Lowly Ascent

"What are you doing? You can't do this, I still need to kill that invader!" Dai Tian struggled but the blue chains wrapping around him were unbreakable. He could not defy the system with his current status.

Like the Immortal, the System didn't typically act by itself, but forcibly destroying a territory took a lot of energy and a replacement source revealed itself. Not only was the replacement a great problem, being a survivor of the last Grand Era, but it was the Era where the Dao ruled.

Far grander than the Manus Era, the Dao focused heavily on energy of all kinds, reaching a level of manipulating law. The Dao was the closest to creating a new type of Universe different from the rest. However, it was stopped by the Universe's Will.

If the Dao had its way, it would be an all-power being that could eventually contend with the Greater Will, not to mention a mere Universe Will.

Yet, in the end, the Dao was destroyed and fragmented. Still, the remnants of the Dao held great power. If detonated, an Immortal Soul could ruin an entire territory even at half-strength.

Dai Tian's Soul could save the System 42% of its original planned output. It had to act even if it was against its normal actions!

Above all else, the System's main mission was to collect and save energy! Energy was highly important to the maintenance and running of the Landfill, along with a few other things.

Opening his eyes, Cain felt his strength return as the Specialized Energy around him funneled into his body and soul, being consumed by his cores and broken down into Pure Energy.

Looking up, he revealed a smirk, 'The System really hates the Dao. It could've got me but instead went for the Old man. Unlucky for him.' Cain although unconscious, had an idea of what happened just by looking at his surroundings.

Fang Yuan didn't notice Cain, he was staring at Dai Tian with the rest of the survivors.

By now, no mortals remained, the System killed all life besides those that would waste too much energy. It planned to deal with the remaining survivors in one fell swoop, using their messiah no less!

Reaching for his sword, Cain found something out.

'Bloodletter's not here? Why can't I sense it? Shit, was it destroyed? Well, at least I have a backup...'

Cain didn't have time to be pained by the loss of Bloodletter. The image of the Sword Dao flickered behind his back and grabbing it, he gained a new sword. Slowly, Cain stood up and crept towards Fang Yuan.

Swoosh! Crrrk!

Fang Yuan coughed out heaves of blood as he looked behind him. Cain was glaring down at him with coldness.

"You've been a nuisance for a while, although I'm sure you saved me, that's where your use ends you obsessed fool."

Cain pushed Fang Yuan away and pulled out his sword. His eyes shifted back up to see half of Dai Tian's figure gone. The old man was screaming indignant fluff, he was just like a delirious elder who thought the world revolved around them.

'I should leave. This is getting serious.'

Cain was preparing to teleport, but white energy came from in front and behind, he could only use a short teleport to escape a few feet away.

Fang Yuan was clutching the wound in his chest as he limped forward. "Bastard, to think you woke up. Don't worry, I won't kill you but seal your body and soul, then I can safely find a way to get my disciple back!"

White energy flowed into the Sword Saint's wound and stabilized his body.

'So heavenly energy has multiple uses, as it should.' Cain played off Fang Yuan's words but quickly found out how serious he was.

From all angles, white sword slashes manifested and swiped at Cain's limbs. 'He's stronger than before? Was he faking his strength?'

A flickering image of a white sword appeared behind Fang Yuan's back, but it could only flicker. Cain continued to dodge each attack freely, leading to Fang Yuan taking another change. 

At long last, Fang Yuan opened his eyes. They were pure white, glowing like a fire. He seemed to go through a metamorphosis. His hair became white, his skin turned pale while his sword gave off increasingly powerful vibrations.

"All my life, I have been obsessed with the sword. When I was a child, I picked a wooden sword as my first toy, when I was 6, I trained day and night. At 16, I joined my country's military and fought against bandits and armies. At 18, I joined the Immortal Sect through sheer luck!

"Even with no backing, my luck continued and I found an 8th Tier sword Spirit. From then on, I only chose Sword Spirits of the 8th Tier and above! Finally, I've found a 9th Tier Sword Spirit in the Marble City. My Innate Spell can be used to its full strength!"

Fang Yuan didn't move his sword, yet strikes kept appearing. "No one is above heaven, and my sword is heaven itself." He calmly spoke as his Innate Spell echoed in his mind.

'Zenith Level Innate Spell, Heaven's Envoy.'

The dark clouds in the sky were bleached white, rays of white gathering on Fang Yuan.

Even the System stopped to try and recover the power that was being taken by Fang Yuan's use.

All the while, Cain found he couldn't stop his opponent. 'The heavenly energy he's using can't be interfered with?! How can that be, I have the Heavenly Dao, how can I not interfere with Heavenly energy?!'

Like tornados, waves of white touched down from the clouds and rampaged the land. They gathered around Cain, destroying the defensive mist he long deployed.

Fang Yuan's tone was emotionless as he declared, "It's too late, the inevitable has come Demon. I will have you sealed, and I will save my Disciple."

The tornados collapsed into numerous white blades that assaulted Cain's body. His mist was sliced through like paper and his limbs were severed. As he tried to recover, more blades would descend and reset his healing process. It was continuous, and Cain could do nothing to stop it.

Stepping closer, Fang Yuan neared him with a ball of white in his hand, it was a seal that could stop and restrict the influx and use of energy.

Seeing the seal startled Cain, his instincts blaring. "How do you know about Specialized and Pure Energy?! You aren't a Ruler or a Gatherer?!"

Fang Yuan replied plainly, "You don't need to know."

'Shit.' Cain stopped resisting the sword strikes and hastily used the property of Chaos in the Space Dao to forcibly teleport. He had to use distortion to use this effect. 

Cain's control was superb and didn't cause a crack. The Dream Core was recovering but with the low population left in the Spirit Lands, the crack only healed up a little.

The Dream Core needed energy, but it could substitute it for Dream energy that is found primarily wherever life exists. Humans and other intelligent lifeforms made more complete dreams, making them the best for recovery.

Wherever life existed, the subconscious and conscious could form a Dream Realm. Although the Era of Dreams was short-lived, not even lasting a day, it was crucial for all living beings.

To this day, the Dream Realm could exist and although it wasn't fully connected, each Dream Realm was like a pocket filled with the culture of the people who made it. It was a harmless space, only when a Horror entered would it need to be destroyed.

With this second recovery method, Cain confidently risked the Dream Core again to rouse the nature of chaos in his Space Dao to escape. He materialized a few thousand feet away and immediately began to recover.

'Time to run, I don't know how long this ability of his can last but I can't fight him with the System over my head and the destruction of this territory at hand. I overstayed my welcome.'

Cain teleported a few more times before focusing on making a large teleport. He needed around a minute to do so but Fang Yuan was closing in.

Although Fang Yuan wasn't proficient in speed, swords were quick and so was he. But Cain teleported far and Fang Yuan would need at least two minutes to reach him. In the end, the disparity between the two of them was evident.

As the teleportation finished preparing, Cain's body lit up.

"I'll find you! Don't you dare think we won't meet again!" Fang Yuan screamed with fury a hundred feet away.

Cain waved and disappeared, leaving the destruction of the Spirit Lands, leaving everything he caused behind without a second thought.