Chapter 162: The Emperor’s Return and New War
Seraphina, Lilith, and Eterna were in the garden, discussing defense protocols with Ezekiel. The sudden, unannounced arrival of the two figures caused immediate alarm.
"Intruder!" Lilith roared, instantly summoning her Shadow affinity.
"Vahn! You're back!" Seraphina cried out in relief, yet confusion.
Vahn raised a hand to halt their defense. "It's alright, my queens. We are home. And I have brought someone very important."
Eterna, seeing her Papa safe, immediately ran toward him. Vahn scooped her up and held her close.
Luminaire stepped forward, her graceful, glowing form pausing before the two Saintesses. She saw their power, their beauty, and the profound, unbreakable connection they shared with her son.
"Seraphina and Lilith," Vahn introduced, his voice warm with love. "This is my mother, Luminaire. She is here to help me protect you two."
Luminaire's celestial eyes welled up with happy tears as she looked at her daughters-in-law and the bright-eyed little girl in Vahn's arms.
"And you must be Eterna, my beautiful granddaughter?"
She extended her arms, expecting a familial union.
Eterna, always trusting of her Papa, looked from Vahn to the glowing, beautiful woman with immediate curiosity.
"Papa, who is the pretty lady?" Eterna asked, nestled safely in Vahn's arm.
Luminaire knelt down gracefully, her Celestial Light softening so as not to overwhelm the child.
"I am your Papa's mother, my little spirit. That makes me your Grandmother."
Eterna tilted her head, a thoughtful look on her small face. "Grandmother? Are you the Queen of the Sky? You look like a star!"
Luminaire chuckled, a warm, melodic sound. "I was a queen of light once, yes. But now I am just your grandmother. And you, my darling, you look exactly like the best parts of your Papa and a celestial gem! Do you like stories? I know ancient tales from the Nether Realm, tales of dragons and flying castles."
"Flying castles!" Eterna gasped, her eyes wide with delight. "Yes, please! Will you tell me one now? But first, did you bring Papa back safely? Aunt Vaylin promised she would!"
"Aunt Vaylin kept her promise, and so did I," Luminaire assured her, gently cupping Eterna's cheek. The sheer, overwhelming motherly affection pouring from Luminaire quickly won Eterna over, forging an instant bond between the separated kin.
While Eterna was captivated by her new grandmother, Seraphina and Lilith approached Vahn. Their initial relief was now tempered with confusion and the lingering shock of the arrival.
Vahn quickly provided a concise, chilling summary: the full truth of the Void Dragon God Seed, the confrontation with the Cult, the immense power he now controlled, and the terrifying revelation about their Saintess seals being tools of divine enslavement, culminating in the defiant confrontation with Goddess Attila.
Seraphina paled dramatically. "Slavery... for the Gods? All this time, the blessings, the purity... it was a chain?"
Lilith, ever the warrior, clenched her fists. "The shame. To be a puppet of those self-righteous entities. Vahn, if you truly have the power to break this curse..."
Vahn turned to Luminaire. "Mother, these are my wives, Seraphina and Lilith. They are my Queens, and they are the core of my Dynasty. They are also the bravest women I know."
Seraphina, regaining her composure, offered a tentative, respectful bow. "Mother-in-law... welcome to Dalu. And thank you for bringing our husband back."
"Daughter-in-laws, there's no need for formalities between," Luminaire insisted, embracing them both warmly. "Welcome to the family. I am really grateful toward you two. Thank you for making my son whole in our absence. And yes your husband now holds the key to your freedom. I was also a Saintess once, and my son recently freed me. And now It's you time."
Vahn led his wives and mother to the deepest spiritual seclusion chambers beneath the palace. He explained the process: it was fast, but risky, as the annihilation of the seal would surely draw the attention of the corresponding divine powers.
Luminaire stood guard, radiating her unbound Celestial Light to mask the process.
Vahn began with Seraphina, the Saintess of Light. He focused the same Ultimate Void Power and the Eye of Heavenly Dao on her soul. This time, he was not just nullifying a seal; he was directly challenging the Law of the Goddess Attila herself.
FZZT!
The divine binding, the symbol of Seraphina's spiritual enslavement, vanished. Seraphina gasped, and a wave of pure, unfiltered Holy Light surged from her body, her cultivation instantly stabilizing at a new, higher level. She was free.
Next, Vahn turned to Lilith, the Saintess of Darkness. Her seal was equally complex, bound to the Goddess of Primordial Darkness.
CRACKLE!
Just as Vahn began the process, two massive divine projections ripped through the dimensional fabric right over the palace—not Attila, but the God of Darkness and the God of Light. They were drawn by the residual shockwave of Luminaire's liberation.
The God of Darkness, a brooding, enormous projection, thundered, "Vahn Necrotis! Halt this insanity at once! You are defying the balance! You are stealing our assets!"
The God of Loght, his face obscured by Light, spoke with chilling finality: "Desist, little mortal, or face immediate erasure from the annals of existence."
Vahn didn't pause. He looked at the screaming divine projections with cold contempt.
"You are too late. And this realm is no longer yours to command."
He unleashed the Void Power and, with a silent command, annihilated Lilith's binding seal. Lilith cried out, not in pain, but in liberation, her darkness affinity exploding with newly granted freedom.
The two Divine projections roared in helpless fury. Their voices faded, not because they were defeated, but because Vahn's act had made their immediate intervention impossible. They had been warned, and Vahn had disregarded them entirely.
As Vahn, Seraphina, and Lilith celebrated their newfound spiritual freedom, Lilith, remembering the urgent matters of the Dynasty, spoke gravely.
"Vahn, my emperor, there is a more immediate, local crisis. The Demonic Faction and the Righteous Faction have officially found out about our location. The shield is down."
Seraphina nodded, her expression tense. "It was the Saintess Of Ice and Purity, Evelina Frostheart. She located us and, in a fit of righteous zeal, revealed our hidden position to the world. Now, all major powers in the Southern Continent are mobilizing against the Necrotic Dynasty."
Vahn listened attentively, but he was completely calm. The chaos of a local war was a minor distraction compared to battling Goddesses. Yet, the foolishness of these Saintesses, who were once his wives was a severe annoyance.
"Evelina Frostheart," Vahn repeated calmly, the name tasting like ash on his tongue. "So, she hadn't learned a thing after all. Well no matter, this time I will teach her personally. But this time it will be in a hard way."
His calm, however, hid an iron will. He would allow no such intrusions as long as he is present.
Vahn immediately called upon his Royal Advisors and Commanders, including Ezekiel, the Chief Minister, for a meeting in the throne room.
"Ezekiel, the time for defense is over," Vahn declared from his obsidian throne, the Void power swirling subtly around him. "The local powers have decided to challenge the Necrotic Dynasty. They have exposed us, and they will pay the price for their foolishness."
He slammed his hand on the armrest, the sheer force of his Will making the ground tremble.
"I declare war against the primary enemy: the Holy Land Of Ice, which us situated the western part of the Southern Continent. Their recklessness, spearheaded by the Saintess of Ice, is unforgivable."
Ezekiel, though loyal, protested immediately. "Your Majesty, that is a hasty decision! The Holy Land of Ice is a major power, fielding dozens of High Emperors! We need months to prepare a proper siege and counter the incoming Demonic and Righteous forces!"
"Months?" Vahn asked, his eyes flashing with the cold light of the Void Emperor. "I do not deal in months, Chief Minister. I deal in results."
"My orders are absolute: Within seven days, we will launch a full-scale assault against the Holy Land of Ice. We will crush the source of this betrayal and send a clear message to all other powers in the Southern Continent: Challenge the Necrotic Dynasty, and face annihilation."
Vahn stood, his figure radiating absolute power and confidence. Luminaire stood beside him, a symbol of their divine defiance.
"Victory will be ours," Vahn stated, his voice ringing with absolute certainty. "Now, prepare for war!"
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