The Fall...

'Ah… What is this?'

Shin's consciousness was taken on a ride. He had his eyes closed, but oddly enough… Shin felt like he could see everything. Power surged throughout his veins, and at the same time, it dissipated away like the fresh morning dew of spring. Shin tried to open his eyes, but… there were no eyes to be opened. He was in the midst of a universe, one that wasn't his but at the same time… his for the taking.

Finally, after relaxing well enough… Shin 'opened his eyes.' Or to be exact, his consciousness had awakened from its prolonged slumber. His eyes opened, Shin could finally identify where he was… or rather, where he was transported to. All around him, the torrential powers of the Water-Element embraced his tight body, giving him warmth and consolation at the same time. However, that wasn't the full extent of the Water-Element. It was cold and depressing, with a weight that could carry the entire world if it so wished.

It was the source of all life and the being of destruction. The harbingers of chaos and the rejuvenator of harmony. That was the true essence of water. And Shin was currently being embraced by its glorious powers.

'Water… How beautiful.'

Shin knew how little he was compared to the vast Water-Elements that loved and embraced him. No cultivator… No, no living being on the planet could compare to all of Water. It was in the oceans, the trees and all living beings. It channelled mana, spiritual energies and the building blocks of humanity. Water was everywhere in the world, and Shin knew how inferior he was to it. So… why not grab it and seize it for his own?

'World… You gave me the power to create and manipulate water… Is it in anticipation for this day? The day where I become your emissary?'

'...'

Shin's question didn't get any reply, and understandably so. However, Shin flashed a jovial smile nonetheless.

'Today will be the day… Where I become the true Sovereign of Water.'

Clenching his fist, Shin allowed his soul to undergo its final metamorphosis. Bit by bit, all of his astral being was stripped bare. Baptised by the Celestial River, Shin had taken one step away from humanity and into the realm of the Primordial Beasts and the Old Titans. However, with his own comprehension, Shin had taken yet another step away from his human form. The spiritual essence that made up his soul was being reforged… remade in the image of the newly imagined Water Sovereign.

In the material realm, Shin's flesh was undoing a similar transformation. The blood that flowed through his veins was no longer that of his parents. The body that was chiselled by steel was ripped bare, taken apart and transformed into something else entirely. The vital organs that powered his life… They were also being replaced. No, they were taken away entirely.

Why?

From this day forth… Shin no longer needed his organs to live. He longer needed blood to pump within his body. He no longer needed a body to hold his soul. Because from this day forth…

He was one with water.

❖❖❖

Ao watched Shin transform, powerless to do anything to stop the man. All of his prized Water-Elements had been snatched away, and his physical body was unable to do anything to Shin's new fleshy body. Each tailwhip just passed through Shin was if he wasn't there and each bite only served to damage the World Serpent's mouth. Shin's body had transformed into water, a state that couldn't be damaged no matter how much one tried to physically harm it.

It was an odd situation, one that the experienced World Serpent had never seen before. Ao had traversed the entire world, lived near Empyrean Wonders, the World's most mystical places, and yet… He'd never experienced such an odd situation.

The Water-Elements that Ao had controlled were now in Shin's grasp, and he was unable to muster a single ounce of his mana to fight back. Furthermore, as a Primordial Beast, his primal instincts were rather acute. He knew if an enemy was weaker than him or too powerful for him to handle. In fact, Ao's instincts were the main reason why he befriended the Allfather in the first place. Among all humans, the Allfather was the only one to make Ao's scales stand erect the first time they'd met.

However, with Shin's new transformation… There were now two.

Shin emerged from the torrent of water, walking at a leisurely pace. On the outside, there were no changes to his appearance. He still looked like a thirty-year-old cultivator that possessed an above-average physique. Inside, however…

'My spiritual energy… Rank 99, huh?' Shin raised his hands and exclaimed in awe. The moment he merged with the Water-Element, all of Water had fallen under his control. The oceans, the rain, the animals, the plants… Everything that possessed water became part of Shin. With that, he could draw as much spiritual energy from the World and call it his own.

That was what it meant to be one with water.

As long as water existed, Shin would be alive. He could teleport his soul to anywhere with water, and all water could be summoned to his location. His body wasn't human anymore, so the limits of humanity no longer applied to him. Spirit Venerate, Spirit Saint… Those titles didn't matter to a man who controlled all Water. The amount of mana that he could use wasn't limited anymore either. Since all Water-Elements were his, his mana pool was literally deeper than all the oceans combined.

'I can feel everything… The Five Payircis… The Tree of Darkness… The Lantis Republic… The Himmel Empire… The Kori Federation… I can feel… everything.'

Shin was intoxicated by the new power he had attained. It was like his Domain of Dreams was able to touch every corner of the world, just on a much deeper level. He could understand their anatomies, their structures, their power… All with a single touch. It was truly a power akin to that of the Gods. And the World Serpent could feel that.

"You… What the hell did you do?!" Ao struggled to form words as his body unconsciously leaned backwards. The mighty World Serpent, King of the Snakes and master of the ocean… couldn't help but shake.

Before Ao could view Shin as an equal, or a junior that had advanced rapidly to stand toe-to-toe with him. Now, however… Ao felt like an ant that could only stare at the infinitely tall mountain ahead of him. The World Serpent had never felt this small and defenceless before, which prompted the shivering question.

Awakened by the World Serpent's question, Shin shot an uninterested glance at him. "Ao, repent." Shin didn't bother answering Ao's question. Instead, he came out with his own one. "Unbind yourself from the Allfather. Atone for your sins by serving the Alliance. That way, you'll have a chance to live again."

"... Live again?"

"Yes… You're no longer a match for me. If you repent, I'll put a good word for you with the Alliance. They won't be satisfied with your continued existence, but if you enter into their servitude for thousand-odd years..."

"Stop right there, Shin." Ao raised his voice. "I am no servant. I am the World Serpent! Even if I die, I refuse to be a slave to another!"

"What about the Allfather?"

"You misunderstand our relationship," Ao berated Shin. "He's my partner. My partner that will bring me eternal life and knowledge. I have never been his servant. Never had, never will be. We are equals."

"I see… It seems like we have reached an impasse."

The World Serpent paused. "Yes, I think that we have. Though I don't know what you've attained in that short period of time… You are foolish to think that you could beat me with just that!!!"

"... I'd thought you would say that." Shin sighed. "I really didn't want to come to this. But the least I can do… Is to give you a send-off with honour."

Shin closed his eyes, his feet slowly starting to levitate up. Countless Water-Elements spiralled around the Emissary of Water, creating a vortex of elements unmatched in the modern cultivation world. Heck, even the Titans of Old were unable to call up that much elements during their peak years.

Raising his finger, Shin roared: "Shin Iofiel, Rank 99 Spirit Saint. Spirit, the Celestial Dragon. I challenge you, World Serpent, to a duel to the death! Will you accept?"

"Rank 99?!" Ao exclaimed. "I see… so you weren't joking… HAHAHA!!! Dying in a formal duel to a Rank 99 Spirit Saint? That's the best honour that I can get! You sure are a piece of work, Shin Iofiel! Fine, I'll accept!"

The World Serpent bellowed out in laughter. Perhaps this was for the best. Ao didn't want to kill Shin and neither did he want to betray his oath to his long-time friend and partner. Perhaps… This was the ending that best fit his tale.

"World Serpent… On Junius' account, I shall grant you a painless death."

"HAHAHA!!! BIG WORDS!!!" Ao hissed as he threw his body at Shin. The World Serpent gave up on all defences and only focused on one thing… Biting the big head out of Shin's feeble body. "Come on! Show me what you've-..."

"Stop."

Shin held out his index finger and pointed it at the charging snake. Just a millisecond later, the World Serpent's body froze. No matter how much Ao tried to move, his body just wouldn't budge. It was as if… His entire body wasn't his, to begin with.

'What the-!'

Ao desperately tried to break free of the restraint, but he couldn't understand what was binding him. There weren't any chains coming out from Shin's body, and neither was there a surplus of the Mind-Element. Ao couldn't even move his mouth to speak! All he could do was watch as Shin brought his fingers together for a final snap.

"Goodbye, World Serpent. Thank you for cherishing Junius as you did. If there is an afterlife, I hope that you'll treat Junius the same way."

And then…

SNAP!!!

That was the last thing the World Serpent heard as his consciousness, which had survived for tens of thousands of years… fell into the abyss.