In the Void, the figure who had returned from the Chaos Sea stood silently. Although the Radiance around him had diminished considerably, the oppressive aura emanating from the depths of the Chaos Sea remained undiminished. The appearance of the Lord of Endless Lancelot froze the air on the entire battlefield.
In the end, it was the Mother of the Stars who spoke first.
Lancelot.
The Mother of the Stars ' voice was calm and even, yet it seemed to contain unfathomable depths. Her eyes, formed from twin nebulae, silently watched Lancelot, the two vortexes of creation spinning at a moderate pace, as if examining a divine weapon she had forged herself, which had unexpectedly gone astray.
"I didn't expect you to have absorbed all the power from the Spirit Ruins so quickly."
"I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You are one of the biggest variables of this era, and also the strongest genius."
"So, tell me now, Lancelot, which side do you intend to join after you've returned?"
The voice of the Mother of the Stars drifted down, very soft, yet it echoed in the Void for a long time, lingering there. Every word seemed to carry a substantial weight, pressing heavily on Lancelot's shoulders.
It's not just Lancelot.
All eyes in the Astral Realm converged on this moment—the ancient beings slumbering in the depths of dimensions, the mysterious forces hidden in the cracks of the laws, and the observers who had been secretly watching this war of the Eternal —all turned their attention to this battlefield.
It wasn't because they cared about Lancelot's choice, but because Lancelot's choice would directly determine the course of this war.
Lancelot, however, didn't take it to heart.
Or rather, He simply didn't care about the gazes coming from all directions. He just stared straight at the Mother of the Stars, his chaotic, swirling eyes showing no fear, no hesitation, only a profound and unwavering determination that seemed to pierce through the Mist of countless ages.
He moved.
The Lord of Endless took a step forward, and then made a move that surprised everyone present—
He bowed slightly.
Lancelot bowed solemnly to the Mother of the Stars.
The gesture wasn't exaggerated; it was simply one hand on the chest and the upper body slightly leaning forward, the curve subtle, but every detail conveyed a heartfelt respect. It wasn't a subservient humility, but rather the kind of courtesy a junior would show to a senior, filled with gratitude and respect.
The Ruler of the Abyss's expression changed drastically.
His pupils contracted sharply, and the Abyss energy within him surged uncontrollably. His hand, gripping the Ancient Ring of the Abyss, trembled slightly, not from fear, but because—if Lancelot was also one of the Mother of the Stars, then the outcome of this war was no longer in doubt.
The bitter smile on the Lord of Hell's lips deepened. He closed his eyes, seemingly processing this "fact," then slowly opened them, preparing to accept the worst possible outcome.
The God of War of the Astral Realm loosened his grip on his blade slightly, and the flames of battle burning in his single eye died down for a moment.
Dale — the Magic Pioneer —simply watched Lancelot silently, his gaze complex.
Only the Mother of the Stars and the World Tree remained unmoved.
The former understands the system he created all too well, and the people who came from that system all too well. The Earth Guardian lineage was given the mission of "guarding" from the moment of its birth—not to protect a particular person or force, but to protect the entire Astral Realm.
These are the rules He set Himself.
And now, this rule is backfiring on itself.
The World Tree knew that Lancelot would definitely stand on its side, or more accurately, on the opposite side of the Mother of the Stars, because their interests were irreconcilable. This was the most fundamental struggle over the Dao, concerning who could break through to become One of Third-Step Eternity. It would never back down unless absolutely necessary.
Sure enough, Lancelot straightened up, his voice clearly resounding throughout the Void.
"Your Majesty the Stars, I sincerely thank you for the opportunity you have bestowed upon me."
"If possible, I will repay this kindness."
"However, my stance on the Astral Realm will never waver."
His voice was not loud, but every word was like metal or stone falling to the ground, resounding and clear.
"So--"
Lancelot took a deep breath, and in the Void behind him, a magnificent and boundless phantom of a world emerged. That world was not any known dimension, nor any existing plane, but rather the "Endless Divine Realm" that Lancelot himself had created and forged with his own Dao principles.
Within the Divine Realm, towering divine mountains rise abruptly from the ground, with deities standing atop them. Some of these deities are tens of thousands of feet tall, while others are only the size of an ordinary person, but each one exudes a terrifying aura.
Every deity is at the level of Main God or Supreme God.
Dozens of Main God and Supreme God appeared simultaneously, their divine light converging along their paths to form a golden ocean that surged, roared, and surged through the Endless Divine Realm. This divine light passed through the boundaries of the Divine Realm and projected into the Void, forming enormous pillars of light that made Lancelot appear like the King of All Gods.
No, to be more precise, He is the King of All Gods.
"Let's fight!"
The three words resounded like thunder.
Having said that, Lancelot placed his right hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist.
The Immortal-Execution Sword.
The simple, unadorned longsword was slowly drawn from Lancelot's sheath. The sound of the blade rubbing against the scabbard was crisp and long, echoing in the Void like the prelude to an ancient war song. With each inch the sword was drawn, the oppressive feeling emanating from the depths of the Chaos Sea intensified; with each inch the sword was drawn, the light surrounding Lancelot burned brighter.
The moment the sword completely left its sheath, the magnificent and boundless Divine Realm behind Lancelot suddenly expanded, transforming from a phantom into a tangible entity, from blurry to clear. Divine mountains, deities, and seas of gods all truly existed in the Void, no longer projections, but real and tangible existences dragged out of Lancelot's inner world by his power.
An intense, oppressive aura swept in.
The sheer power contained within that aura drew the attention of all the Eternal present.
Infinity close to Second-Step Eternity.
Not half a step, not the Peak of the First Step, but Infinity close to the threshold of the Second-Step Eternity, separated only by a membrane as thin as a cicada's wing. Lancelot's aura was profound, solid, and perfectly integrated, like a piece of divine iron that had been forged a thousand times, without a trace of superficiality or weakness.
The golden age.
There were no injuries, and no energy expenditure.
The trials of the Chaos Sea Spirit Ruins allowed Lancelot to hone every bit of power within him to its fullest potential and to perfect every inch of the laws he had learned.
While everyone was filled with suspicion, betrayal, and struggle, one person returned with his full fighting strength.
Moreover, they sided with the Astral Realm.
A genuine smile finally appeared on the lips of the Lord of Hell.
The gloom in the eyes of the Ruler of the Abyss dissipated somewhat.
The God of War of the Astral Realm loosened his grip on his right hand and tightened it again, the flames burning on the blade even more intensely than before.
Although the World Tree projection had no expression, its nearly transparent body had become completely solidified. The true ally had arrived. The World Tree understood that it could no longer remain behind; it had to fully commit itself to this battle and go all in.
But Dale — the Magic Pioneer —had the scales tipping toward "surrender" suddenly pushed back by an unseen force. His eyes cleared again, and pure white magical light reignited in his palm, dim but never extinguished.
The Mother of the Stars lowered her eyelids.
"Very good."
His voice was remarkably calm, devoid of anger, disappointment, or even any emotional fluctuation. Yet it was precisely this calmness that made everyone present feel the terrifying oppressive force hidden beneath, like a volcano about to erupt.
"Truly worthy of being descendants of the Earth Guardian I created."
"Since you've chosen to stand against the prevailing Astral Realm forces—"
The Mother of the Stars raised her head, and in her eyes, formed by twin nebulae, two vortexes of creation suddenly accelerated their rotation, exceeding the limits of any means of observation.
"Then accept the judgment from the Stars!!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the heavens and earth roared.
This is not a metaphor, not an exaggeration, but rather the entire Astral Realm resonated in that instant. Countless dimensions trembled simultaneously, countless planes shuddered at the same time, and countless stars twinkled simultaneously—as if the entire material universe was responding to the will of the Mother of the Stars, and trembling at Her wrath.
In the Void, countless indestructible substances appeared out of thin air.
It does not come from anywhere, but is "born from nothingness". The authority of the Mother of the Stars is "matter", and matter will condense from nothingness whenever She desires it - without the need for energy conversion, the need for the construction of laws, or any intermediate process.
These substances converged on Lancelot from all directions, from every dimension, and from every possible corner.