Back at the Eternal Jade Academy, Nora paced the grand hall, her anxiety evident in every step. Zara and Ana watched her from a distance, their own expressions mirroring her unease. The once-bustling academy was eerily quiet, its halls filled with the whispers of students and elders who feared the worst.
"We should be out there," Nora said suddenly, her voice sharp. "We should be fighting alongside Azmodeus, Ming Chao, and the others. What good are we doing here?"
Zara stepped forward, her tone calm but firm. "We're doing exactly what we need to, Nora. Gathering allies, fortifying our defenses, and preparing for the battles ahead. Rushing out there without a plan will only get us killed."
Nora whirled around, her eyes blazing. "And what if it's not enough? What if—"
"It has to be enough," Ana interjected, her voice steady. "Because if it's not, then everything we've fought for, everything we've sacrificed, will be for nothing. Do you want that?"
Nora clenched her fists, her anger giving way to a quiet despair. "Of course not," she said softly. "I just... I feel so useless, sitting here while they're out there risking their lives."
Zara placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "We all feel that way. But we have to trust in each other. Azmodeus and Ming Chao are strong. They'll hold the line until we're ready to join them."
Nora nodded reluctantly, though the unease in her chest remained. She couldn't shake the feeling that time was slipping through their fingers, and with it, their chances of survival.
---
In the shadowed depths of the Nine Evil Yin Realm, the Sovereign's true form stirred, his massive figure wreathed in dark flames. His projection might have been confined, but his physical body was far from idle. Cultivators knelt before him, their chants filling the cavernous space with a palpable sense of dread.
"My children," the Sovereign rumbled, his voice reverberating through the chamber. "The time is nearly upon us. The Eternal Jade Heavens will fall, its Core will be mine, and with it, the path to ultimate ascension will be clear. Prepare yourselves. The final assault is at hand."
The cultists rose as one, their eyes glowing with fanatic zeal. "For the Sovereign!" they cried, their voices echoing like thunder. "For the Nine Evil Yin!"
The Sovereign's laughter filled the chamber, a dark symphony of triumph. The endgame had begun, and the Eternal Jade Heavens stood on the brink of annihilation.
—--------------
|The Final Hour|
The battlefield for the final confrontation lay beyond anything Azmodeus had faced before. The core of the Eternal Jade Heavens was a nexus of swirling energy, luminous with the combined might of the realm's essence. Yet it was here, in this sacred place, that the Nine Evil Yin Sovereign had manifested his full power.
Azmodeus stood at the forefront of the gathered coalition, his presence radiating calm authority. Ming Chao, Nora, and the others flanked him, their determination unwavering despite the Sovereign's oppressive aura. The survivors of countless battles had come together, united for this final stand.
"You have fought valiantly," the Sovereign's Astral Projection mocked, his dark form towering above them. His voice resonated with malicious glee. "But your resistance ends here. Witness the true might of the Nine Evil Yin!"
The Sovereign's body expanded, dark flames consuming the sky as he unleashed his full power. The ground beneath the coalition cracked and split, torrents of dark energy surging toward them like a tidal wave.
Azmodeus raised the Grand Pandemonium Cleaver, its blade shining with an ethereal light that seemed to pierce the darkness itself. "You've had your fun," he said, his voice calm yet brimming with confidence. "But playtime's over."
With a single motion, he swung the cleaver, releasing a crescent of golden-crimson energy that clashed with the Sovereign's assault. The impact shook the realm, light and darkness locked in a fierce struggle. The coalition surged forward, their combined might pressing the attack against the Sovereign.
|The Sovereign's Fall|
He paused atop a ridge, glancing back one final time. The Eternal Jade Heavens were barely visible now, a distant light in the void. He felt no regret, only a quiet satisfaction that he had fulfilled his role.
If he had stayed, the Nine Evil Yin Sovereign's True Body surely would've found a way to forcefully break in and destroy the entire Eternal Jade Heavens Immortal Realms. However, leaving this soon would lure his attention toward him, also making sure the potential Loot Bag stayed close.
With a determined stride, Azmodeus turned and pressed forward, disappearing into the unknown.
_____________
|Postscript|
In the Eternal Jade Heavens, Nora stood alone in the Immortal Lord's chambers, her father's voice echoing in her mind:
'I must go, my child. This realm's future rests with you now. I will return when the time is right.'
She clenched her fists, her resolve hardening. The Eternal Jade Heavens had survived countless trials, and they would endure whatever came next.
Far away, in the void between realms, a faint golden light shimmered briefly before vanishing. The Immortal Lord, his true purpose hidden even from his closest allies, had embarked on a journey of his own.
The story was far from over.
After all... his intrepid disciple was on yet another perilous adventure, and like all the times before, he would be there guiding him every step of the way.
'Azmodeus, I do wonder where your thirst for loot will bring you this time... Maybe to the truth surrounding your Wife? Maybe to your children...? Only time will tell... Just like it had done many, many times before...'
'I have seen your past, experienced your present and future. This is not the first time; it is not the millionth time, but I feel as if it is the last time...'
'Something feels different this time around. From the moment I first took you as a disciple this time around, I noticed something... off... Then there was that Clone soul that escaped of yours... That had also never happened in the previous runs...'
'Your ending this time around will be... different. As for what that difference entails... Well, I can't be too certain. However...'
Suddenly, the old man's withered eyes zoomed out of the limitless Immortal Funnel and extending to Higher Realms beyond human understanding, each one more fantastical than the one that came before. And eventually, his godly sight found itself on a very familiar blue and green planet—the same exact one that Azmodeus originated from.
Or, at least, his Soul resided in this world prior to it being wiped clean eons ago, tracing back even longer than his life as Aphrodite's Husband.
On this planet—Earth—Located within a reflective illusory Tower in a discreet sector of the Milky Way Galaxy, a hideous 17-18 year old fatso was abruptly jolted back by a mysterious force. What caused this jolt remained a mystery even to the infinitely powerful One True Master, but from this one young man's misfortune brought about a new resident in his shell.
One who had also never been part of the infinite Trials...
'Cassius... I wonder which part you have to play in this cosmic tapestry of chaos...'
The One True Master faintly smiled before fully vanishing into the arid Immortal Deserts of the Lands Beyond.
THE END.... For now.