I Refused To Be Reincarnated
Chapter 536: The Eye in the Sky

Chapter 536: The Eye in the Sky

"What am I seeing?!"

Dread’s icy finger gripped Adam’s soul as he watched the colossal inferno and the toxic smoke corroding the ravaged land.

Honestly? If he had to answer his own question, he would say his eyes fed him an apocalyptic scene, the end of the world, or the aftermath of nuclear power plants exploding in the middle of a kingdom.

And even then, he doubted he could capture the ravage’s extent with the typhoon reaping lives on the coast, the erupting volcanoes drowning the lands in scalding magma, and the many earthquakes shattering mountains and cities like dominos.

His spectral form shivered involuntarily as his gaze darted between the towering pillar, the elf who had conjured the final spell, the howling Ossian, his missing arm, and finally, to the Beast Emperor.

Despite the distance and swirling gas separating them, he saw his delighted smile and his fist strike his palm. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hear what he said but didn’t need to be a genius to guess it revolved around Lin Yao’s sure death.

He clicked his tongue at their shamelessness.

"What’s so great about you? You would have died if not for Selene’s intervention! Even that bastard only appeared after Lin Yao suffered many wounds. What archmages are you? What pride and arrogance do you flaunt on everyone’s faces when you gang up on a single man?"

He huffed through gritted teeth, his fists clenching in anger before looking back at the flames.

"I didn’t really know you, Lin Yao, but I witnessed your last battle and proud departure." He took a sharp inhale. "You were a dragon among men, unrivalled in your tier. You just lacked allies and time to develop." He placed a hand over his chest. "May you have a safe journey in death and reunite with your friend if she’s already dead."

He took a deep breath, lingering for a moment to honor the fallen cultivator and his exceptional skills one last time.

BAM

As his respectful words echoed, an object suddenly collided with the ground, rising dust upon impact and causing him to jump in fright. Did the archmages notice his presence? He didn’t know but had to escape the battlefield.

Still, curiosity gripping his thoughts like a vice, he leaned to the ground to check what had almost scared him to death.

He conjured a mana hand to dust the fresh rubles and frowned at a round object the size of two fists.

’What’s that? It feels physical and ethereal at the same time.’ He subconsciously reached for it with his fingers. ’Wait! How can I touch it?’

His eyes enlarged in shock as he felt the smooth yet hard texture. And they enlarged again when a notification formed before his eyes out of nowhere.

[Tier-seven mythical dan tian detected. Soul binding available. Proceed? Yes/No]

His spectral chest tightened, and disbelief painted his face in a mix of joy and grief. Still, he pressed yes, knowing who it belonged to without needing to read the next notification.

[Tier-seven Lin Yao, The Lost Harmony’s dan tian soul bound.]

If he had a heart, he didn’t doubt it would drum in his ears and fill his blood with adrenalin. Despite the tragic events, he got a mythical Dan Tian! Yet, he couldn’t help but bite his lips in shame at his misplaced delight. After all, the man had just died before his very eyes.

He sighed, a feeling of powerlessness engulfing him.

’I’ll search for your friend once I become powerful enough. That’s the least I can do for the only man who made me respect him because of his actions rather than his status, privileges, or words.’

He struck his chest, a silent vow echoing in his mind as he rose to his feet and fled the scene at maximum speed, unaware that the three archmages’ turned to gaze at his back.

Meanwhile, The Beast Emperor frowned and pointed his fingers at Adam.

"Why are you against enslaving him? He’s capable and has high potential."

"Because we both vowed not to threaten him or the kid he used to travel with. Now that we’re archmages, we can shatter it, though. But then what? Do you plan to cut him in three? Because I’ll state it loud and clear, I want him. If you disagree, we’ll have to settle the matter over a fight."

Selene answered, his eyes narrowing into solar slits. Ossian nodded on the side, agreeing with him despite the agony gnawing at his soul.

None of them would want to give up on having an underling like Adam. Therefore, enslaving him when they were together would only lead to a single yet predictable outcome.

The emperor shrugged.

"Let’s make it the old way, then. The first to enslave him keeps him. The hunt starts tomorrow."

Selene and Ossian nodded before their faces collapsed.

Vivian’s and Marina’s collapsed from their respective cities, too, followed by the arcanists, who felt a slight disturbance.

And only a person laughed despite the horror that would descend upon them.

CRACK

The entire world heard the cracks reverberating through space. They felt the tremors next, accompanied by ugly fissures wafting icy dark gases.

Adam saw them, too. Like poisonous snakes, they surrounded him. Icy sweat covering his forehead and an ominous feeling prickling his soul, he gazed up.

"Shit..."

The sky splintered before his enlarging eyes, glistening fragments raining on the world in an enchanting show that would have delighted everyone... in normal circumstances, not when a golden pupil bigger than anything he had ever seen peered down.

Its sheer scale, added to the deep intelligence dancing in its depth, paralysed his limbs in terror. Even breathing became a luxury in the face of this monster.

"Three of the five guardian beasts died. The two others shattered their keys after assessing this province unfit to remain an independent world. Therefore, according to the treaty signed in Kumari Kandam fifteen thousand years ago, I will return this small patch of land to its rightful size."

The creature spoke, its voice seemingly reverberating through the air, his mind and soul simultaneously in a show of incredible power.

Then, it continued.

"As the eastern king, I want to wish good luck to you all in surviving in my domain, weak humans. But it’ll be insincere. I can’t feel the valiant leader who negotiated this haven for you in the past. Yet, you dared turn it into a living hell and now you’ll all die like flies. Magical beasts will upturn your cities and consume your children. Nothing you once stood proud about will remain of you in a few years and you’ll disappear into the meander of this world’s long history as sinners."

His neck tensed, and his hands trembled wildly as he noticed cruel amusement flash in the eye. Was this it? Would the sky crumble on their heads?

Uncaring for the billions of terrorised intelligent species trembling on the ground, the creature continued, its words consuming him in dread.

"Not that it matters to me. Still, I’m open to negotiation if you bring me that hateful demonic cleaver."

His eyes rolled in their sockets, his consciousness slipping into darkness as he felt the surrounding air solidify and the creature lock onto him as if it knew he had it.