I Am the System.
If any well-informed individual heard those four casual words, they would have undoubtedly gawked in disbelief. Selene certainly did. In her eons of existence, never did she expect that it was through a wave of a host's hands, that her soul would be separated from the system. And yet, here she was.
Konrad had accomplished the impossible and extracted the system from himself. But better, Selene could see the clear meaning within his words, words that hinted to a daunting ability. And indeed, with another flicker of his hand, while the previous System landed in Regretless' grasp, Konrad constructed a brand-new System endowed with all the previous one could do, and then some.
Understanding of the two Supreme Principles was divided in three levels. Nascent Insight, Profound Insight, Sublime Insight.
Among other things, Nascent Infiniteness Insight ensured Konrad possessed quasi-omniscience, a preternatural understanding of all things at the multiverse level, and the ability to recreate all that existed within that multiverse.
In this case, the Three Realms.
Of course, there were some limits. With that level alone, his creations could not exceed his cultivation level. But for the purpose of replacing Regretless' Parasite System, that was more than enough. And as his understanding grew, so would that System's scope. And now, although he didn't wish to accept it, as the System landed in his hand, Regretless was forced to admit that Konrad's comprehension level exceeded all his estimations and put the previous Dragon Warden to shame.
How long had it been since he reached Nascent Insight, and before he could fully digest his gains, he could already decompose and recreate a System?
What was talent? This was talent. But this only made the game more flavorful. The more feats Konrad accomplished, the more delight he would feel upon seeing him collapse. And imagining a future with Konrad lying broken, ruined of all he cherished, Regretless' grin grew broader.
"Good. Very good. Dragon Warden, you may enjoy your moment. This Sovereign assures you that your satisfaction won't be long-lived. Do you think that just removing the system puts you beyond This Sovereign's grasp? Fool, you forever play within This Sovereign's palm. As the mortals would say, the monkey cannot escape Buddha's grasp.
Why and how do you think This Sovereign created the Three Realms? Hahahahaha!
Enjoy this instant, for This Sovereign will ensure your future path is riddled with thorns. And when father returns, you will have no other choice but immolating yourself to end his rampage. Such is the fate This Sovereign bestows upon you."
Regretless burst into a peal of demented laughter while crushing the system within his palm.
Now, Konrad knew the how, but he couldn't grasp the why with certainty. However, with the information at his disposal, it wasn't hard to guess. The Three Realms were built on the foundation of the previous Six.
The worlds were erased, and the Realm Wills split, twisted and morphed to give birth to this new multiverse. Of the previous ancient races, only humanity and the Nature Spirits remained. As for the rest, Regretless most likely took them into new worlds.
Of course, it mattered not. And as a vortex appeared behind the two to take them back to the Firmament, Konrad's lips curved into a radiant smile.
"Regretless, do you think that if you want to come, you can come, and if you want to leave, you can leave? Do you take my bridge for a mill? What a joke! Since you dare step into my domain, at my strongest, I must give you…an unforgettable parting gift."
Konrad declared and stretched out his hand. In the blink of an eye, his all-encompassing bridge went from an immaculate white to pitch-black darkness and rippled with bottomless negativity. Regretless and Night both saw their eyes contort into frowns.
Like aforementioned, even among bridges there were quality thresholds. Not just between False Bridges, the same was valid for True Bridges. And as Konrad revealed his Bridge's attributes and might, they couldn't help but feel startled.
"A Firmament Bridge…"
Regretless realized in horror. Flawed, Perfect and Firmament. Those were the three Bridge levels. A Firmament Bridge ensured that the cultivation path would be unequaled and that upon ascending to Supremacy, the cultivator could rise to the Firmament's highest realm, and take his/her place as its lord.
There could only be one Firmament Bridge. To exist, one had to replace another. Konrad's faced no hurdle because none possessed a Firmament Bridge! Even Regretless' was just infinitely close to that stage.
"If there is one thing all Complete Beings within the omniverse share, that is negativity. If there are emotions, if desires exist, then so shall negativity.
Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride, despair, anxiety, guilt, frustration, shame, sorrow, loneliness, war, destruction, a cultivator's Heart Demon, all that induce the tiniest bit of darkness, misdeed, and negativity, all belong to me!
All, empower me!
Your rage, your resentment, your desire to see me fall, they're merely fuel to my growth! All things within creation turn into the building blocks of my unstoppable rise! You are no exception."
Konrad declared while pitch-black rays filled his eyes and the endless sea turned black, before releasing tidal waves that smashed into the duo!
"If there is darkness, I exist. I am the demon within all hearts, the eternal master of the nefarious.
And this, is my Bridge:
The Devil's Bridge! Now you can scram!"
Konrad exclaimed and lowered his hand, causing thousands of dark fists to rise from his bridge alongside the endless sea waves and barrel into the astounded duo!
Without hesitation, they summoned their strongest methods to resist the strike, but as the invaders, only marginal strength answered their call!
*BOOOOOOOOOOM!*
The two were slammed by Konrad's Supreme Strike, and sent shooting through all verses to crash back in the Firmament! Seeing them descend in such a wretched manner, Cloud's eyes widened in disbelief, and he rushed toward them both!
Unlike the two, he didn't wish to involve himself in this event; therefore, he remained within the Firmament.
Never did he expect them to return in such a wretched fashion!
"What the hell happened to you?!"
He asked in a hasty tone.
But as the two's eyes opened, Cloud was startled to see the dark energies covering them!
And naturally, as the victims, they were clearly aware of their condition!
"I…can't…see…anything!
AAAAAAAAAARGH!"
Regretless bellowed, for indeed, Konrad's blow plunged him in a world of eternal darkness where even his mystical senses couldn't function!
Throughout those trillions of years, never did he suffer such a loss! But little did he know that this merely was the tip of the iceberg.
