Book 8: Chapter 219: Pride (6)

Dyon fell into silence. It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand what the voices were saying, but rather that this was all he could do to stop his pathetic body from collapsing.Dyon knew that Presence was a very powerful thing. If two people of equal strength fought, the one with the higher Presence would win 10 out of 10 times. It was that simple.Exuding a pressure upon another, your will upon another … Why hadn’t Dyon realized that this was the very definition of a Martial Intent until now?But, this wasn’t all. Presence was directly proportional to bodily strength. Technically, Dyon had comprehended the second highest tier of Presence in existence, Emperor Presence, only second to God Presence. But, his Presence was completely useless against dao experts because their bodies were simply far stronger than his.What these voices were saying was that he was foolish to treat Presence in such a way. A true Son of Pride cared not for cultivation because their Presence would shine through no matter what.Dyon closed his eyes.‘What did you leave this pool of blood for?’{Isn’t it obvious? We want to use fools and snatch their minds. When a Martial Intent is strong enough, it becomes a Legend that spans across time and space. However, Martial Intents from our Pride Clan seek to devour.}Dyon laughed despite his trembling body. Only someone with an obscene amount of pride would directly speak of a plan that should be hidden like this. Clearly, even in their demise, the Pride Clan kept their arrogance.The Pride Clan was banking that their lingering Martial Intents were powerful enough to manifest themselves into Dyon’s body. If they shattered Dyon’s will and infused his body with their Intents, Dyon would die a different kind of death.His soul would technically still be his, so would his body, but his will would be that of a different person. Simply put, his personality would change.‘Is that so…’On one side of the world, his body was facing a sea of calm. On this side of the world, his body was facing a sea of arrogance.As though it was poetically divined, his body had reached 500 000 000 jin, leaving his body’s potential perfectly halved. Neither dominating over the other.In that moment, Dyon made a decision.He began to walk forward. His steps quaked underneath him, his own ankle almost rolling over itself multiple times. But, he kept walking.{HAHAHA, I knew he was a descendant of our Pride Clan. After the other bastard heard the truth, he ran with his tail between his legs, leaving these damned corpses here.}A manifestation bloomed to Dyon’s back, shaking the Pride Clan’s hidden world.The laughing and the jeering suddenly stopped as Dyon’s gait straightened and strengthened.The Pride Clan Ancestors suddenly sensed something… They sensed a Pride above their own.Dyon shed his clothing and unhesitantly stepped into the pool of blood.His eyes seemed to redden as he stared toward an unknown enemy. “[DEVOUR]”Two manifestations. Two men. Two worlds. Two Paths.Calming Lake and the Sea of Blood quaked under Dyon’s rage.His frustration vented outward. He was pissed off with the world. He was enraged that everything was so difficult, that he constantly seemed to be fighting an uphill battle, that even the Heavens themselves seemed to be against him.Shouts of tempering his arrogance rang from one side, shouts he had been listening to for over a year.On the other side, he heard nothing but shouts that fueled his anger, fueled his fury.All the while, Dyon plunged toward the Calming Lake’s lowest tier and walked toward the Higher Existence Unicorn all at once.Streams of Consciousnesses swarmed Dyon, attempting to devour his mind but only becoming boosts toward his mental energy.Blood surged toward Dyon, trying to crush his will, but instead becoming the vitality that fed his body.500 million jin … 600 million jin … 700 million jin … 1 billion jin!A barrier shattered.Dyon’s agonizing screams filled the Pride World as his body deconstructed itself. Bronze Silk unraveled his body, quaking as they were coated in blood and blasting apart into fine light particles.Soon, they began to descend once more, but not as bronze, but instead as silver.2 billion jin … 3 billion jin … 4 billion jin!Two paths clashed. They fought and tore each apart.In one world, Dyon sank into a lake of transparent pink with a near endless depth. In another, he bathed himself in red.To choose arrogance, or to choose a humble calm.One path was unyielding, unforgiving. To take a step back was to die.The other was like water, flowing with the ebbs and accepting things as they were while slowly forging a lane for yourself that didn’t disrupt your realities.But, Dyon didn’t want to choose either. He didn’t want to lose him. He refused to lose himself. But, he also refused to allow his shortcomings to cripple himself as they had in the past.[I disdain the sovereign path!]… 5 billion jin.The words Dyon’s manifestation had said in the past flowed to his ears.[…You were pathetic enough to lose yourself to the despair of a mere Chaos Path!]… 6 billion jin.[… You have the face to be arrogant even while you rely on the hopes and dreams of others to keep yourself stable?!]… 7 billion jin.[… How is this the demeanor of a Ruler?!]… 8 billion jin.Dyon’s roar shook the two realms. It was unknown whether this was due to the tearing apart of his mind or if it was the tearing apart and reconstruction of his body.[… Do you know how many have reached God Presence by relying on the Sovereign Heart? Zero!]… 9 billion jin.It was then that Dyon remembered. His crown… It stood above that, it didn’t refer to ruling over a mere Mortal Plane or a mere Immortal Plane … It stood for absolute control … Not of petty, unimpressive things… But of Dyon himself![GOOD!]10 billion jin.A shroud of grey clouds seemed to separate in Dyon’s mind as his Crown vibrated, pulsing with an unyielding light.That was true arrogance. Arrogance wasn’t about running into any and all situations with a hot head, willing to fight any and everything you crossed path with.The answer had been within himself this entire time. What was true arrogance? What was true, unyielding pride? It was to have absolute control. To have absolute control of oneself no matter what may be happening around you.Control. To mold your own future with your hands. To not allow the world collapsing around you to causally imply your collapse as well…This was the path Dyon was looking for.In that moment, an empty piece of his mind’s eye trembled. A radiating light pierced through both worlds, threatening to tear them down.Dyon was too enthralled to realize it … But the voices had been silent for a long time.