means of finding her, but that doesn't mean a more powerful cultivator couldn't. He'd become more powerful, or ask a powerful cultivator to find her. And if she was dead, then he'd bring her back to life.

Life and death was nothing in front of gods.

Now that he couldn't find Claira at all, there was no reason for him to stay at the half-step Spirit Sovereign level. He would break through and become a full Spirit Sovereign and ascend to a higher realm.

Shura felt an odd sense of calm that contrasted to his earlier feeling of loss. Now that he had a goal to strive for, everything became serene and clear to him.

Shura broke the final barrier inside of his Core and his cultivation reached the peak and he became a Spirit Sovereign. His body was filled with boundless power and he felt as if he merged with the universe. He could move nature as if it was a part of his body.

Shura felt a force greater than him and the universe converge on him from all sides. This must be the natural rejection of power. He was too strong that his existence could affect this lower-realm. The world was correcting it by sending him away to a 'higher-realm'.

Shura stood in the dark space above the planet. And then he just vanished. There were no lights or any mesmerizing or beautiful sight. He just vanished.

He was now on his way to the higher realm. The starting point of his new journey.