The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 454: Deterrence Force

The people were shocked by the sudden voice and instinctively searched for its source. One by one, they looked up and saw a figure floating in the sky. The moment they recognized who it was, a collective gasp spread through the crowd. The figure had become a hot topic throughout the empire ever since his involvement in the civil war.

Moreover, it was said that he was heading to the capital to confront the second prince directly—a move that had caused the prince’s entire force to halt their operations and regroup in the capital. To some, he had already become an idol, admired for his extraordinary strength and achievements that one could only hope to replicate.

"As you know, I’m on my way to the second prince because he’s crossed a line I won’t ignore," Aldrian said. "You’ll hear what he did in the Weilmar Barony soon enough. I’ve had a score to settle with him since the day I arrived in this empire, and this time, I intend to end it."

Troops were already closing in on Aldrian from all directions. This was a large city that located near the capital, and due to the current circumstances, the military concentration here was immense. He could already sense many powerful individuals among them, ranging from the King Stage all the way to the Emperor Stage making their way toward him.

Civilians began fleeing the area in a panic as soldiers poured into the district where Aldrian hovered. They knew that if a battle broke out, they’d be caught in the crossfire and their lives could be lost in an instant.

A few moments later, Aldrian was already surrounded—three Emperor Stage cultivators, over a dozen at the King Stage, and thousands of others at various cultivation stages on the ground. The city district below was packed with soldiers, all of them seemingly prepared to fight at any moment. Various artifacts had already been drawn, their powerful auras spreading across the area.

Aldrian could see that these troops were far more battle-hardened and disciplined than those in Bermin. The look in their eyes said they were ready for combat at any second. Yet despite their resolve, he could still sense the nervousness buried deep within their hearts—the fear they tried so hard to suppress.

He observed it all with a calm expression and continued to speak.

"My problem is with him. I have no desire for an unnecessary bloodbath, so I’ll give you a choice," Aldrian said calmly. "Don’t follow the second prince’s orders to head to the capital. Stay in this city until I’m done with him, and you’ll keep your lives."

Hearing Aldrian’s words, the troops was stunned. Many even began to consider that it might be the wiser decision. But just then, the strongest among them, an old man clad in knightly armor, with cultivation at the middle Emperor Stage shouted out to the others.

"Don’t falter!" the old man roared. "He’ll kill us all after he kills His Majesty! It’s better to fight him to the death than wait like lambs for the slaughter. All units, prepare to attack!"

His voice reignited the wavering resolve of the troops. Those who had hesitated about what to do or which choice to make now steeled themselves, holding their positions firmly.

In the distance, the massive flying fortress that had previously landed outside the city began to rise again, slowly making its way toward Aldrian’s location.

Aldrian looked calmly at the white-bearded old man, sensing his unwavering determination—the kind of resolve that would let him sacrifice his life to fight until the very end. That kind of loyalty was something Aldrian respected. But right now, he needed them to lay down their weapons. He needed them to surrender without shedding blood.

It was something he had decided a few days back.

"Don’t waste your lives. You know that—"

"If he moves, attack with everything you’ve got!" the old man shouted, cutting Aldrian off mid-sentence in an effort to keep his troops’ morale from faltering.

Aldrian let out a quiet sigh, his calm gaze still fixed on the old man.

"Well, it looks like I’ll have to stain my hands with a little blood this time," he said calmly.

In the next instant, Aldrian unleashed his full aura. The air shifted—his presence became overwhelming. He had already created his domain here, and now, the power of that domain surged through him.

The sudden surge of aura and pressure could be felt by everyone in the city, leaving them shocked and instinctively trembling under its might. But Aldrian didn’t stop there, he began releasing death energy from his body.

In that moment, he no longer looked like a man—he looked like death incarnate. The aura of death seeped into the surroundings and crept toward the nearby troops, chilling them to the bone.

At last, the massive army that had seemed ready to fight him with everything they had began to show signs of collapse. Terror overtook their faces as they sensed death looming over them. Even their leader, the old man, stared at Aldrian with a look of horror.

It felt as though their very souls were being pulled from their bodies, drawn toward that strange, ominous black energy surrounding him.

Their reaction was not surprising; none of them had ever sensed or comprehended the death laws. For anyone encountering it for the first time, the experience was harrowing and overwhelming.

The energy was so terrible and ominous that it shook them to their core. For low-rank cultivators below the Baron Stage, even a brief exposure could be overwhelming. If they became too consumed by their own fear, their sanity could collapse entirely.

The death energy continued to grow became denser, darker, like a black flame trying to burn through the void itself. But this energy did not burn. It corroded. It consumed the "life" of everything it touched. Even the fabric of space seemed to ripple and distort, on the verge of collapse, as the death energy gnawed at its very layers.

The aura surged higher, expanding upward as if trying to spread death into the sky itself, casting its ominous shadow over many soldiers below.

From the perspective of the troops, it was as if they had been pulled into an illusion, one where death itself stood before them. They felt the chill of the darkness, and the moment their bodies touch that black energy, they believed they would die instantly. Not just die, but vanish into true death, one from which there was no reincarnation, only eternal entrapment in the darkness and vanish from existence.

"Arrghh!"

"Save me!"

"Have mercy!"

Panic erupted. Soldiers began to scream, collapse, or curl up on the ground, unwilling to continue the battle. Some lost control entirely, fleeing in the opposite direction as their formation crumbled into chaos. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Aldrian then stretched out his hand toward the old man, spreading his palm open. In an instant, the old man’s body was pulled forward by an invisible force, as if some unseen hand had gripped him.

Panic surged through him. His body was being drawn toward Aldrian, sucked in by a power he couldn’t resist. He tried to fly in the opposite direction, pouring energy into his escape, but it was useless.

He kept drawing closer to Aldrian’s palm, already coated in death energy, waiting, as if it eager to touch him.

Aldrian was using his gravitation laws, turning his palm into the center of a powerful pull that targeted his chosen focus. With the support of his domain’s power, he could even draw in someone as strong as an Emperor Stage cultivator.

But an Emperor Stage was still an Emperor Stage, the strongest level of cultivation on the continent. The old man was able to resist, at least partially, struggling against the pull. Yet despite his efforts, he was steadily being dragged toward Aldrian’s waiting palm.

All of the Emperor and King Stage cultivators under his command hesitated to attack Aldrian. Being the closest to him and with their high cultivation and deeper comprehension, they could feel the power of the death laws more intensely than anyone else. They felt deterred by its ominousness and the strange properties that surrounded the black energy.

"Commander, just surrender! We can’t fight him!"

"Commander, let’s stay here!"

"Commander!"

Voices of desperation and persuasion rang in the old man’s ears, shaking his resolve. He stared at Aldrian’s palm, still cloaked in that sinister death energy, while his body continued to be drawn toward it.

After a few seconds of heavy silence, he finally made his decision.

"All right! All right! We won’t move to the capital! Please, spare us!" the old man shouted.

The moment the words left his mouth, the overwhelming pressure vanished. He could move again, and without hesitation, he flew backward, putting distance between himself and Aldrian. The old man was gasping for air, sweat pouring down his face.

The death energy had dissipated completely, no trace of it remained.

The pressure is gone and atmosphere returned to normal, calm and quiet, as if everything that had just happened had been nothing more than an illusion. However everyone present knew what they had felt and seen was real.

Aldrian suddenly released his aura once more but this time, it wasn’t like before. Instead of the oppressive pressure of an overwhelming force, they felt warmth, gentle and comforting. A soft golden glow radiated from him as he bathed the troops in his energy.

Then, without a word, Aldrian vanished.

Many of the troops began to stir, as if waking from a nightmare. The warmth of the golden energy still lingered, gently pulling them back to their senses. Those who had seemed to lose their minds now appeared calmer, regaining fragments of their sanity. They looked around in a daze and confused.

"Wise decision. But there will be no next time." Aldrian’s voice echoed one last time before fading into silence.

The commander let out a sigh, relieved that his life was still intact after the ordeal. Yet as he looked toward the direction of the capital, confusion settled in his mind. What he had just experienced was truly terrifying, but it left him with questions.

"Why did he do all that? Why spare us... as if he was toying with us? What is he trying to achieve?"