Chapter 843: Zeras Is Mine

A deafening silence filled Lilian's flying ship, as neither John nor she said anything for quite some time. A sinister aura filled the ship, as John unconsciously let his aura leak out.

He had been surprised to hear that Lilian had encountered the Asura before, but that surprise turned to furious rage as he heard the rest of her story. She had only been a little girl, and had to endure so much pain and betrayal.

Not only that, but her story also hinted towards another thing; Laia's fate. Lilian had not explained how Laia had come into existence, as even she herself did not know how it was possible. She had removed half of her soul, the vibrant Dao of Life portion which had the soul-seal on it, and the Dao of Time portion.

The Dao of Time portion had been given up as well, as Lilian needed its time-warping properties to keep the removed soul alive for as long as possible, to fool her father for as long as possible. Souls would naturally fade away quickly when removed from the body, and so such a sacrifice was needed.

However, it seemed to have worked too well, and allowed the removed soul to linger on long enough for Laia to come into existence. How was such a thing even possible? Regardless of the details, one thing was for sure.

Laia had inherited Lilian's horrifying fate; the fate of being bound to the Asura permanently.

John's rage reignited as he thought of this,and his desire to eradicate Zeras, the Astral Emperor, and the Asura creature magnified a million fold. He had no real issues with the Astral Emperor before, but that had now changed. The Astral Emperor would die, and die by his hands.

"After I managed to escape, I used a flying ship I purchased from within the city to flee. With my last remaining scraps of consciousness, I entered the ship and set a random course, directly away from the Astral Empire," Lilian spoke once more, her voice soft and meek, as if telling the story had taken a lot out of her. Telling the story had also reminded her of her fate that had once been; the fate that Laia had inherited. "By the time the Astral Emperor noticed my absence, I was long gone. I woke up several months later, after my ship crashed on the Yuan Continent, and Thunderzen found me shortly afterwards," Lilian said and fell silent once more, her story fully finished.

The sinister aura continued to fill the ship, as John sat there in silence. He was leaning forward in his seat, his chin resting on his clasped hands. His murderous gaze lingered on the floor between them, so fiery as if it would burn a hole in the floor of the ship.

The silence was suddenly broken as John quickly stood up, and briskly walked towards the ship's exit.

"Where are you going?" Lilian asked, surprised to see him suddenly take action.

"I'm going to kill your fucking brother," John growled angrily, "and I'm going to make him suffer the entire time."

Flash!

Lilian suddenly appeared before him, blocking his path towards the ship's exit. John's cold gaze locked onto hers, and a frown appeared in the corner of his mouth.

"Even now, after everything you've learned, after everything you told me...you're still going to protect Zeras?" John asked menacingly.

"I'm not protecting him," Lilian replied while shaking her head, "but Zeras is not your concern. He is mine, and mine alone."

"Fuck that," John yelled at his master, causing her to be taken aback slightly. She had not expected such an outburst from him. "If it were just you, I would leave you to deal with him, but this doesn't just concern you anymore."

Surprise appeared on Lilian's face as she heard his words, which was then followed by a conflicted expression. She knew what John meant. Laia was now also revealed to be involved, and John's words were clear.

If it involved Laia, he would do whatever it took to ensure her safety, even if it meant killing Zeras, and even the all-powerful Astral Emperor.

The two stared at each other for some time, neither budging an inch.

"Can you even bring yourself to fight Zeras to the death?" John asked, breaking the silence. Based on the story, it was easy to tell that Lilian had cared for Zeras more than anyone in her life. Despite the fact that Zeras betrayed her, suppressing those long held feelings was easier said than done.

"Zeras is mine," Lilian said, her face and voice becoming resolved after a moment of uncertainty. "I will do what it takes to ensure he does not leave this realm."

John's gaze narrowed as he heard this, as if he were not sufficiently satisfied with her answer. Lilian could tell that his furious rage was burning a hole within him, and she felt comfort in that. She could tell that rage was not just for Laia, but for herself as well. Her disciple wanted nothing more than to painfully kill those who had betrayed her, and had put her through so much pain and suffering.

Lilian exhaled deeply.

"Zeras is mine," she repeated, "but when the time comes, I'll leave the Astral Emperor to you."

John's gaze flickered for a moment, and then he nodded his head in agreement. He was surprised to hear Lilian say those words, but was not too surprised at the same time. The Astral Emperor was one of the most powerful cultivators in the entire world, and their clash to the death was fast approaching.

While Lilian was a monstrous talent almost without comparison, she was still not nearly strong enough to fight against her father. If she had her previous talent before splitting herself in half, or had more time to cultivate, she would no doubt surpass him. But time was not on their side, and even Lilian knew the only hope in the battle to come was John, who even to someone as monstrously talented as Lilian, was still a few steps above. Only someone who continued to defy even the heavens itself would be able to rise up in time to face off against her father.

John's expression darkened as he thought of the battle to come. When that time came, he would ensure that the Astral Emperor regretted his decisions a thousand times over. His death would be slow and excruciating.