Nine Venoms Sect Founder

From the Dark Stone city's royal palace, one figure flew out—ignoring the comfort of the barrier to challenge the belligerent Xerzan. With six swirling radiant clouds and a kaleidoscopic haze hiding its features, that figure appeared as the breathing summary of excessive holiness. And while the kaleidoscopic haze prevented even Xerzan from seeing through the figure's gender or abilities, across the Heavenly Dream Land, only one had enough gal for such a flamboyant entrance. "Lord Revelation? With all your distasteful statues polluting the First and Second Range, is there still a sentient lifeform unaware of your looks? What purpose does this insufferable disguise serve?" Xerzan didn't hide his scorn. 

Initially, the stronghold master had no proof regarding "Lord Revelation's" link to the rampaging plague worshipers and the Holy One they served. But the presence of 1.5 million subdued mutants at the very heart of the Dark Stone Country silenced all the doubts he might have had. From the Soul Refining Hall's destruction to the mutants' invasion, everything was this man's work. But while Xerzan had seen firsthand what mutant packs could accomplish, the word "retreat" never once crossed his mind. 

"Look at that. If it isn't the poster child of the venereal bitchboy disease. If I ever need advice in taste and swagger, remind me to blacklist you. Wouldn't want my fans to get the wrong idea," undisturbed by Xerzan's jab, Harun countered. True, thanks to the overabundance of statues crafted by Mehran's artisans in the First Range, and the mutants' divine slaves in the Second, Harun's real looks had spread across the world, and would soon reach the Heavens. 

In Essence, this wasn't a significant problem, but for Harun who wished to make Birandar's face the front of this mutant plague, the statues created an additional hurdle. Still, as with all other complications, Harun had a plan—a plan made simpler by Xerzan's "timely assistance." 

In other circ.u.mstances, the stronghold master would take Harun's words as praise and proof that he lived his life proper. But with the images of the Soul Refining Hall's ruins still fresh in his mind, his eyes grew cold, and his aura erupted. Like a breaking dam, Xerzan's Devil Essence flooded the sky—spreading like tendrils of darkness as it conjured a disturbing mixture of bone-chilling winds and extreme heat storms.

Traditionally, most essences didn't take unique characteristics per given user. The primary differences stemmed from talents, skills and sheer might. Devil Essence was one of those few exceptions. So while all users showed the same basic characteristics, as they mastered the perverse energy, each would develop a unique set of attributes and skills. Alas, no matter how gifted, both Xerzan and Jiyan lacked a fundamental tool: a Devil's Heart. Without, their diabolic energies would forever remain hazardous powers balanced solely by their state of mind. 

Clearly, Xerzan had long-stopped considering those variables, threw caution to the wind, and pushed that corrupt force to its limits. Add to that his formidable cultivation base, and Harun's momentum sank to the bottom. But where others would automatically seek ways to appease or escape Xerzan's wrath, Harun sat-crossed legged, and with a mild chortle, beckoned for his foe. 

"A fellow that puts homies over hoes. Rare and commendable. But since you're so eager to join your morbid tree friend in the grave of creeps, how can I not help you?" Harun rhetorically asked, thereby acknowledging his deed. The words made Xerzan forget about his primary target, and at a speed that transcended all mortal cognition, the stronghold master lunged at Harun. 

Summoning his mastery of metal, Xerzan transformed his right hand into a damascus steel sword and stabbed at Harun's neck. To say nothing of Birandar's, even in his original body, Harun didn't have the reaction speed or resilience to survive one of Xerzan's blows. Without a barrier of Spiritual Incense to protect him, that single move should have ended the fight, but as Xerzan's sword-hand drove through the swirling clouds, his heart-rate went off the roof, his moves turned sluggish—and as his eyes went bloodshot, Harun smacked Xerzan's stab aside with his misery-ruling cudgel, and clobbered the stronghold master's c.h.e.s.t.

Defenseless before the Law Enforcing Dao Pillar's monstrous force, Xerzan took the blow head-on and hurtled back. Feeding his grief and tearing down his hopes, the dreadful weapon sapped Xerzan's consciousness, preventing him from spotting Harun who'd appeared at his left and swung his foul weapon at the stronghold master's skull. The blue double pupils in Xerzan's left eye kicked into gear, stopping the time flow around the two contenders—almost. Akin to an erupting volcano, Harun's billions-of-believers-strong Spiritual Incense battled and crushed the double pupils' time hold. But that time lapse was all the stronghold master needed to vanish from Harun's sight. 

Appearing higher in the sky, Xerzan no longer dared engage Harun in close-quarter combat. Though he couldn't tell what it was or how it worked, the stronghold master realized that Harun came equipped with a formidable treasure that enabled him to take advantage of his mental state to reduce his battle-power drastically. 

Thanks to his Spiritual Incense and Birandar's third eye, Harun erased the aura of pure anguish coating the Law Enforcing Dao Pillar, preventing Xerzan from taking it as anything but a fat metallic rod. Worse, the stronghold master's assessment wasn't entirely correct. If a few meters of distance could suppress Harun's cudgel, how could it become...the incarnation of despair?

Leaving a trail of sonic booms, Harun rushed after Xerzan. Six orbs of concentrated Devil Essence formed around the stronghold master, each firing a multitude of dark-purple rays at the Plague Overlord. Knowing that he didn't have the speed to evade, Harun let the rapid-fire salvo crash against a barrier of pure spiritual incense, hoping to deflect enough damage to mitigate or outright avoid the rest.

But to both Harun and Xerzan's surprise, the stronghold master's diabolic beams couldn't put a dent on Harun's Spiritual Incense barrier. Sanctified by the faithful prayers of billions, the potency of Harun's Spiritual Incense had gone too far beyond its past limits. Even Harun didn't predict that a casual Incense Barrier could take on Monarch-level blows without a hitch. From now on, few could put his life at risk—courtesy of Mehran's good work. 

With a complacent smile, Harun bulldozed his way past Xerzan's strikes and whirled his club at his foe's side. With a disdainful sneer, the stronghold master broke into dozens of silver shrapnel that stabbed into Harun's arms, flesh, skull, heart and t.h.i.g.hs. 

Though the resilience of Harun's barriers took Xerzan by surprise, he didn't care for them. No man could engage in close-quarter combat while maintaining a barrier, so whenever Harun took a swing, he left himself open for a counterattack. How could Xerzan not take advantage of that? 

At last seeing Harun's face through the shrapnel, Xerzan was startled to see him alternate between an average-sized, short-haired teen, and a tall, herculean youth. But before he could make sense of what this meant, Harun broke into Spiritual Incense, and re-materialized at Xerzan's back—with his cudgel dropping to bash the stronghold master's skull in!

Again, Xerzan fell prey to a limitless pit of despair that engulfed his heart and soul. Even if he knew of the ability, he couldn't just snap his fingers and erase his emotions. That being the case, he didn't bother, and as his strength plummeted once more, focused all his energies at the back of his skull. 

Seeing this coming, Harun switched his blow's trajectory and aimed for Xerzan's back instead. But prepared for this scenario, Xerzan spun 180, shrugged off the despair ripping him from inside out, and smashed one elbow into the left side of Harun's cudgel. 

Thrown off balance, Harun immediately surrounded himself with a thick incense barrier—reacting fast enough to block Xerzan's incoming blade kick. The two thus dove into a lightning fast exchange of murderous blows, with Xerzan's blade storms slamming into Harun's relentless clubbing. 

At various points, the two broke apart, only to meet again in head-on clashes analogous to a collision of meteors. But though they seemed evenly matched, as pulsating red veins spread across his body, Xerzan knew that if this fight dragged on...his fate was sealed.