Way of the Knights

Chapter 770: Empyrean

It’s a bright sunny day at the Grand Ancestral Plane. 

The sky was blue and adorned with white puffy clouds. The air was cool but also carried a distinct warmth that comforts everyone. The land was bursting with vitality and the people busied themselves with their everyday routine. 

At the Sky Palace, Raven was currently meditating in an open space. Despite his inactivity, his surroundings are still affected by his attunement with the Laws. 

The space warped around him, it was an involuntary effect. Anybody who tries to get close to him as he meditated will experience how the flow of Spacetime warped around him. In some spots around him, time was accelerated, at other spots, time is slow. The space was locked as well, it is impossible for anyone to approach him unless he allows them to. 

Luna was back at the Sky Palace, currently enjoying a warm cup of tea as she observed Raven in meditation. Her face was mostly expressionless but she’s actually in deep thought. 

‘He had been meditating quite frequently during this past few days.’ She murmured inwardly. Her eyes narrowed as she continued staring at Raven. 

All of a sudden, she felt his aura spiking unnaturally which alarmed her a bit. She watches as lights emerged from his body, a mixture of golden and silver. She saw the lights converging into vague runes that dissipated shortly after. 

What truly surprised her is that, she can see some of the runes forming something unnatural. They were forming Constellations. 

Luna couldn’t possibly be mistaken by what she saw. Though she thought that it was just an accident and that Raven is currently doing this subconsciously, she knew that he succeeded in turning runes into constellations. 

The constellation that formed was unlike anything she knew so far. From what she can tell, that was a new one. Something that Raven himself created on his own. 

Next, she felt Raven’s aura stabilizing. She then saw him standing up and looking at her. Without any words spoken in between on them, Luna understood what he wanted to say. She nodded and soon, Raven disappeared from her vision, as for where he went, it’s probably somewhere far from their home world since what’s about to happen will most definitely raise some ruckus. 

…and by ruckus, she meant a worldwide panic. After all, Raven’s about to make his breakthrough to the Empyrean Realm. 

“Hey, Old Plane.” Luna called out.

Next to her, a silhouette manifested. It was a man which is also the manifestation of this world’s consciousness. 

“What can I do for you, Holy Maiden?”

“Isolate yourself a bit. My husband’s about to breakthrough. He wouldn’t want to raise any panic and unrest. Use the isolation barriers he place on you.” 

“As you wish, Holy Maiden.” The man bowed and disappeared.  action

Moments later, Luna felt the world’s movement. The sensation can only be felt by several people, some of them wouldn’t even know what happened. There were no visible changes in the world but in reality, the world went into hiding and used the preventing measures that Raven enhanced a few weeks ago in order to isolate its aura and prevent the commotion outside from becoming visible to its citizens. 

This is a necessary step in order to make sure that the Empire wouldn’t descend into panic.

Raven flew outside of the world. 

He passed through several great worlds in a blink of an eye and reaching an area he deemed fine to have his breakthrough with. 

Before continuing with the process however, Raven made sure to set up some formations in order secure himself. Having some people interrupt him during his breakthrough was the last thing he wanted to happen. 

Raven didn’t hold back either. He made sure that not even Divine Knights will be able to disturb him with how many formations he set up around him. He also made it so that nobody would be able to detect him nor see unless he wanted them to do so. 

After setting up the formation, he sighed and adjusted his condition. He sat down and started regulating his breathing. He had been waiting for this moment for several years. After a long time of accumulation, he finally felt full. In fact, he’s already suppressing the overflow which will enable his body to have a natural breakthrough. 

Boom!!

The asteroid he was in shattered the moment he released the suppression. Nevertheless, Raven remained undisturbed. His concentration was so sharp that not even a realm-wide disaster will be able to distract him. 

The spaced warped violently around him and the hymns of Laws chimed around him. His attunement rose to an incredible level that some people would mistake him as the Heavenly Laws itself. 

His Law Insights as well as the Runic Heavenly Secret Origin sang around him. Creating a beautiful visage that blurred Raven’s body. Light bursts from his body, drowning the entire space with golden and silver radiance. It was so bright that he could even contest the brightness of the sun itself. 

Dark clouds formed within Raven’s isolated space. A distinct killing intent emerged but it also contained a trace of fear. The source of these was none other than the Heavenly Laws of the Divine Realm itself. 

Raven was already disliked by the Heavenly Laws due to his audacity. It also didn’t help that Raven had the right to be so since he’s truly capable of bringing it down if he wanted, which is why the Heavenly Laws were afraid of him in the first place. 

The Heavenly Laws tried to interrupt him and make him fail this breakthrough but it also knows that it’s very unlikely for that to happen. Additionally, the consequences will be dire. It will still attempt to do so but the result will never change. 

This is why Raven didn’t even bother to raise his guard against it. He himself was aware of just how ridiculously strong he has gotten. The fact that he could even dismiss the Heavenly Laws itself like it was some sort of a nuisance was something he never thought possible but he did it. 

Now, all that’s left for him to do is to concentrate with his breakthrough – something that he’s already doing in the first place. 

Within Raven’s consciousness, lights converged, making it very difficult to see anything. Its as if his consciousness was covered by a hazy fog. It was misleading and confusing. 

Raven wad currently travelling this hazy world. He walked forward aimlessly, he didn’t know where he was going he just knew that he has to move forward without stopping. That’s the only way he’ll achieve what he wants. 

After what felt like an eternity, Raven arrived somewhere deep in his consciousness. He stood in front of something that’s emitting a flash of brilliant light. 

Under the scrutiny of his gaze, the hazy fog was dispelled. Lights converged once more and formed a massive outline of a person. 

A person with long hair, perfectly symmetrical face lean body. The person contained countless of sparkling nodes which represents a world. Its eyes reflected the galaxies and the void around it. It stood there as if it was the sole existence ever made. 

This person was him, only it’s expression was different. 

Compared to the usual expression of Raven – which was warm and kind. This one was cold and indifferent. It stared at everything around it as if they were mere ants that’ll never reach the apex. Such was the epitome of arrogance yet Raven knew that he’s inexplicably connected to this silhouette. 

This was his Empyrean Shadow – the thing that represents the entirety of Raven’s path. As he stared at it, he noticed that the shadow’s hand were clasped on its stomach. The area between its palms were emitting a bright light. Additionally, there’s a narrow road which leads there. 

Raven unhesitatingly walked towards that direction. After taking a couple of steps forward, he can feel some disruption. He then saw numerous blurry silhouettes emerging in front of him, blocking his way forward. 

As soon as the disruption emerged, flashes of light erupted, erasing them from existence. Raven heard a distinct roaring somewhere far but he only sneered in response. The Heavenly Laws were trying to disrupt him and prevent him from breaking through, unfortunately it failed miserably before it even began. 

Raven walked forward confidently forward. He ignored the repeated attempts of the Heavenly Laws since it wasn’t working anyways. 

It didn’t take long before he arrived just in front of the clasped hand. He shifted his position and entered the area. There, surrounded with a bright and gentle light, he sat down and closed his eyes. He felt a connection from the shadow in front of him. 

As time went on, Raven’s aura increased even further. Then his eyes snapped wide open. At the same time, the shadow’s eyes snapped wide open as well. 

The Empyrean Shadow started to shrink at a speed visible to the naked eye until it fully fused with Raven. Once again, Raven’s aura spiked even stronger causing the space around him to shatter.

The next thing he knew, his breakthrough ended and the formation that he worked hard into making in order to isolate himself was ruined by none other than him.