2254 2254. Chaos

Steven was imitating King Elbas. He was burning his world to achieve power that went beyond his limits. Obviously, his actions didn't lead to a personal level, but they still got the job done.

The dark aura that filled the higher plane countered the privileged cultivator's technique, but Steven had far more in store. As the crack on his forehead expanded, a new, darker light left his figure and invaded the area occupied by his opponent.

The privileged cultivator didn't care about the incoming aura. She seemed amused by Steven's efforts, and she even enjoyed watching her technique being suppressed.

The fact that Heaven and Earth's army suffered heavy losses after Steven's actions didn't affect the privileged cultivator at all. She shook her head after seeing how her underlings couldn't achieve much without her power, but that was it.

"Those dragons of yours are quite incredible," The first woman eventually spoke. "The sky lacks assets willing to go to such lengths. There are a few exceptions, but that seems to be the norm in your organization."

"We believe in our cause," Steven announced. "You only wanted to be safe."

"Most of us," The first woman corrected. "As I said, even the sky has a few exceptions."

"They won't be enough to defeat us," Steven claimed.

"What makes you think that?" The first woman laughed. "Let's say that you can destroy most of our army. Let's even imagine an outcome where all the major players from the sky have died at your hands. You'd still have to defeat Heaven and Earth at that point."

"We will defeat your underlings," Steven declared. "We will defeat all of you, and we will defeat Heaven and Earth. The sky will crumble, and we'll bathe in the unbound darkness of the universe."

"That sounds like a great plan," The privileged cultivator stated. "Now, I wonder how you'll fulfill it."

"Killing you is the first step," Steven uttered, and his darker aura suddenly grew violent.

Steven's aura didn't have a clear shape. It had expanded from his figure to create a black lake that managed to stand out even among the void, but its form transformed when he decided to attack.

The lake shrunk as currents came out of it to lash out at the privileged cultivator. The latter covered herself in a purple aura, but the incoming attacks seeped right through it without meeting the slightest hindrance.

The privileged cultivator saw Steven's energy entering her body and searching for her core. The new attack could go past the woman's innate defenses and reach her world. Yet, Steven found nothing to remove after his power arrived at its destination.

"Do you understand now?" The woman asked while the dark energy flew through her body. "You forced your world to turn into a counter of Heaven and Earth's power, but you forgot one important detail. Some of us merely used the peace of the sky to perfect their existence."

<br/>The dark energy inside the privileged cultivator's world gained purple shades as the expert turned it into her own power. Steven couldn't interrupt the event, and he soon lost control of those black waves.

"I can still take away the results of that peace," Steven shouted as the crack on his forehead expanded even further.

More dark energy came out of his figure to add power to the black lake. No currents appeared at that time. The blackness condensed to create an area that suppressed part of the privileged cultivator's power.

The woman saw her cultivation level falling, but the process ended before the changes became significant. Steven couldn't help but frown at that sight. He was burning his world to affect his opponent, but the latter had remained a peak solid stage cultivator nonetheless.

"Did I surprise you again?" The woman asked as she inspected her arms. "I must admit that this state feels nostalgic. I can't even remember what I gained from studying the paths past the sky."

Steven tried to increase the effectiveness of the lake, but the process didn't change the outcome of his technique. The woman's cultivation level didn't fall any further. She remained firmly at the peak of the ninth rank.

"I must admit that your power is interesting," The privileged cultivator announced. "Limited, sad, but interesting. You ruined your potential to achieve all of this, but I'm the wrong target. You should probably go help Great Builder instead of fighting me."

"I can't leave you alone," Steven uttered. "You are too troublesome."

"I am," The woman laughed. "I'm Decumia, and I spread chaos. Nice to meet you."

Decumia performed a half bow while wearing a bright smile that highlighted her young facial features. Her eyes even flickered with purple light during the gesture. She barely looked like a rank 9 expert with that expression on her.

"Spreading chaos?" Steven repeated before sighing. "It doesn't matter. I only have to stop you."

Decumia took a step forward to appear in front of Steven. Her move was so quick that Steven never had a chance to react. He could only unleash his dark aura when he noticed what had happened, but Decumia was faster once again.

The privileged cultivator lightly tapped Steven's chest. Her fingers released a purple flash when they touched his figure, and the power generated by the event flung him far away in the distance.

Steven mustered the entirety of his concentration to keep his influence over the higher plane stable. The purple tendrils would start adding power to Heaven and Earth's army again if his dark aura crumbled, and he couldn't allow that.

Of course, enduring the blows of a solid stage cultivator like Decumia was no easy feat. Steven couldn't focus on his defenses since most of his attention was on his technique, so his figure ended up suffering.

Steven was so focused on the higher plane that he didn't even stop his flight. He let Decumia's blow send him to the other side of the world, but she had no intention of stopping her offensive so early.

"What are you even doing?" Decumia asked while materializing next to Steven and following him on his flight. "That was a mere touch, but your chest is already a mess. Just interrupt your technique and run away."

Steven didn't use defensive techniques, so his chest now featured a fist-sized hole that leaked blood and a dark aura. Decumia's simple attack had damaged his world, which was losing energy from that opening.

Steven revealed a smirk when he heard Decumia's words, and the latter responded by touching his abdomen. Purple light flashed again, and Steven's flight changed direction while another injury appeared on his figure.

Decumia followed Steven closely. She was far faster than him, but he wasn't even trying to escape. Steven was willing to let Decumia have fun as long as he could keep his technique active.

"I'll really kill you if you don't fight back," Decumia stated while flying next to Steven. "Come on. Don't you have a big attack or something? You have set your world on fire. You must have been quite confident about stopping me."

"I am stopping you," Steven laughed without opening his eyes.

The dark aura that Steven had spread all over the higher plane was keeping him updated about the outcomes of the various battles. His side would win as long as he suppressed Decumia's influence, and that was enough for him. He didn't care if the expert killed him in the meantime.