*Crack*

*Crack*

*Crack*

At the location that had been blown up a year ago and had been the tomb of Yaksher, the Cosmic Saint, space began to crack.

Almost as though something within it was trying its hardest to break out of it and out into the open.

*Bang!*

Following the loud sound of impact, a foot stepped out of a fissure, and soon, a young man with sapphire blue eyes and black hair that stretched past his shoulder and towards the middle of his back, to whom the leg belonged stepped out of the fissure.

Following after Hal was the beautiful Sassy who quite enjoyed being back on the outside after a year in the void where she had spent most of the time staring powerlessly as her master faced his tests.

Hal stretched his sore muscles with a smile but did not have the time to revel in the breath of fresh air when lightning crackled from above.

His bloodline tribulation was back and it was back with a force that surpassed what it had come with a year ago. It was back with a vengeance.

How dare this measly sinner render it inactive?

Hal was not surprised by the Tribulation’s appearance.

It was mildly expected.

Sure, he would have been glad to find the tribulation gone and removed once he was out of the Void but even he knew that that was wishful thinking.

Before he got sucked into the void for his use of the Dao of Sovereignty before truly comprehending it, he had not really conquered the tribulation. He had merely rendered it powerless which was hardly enough to handle such a god-destroying force of nature.

*Crackle*

*Kraka Boommm!*

Hal looked to the side at Sassy,

“You’re getting into the Harem space now,” he told her but the familiar shook her head.

“I’ll fight it with you” she said.

Hal allowed himself a chuckle,

“Nah, this is a personal ordeal I have to face on my own. I will have you back outside as soon as I am done” he told her before sending her gently through the Harem space portal.

He said the last part because he knew she had no intentions of spending time in a space meant to be separate and distinct from the outside world.

She was sick of pocket dimensions for the meantime.

Once she was in the Harem space, Hal let his senses roam to be sure there was no one in the vicinity and was glad this area remained as deserted as ever.

He had Grimoire double-check as well and the results were the same.

Speaking of Grimoire,

“Grimmy?” Hal called out to it and the Artifact answered almost immediately,

“Already on it”

Cloaking and keeping Hal’s bloodline tribulations, especially considering how large and terrifying they were, out of the senses of all humans and gods was one of the most evident moments that the Artifact flexed its incredible ability.

It was also one of the most notable markers that its grade probably surpassed Divine.

Anyway, with Grimoire on task, Hal need not worry about anyone sensing his tribulation and having it cause raucous, and the fact that there was no one in the vicinity freed him to let loose.

He released a torrent of Devil energy and took on the Mid-World Devil form or at least that was what he meant to do but there was a change in the visage of his Devil form.

His horns were even larger and longer than before and there was a blue mark in the middle on his Red forehead and hence in the middle of his horns. 

Also, his original black horns were now tipped with a royal blue color that seemed to be a representation of his growing individuality with his inherited bloodline.

Hal afforded himself a second to observe the changes with the use of his Astral sense but he did not really understand the change.

Yes, his bloodline was evolving and getting stronger as it headed towards the next stage of evolution but he knew with certainty that the added colors to his visage were much more likely to be an aggressive fashion choice than a result of the evolution.

Also, he sensed that his grasp on the sliver of his mother’s Primeval Devil Authority which had actually contained an inkling of her Supreme Dao was no longer available for his use.

His Dao of Sovereignty had stripped him of that privilege and would not let him ‘cheat’ (so to speak) with another Dao.

*Bzzzzzrrrr*

*KRAKABOOM*

The tribulation let down its first violent strike but Hal was prepared. 

He had summoned Executioner which featured the change he had with his Devil form and was now sporting a mixture of blue and black veins as opposed to the usual black.

Hal swung the broad sword at the lightning strike and while it hit and shaved off a bit of the strike’s force, he was still forced a few steps back where another lightning strike descended from on high to pick up where the other had left off.

Giving Hal no time to rest but Hal did not need rest.

“Sovereign Law” he snarled and his aura spread and impacted the lightning strike before it could hit.

However, unlike a year ago, where this move had been sufficient to render the tribulation completely useless, it only lessened its impact, and the strike continued on its way…

*Kraka boooommmm*

*Bang*

Hal gritted his teeth and met the lighting strike with his broadsword Armament while his other hand wielded a weapon he had formed thickly out of Devil energy and while he was still stuck, it was nowhere near the same as before.

Also, he absorbed a lot of the energy he had shaved off the discharge of his battle with the tribulation.

He kept all that energy aside as there was no possible way he could refine it on the go right now.

All this while, Hal had remained grounded.

He had not even stretched out his Devil wings but now he did so.

The Devil wings showed an additional color to their devil red and were now tipped with blue.

With the two wide and powerful wings out, Hal took to the skies towards the very heart of the tribulation.

The tribulation crackled and it actually sounded like a rumbling and taunting laugh.

Hal would not be surprised if it indeed had been a laugh as he very much believed that his Bloodline tribulation was sentient.

That it had spent the last year packing even greater strength to render his Sovereign law not as effective as it has been a year ago.

Sure, it was still effective and the lessening of the strike’s force was paramount to Hal’s survival but reducing the force and not canceling them out instantly meant that they were still dangerous to him.

But Hal was not worried.

Even as he flew towards the heart of the tribulation to strike it right at its source and felt the scary energy that was almost crippling in its presence, Hal was not worried.

Because he was a leader.

He was facing this tribulation, not just for himself but for everyone he had ever granted abilities through his bloodline so why should they not have a say in the tribulation’s defeat?

The Bloodline tribulation was a personal curse for him to bear but his forces had every right to have their say and they would have it by charging Hal’s {Network Of Souls} ability where he would harness the loyalty his forces feel for him for a defining strike.

The {Network Of Souls} ability was a trump card that Hal hardly bursts out but now he was powering it up and congealing as much strength as he could for a magnificent release.

As he congealed all that force, he realized the entirety of the Doxon family was now under the umbrella of strength that was {Network Of Souls}.

‘Right on Time’ he thought with a smile.

The Tribulation was of course not idle. 

It was not simply observing Hal flying toward its source while being dormant. It struck down at him as hard as it could to prevent him from getting closer.

Hal coated his entire form with the commanding might of his Dao and used it passively to reduce the force behind all lightning strikes that came in contact with him.

His flight gave him an even greater edge in agility and he was twisting, turning, and dodging in all directions as he struck at the lightning strikes but his upward course never changed.

It was difficult.

An uphill battle that became more difficult the closer he got to the source of the tribulation…

*BANG!*

Hal got hit and the force behind the lightning strike, despite having been lessened by his Sovereign power, was almost as though he had been hit with a mountain.

It had gotten past the lightning-quick reflexes that had so far allowed him to hit any lightning strike with Executioner before they made contact.

He spat out blood and his chest became charred as his sternum cracked and he sported multiple internal injuries.

Hal was forced to descend but he was far too stubborn and far too prideful to be done in by just that one strike and so he gritted his teeth and flew right back up.

Forcing the regenerative/healing ability of his Devil bloodline to work even faster almost through sheer force of will.

Alas, his reaction had slowed.

He was adamant and stubborn as he strived to conquer his tribulation but he could not totally shrug off such a heavy hit.

*BANG!*

His slower reaction saw him getting hit by another lightning strike not too long after the last one….