Chương 58: Primal King

The touch steadied him. It was firm, carrying a certainty he lacked. Under that grip, the terror ebbed, and the world— still hazy in his senses— returned to its true shape. Ren hadn't moved so much as a hair's breadth. The barrier was still resisting with cracks, and everyone else was kneeling. But other than their hollow gazes, it seemed they were safe for now. No, they are definitely safe. He turned to the source of this confidence.

Guardian Elder, or with his name, Shen Baogang, was a tall fellow almost as tall as him. Elderly in years but carrying a strangely youthful air unique to him, his face was lined, yet mild with gentle curves around his eyes, the sort that time had pressed into gentleness. Unlike most elders, he had a not-so-modest but firm potbelly. Yet his hands, as rough as tree bark, told that it couldn't be a result of an easy life. His soul brother had heard the rumors about the man's frequent booze abuse.

It seemed they were right.

"Good job, child," said Shen Baogang, a glimmer in his eyes as he stroked his goat-like beard proudly.

"You didn't disgrace us old folk." A choking feeling gripped Ren for a moment. Had he truly done something to deserve this old gentleman's praise? He felt like he hadn't. On the contrary, he felt like he had put everyone's lives at risk just because he couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Elder, I—""Are you ignoring this god's presence?" asked the figure, its voice still carrying that same emotionless, unreadable tone. Ren's eyes snapped back to the air, but the hand on his shoulder gave a solid squeeze, then pulled back.

"Hoho, impatient are we?" Shen Baogang let out a quiet chuckle, lightly stepping through the air.

"That insolence," the figure tilted its head slightly, "runs in your sect's blood, this god presumes."

"Yeah, yeah, you can presume anything as you wish," said Shen Baogang, finally standing on the same height as it. Ren noticed that despite the elder's height, the figure still towered over him like a behemoth.

"Though I wonder if you can enlighten this poor fool about something: what gives the courage to call yourself ' this god' as a mere Primal King?" Ren couldn't help but hold his breath for a second, expecting an immediate clash. Yet the figure remained still, its pressure still unmoving.

"Does this god need to ask for permission?"

"Outside our borders? No. Inside? That's a different matter, especially when you killed someone and frightened our Bearer." Both of them stood still, as if sizing each other up. While Shen Baogang wore that relaxed, laid-back smile, the figure was… you know, still an enigma with that mask. Ren stared with blazing eyes. Guardian Elder had to be trying to gauge its intentions by asking such questions, considering there was no way he— the Eldest— could admit he was frightened, right? Of course not.

Why would I feel any fear in front of cosmic fuckery? He felt an urge to chuckle in self-disdain.

"Then," the figure muttered at last, its pressure climbing, "let this god witness whether you've got what it takes for judging me." A moment later, it shot up to the skies, beyond the clouds. So straightforward?

"Fine." Guardian Elder nodded, following quickly.

"Take care of them, child." His voice reached Ren's ears before he disappeared among the clouds. At the same time, sharp gasps erupted in succession as everyone awakened from their hollow state.

"Ugh," Demoness moaned roughly, clenching her head between her hands. Yet she quickly came herself, and her gaze shot up, "Reny!"

"Geez, how many times do I have to say don't call me—" Ren couldn't finish his sentence. Demoness slammed into him, sending them both tumbling across the floor.

"You're alright, right? Right? That monster, did it do something to you? Where is it now? What happened to us? How did you make him retreat?" Her mouth turned out particularly fierce, moving like a machine gun. Ren tried to save himself and overthrow her, though he failed. Not a surprise there, since her hands were no different than clamps, effortlessly pinning him down. He thought about using more strength, but seeing her worry-filled face, he let out a sigh.

"I'm fine, really. Just calm down and let me get up, ff—ahh, slow, slow!" As she realized the situation and straightened up in a hurry, her knee stabbed his stomach like a spike, drawing almost a curse that turned into a sharp gasp at the last minute. She scratched her head, evading his glare.

"S-Sorry, didn't notice." Shaking his head, Ren forced himself not to dwell on it, jumped back on his feet, and checked the collapsed Ruolan. Fortunately, she had only fainted, and he found no abnormality. He also sent one of the enforcers to check Iceberg and Pup, and only then turned to explain.

"Guardian Elder arrived in time before that thing did anything, and right now they are clashing up above. So, we will wait for him." Demoness let out a relieved breath, her stiff shoulders finally lowering. Although it was impossible for her to sense such beings, she still looked up and frowned. Ren said no more, his eyes sweeping around. Most of the enforcers had come back to themselves, but it seemed they didn't know what to do, looking around in confusion.

Without their interruption, the blaze had raged out of control, the strong winds driving it ever onward. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. He noticed a lot of animals, beasts, and spiritual beasts had surfaced in the otherwise desolate forest. Most beasts were fleeing in panic, but a few others had gathered to restrain the fire. A vain but noble effort.

He'd normally feel awe and maybe take his time to observe them, but he wasn't in the mood after witnessing the figure's tyranny. He took off his jacket, folded it, and gently slipped it beneath the girl's head as a makeshift pillow. Her eyes fluttered open at that time, frowning at him, but Ren didn't wait to console her. He squeezed her hand once, then straightened.

"Let's help," he muttered, directing a cold smile at the enforcers.

"After all, it would be a shame to let a forest become a wasteland because of some fucked-up god-pretender, wouldn't it?" A blast erupted from far above the clouds right at that moment, as if the words invoked the god's wrath. Yet Ren didn't turn around to look. Just as enforcers and even Demoness shot anxious gazes at the sky, a thunderous laughter followed, pressing over the blast.

"That mouth of yours is gonna kill us all one day, you cheap master." Only Ruolan whispered and chuckled in self-pity. … The blaze hit hard up close, washing his face in ever-shifting hues. Ren swept a hand through his hair, wiping his sweat alongside. The enforcers floated over its center and used their energy to quench the flames. Thunderous rumbles echoed in succession. The flames faltered, sputtering like a misfiring engine.

A single move would have been enough if this were a normal wildfire, as the dense spiritual energy was highly suppressive to mundane elements. But this is no mundane flame. As though sensing his thoughts, the flames roared back to life. They had already consumed trees, bushes, countless animals, devouring their energy. And now, even the very air fell prey. A hint of spiritual will in the form of a fire golem— born of the cannon's destructive intent— began to take shape.

A vaguely humanoid mass of fire gathered at the center of the blaze, then two sparks erupted where its eyes should have been. The sparks began to spin in slow, relentless spirals, their color deepening with each passing moment until they turned completely black. A soundless roar erupted, forcing the resisting beasts and enforcers to retreat. Ren frowned. They had lost too much time fixating on that figure, and that had given the flames an opportunity.

'Everything carries a spirituality, but will needs to be awakened. Only then does life appear.' His soul brother had encountered such a situation with a mountain spirit, and even he had struggled to contain that monstrosity alone. Although the fire golem and that mountain spirit weren't on the same level, Ren instinctively knew that if this continued without intervention, the flames would become a real calamity.

"Demoness!" he shouted, then moved, trusting her to understand his meaning. The moonlight energy triggered, flowing into his raised left hand, and his blood, further refined by the second limit, boiled in frenzy. Ren smashed down on the flames. The instant he struck, he felt an immense resistance. Popping sounds came from his body, and his left hand was knocked back. He looked over to find that the flames, like a wall of molten steel, refused to disperse! The fire golem's abyssal gaze snapped to him.

It stomped on the ground, but a claw-like hand reacted faster.

"Now, now, easy there." A pearl-like laughter rang out as Demoness flickered behind the fire golem. Despite not even reaching half the monster's height, her hand was already on its nape, gripping it casually like a misbehaving pup.

"Already rebellious, and you've only just been born? You should behave yourself more in front of your elders, little one." The golem trashed in rage. Its roars were heaven-shaking and spread out in all directions. The flames rippled and churned in answer to his calls, but all his efforts proved futile in the face of that easy grip. Grasping the opportunity, Ren clenched his fist. First Punch… Dominating Heavens. A crimson fistprint punched through the inferno, carving a path straight through the raging flames.

The golem wailed, its feet flailing helplessly in the air, unable to touch the flames. Though it looked like it didn't matter anymore as the flames swiftly devoured the ambient energy, closing the gap in the process. Frowning, Ren didn't give up. His body was no different than a well-oiled machine, energy soaring. He rampaged like a wild beast out of its cage, each strike crushing and scattering the flames. But they surged back again and again as though they were no different than a cockroach.

"Reny." Demoness's soft voice reached his ears at that moment, making him pause and step back.

"Putting aside whether we can do it, destroying such a rare lifeform would be a pity. Do you think you can create a connection with its will? Maybe we might be able to tame it." Ren's eyes lit up. As naturalborn spirits, elemental golems were like a miracle tonic for any cultivator, or they could be great companion beasts. The only problem was their cunning nature.

Even finding one was a struggle, and you also have to catch it, which was the hardest part since they weren't flesh and blood and could blend with their element. His soul brother had tried once, but unfortunately, that was an old mountain king, and it had managed to evade him by triggering a huge earthquake. But right now it's weak and isn't proficient with its powers. Ren rubbed his chin. Despite the fact that he felt no confidence in 'using will to create connection, the experience was there.

He knew what to do, just like muscle memory. It might truly work. An absurd thought followed— feeding it to his Little Sapling— but he crushed it at once and shook his head. Weak also meant newborn. Its will was raw, unstable. It might mistake their attempt as domination and desperation; once triggered, it rarely leads to good consequences. Demoness wouldn't hesitate to risk her life for his sake; he knew that, but he would never allow such a thing!

"No," he transmitted simply, then waved a hand at the enforcers awaiting his command. The fire-safety layers he had to memorize resurfaced. Fuel, oxygen, suppression, and confinement.

"Focus on cutting the flames' connection with the spiritual energy! Only then try to fight them." Demoness's eyes widened a little.

"Why? Don't you know how useful such a—""You and your greed, you troublemaker," Ren cut in, his voice wry as his armor began to glimmer faintly.

"We can try if the Guardian Elder returns early, but if not, then I don't care how rare it is— I don't want it." I won't let you risk your life for something like this, he continued in his mind, but didn't voice them.

"Tch!" Afterward, he dove into the flames, acting like he hadn't heard her snort. His energy spread over his body, isolating the flames and heat aside. Ren wandered deeper and deeper, assessing the energy density of flames. Not long after, he felt the heat began to pierce his energy shield, but he only stopped when the pain turned searing. He sat cross-legged while his steel-like skin held the flames at bay and proceeded to refine the spiritual energy.

Enforcers followed him, some finding spots suited to their endurance and helping to refine, while others waited beside them to quench and suppress. Without the golem's fierce retaliation, the beasts returned, too, devouring the flames in big bites and neutralizing them thanks to their strong bodies. Yet one of them, the burly one at the forefront, stepped into the flames and approached Ren. Lifting his head, he was shocked to find a beast bearing such a close resemblance to a dinosaur.

Ren remembered the beast named Phantom Blade in this world for the raised ridge running along its back. But unlike the one from his old world, this one wasn't dull; instead, it was as sharp as a blade, reflecting both the moonlight and the blaze. Its frame was enormous, at least more than three stories high, with muscles knotted beneath thick, scale-armored hide. Its elongated head lowered slightly, heavy jaws parted as it drew a slow breath and devoured part of the flames, steam curling from between its teeth.

Even though he had watched lots of dinosaur films as a child, he wasn't exactly a fan. Yet seeing one— or at least a transcendent version of it— in the flesh was a fascinating experience nevertheless. Spinosorus, or whatever the hell it was called. Just then, the beast lowered its head to stare into his eyes." Human." Although he only heard a low growl, a strange voice reached his mind. Its voice… is surprisingly mellow for such a fierce appearance. Ren couldn't help but shoot a questioning look at the beast.

"Can you help us survive this disaster you brought?"