Quest Maker: 384

Title: The Weird Avatar

The sea churns and stirs.

“Arise.”

A quiet and gentle command, distinct from Poseidon’s deep notes, ripples from the avatar’s lips that quieten the sea.

Every aquatic beast in the vicinity shudders. A formless pressure stifles even the 100000-year-old beast within the central plaza of the island. Not only her, but even the creatures hiding in the deepest trenches of the ocean feel a pure force of nature almost controlling their wills!

“Oh?” Ja Sun lets out a curious noise. He finally digested the external claw spirit bone, but it wasn’t enough to break his comprehension of the law of sharpness through the realm of a Grandmaster. At most, he’s a quasi-grandmaster.

The avatar suddenly glances at Xunji and Ja Sun. His lips part as a gentle command vibrates past his throat.

“Fall.”

Ja Sun and Xunji’s bodies zoom into the ocean as their eyes widen in surprise—not because a group of devil crabs swam up with their snipping claws—but their inability to control their bodies!

*Ksshhhhaaaaaa*

A wide mouth tears open from the underwater abyss as a red-eyed, pitch-black coral wyvern jumps out of the water to swallow the crabs and the two individuals in one satisfying chomp!

With one large crash in the sea, the coral wyvern disappears into the ocean, or at least, it tries. But the space of the tribulation is still locked. It means—both men are very much alive… and alarmed.

The sea is frozen solid and shattered into innumerable shards as a frighteningly sharp noise whistles in the air and toward the giant avatar of Poseidon, who stands still. A moment of odd reflection flicks in the indigo-eyed avatar as it inclines its head to observe the golden-blue arc of sharp slash flying in his direction.

“Stop.”

And the attack disperses in motes of brilliant golden-blue light that glitters the dark whirlpool of clouds in the sky akin to a starry night sky. Two men tear out of the corpse of the Coral Wyvern from within the caving depth of ice rapidly filled by surrounding water. Their eyes regard the avatar with utmost seriousness as Ja Sun informs Xunji out of shared interest—the interest of slicing the divine salami in front of them.

“My attack won’t do shit. It’s more about control. I will keep losing control of my attacks as long as my attacks aren’t fueled by an equal level of strength and comprehension as this avatar possesses. And we just lost control of our bodies for a moment.”

Xunji stares back at the quiet avatar.

“The avatar is acting a little oddly. Because it’s an expression of the god—the avatar follows similar behavior.”

“Oh, then it’s definitely odd.” Ja Sun narrows his eyes.

“How exactly?”

“He doesn’t look as pissed or boorish. Wait, let me test something.”

Ja Sun suddenly turns his right hand and flips off the avatar, but the Avatar ignores the gesture without so much as a blink.

The avatar is too quiet.

“Huh?”

Ja Sun and Xunji’s eyes widen at the same time!

The avatar flickers like a reflection on the water’s surface!

*Gsssssshhhhhhh*

The duo look down as their bodies are sliced neatly from the waist down. The duo finds two Poseidons staring back with a quiet look. Their tridents glow intense golden light as a shroud of energy covers them.

“Shatter.”

*Splatter*

Ja Sun’s and Xunji’s lower bodies explode in purple and red!

The two mirages of Poseidon fuse into a single being once again, and he points his trident at the duo. The middle prong of the trident forms a sphere of blue energy that materializes into a stream of tidal waves around the weapon. The sea shudders as the two beings feel locked in a single place.

Their bodies regenerate. Xunji’s divine soul and Ja Sun’s exo-skin mean he is virtually invincible to physical attacks, but the strength displayed is almost otherworldly!

They cannot even speak at this moment!

A sensation of anger and helplessness fills them as they are made aware of the truth by their experiences—be it Ja Sun’s sage-like comprehension or Xunji’s past actions—The Law of Enslavement.

The two are being enslaved even now. Their wills are in constant conflict with the direct will of heaven to a reasonable extent. Other 100000-year-old beasts and demigods would have long submitted if this intent is diverted in their direction, but even the two facing this new force of nature find themselves stifled.

‘And that mirage… was a use of the Law of Sea. Constant mirage using the sea’s ability to reflect. Motherfucker is mimicking the law of light! That’s easily the level of a Great Grandmaster.’

Ja Sun admits that he has no hope of reaching that realm at the moment. And just understanding the process did not mean he could replicate the intricate use of the law.

The situation feels even more startling for Xunji who cannot control his blood much less his body!

Of course, they haven’t lost.

Their wills are in constant conflict.

So, the avatar will do everything in its power to tip the scales in his favor as the duo will try to reverse it.

The avatar pulls his hand back and readies the trident before releasing it in a divine throw! The shimmering sea water tumble and crashes under them anxiously! The reflections multiply the tide-clad trident into hundreds and thousands of spear throws that stab into a quiet and resisting duo!

Ja Sun’s purple-red eyes exude a harsh golden glow along the red as he activates his fiery golden pupils. His divine intent gets stronger at a frightening pace before breaking through the norms of the mortal realm. A monumental resistance stabs into his mind as the cover of gold around his mental world shudders. It doesn’t help that his vast reserve of mental energy is consumed by 30% in a mere second as his divine intent reaches the realm of premium gods!

As hundreds of giant tridents aim to tear him to shreds, his body blinks in front of the avatar with his arm already swinging the divine weapon. Another third of his mental energy is used at this point.

*Grrrooouggggghhhhhhhhh*

He brings out his strongest attack yet as the phantom of the Water Dragon King roars behind. His saber passes through the quiet avatar. Without waiting for any response, Ja Sun finishes things by using the remainder of his divine intent raised by three levels to form the Death Astral Combatant.

The purple phantom flickers within the bifurcated avatar and unleashes a divine rot!

‘Not enough!’

A structure of blood blinks behind the avatar.

Xunji has clearly seen better days, but Ja Sun’s intervention allowed him to break free from the avatar’s control. Things got too close for his comfort, and he held nothing back either!

His bloody hand stabs into the avatar’s body as his blood begins to rage within the avatar’s physical form!

“My divine tool! NOW!” Xunji urges Ja Sun as his immortal qi and divine intent pour in his attack that paralyzes the Avatar for now.

Ja Sun smirks condescendingly.

‘Nice try. But keep him right there!’

Ja Sun distorts the space around Xunji and the Avatar with a silver glow surrounding him.

This is the last thing, and he will regret not going all out!

He senses the strength of the abyss in the clouds fading. This avatar truly is far more dangerous than expected, but it’s equally because of the restrictions placed on them.

Remove these restrictions, and—

A kaleidoscopic domain coupled with another bloody domain filled with evil origins bursts out from Ja Sun’s being.

—Sage’s Seven Burst and the Battlefield of Madness.

More than familiar with the latter domain, Xunji’s eyes widen. The Blood God was a step too late in sensing the fading of the heavenly intent from their surroundings.

A sense of deja vu hits Xunji.

Bones materialize around Ja Sun. A throne of bones awaits his return. Surrounded by a Kaleidoscopic glow of his innate domain from the Three-eyed Silver Sage is a domain that challenges heaven’s right of equality from the top of a throne of blood and bones!

The fading abyss is overtaken by a grand and bloody glow.

In its last ditch effort, the avatar stares at Ja Sun and parts his lips.

“Disappear.”

Ja Sun looks back from the top of the throne. His smile grows an equal bit wicked and regal.

“No. You’re overstepping your place. You disappear, heaven.”

A domain of equality controlled by an unfair being only means nothing will ever be fair for the opponents.

As Ja Sun perches atop his throne, he glances at the crumbling avatar before grinning viciously.

“I mean—Disappear in my stomach.”

A devouring force seizes the last bit of the avatar before Ja Sun inhales down the fusion of a behemoth and a god.

His gaze then falls upon Xunji, who stares back quietly.

One tribulation ends, and the other begins.

That is what Ja Sun intended for Xunji. He plans to end the Blood God here and now since he can consume the bastard and fuel his comprehension of the Law of Blood.

But man proposes, and heaven disposes.

From the fading whirlpool of tribulation comes a sleek red pin connected by an ethereal thread.

“As promised, one move.”

A voice whispers into the senses of every spectating god and goddess.

The sleek needle first comes across the layer of Sage’s Seven Burst.

“What?”

Ja Sun’s head whips up in shock as he finally senses the almost hidden attack easily slaughtering the first layer of defense.

His Battlefield of Madness is birth from the energy of slaughter, blood, and evil of equality. As such, facing the expression of the Supreme Grandmaster of the Law of Slaughter, Ja Sun never had a chance.

His second domain is shredded wide open, something that Xunji senses and uses to escape as quickly as possible.

Before Xunji could leave, however, a pale white glow surrounds his body and tears him into bloody chunks. A loud burst of energy further shreds his divine intent and injures his soul origin. As this happens, Ja Sun is no better. In fact, he had it worse.

While Xunji could still put himself together and make a quick escape, Ja Sun’s torn body falls into the sea. His mental world’s defenses were at an all-time low as his spirit souls shudder in fright when half his mental world is destroyed, and his mental core is injured.

His soul origin and other cores besides Beyond Evil are left with injuries that he is familiar with.

He faced these injuries once.

The kind of injuries suffered by Slaughter energy that do not heal but constantly lets out one’s energy.

‘It’s… Asura.’

Ja Sun loses consciousness as his exo-skin starts to collect together and reform his body, but at this point, he and every item in his possession, including his spirit bones, are just a blob of goo.

---

“That was… Stone Behemoth’s… that technique. How did Wukong’s technique ever resurface?” It’s unknown which god began, but the focus of the conversation centered around one of Ja Sun’s most valued techniques.

Not all gods knew about Ja Sun before things grew too difficult, so many were surprised by the few skills he rarely uses.

“His fortune from another world.”

Gui Mei replies calmly before narrowing his eyes. “And let us not discuss Wukong. All of us, including his own race, underestimated him to the point he left our reality with one last laugh. If you wouldn’t like him to revisit, then keeping his existence entirely out of this realm is the best course of action.”

The other gods instantly fall silent.

“Asura did not finish the job,” Poseidon frowns. “And that Avatar was… unusually infected by Heaven’s will.”

“Questions for another time.” The Goddess of Life sighs softly. “The behemoth was almost a plaything for them. The domain of equality is troublesome, but the components of its formation also make Asura the greatest counter should that domain become divine.”

“Is that it? I remember almost dying during my tribulation.” One of the gods whispers bitterly.

“They almost did.” The God King of Evil chuckles carefreely. “But a divine technique is a good counter against the divine. And let’s not kid ourselves. A technique from one heaven defier is destined to assist another one. That’s called the circle of life. Anyway, I have seen what I wanted. Poke those two at your own consequences. I’m not that bored to create enemies for no good reason.”

“I have every reason!” Poseidon growls back. He didn’t necessarily fear the God Kings. He respected them, yes, but the only difference between him and them is the connection with the divine realm itself. The top-ranked first-class gods like him and Angel are already Supreme Grandmasters in their respective laws.

“Sure you do.” The God King shrugs back. “But I don’t. No point sticking my neck in someone else’s business.”

“About Ja Sun, I agree.” The redheaded Goddess of Kindness sighs. “But what of Angel’s descendant?”

“Again, not my problem!” He groans. “It’s not like we’ll die if the divine realm implodes. We can always descend or move away. It may affect Supreme Godkings fused with the Divine Core or Gods under us, but us Godkings are in a comfortable spot.”

Other Gods and Goddesses gape in shock.

Gui Mei rolls his eyes and waves the frivolous deity off. “Stop causing more trouble.”

The Godking of Evil smirks back.

Ja Sun? Xunji? Godly hatred? It has nothing to do with him.

Sometimes life is like this.

Many things may occur at once but not everything needs to be considered.

Yes, the Poseidon’s Avatar was far from the Original. But would it affect Ja Sun or Xunji?

Would it haunt Poseidon?

No.

Truly, only three individuals were surprised by the infected avatar.

Asura, The Prince, and the Lady.

But even then, it was merely a heaven’s curiosity.

“Another defier.”

A pair of eyes observe Ja Sun’s slowly reforming body before closing back.

A moment’s interest does not mean that it must descend and whatnot. Heaven is indifferent to those below—that’s why it’s ‘fair.’

***

Alternate Title: The Divine Defying Technique; Almost Caught Again; Devouring Shards of Divinity; Law of Enslavement; Shadow of Stone Behemoth; The One Who Had the Last Laugh; Pragmatic Gods; Mirage of the God; Throne of Blood and Bones; The Slaughtering Fishing Thread; A God and Godly Being Torn Equally; Asura’s Move; A Pair of Heavenly Eyes; Another Defier; End of the Tribulation; The Survivors; Surpassing a God’s Official Tribulation