How exactly is a Calamity-class Domain born?
Tendo had seriously pondered this question more than once.
Initially, he believed a so-called "Domain" was simply a phenomenon where a Star Emissary's life stage underwent a qualitative change, allowing them to influence their surroundings with their own power and become a walking personification of a natural disaster. Essentially, it was just a crude display of power where quantity led to a qualitative shift.
However, as he encountered more Calamity-class powerhouses, he discovered that being a "Calamity" involved more than just the qualitative transformation of one's internal life stage; there were other elements involved. Yet, because the sample size was too small, Tendo had been unable to make an accurate judgment in the short term.
This changed just now, after he used his own body to personally experience the "Equivalent Domain" from Libra. He finally had his answer.
The essence of a Calamity, aside from their life stage evolving to possess an incredibly massive Star Energy value, is marked by the fact that they have reached the absolute limit regarding their respective "Star Source," or rather, within the "Domain" they occupy. The latter is the fundamental reason why a Calamity-class powerhouse can alter the surrounding environment single-handedly.
Take the current Libra, for example; he had reached his limit in his exploration of the "Exchange Domain." This allowed the objects of his exchange to no longer be limited to "tangible" things, but to extend to many intangible concepts—such as time and vitality.
The effect Libra was currently using to create a different flow of time between himself and Tendo was the result of releasing all the time fragments he had "exchanged" from countless lives over long ages into his Domain. It was a trade: using the Domain's core energy as the price to gain absolute authority over local space-time.
From this perspective, Libra, who could "buy away" the time of others, truly lived up to the title of "Longevity."
Even if one knew the nature of Libra's Domain, most people would have no way to deal with the "Equivalent Domain." But Tendo... happened not to be "most people."
Since the opponent held nearly absolute "authority" in a field they excelled in, the best solution was definitely not to fight them within that field. Instead, one had to find a way to leap out of that Domain and open a new battlefield.
As it happened, Tendo possessed exactly such a capability.
[The Pyramid Summit, Altar Plaza]
Libra's Sword of Death Qi sank into Tendo's chest, blood slowly dripping along the blade. During this process, Tendo could clearly feel his vitality "draining" away rapidly. In just the blink of an eye, his silver-gray hair even began to turn a withered ashen white, and the muscles beneath his tactical suit trembled slightly from loss of strength.
Yet, Tendo's gaze showed no hint of despair; instead, it was exceptionally bright. This was because the "Stagnant Space-Time" that appeared inescapable to others looked entirely different in the dimension he could "see."
The entire Altar Plaza was wrapped in a semi-transparent "Space-Time Membrane." The membrane was covered in Libra's law patterns. Centering on the ancient tree, these patterns wove into a massive net, with every pulse manipulating the flow of time within the area.
Within this net woven of time, Tendo's body was "entangled by countless threads." These "threads" were formless and shapeless—the illusory "Timelines." It was their existence that allowed Tendo and Libra to occupy the same space while experiencing vastly different rates of time.
Admittedly, Tendo's Vector Control could not yet change the vector direction of something as illusory as "Time." However, just as Libra had gained the ability to "manipulate time" indirectly through the "Law of Exchange," Tendo could achieve a similar degree of indirect control through other means.
For instance, Tendo only needed to change the trajectory of Libra's Star Energy flow.
Yes, Tendo could not deflect the vectors of illusory time. But the tangible trajectory of Star Energy was something Tendo could touch directly and interfere with.
"How on earth did you do it?"
Looking at Tendo, who had grabbed the Sword of Death Qi with his hand, Libra's tone was extremely solemn. They were clearly within his Domain, and Tendo's life stage had obviously not broken through to Calamity-class. Even if he possessed those "God's Eyes" that could see through the essence of everything, simply "seeing" did not mean Tendo could "do" it.
Even with his vast experience, Libra was a bit lost regarding Tendo's current method. He was both surprised and curious about the Tendo before him.
Faced with Libra's inquiry, Tendo gave a smiling explanation.
"It's nothing. I just... reversed the Star Energy you used to exchange for time."
"?!"
Libra was stunned for a moment before instantly understanding.
Reverse Technique—this was the reason Tendo could suddenly move. But even so, making the trajectory of Star Energy flow backward was no easy feat. At the very least, Libra felt that relying solely on the Star Eclipse Celestial Eye and Vector Control shouldn't make it that easy. Tendo... definitely had some secret he didn't know about.
Libra was right. Tendo's ability to crack his Domain wasn't entirely dependent on just Star Eclipse Celestial Eye and Vector Control.
Why did Tendo intentionally use his own body to feel Libra's Domain? It wasn't out of arrogance; he wanted to use the terrifying adaptability of the "Tendo Cells" in his body to memorize Libra's Star Energy trajectory in an extremely short amount of time.
If anyone else did this, it would undoubtedly be a death wish. But for the Tendo Cells, which possessed near-infinite growth and adaptation, recording Libra's unique "Star Energy Signature" and the "Star Energy Trajectory" it formed was not difficult at all.
Once Tendo adapted to and mastered this "Star Energy Signature" and "Trajectory," blending into it and using Vector Control to reverse parts of Libra's "Timelines" became a natural progression. Furthermore, in a certain sense, these "Timelines" had already become part of Tendo's body—one of his own powers.
Of course, Tendo would not share this information with Libra. As his body became more adapted to the sensation, his expression grew increasingly relaxed.
"Using the 'Law of Equivalence' to achieve an effect similar to 'Time Control'... your research into the Equivalent Domain has indeed reached a level unimaginable to ordinary people. However, just as your understanding of Equivalence is profound, my mastery over the Vector Domain has reached a certain height as well."
As he spoke, Tendo slowly pulled the Sword of Death Qi out of his chest. Simultaneously, his body began to recover at a visible rate. In just a few moments, his hair returned to a healthy silver-white, leaving no trace of abnormality.
"If I'm not mistaken, even you aren't particularly skilled at such large-scale time exchanges, are you?"
Hearing this, Libra, who had maintained a superior stance until now, showed a hint of panic for the first time. He looked at Tendo, his expression instantly turning cold.
"Noisy!"
Libra suddenly increased his movements, attempting to sink the Sword of Death Qi back into Tendo's body to kill this arrogant and—to him—somewhat terrifying "mortal."
But unlike before, Tendo, having escaped the time control, was no longer "fragile." The reappearance of the Universal Repulsion forced Libra's sword to stop half a centimeter away from Tendo's body, unable to advance even a fraction more.
"The release of any Star Energy technique requires a complete process: specifically, the transformation of Star Energy from the caster as the source into a technique. As long as one can see this process and interfere with it to a certain extent, the Reverse Technique... isn't that hard to perform. Though you've been trying your best to hide it, both you and I know very well in our hearts that this ancient tree is your true main body, isn't it? With a fixed caster and a visible Star Energy trajectory, reversing your so-called 'Stagnant Space-Time' naturally becomes logical, doesn't it?"
Hearing Tendo's words, Libra fell into complete silence, essentially acknowledging the statement. Indeed, he never thought he could hide it from Tendo from the start. What he hadn't expected was that a mere Rank 3 mortal could find a way to crack his Domain in such a short time.
What Libra expected even less was that the miracles Tendo created weren't limited to just the "Reverse Technique."
Tendo's "Vector Lock" ability—the second awakening of his Star Eclipse Celestial Eye—suddenly activated completely. In the next second, the space-time fabric of the plaza became clearly visible in his field of vision. Golden lines represented "Accelerated Time," and purple lines represented "Decelerated Time." All lines converged toward the core of the ancient tree nearby.
"Vector... Reversal."
Tendo whispered softly. Then, he suddenly exerted force, injecting his own Star Energy in reverse along the energy patterns of the "Timelines." This act wasn't a forced destruction but a precise strike into the "dead knots" of the energy flow.
Sizzle!
An eerie sound echoed from the "Timelines." The pale golden law patterns on Libra's body suddenly became chaotic, and some of his tentacles even withered due to the energy backflow. Libra let out a muffled groan as a sharp pain radiated from the law core in his chest, his eyes filled with shock.
He could feel his Domain suddenly losing control, as if something was destroying the "stage" he had painstakingly built. No, this wasn't a simple Reverse Technique.
"Impossible! How could you possibly control my Law?!" Libra roared, attempting to regain control of his Domain.
Yet, no matter how he mobilized his energy, the abnormality in his Domain did not stop; instead, it grew even more intense. In response, the "Star Orbit Patterns" in Tendo's azure eyes became dazzling, and the silver-white bangs on his forehead began to sway without wind.
It was then that Tendo revealed the truth.
"Nothing is impossible. It's just the Law of Exchange; is that so hard to learn?"
"Domain... Infinite Space-Time."
As soon as Tendo spoke, a tide of energy—similar to Libra's Law of Exchange but different—instantly surged from his body. Unlike Libra, who had directly mastered the ability of the "Law of Exchange," Tendo was using the Tendo Cells in his body to replicate the "Star Energy Signature" of the Law of Exchange to a certain degree. With the help of Vector Control, he had simulated this Domain.
This special Domain effect, a superposition of "Space-Time" and "Vector," instantly tore a hole in Libra's originally flawless Domain.
Boom!
Libra's "Exchange Domain" on the Altar Plaza shattered instantly, producing a sound like breaking glass. Immediately after, the slowed time flow around Tendo returned to normal. Simultaneously, due to the collapse of the Domain, Libra immediately suffered a backlash.
Cracks appeared in the law core on his chest, the vine wings on his back became tattered and incomplete, and previously healed wounds burst open once more, purple blood dripping down his coattails. The Sword of Death Qi pressed against Tendo lost the support of Libra's forcefield and quickly withered into ash, drifting into the air.
It was only because Tendo's current rank couldn't support him in deploying a complete "Domain: Infinite Space-Time" that he could only maintain it for a single instant. Otherwise, Tendo would have turned the tables completely and let Libra experience what it felt like to be a "mortal."
As the two domains collided and vanished, Tendo's face turned uncharacteristically pale. It was evident that deploying a Domain for even that single instant was no easy task for him.
However, though it wasn't easy, the current Tendo had already taken that critical step, with half a foot planted in the realm of Calamity. To call him a "Half-Step Calamity" was no exaggeration at all.
"What kind of monster are you?" Libra's pupils shrank, his voice carrying utter disbelief. He had never imagined that the Domain he took such pride in would be cracked so easily.
Tendo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his Star Eclipse Celestial Eye still locked onto Libra. He said with a smile, "I'm not a monster. I'm just someone who doesn't like being manipulated. Now then, since we are back on the same level, this game... should come to an end."
As he spoke, Tendo raised his hand to condense a Vector Light Blade. Although this light blade was thinner than before, it shimmered with a pure gold light. Under Libra's solemn gaze, the towering light blade slashed down through the air, landing precisely on the ancient tree behind him.
Rip!
This strike sliced right through the middle of the ancient tree that resembled a scale.
Rumble!
As the ancient tree took heavy damage, the entire pyramid and even the Island of Longevity began to shake violently. Subsequently, the mist covering the Island of Longevity and the sky above everyone's heads began to show visible "cracks." It was a scene straight out of an apocalypse.
"What's happening?!"
At the pyramid's periphery, Chen Kong and the others watched the collapsing pyramid and the shaking ground beneath them, their hearts trembling. They didn't know exactly what had happened at the summit of the pyramid, but they knew very well that this trial on the Island of Longevity might be coming to a final end.
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