The Endless Promise

147. Black

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"The Out worlds!" One of the deities exclaimed.

They were in a beautiful but empty desert-like void, its sands, a myriad of colours. Its  skies were lit with three suns and three moons, all at the same time, giving the place a strange ethereal feel.

This was the rumoured space between all realms. A 'non-existent' space which defied the laws of space and time.

So many tried to enter this space, because it was said that cultivating here would yield many benefits, including the ability to bend space, and they finally understood the strange formation used on the soldiers.

Despite the ban on talismans and teleportation, Bailong had bent space to send all those soldiers to the Western Sea, and he did something similar to bring the rest of them here!

"Yin Xiaolong! How many surprises were you hiding?!" Tianlong demanded, a bit annoyed to witness just how powerful his friend was without telling him.

But Bailong turned to him with saddened eyes.

"A-Tian, is that all you have to say?"

"How dare you?!" Sun Liang was indignant, and so were a few other Immortals present.

"How dare a traitor address the Sky Emperor in such a familiar way?!"

"How disrespectful!!"

But Bailong ignored them, his eyes locked on Tianlong who stepped forward.

"You're right... I have more to say!" Tianlong began. "Why are you doing this?! Of all beings in existence, I expected your loyalty the most! Why are you forcing my hand now?! Can you not trust me and surrender?!!"

Bailong softened for a bit, but he quickly shut his eyes. "Then, did you not force my hand?" He asked quietly. "A-Tian, you can say such aggrieved sounding words to anyone but me.

"I know you a little too well... Would the current you ever go against those who now surround you?!" There was raw pain in his voice. "Those feeding your ego and filling your head with how much power and respect a 'Sky Emperor' should wield? Power and respect built on promoting the wrong and killing the innocent?!

"Yet you ask me to trust you and surrender... Then tell me, which of your recent actions can assure me that my life is safe with you?!!"

The question hung between them in silence.

"Still...." Bailong hung his head. "I don't even mind handing my life over to you, but can I still trust you with those I'd leave behind?!"

"Bold!" Sun Liang stepped forward.

"How dare you question the Sky Emperor?!"

"Are you going to betray Sky Realm fully?!!"

Bailong's sword reappeared and he held out his hand. "My conscious is clear! But my bottom line is harming the innocent!"

"Arrogant!" Grand Immortal Jin unleashed his aura, revealing he was actually a High Grand Immortal as well!" I refuse to believe you can defeat all Sky Realm!" He yelled as he performed a few hand seals.

The air around was charged with his dense aura as he created an eight layer formation beneath Bailong to hold him in place. Then a seal opened above him, shooting out an innumerable amount of dense projectiles, which all appeared to hit Bailong.

But when the outflow stopped, Bailong stood completely unharmed, and in less than a blink, he appeared behind the nearest Immortal and swung the sleek sword.

The impact held the force of ten thousand waves, and the unfortunate Immortal was flung far out of sight.

This kicked the deities into action, as they all tried to attack Bailong, but all they saw or hit were his after-images, as he effortlessly wove through them with a light step technique faster than they had ever seen.