Above The Sky
Chapter 597 - 597 566 The Usurper of Nature The Tyrant of Disasters 33

597: Chapter 566: The Usurper of Nature, The Tyrant of Disasters (3/3) 597: Chapter 566: The Usurper of Nature, The Tyrant of Disasters (3/3) Usurper.

Phantom Shape.

Core.

That is to say…

the Fourth Power Level.

In Terra Continent, the ascent of each Power Level represents not just a simple gain in strength or a rise in status—every Power Level signifies different social classes, representing different worlds.

Even distinct forms of life.

Ordinary mortals are but one of many beings, among whom the outstanding and the fortunate gain the right to become of the First Energy Level.

They will be the pivot of a local village or town, the core of an adventure group, the leader of a tribal hunting party, the respected elites of a clan.

Though they are fundamentally different from commoners, their status isn’t much distinguished; it’s merely the difference between the ordinary and the elite.

Enlightenment and ‘Warrior’ are their academic title and common name, respectively.

However, once reaching the Second Energy Level, one becomes a true ruler.

This is irrelevant to any other factors, solely because of strength.

The Second Energy Level marks the boundary of Nobility and is the smallest unit that can withstand natural disasters.

They are Barons and Viscounts, masters of cities, rulers of territories.

They are the elite among elites, the philosophers who lead the people.

In the barbaric pioneering era when countries were still in their infancy, it was the Sublimators of the Second Power Level who led their followers to build the earliest human settlements in the wilderness, which are the prototypes of today’s Terra ‘noble class’.

The Third Power Level, then, is the foundation and the Hero.

In the distant past, human settlements often encountered many difficulties.

Whether it was floods, downpours, heavy snow, or attacks by Magical Beasts, these would plague the still-imperfect human towns.

The Sublimators of the Second Power Level might protect their homes, but they couldn’t venture into the mountains to eliminate the roots of the disturbances.

Those who could do all this, withstand the storms, disperse the heavy snow, and drive out Magical Beasts from deep within the mountains and dense forests, were known as Heroes, the bedrock that gathered the hopes and hearts of a nation’s population—this is the original description of the Third Power Level’s ‘Heart Light’ by humans.

These great nobles and master-level Sublimators are the pinnacle of a normal social structure and can even be said to be the direct rulers of the human world.

Thus far, we come to understand the origins of the three most common Power Levels that ordinary people are most likely to encounter in their lives.

But the Fourth Power Level, what exactly is the title that corresponds to this tier?

The answer is Usurper.

—The natural Usurper.

—The Tyrant of natural disasters.

If the Second Power Level includes the nobility and the grassroots rulers and the Third Power Level includes the Heroes and the cornerstone of societal continuity,

then the Fourth Power Level is the reason a country, a civilization, exists.

The Core…

of a social system.

And the Fifth Energy Level…

is the basis for dominating and transforming this world.

They neither need to be discussed, nor can they be, nor should they be aspired to.

So for a kingdom, the Fourth Power Level is the most basic and core requirement.

A civilization and kingdom without the Fourth Power Level has but one fate: to be torn to pieces and devoured by other nations, to disappear into oblivion.

At this very moment.

When a Fourth Level power with the advanced form of the Heart Light Body, the ‘Aether True Body’, appeared above the skies of the Avak Domain, whether it was torrents of rain or bolts of lightning, gales or cries of despair, everything was swept away in an instant.

Between heaven and earth, there was only silence, and all that remained were the serpent god’s eyes sweeping across the land.

[“Michael, Moze (Dean of the Imperial Spirit Knowledge Institute), and Split (Duke of Sorin), what are you all skulking about for”]

The voice of King Caldo of the Heavens was loud and clear, echoing in the sky like thunder: [“All contracts are now void, Split.

You crafty fellow, using my resources and power for your own foundation.”]

[“But I like your craftiness.

Today we are still allies, and the price is that you tell me your real plan.”]

One of the kings of Fiery Flame Land spoke candidly about his relationship with the Duke of Sorin—rather, it was his deliberate intention.

Having sensed the Duke of Sorin’s clandestine plans and feeling both deceived and threatened, he also found a more opportune means to bind this aspiring independent dukedom to himself.

The thirteen kingdoms of Fiery Flame Land were indifferent to becoming fourteen—although they promoted the notion that blood is supreme, the addition of a Fourth Level power, who also possessed the potential for the Fifth Level Inheritance, allowed them to easily change their motto.

The rules of the mundane world mean nothing to them, for they are the ones who forge the rules.

But no one responded to him—it was evident that no Fourth Power Level being would care about others’ thoughts.

Unless absolutely necessary, they would not show themselves.

Just as the reason why the Tianhong King appeared first was precisely because all forces in the Fiery Flame Land within the Avak Domain had been eradicated, if he did not make a move now, there would be no more chances or excuses to intervene in this matter.

This was actually a disadvantage, for he had to expose himself under the gaze of others.

So, in the next moment without waiting for a response,

The Tianhong King decisively chose to upset the chessboard.

Boom!

Within the Avak Region, above the heads of all survivors, all teams, a mass of rain clouds began to swirl and ferment, then interlaced with dazzling thunder, forming pillars of lightning that spanned the heavens and earth, pouring down upon them!

Of course, he did not attack the teams of the Huai Guang Church.

The Tianhong King was simply brutish, not brainless—should he dare to strike the Huai Guang Church’s rescue teams now, he would be asking to be attacked by the Huai Guang Church later.

What?

The Huai Guang Church doesn’t care about man-made disasters?

These people are acting in a personal capacity?

But the Huai Guang Church never said you were allowed to strike their people—after all, what kind of madman would think they could play word games with a sect formed of Sublimators?

Different from Tres, who was already showing a ‘we’re doomed’ look, Ian wasn’t the least bit flustered.

For he could tell that while the Tianhong King’s thunder looked terrifying, as if it could erase a person from the world, in truth, it would at most beat them half to death, then he would take them into his hands…

In other words, there was no danger to their lives.

He even calibrated his attacks to match each person’s strength, using different power levels accordingly.

Of course, being caught by him might mean a fate worse than death, but Ian wasn’t worried about that.

“[Attacking those of lower power levels, or even ordinary people, is beneath you, Caldo.]”

Michael Setar’s voice rang throughout the night sky.

Before the lightning fell, a pale dawn light emerged, forming a small point of light beneath all the rain clouds.

This seemingly fragile point of light was indestructible and actually absorbed all the lightning.

The waterfall-like surge of lightning only served to make these originally dim points of light blindingly bright, like tiny suns, their incredibly dazzling brightness rotating and illuminating the entire Avak Region’s night sky.

Then, all the points of light converged, layered upon one another, and then…

exploded.

The numerous flakes of light converged in the scorching heatwave, forming a godly phoenix that shone like the sun, its light-forged wings covered in mysterious and unfathomable inscriptions, with golden-red pupils that were like dawn and dusk, swirling inside their eyes.

In the sky above, besides the Rain Serpent God that commanded the clouds, the downpour, and the lightning, another proud sun emerged in the night sky.

Michael Setar, the Second Prince of Setar Empire’s Aether True Body.

“True Sun Phoenix”

Michael was waiting, waiting for other forces’ Fourth Level powerhouses to show up—then, he could act as the Empire’s Guardian against ‘foreign invaders,’ and no one could fault his actions, even if no one wished for him to obtain Yinaiga’s Legacy.

But the event had already happened.

Two Fourth Level powerhouses now faced off against each other, and for a time, the entire firmament was thrown into chaos, with the shifting clouds and the frequently flickering sun interweaving high in the distant sky, brewing terrible thunder that began to strike randomly around.

Boom!

The Mountain-Bearing Tortoise, originally located in Lantern Fish City, upon seeing the arrival of the Tianhong King, had immediately withdrawn into its shell as if pretending it did not exist, but this was pointless, as a bolt of lightning struck, exploding its hundred-meter-tall body, causing it to roll unceasingly on the ground as if in rebuke, compelling the behemoth to stretch its legs and move away from the area at its fastest speed.

“[Stand down.]”

A faint voice could be heard.

—Perhaps it wasn’t so random after all.

Fourth Level powerhouses did not allow any existence within the Avak Domain that could potentially affect their actions.

Third Level was nothing to them, but could still potentially disrupt their goals.

Thereafter, no one could hear the two Fourth Level powerhouses’ conversation again, or perhaps could not comprehend the manner of their communication.

Not just that.

In secret, there were two more Fourth Level powerhouses lying in wait.

The current Avak Region was in complete disarray, with everyone desperately searching for hidden locations, no one daring to run in the open, facing the endless lightning and blaze falling from the sky.

Even the team led by Tres was no exception—in the most critical moment, Tres could only issue the reluctant command “split up and hide!” They were caught in a Fourth Level battlefield and could only pray that they wouldn’t fight each other as the legends say, completely leveling an area to the ground.

Everyone was plunged into panic.

But for Ian, this moment was the perfect opportunity to act.