Chapter 201: Saint Igaris?
After the last embers of the Poison Sect guttered out, Igaris wasted no time.
He stood on the shattered plateau that once served as the Sect’s heart. All around him, the Imperial Army carried out his commands—clearing toxins, collecting cores, securing captives—but he no longer paid them any mind.
His attention turned inward.
He raised one hand, fingers tracing a circle in the air.
Space-Time Domain.
The world rippled.
A shimmering membrane enveloped him, folding reality itself into a sealed cocoon of stillness. Outside, time crawled at a snail’s pace. Inside, he stood alone beneath an endless sky of swirling galaxies and drifting constellations.
This was the sanctum where he would take the final step.
Saint.
In this place, all distractions fell away. Only the endless currents of energy mattered.
He sat in the center, drawing thousands of beast cores into orbit around him. Like moons drawn to a star, they circled him in widening rings of brilliance. One by one, their power was pulled into his core—a core now evolving beyond mere mortal cultivation.
Minutes passed. Hours. Days.
The sky outside the Domain darkened and brightened again, while inside, eternity folded over itself.
Then, at last—
Boom.
The instant his consciousness touched the Saint Threshold, a pillar of platinum light roared into the heavens. The energy was so pure it tore open the clouds for hundreds of miles, revealing a tapestry of stars never seen by mortal eyes.
His body rose, suspended by invisible hands. His flesh glowed. His spirit expanded.
This was what it meant to be a Saint—a being chosen by the cosmos itself. A sovereign over energy and fate. Someone whose will could defy natural law.
In that moment, Igaris could feel threads of destiny, golden and silver filaments drifting through the void, each connected to thousands—millions—of lives.
If he wished, he could pluck them. Cut them. Rewrite them.
But he did nothing.
He simply opened his eyes—now gleaming with an aurora that no mortal hue could describe.
Outside, the Blue Moon Empire trembled.
---
Uproar in the Sects
The first reports spread like wildfire.
> "He has stepped into Saint Rank."
> "No... they said the sky opened above him!"
> "I saw it with my own eyes! The Poison Sect’s citadel disappeared, and then he vanished into a pillar of stars!"
---
Thousand Lotus Sect
Inside a fragrant hall filled with luminous lotuses, the Sect Matriarch paced in a state of agitation. Her attendants knelt with bowed heads, afraid to look up.
"Contact every Elder," she hissed. "Prepare tribute. We cannot risk him turning his gaze here next."
"Matriarch... should we consider fleeing to the Duskveil border?"
She stopped dead.
"...We would never outrun him."
---
Misty Phoenix Sect
High on a floating palace above the emerald cliffs, the Misty Phoenix Grand Elder sat cross-legged before an altar.
"So he has become Saint."
Her voice trembled, though she tried to mask it.
"Summon every Phoenix Daughter. Have them prepare the sacred fire. If he comes... we will either greet him in worship or burn together."
---
Celestial River Sect
In a moonlit pavilion, two elders whispered in terror.
"He performed the ascension alone. Without a guide. No tribulation struck him. Do you understand what that means?"
"He has surpassed the threshold... he is no longer simply a Martial Warrior. He is a Saint chosen by Heaven itself."
"Then what hope do we have?"
They fell silent.
-
Rumors Spread Further
From distant merchant caravans to mountain hermits, the same name spread like a storm swallowing the horizon.
Igaris Vance.
Overlord. Saint. Fatebreaker.
_________________
Igaris strolled through the Imperial Garden, a tranquil haven wrapped in the embrace of gentle breezes and blooming celestial lotuses. On either side of him, Shirley and Evernight walked closely, their arms lightly brushing his as if competing for his attention.
A soft smile curved Igaris’ lips. He placed a hand on each of their shoulders, his touch warm, reassuring. The silence between them felt peaceful.
But then, Evernight’s eyes sharpened like violet blades.
"Darling," she said with a tone both sweet and sharp, "I saw several carriages arrive earlier... filled with beautiful women. What have you done with them?"
Igaris remained calm under the piercing gaze.
"Nothing," he answered smoothly. "They were sent as tributes by some of the smaller kingdoms and sects. I made them palace maids."
He paused, then added, "I intended to return them, but... most of them begged to stay. They said going back would be a death sentence. I didn’t have the heart to turn them away."
"Oh? Is that so?" Evernight tilted her head slightly, her glowing purple eyes seeming to peer into the depths of his soul.
"Of course. Why would I lie?" Igaris chuckled lightly. "Besides, do you think I’m the kind of man who’d fall for every beautiful woman I meet?"
Shirley snorted softly. "Then what about the twenty-four sisters you’re going to woo again? If you weren’t a pervert in some way, you wouldn’t have so many wives across your past lives."
Igaris sighed with a helpless smile. "Each of them had a story, a moment, a bond that brought us together. Still... I admit, I’ve always had a soft spot for beautiful women—especially ones like you two."
"Hmph. Then we’ll just have to keep a closer eye on you," Shirley huffed, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. "We can’t let you collect any more women beyond the twenty-six of us."
With a deep, heartfelt chuckle, Igaris pulled both women into his embrace. He closed his eyes, feeling their warmth pressed against him, soothing the weariness etched into his bones from countless battles.
In that moment, surrounded by peace, beauty, and affection, Igaris felt truly alive.
But the world was anything but calm.
Word of Igaris Vance’s ascension shook the world.
A Saint had risen — not nurtured by ancient clans or under the tutelage of old monsters, but forged through conquest, battle, and self-made power.
The skies above the Blue Moon Empire still shimmered with afterglow, and yet, messengers and envoys were already crossing deserts, seas, and dimensional routes to reach him.
He had become too powerful to ignore — or leave unchecked.
Then the Envoys Arrive
Atop the newly-constructed Astral Throne Pavilion, Igaris sat in solitude, garbed in flowing black-and-silver Saint robes, his eyes veiled by starlight. Below him, courtiers, generals, and Sect envoys waited in disciplined silence.
Today, he would meet the messengers of the other 4 Great Empires.
Crimson Lotus Empire
Envoy: Lady Xianye – A Supreme Elder and Lotus Saintess.
Lady Xianye descended in a lotus chariot of blood-crimson petals. She bowed gracefully before Igaris.
"The Crimson Lotus Empire rejoices at your heavenly breakthrough, Lord Vance. We offer sacred relics and hope for eternal peace between our Empires."
Her voice was soft, but her spiritual pressure probed him gently — seeking confirmation, testing depth.
Igaris met her gaze. "Peace, yes. But peace without submission is illusion. Will the Crimson Lotus kneel or stand in my path?"
She faltered — only for a blink.
Then she answered in her elegant tone,
"We kneel... only to destiny. And destiny, it seems, now wears your name."
She left shortly after, leaving behind a rare Heaven-grade Relic.
Then arrived Duskveil Dynasty.
Envoy: Prince Dhalan, Seventh Son of the Moon Throne
Prince Dhalan arrived with a procession of golden veils and misty beasts. He bowed only slightly.
"Duskveil sends congratulations... and curiosity. Your rise was unorthodox. Surely, even Saints must answer: What do you seek, Lord Vance? A throne? Or the world?"
Igaris didn’t move.
"Thrones gather dust. I seek to gather the Truth. Power is merely the key." he answered.
The Prince smiled slyly. "Then may the Dynasty observe from afar... for now."
He left behind a mirror disc that allowed limited observation across domains — both gift and surveillance.
Next: Eternal Glacier Empire
Envoy: Glacier Monk Ran-Tor, an immortal born from the Ice Spirit Spring
Tone: Cold. Humble. Deeply cautious.
Ran-Tor walked barefoot across burning land, untouched by heat, escorted by none. He bowed to the ground.
"The Eternal Glacier bows to the Saint who rose in fire. We bring no challenge, only offering. The world must shift, and we choose to shift with it."
Igaris inclined his head. "The North’s Ice is wise not to challenge the flame."
Ran-Tor left a Frozen Sky Pact Scroll, forged from ancient contracts, as a gesture of temporary alliance.
At last, Thousand Sun Empire
Envoy: General Enkar, War-Saint of the Sun Empire.
General Enkar arrived on a flaming warbeast, armor radiant, sword uncloaked.
"Thousand Sun Empire honors your power... but wonders—do you burn with true Saint’s light, or merely flicker like a passing comet?"
His tone probing Igaris’ true strength.
Silence fell.
Then Igaris rose.
Bang!
With a flick of his finger, Enkar’s flame sword shattered, and the warbeast let out a whimper.
Then Igaris sat back down.
"You’ve seen the answer."
Enkar bowed with sweat running down his spine despite his fiery heritage, and left behind Sunsteel Ingots, rare metals used only in heavenly weapon crafting.
.
...
Each envoy returned with trembling hearts and conflicting thoughts.
The Crimson Lotus prepared secret alliances.
Duskveil doubled their surveillance on Blue Moon lands.
The Eternal Glacier issued internal warnings: "Do not provoke the new Saint."
"The new Saint isn’t a Kind Saint."
Thousand Sun... began drafting war plans — and simultaneously preparing surrender clauses.
Smaller kingdoms? They had already sent tributes, daughters, Dao scrolls, even fragments of divine beasts, hoping to gain the Saint’s favor before his gaze reached their borders.
--
Igaris’ Court.
His generals kneeled. Shirley and Evernight stood behind him like shadows of judgment.
"Yout majesty, should we prepare for invasion?" someone asked.
"No. Not yet," Igaris denied.