Enlightenment (2)

"So, what will you give me, oh so-powerful heavens? What will you give an invader you cannot touch?" The fog boiled as Cain made fun of it.

Cain was skillful in hiding his status as a gatherer and never revealed too much. Even in the case of the Sun Dynasty, he blocked the heavens from seeing what he did.

Although he was a foreign entity, the heavens didn't have rules against him being here. This was most likely the same reason why mixed bloods were so prevalent. In a sense, Cain had diplomatic immunity. 

'Knowing its secret, I can act more freely, though I shouldn't push it. A chained god is still a god, as a being of rules it similarly knows the loopholes, I shouldn't give it a reason to use them.'

Cain became serious, he wasn't stupid and stopped mocking the embodiment of this Territory.

'Once I find you though, I'll find the core and then you'll be done for, hehe.'

Seeing how Cain stopped ridiculing it, the fog wall turned calm as a soft light illuminated. Similar to heavenly energy, the light was pure white.

Feeling the light on his skin, Cain felt calm as he drifted off to sleep.

...

Francis screamed with demonic might, "Protect the valley lord!"

A bloody battle ensued. Once Cain's soul left his body, his eyes turned white signaling he was in the state of Enlightenment. This was the best chance to kill off the head of the demonized humans, a chance the Demon Sealing Sect wasn't going to give up.

Beasts and demons clashed with cultivators, now more than ever the defending force was at the end of its rope. Ferocity became the symbol of this army as the cultivators found it impossible to break through the line of thick inhuman hides and scales.

The last hope for these people was behind them, for the cultivators to get to that hope, they would have to march over a valley of corpses.

"Haha! Enter my stomach!"

Fletcher lost his reason, opening his mouth wider than a doorway, his body bloated like a massive lizard, crawling through the battlefield and swallowing cultivators like a vacuum

High above, an Elder frowned, not just any elder but one of the 7 Demon Sealing Elders, the oldest and most powerful elder, a Late Enlightenment Stage cultivator who had fought with two of the three Grand Demons.

"Enough of this, send in the Demon Cullers." He waved his hand and sent the command down the line. 

The Elder's frown deepened, 'This could've been over by now but the Sect Leader refuses to let us act....' Resentment built up in his heart watching disciples he full-heartily taught die before his eyes.

"The sect leader is losing his way...." He whispered.

If anyone heard him they would gasp in shock.

But it was true, the Sect leader has been slowly changing over the last few years. All the Demon Sealing Elders already suspected it.

'Sealing a Grand Demon was too grand of an ambition, no human can seal such a creature for long. Soon, the sect leader will surely lose to it. We must be ready.' He steeled his heart.

Back on the battlefield, a new force emerged from the cultivators. They were all Founding Stage Soldiers with strange harnessed souls that countered demons.

These were the personal forces used to cull the demon population, created from artificial spirits made solely by the Demon Sealing Sect.

"Demon Culling Spirit!" One of the cultivators wielded a wide blade as strange energy emanated from it and hacked away at a giant demonized tree.

The demon's bark was tough but against this strange force, the blade easily broke through and cut the tree in half.

But trees were filled with vitality, and even after losing its roots, the demon would live for a time.

"Die!" The ancient voice roared.

Branches wrapped around the cultivator as their body was squeezed.

"Righteous Bell Turtle!" The culler then used his Mystical Creature, a Tier 5 Righteous Bell turtle, these beasts usually lived in rivers near villages and protected them from nearby beasts.

Righteousness countered evil, and evil was a cornerstone of being Demonic.

"Ahhh!" Splinters of wood burst, fragments hitting nearby combatants.

The Demonized tree was left without a way to attack, even if it could it couldn't break through the righteous turtle's shell.

In the end, it became one of the many casualties, soon the culler who killed it would die to Fletcher's gluttonous rage.

The battle continued into the night. Neither side slowed down, even in the darkness they fought as the Demonized mixed bloods defended their hope.

Entering the Enlightenment stage required enlightenment through heaven, although Cain's body was considered that of an Enlightenment Stage, his soul wasn't. If he forcefully came back, he would be forever stuck in the First Step Enlightenment Stage without a way to advance, as well as losing the benefits of the stage itself.

This was the rule of heaven, to be Enlightened you needed heaven's grace.

Only, Cain's body and soul wouldn't have any remnants of heaven when he was done, he wouldn't allow himself to fall into another's palm. 

Light began to bask the land, blood reflected the rays of the three hanging orbs in the sky, complementing the middle moon greatly, Lilith.

Francis's ragged breath let out hot air, the horns on his head were gone, leaving three large bloody holes. In addition, his wings were tattered.

"To think this took so long that I acted against orders. I won't hear the end of this from the Sect Leader." Tidying his sleeves, the Eldest Demon Suppressing Elder slowly walked towards Francis. He had personally struck, and Francis was sure to die.

Most of the battlefield was cleared, there weren't many people on either side. Bodies sunk low into the swampy earth.

To think a battle could change the landscape, once a land of green grass and trees, now a quagmire of red and brown.

Everyone watched the Demon Suppressing Elder and Francis, because behind Francis was Cain, eyes still glowing white. The hope of the valley was defended for an entire night.

Francis wobbled back, the blood gushing from his head was turning into too much for him, he clutched his skull, hand heating up and sealing the wounds through immense pain. The Demon Sealing Elder watched without attacking, only smiling devilishly.

The Demon body Francis merged with wasn't anything impressive, it was a simple flying demon with horns that acted as a current for Spiritual qi, its skin wasn't relatively tough and its strength was only 8 times that of a normal human, far weaker than other Demonized mixed-bloods with upwards of 10 times the strength of a normal human.

"I commend you for your resolve, but this should stop now, you did well." The Elder snickered as his hand reached towards Francis, a beam of yellow escaping his palm.

It was the ray of a sky searer, a flying creature of light and fire, they fired concentrated beams from their straight beaks.

'This is it, just as the scroll said. Heh...I wonder what would happen if I did anything differently.' The beam passed through Francis's skull and melted his brain in a few seconds.

The large Demonized Human fell over dead, a strange bubbling liquid escaping from his skull.

"Noooo!" Fletcher couldn't stay still anymore, he thought Francis had a plan but that was farthest from the truth. He sacrificed himself without a fight.

Fletcher's hunger was suppressed by rage, charging at the murderer. 

"Away!" The Elder flung the gluttonous beast away. "I've no time for a giant lard of fat."

Fletcher was flung hard, his figure disappeared into the distance, and he wasn't seen again on the battlefield.

The Elder turned, looking at Cain, "Now, time to finish this."