Immortal Paladin

174 The Word

174 The Word

Aixin’s eyes blazed like suns, her fury so raw it nearly ignited the air around us. She stood close, a reflection of Joan’s face stretched over her like some cruel mask carved by desire and anger. The power roiled off her in waves, but I met her glare without blinking. I clenched my right fist. “Come to think of it,” I muttered, “you still owe me a rematch.” Without waiting for her reply, I planted one foot on the ground and drove my fist straight into her face.

The impact cracked the memory wide open. It wasn’t just a metaphor as glass-like fractures split the illusion, the forest canopy above us tearing into shards of color and light. The whole world splintered and reformed into a new scene, one soaked in an alien brilliance. We were now somewhere deeper, back in time… back when Mao Xian’s home still stood untouched in the Greater Universe, far from the Hollowed World’s rot and ruin.

Mao Xian didn’t hesitate. He lunged, blade drawn from memory, moving with the precision of a man who had practiced this strike countless times. I didn’t flinch. I simply whispered, “Divine Word: Rest.” His body slowed, flickered, and collapsed into a mist that dispersed like fog under morning sun. The attack never came. The fog clung to the space he left behind, curling around us like the weight of unresolved grief.

“That was easy.”

Aixin stood unmoved, her breathing sharp and her expression carved from cold hate. But Joan’s face, from her mouth, her eyes, and her defiant chin, remained in her face like a mask. That was what made me falter. I could feel Dave stirring in my soul, his unease and sadness echoing through the tether between us. That face had once smiled at him with warmth. It had never deserved to be stolen.

“Sorry, Dave,” I whispered in a low voice. "I will have to hit her a few more times to get my feelings across..."

I raised my hand and invoked Summon: Holy Spirit. Light surged from my palm as Dave materialized from a golden sigil. Beside me stood Dave in full regalia: his armor gleaming, and his sword already drawn and held in reverent readiness.

“It’s fine, My Lord,” Dave said, his voice soft but unwavering. “I don’t resent you.”

I sighed heavily. “Be more angry with me. I just broke our oath. I feel guilty, Dave. Even if all this was wrapped in loops and illusions, I reckon my karma values ain’t doing so hot right now.” My shoulders slumped a little. “They probably factored all this in, planned it out, pushed just the right buttons to make it easier to justify stealing my body.”

Aixin answered with steel. Her staff appeared in a flare of light, and with a flick of her wrist, she conjured the very same golden sword that had once impaled me back at the Promised Dunes. This time, I didn’t wait to be struck. I cast Castling, switching positions with her.

Because ‘Joan’ or what was wearing her was technically flagged as an ally, the skill functioned. The sword meant for me tore through her instead, piercing her with brutal efficiency as she appeared from where I stood. Blood gushed from her wound, and yet her eyes burned hotter.

Dave charged without hesitation. His blade met hers in a fierce clash that rang like a bell. But before he could follow through, a massive golden hammer descended from above, another celestial spell, brutal and absolute! I used Castling again, this time pulling Dave out and taking the hit myself. The blow rattled my bones, but I absorbed the impact, then let the reflected damage arc back toward her.

She screamed as the backlash struck her full-on, blood spraying from her lips. With a single rune burned in midair, she vanished in a pulse of divine magic, reappearing farther away. Even injured, she managed to heal herself mid-flight, staring at me like I had murdered her family.

“I’m just glad I’m fighting beside you again,” Dave said, his expression calm, and his eyes just as determined. “Even if this may be the last time.”

“No fuss, no fuss,” I replied with a grim smile.

“I am willing to die for you, My Lord.”

I shook my head. “Don’t think so. You still have a long life ahead of you.”

He tilted his head. “So optimistic, My Lord.”

“Then live my share of that life for yourself, okay?” I said, meeting his gaze. I felt the confusion ripple through him, like he hadn’t yet accepted what I was about to do.

I activated Zealot’s Stride and followed it up with Flash Step, appearing right in front of Aixin. However, Aixin had prepared a trap for me. The runes beneath me flared to life, layer after layer of divine circuitry woven into a perfect weave. It was a trap, some kind of minefield. She tried to cast something else to follow through, but I was faster than her.

“Exorcise.”

The holy light ripped through her projection like a storm of judgment. Fire, radiance, purity… all of it surged through her being, not just damaging but severing. The spell was designed to remove things that did not belong in a world. She screamed as the divine light burned not just her body, but the connection she had to this reality. Her form disintegrated into ashes of power.

Hopefully, the bonus provided by my exponentially increasing stats was enough to expel her from the Hollowed World, but I knew that was wishful thinking.

“Her spells packed quite a punch.”

The price had been steep. My soul burned from within, frayed and cracked by the sheer strain. I cast Divine Word: Life to anchor my health, then re-applied Blessed Regeneration to keep my body or 'existence' from tearing apart.

Dave watched me, and his expression was no longer calm. He had pieced it together.

“I want to fight beside you to the last, My Lord,” he said, quietly but firmly.

“Sorry, really, I am sorry,” I said, smiling faintly. Then I whispered the final command and severed the link of the Divine Possession. “Here’s to me hoping I am leaving this world a better place.”

My consciousness lurched. For a moment, the whole world twisted like I’d stepped off a spinning platform and forgotten how to stand. I felt the warmth of our bond, that gentle tether between me and Dave, fading behind me like a home I’d just slammed the door on. I didn’t want to leave him. But there was no other way.

I returned to my body in the Summit Hall.

Cold. Clear. Too still. I could hear my own heartbeat, louder than any murmuring of the crowd around me. My senses sharpened like a blade drawn across a whetstone. Before me stood Mao Xian, no, not quite. I could see the conflict in his eyes. Dave was in control now, and he looked at me as if I’d betrayed him. Maybe I had. Theoretically, he should be able to indefinitely exist in Mao Xian's body.

“Dave,” I muttered, my voice low and heavy. “Forgive me.”

I didn’t wait for him to speak. I reached into my Item Box and retrieved a Scroll of Great Teleportation. Without ceremony, I shoved it into his hand.

“I command you,” I said, using my authority as his summoner. “Use it! Tear it open.”

His hand trembled. He wanted to stay. I knew that. I felt it, plain as day. But the scroll unfurled under the weight of my will, and light swallowed him whole.

“Goodbye, friend,” I whispered as the glow faded.

Then Zai Ai stood. Her killing intent was immediate. It was a crashing wave of rage and instinct. Her eyes gleamed like a predator's, unblinking and raw! “What did you do?” she growled. “Where is he?”

“He’s safe,” I answered, facing her squarely. “I sent him to a safer place.”

Her jaw clenched. “And how am I supposed to accept that?”

I didn’t flinch. “Nongmin sent me.”

She blinked once. Her stance faltered. But the fury returned with a vengeance.

“Do you really think I’ll trust that man with my disciple’s life?”

I didn’t argue. I simply cast Divine Word: Rest.

She staggered mid-step, but with sharp precision, she stabbed her own thigh with her fingernail… just enough to jolt her back. I was already prepared.

“Blessed Regeneration,” then… “Divine Word: Rest” again.

She crumpled, caught in my arms before her head hit the floor. I laid her gently back on her seat. Her breath steadied. Her body glowed faintly under the effects of my regeneration spell.

Of course, the hall had erupted by now.

Swords and talismans glinted under the dim lighting as cultivators leapt back and summoned their weapons. Panic and hostility filled the space. All eyes turned to me.

Tao Long moved closer, his hand already on his spear. “Lord Wei,” he said, wary and confused. “What’s happening?”

I didn’t answer right away. I looked down at my hands. They were trembling. No, not from fear. From strain. The mana cost of my Ultimate Skills was piling up, and the battle hadn’t even truly begun.

“I’m giving the Hollowed World a fighting chance,” I said quietly, then louder for the room. “If Aixin gets what she wants here, it’s all over. This loop, this timeline… it’ll break. And when it does, none of us will matter anymore.”

They didn’t understand. I didn’t expect them to.

“She’s trying to possess me. My body. If I die… just the right kind of death, at the right moment… she wins. So I can’t die. Not now. Not ever. No matter what. If I am going to die, it has to be on my terms.”

I walked toward the center of the hall. Each step echoed louder than the last. I could feel the shift. The stat boost from Exalted Renewal surged through me, pressing down on every limb with unbearable weight and equally unbearable power. My breath alone stirred the air like a gust of wind.

It was a ridiculous spell, really. Originally designed to resurrect players at the cost of experience points. Back in the beta, each resurrection made you stronger. But they’d changed it. Now, Exalted Renewal consumed experience points every second, turning it into raw stats. As long as I had mana and life, I could cast Divine Word spells without spending my limited spell slots.

A resurrection spell that would kill me from overuse. That felt poetic, somehow.

Yi Qiu intercepted me, stepping into my path like he had any right to stop me. His grip found my shoulder.

“You’re causing trouble,” he muttered, eyes sharp.

I sighed. Not in anger. Just exhaustion. “Can you please let go?”

His eyes narrowed. For a second, I thought he’d listen. And he did. Slowly, he released my shoulder… and I returned the gesture by letting go of his forearm.

A deep purple bruise marred his skin where I had grabbed him. I hadn’t even noticed myself doing that.

Then he threw a punch.

His left arm came at me fast, likely driven by bloodlust, instinct, or pride. Maybe all three. I didn’t block it. Letting it hit me was easier. The impact barely registered.

Then I watched his arm rupture from the contact.

He gasped, pulling back with wide eyes. I didn’t give him a chance to retaliate.

I tapped him lightly on the chest with my index finger and used War Smite. The skill’s knockback effect did the rest… he flew across the hall, slamming into a pillar with enough force to shatter it. Rubble rained down. The room went completely silent.

For a heartbeat, I stood alone in the center of a storm I knew was still brewing. I breathed in. Then I whispered to myself, like it was just another Thursday.

“No fuss. No fuss.”

Silence held the Summit Hall like a tomb. I could hear nothing but the soft tremble of robes and breath, the distant creak of polished wood, and the faint hum of suppressed killing intent. No one moved. No one dared! And still, I walked forward.

My steps carried me to the one person who should have already been gone.

“Shan Dian,” I said, my voice neither cruel nor cold, only mournful. “I’m sorry I was unable to save you.”

She didn’t flinch. Her posture was calm, relaxed, and almost at peace. Her lips curled into a knowing smile, though her eyes glinted with the madness of thunder. That was when it started again… the creeping black. My skin cracked and darkened, the stone-like texture spreading up my arms in jagged veins.

But I was no longer who I had been when we first met.

The curse halted.

Then it retreated.

Exalted Renewal’s stats devoured the affliction, converting its damage into raw resistance. Every second it pulsed through me, my stats rose… defense, speed, power, and will. The blessing turned my flesh into something beyond mortal. Even the petrification that had once made me dream in loops of agony now slithered off me like ash in the wind.

Shan Dian moved.

The flash of lightning came first, faster than sound, and then the short sword burst forward, point-first, driving into the soft spot just behind my jaw. Her aim was perfect, her aura refined. The blade punctured my neck and dug in deep.

Blood didn’t gush. The edges of the blade fizzled with divine electricity. I felt my nervous system rattle as the blow struck true.

My Reflect passive didn’t trigger, either because the hit was too fast or perhaps because I accepted it. Either way, I saw her reach into her Storage Ring for a second blade.

I beat her to it.

“I’ll make it painless,” I whispered. “Divine Word: Rest.”

Her eyes widened, and then her breath escaped her lips like a sigh in the rain. She slumped onto my shoulder, sword still lodged in my throat. Gently, I reached up and plucked the blade out. The tissue healed instantly, threads of glowing light knitting through me as I laid her down in my arms.

Then came the outrage.

“You monster!”

“Let her go!”

“Who do you think you are?!”

Tian En’s voice rang sharpest of all.

“Let her go,” she commanded, her fan slicing through the air.

The gravity around me collapsed. Space folded and buckled, and the air screamed in compression. Shan Dian floated upward and untouched. Tian En’s control was impeccable.

But I had long since surpassed such tricks.

I exhaled, letting my Reflect do its job.

The gravity collapsed backward.

Tian En’s body tensed, and her fingers spasmed. She collapsed like a marionette whose strings had been cut. Her heart likely detonated in her chest, unable to withstand the feedback of her own failed technique. The light in her eyes faded, her body twitching once before lying still on the polished floor.

The hall froze.

Even the most foolish among them recognized that moment.

They stopped.

I turned back to Shan Dian. Her breathing was calm and serene, even in her magical sleep. With solemn hands, I guided her own short sword to her neck and swept it cleanly.

Her head slid from her shoulders with no resistance. I caught it before it could fall and placed it beside her folded arms. I wrapped her fingers around the sword, then laid her to rest on the table as if she had simply fallen asleep after a long day’s journey.

There was neither flourish nor cruelty in my actions, just necessity.

I sat in Nongmin’s chair and summoned an Extreme Mana Potion. I drank deeply, letting the heat burn my throat and replenish my mana. My heart thudded in my chest, slow and methodical, like a war drum.

That was when Yi Qiu roared.

His fury shattered the stillness as he launched himself toward me.

I didn’t even blink.

“Divine Word: Rest.”

His momentum vanished. His body folded in midair and crashed back into his own throne, creating a burst of dust and wood splinters. He slumped, unconscious, a small mercy for what he would’ve made me do.

A few of the beast cultivators had already transformed out of their animal forms and bolted for the exits. I saw their faces. I remembered their stories… quiet people, humble. Cowards, maybe, but not evil.

Let them go, I thought. Let the survivors survive!

More cultivators fled the scene, but not all of them.

“Cowards!” someone screamed as the remainder of the hall split into two halves… those who fled, and those who rushed toward me, blades drawn, chants screamed, and rage dripping from their eyes.

I didn’t flinch.

I cast Designate Holy Enemy again and again, until my mana warped with strain. Every cultivator whose name I recalled from the lived memories, every monster in human flesh I had seen or lived with, those who trafficked mortals, razed villages, and tortured spirits… each of them bore the mark.

A reversed red cross hovered over their heads, glowing faintly with divine judgment.

Then came Holy Smite.

A halo appeared over each chosen sinner, and with a chorus of chimes, arrows of pure light rained from above. They didn't just pierce… they obliterated. Flesh, spirit, and memory! Screams erupted only to be swallowed by divine wrath. They became nothing more than gore and charred remains, unrecognizable even by their own kin.

The rest froze in their place. They didn’t run anymore, because it was pointless. They didn’t dare breathe either. They simply stood there, too afraid to even speak, their will ground down by the weight of divine fear.

“Let’s end this long cycle of suffering… and become better people together, my fellow Daoists.

“We’ve inherited grudges older than our names, fought wars we no longer understand, and sacrificed too many good souls on the altar of pride and power. I’m not asking you to forget your pain. I’m asking you to stop passing it forward.

“Cultivation isn’t meant to divide us. It’s meant to refine us, to take the weight of our sins and burn them clean in the fire of discipline and understanding.

“If your path has led you to hatred, then your foundation is cracked. If your strength comes from making others kneel, then you’ve already lost the heavens.

“Today, I killed not to dominate, but to draw a line. No more cruelty. No more excuses. No more rot dressed in righteousness.

“Look around. This is what happens when we let fear shape our future.

“But it doesn’t have to end this way. Not if we choose differently.”

I raised my hand, open-palmed, not commanding, not threatening, only steady.

“We can still rebuild. We can still walk forward… together.

“Not as enemies. Not as sects. Not even as cultivators.

“But as people.”

I waved my hand downward, and the air shimmered faintly as I cast Divine Word: Raise on Tian En.

The breath of life threaded back into her like smoke being drawn in reverse, pulled from the void. Her lips parted with a gasp, and her chest heaved once. Slowly, she stirred, propping herself up with trembling arms. Her fingers shook against the stone floor as she scanned the Summit Hall. I watched her eyes widen. She took in the corpses, the fading blood mist, the still-glowing marks of Holy Smite burned into the floor. Her confusion turned to horror.

And then, something unexpected happened.

Those who remained… those I had spared, those who had stayed frozen while others fled or fell… dropped to their knees.

At first, it was silent, like a collective breath held by the world. Then their foreheads touched the floor in unison, and the sound echoed through the grand chamber.

One voice broke the quiet.

“We repent, Holy One.”

It was cracked, desperate, and raw.

Then another joined. And another.

“We repent, Holy One. We repent.”

The words became a chant, less a prayer and more a plea, like frightened children apologizing not to escape punishment, but to cling to some shred of dignity that remained.

Holy One?

I felt something twist in my chest. Holy? I wouldn’t dare. I wasn’t holy. I was the furthest thing from it. But perhaps… that was the point. I took a breath. My voice rang clear as I addressed them, loud enough to ring off the dome of the Summit Hall.

“Spread the word,” I said. “Flee from me at once. Go, and tell the world what happened here. That there exists a creature now, me, willing to smite anyone who dares wrong another, who betrays the better version of themselves.”

I met their eyes. Every pair I could. Some wept. Some shook. All listened.

“Impress upon them what is right. Not with fear. But with truth. With choices. Tell them that if lightning falls upon their head, it could only be done by me. If their fortunes rot, if misfortune dogs their steps… then it is me, and no other.”

The pressure of Exalted Renewal still swelled within me, overflowing. I expressed my will to the world with my cultivation and raised my voice to another level.

“But if… a second chance finds them,” I continued, quieter now, “then it is not me. It is them. The choice will always be theirs in the end.”

I pointed to the exit.

“Now go. Go before I change my mind.”

For a moment, they hesitated, unsure if this was another test. Then one cultivator rose, trembling, and turned to flee. Swordlight flared beneath her feet, and she vanished through the air, trailing wind.

I did not stop her.

Seeing that, the rest followed, rushing, stumbling, and lying. Dozens of terrified silhouettes scattered into the horizon, like leaves blown free of a dying tree.

And then, I was alone.

The stillness returned. I could feel my body trembling… not from weakness, but from the strain of Exalted Renewal. I had pushed it too far. Every second it was active, now it drained me faster than I could recover. And yet… it had worked.

I closed my eyes.

And I let it take me.

My skin shimmered as it began to consume me. My mana burned, my experience points whittled away. My lungs exhaled slowly and gently. If this was death knocking at the back of my mind, it was quieter than I expected. But I wasn’t afraid. Not anymore.