楼上的上瘾女士

All Abstract Ordinances have ways they can assist their wielder with his or her cultivation although these means differ in effectiveness and also rely a lot on the wielder\'s personal understanding as well as different means they might have.

Take the Ordinance of death for example... It would take a very insane individual (or impressive genius depending on your viewpoint) to realize that Nether energy, while deathly and having no place in the world of the living, still contains cosmic energy just in a deathly form.

As a Cosmic Sovereign with power over Cosmic energy and the most knowledgeable about it, Hal was well aware that, as the foundation of all power, all energy was built off of cosmic energy.

All Bloodline energy has its foundation of power in cosmic energy no matter how little and that was also true for Nether Energy.

Cosmic energy is the first energy to ever exist. A direct result of the spark that started creation. When things began to form and both Order and Chaos separated into their separate area of expertise, Cosmic energy was ever-present.

Anyway,

Attempting to cultivate with Nether energy is essentially a death sentence but with the Ordinance of death and just enough understanding of the Elemental Nether Ordinance, one could avoid said death.

The opposite of this is kinda like using divine energy from a script to improve one\'s constitution and drastically improve one\'s cultivation like what Melinda did and assisted the Empress to do.

The two are not exact opposites but are close enough to make a point. Using divine energy contained in Divine script is attempting to gain direct accession into divinity while using Nether energy as Kirill had done was an indirect attempt that would give the same result.

The resulting effects of just one use though were permanent.

Kirill\'s effects showed in permanent wrinkles which had only surfaced during his illness. Before his illness and even right now, Kirill was at the prime of his lifespan and should be void of wrinkles.

For as long as Kirill lived, his cosmic energy would forever be tainted. If he decided to revert to normal cultivation, the taint will only be surface level but if he doubled down on it, then his cosmic energy would surely get closer to being Nether energy.

Hal had suspected that this was the case from the day that Kirill intimidated him with his deathly presence and at the level he now was, he could easily tell.

There was nothing the Ex-duke could know and hide from him and it had nothing to do with mind reading.

If Hal said he knew what abilities Kirill had, it was not because he had investigated thoroughly but because just by looking at Kirill he knew all that the man had in his arsenal.

Anyway, when Kirill let out his cultivation, many were surprised. They always knew he was strong but Kirill had never actually let out his cultivation to the point where the level was so evident. Especially since he had long retired from going to war.

He spent most of his time with his dual cultivating cauldrons.

In fact, for all his vocal hatred of the Sapphirine Cult, he had not actually been publically involved in combat yet. Whenever Kirill had to display his dominance, a cultivation level-vague release of pressure was always enough.

Kirill swung his spear towards Hal and more spears appeared all made up of Nether energy and powered by his deathly Ordinance. The spears formed and moved at a speed that none of the observers could follow.

Hal just waved his hand and every single one of the exploded.

*BANG!!!* *BOOOMMM!!!*

The shockwaves came down towards the structures below as they were clearly the ones who would experience the brunt of it all.

Svetlana went quickly to work along with many experts of the family to erect protective Arrays that pushed the battle upwards and protected the Palace from the shockwaves.

Kirill crossed his arms in front of his face and resisted the Pushback force from the destruction of his spear attacks but he was alert and did not let that stop him from Striking out again.

Alas, he was not allowed.

Before the Ex-duke could let loose his attack, he felt a hand on his shoulder that forced him to freeze, and then he heard a voice,

"It\'s all pointless"

Kirill\'s eyes widened. That was Hal\'s voice. Somehow, Hal had snuck up on him.

Kirill pushed away from him with the force of his cultivation pressure but just when he thought he had put distance between himself and Hal, he was smacked in the face by a backhand.

No amount of cultivation strength or strong constitution or sturdy body could help Kirill gain a hold of himself and then he smacked into a Royal blue Array wall that sent him ricocheting back towards Hal who met him with a blow he could not avoid.

"A single halo means nothing," Hal said and he grabbed Kirill\'s black hair to pull him back just as the blow was sending him flying.

With a strong grip on Kirill\'s hair, Hal smacked the Ex-duke on an Array platform he created. Whatever punishment he planned to deal to Kirill, Hal planned to limit the range to just above the skies of the palace. Let every Doxon behold the beatdown.

"Let go of my hair, you bastard!" Kirill snarled and black nether lines began to appear all over his face only to extend to his arms and legs. Every visible skin was marred by the lines and it definitely boosted Kirill\'s strength.

The Ex-duke slammed the butt of his spear into Hal\'s stomach and as Hal let go of his hair, Kirill took up and aimed to thrust his spear through Hal who smacked the spear aside.

A spatial rift appeared suddenly and swallowed the head of the spear. It closed up around it and cut it off right when Hal summoned his Sword Cosmic Armament for the first time in so long.

The sword was blazing with devilish Phoenix flames and the flames blazed ever brighter even as the sword went through Kirill\'s shoulder.

"Ahhhhhhh" Kirill yelled but even as he did, he pulled away so that the sword was taken out of his shoulder and then revealed a stealth attack plan of his.

A black-and-grey cosmic skill circle appeared beneath Hal. The skill was of Kirill\'s own creation and it summoned Nether energy from the Nether realm in the form of undead hordes.

The presence of the hordes had everyone in the Doxon Duchy Palace and even some beyond shivering with a deathly chill.

Kirill who had stopped his bleeding was all smiles. His hordes could be destroyed but not by average means and not before they do a good bit of damage.

Simply having an Ordinance was not even enough to get rid of the hordes because they were not just constructs of Ordinances but products of a realm on par with the cosmic realm itself.

As the hordes crawled out of the skill circle, Hal walked forward and through them while saying,

"Hush now, crawl back to your little hole"

And that was exactly what they did.

Every single one of the scrambled back through the skill circle that doubled as a portal with each one of them striving to be the first one through.

There were too many variations of authority that Hal had that it did not matter which one he used, he would still have control over the Nether beings.

Kirill\'s mouth opened wide and to that, Hal just smiled,

"As I said, a single Halo is nothing"

"W-" Kirill began to say but was interrupted by a blow to the face.

*BAM!*

Hal had now combined his disjointed Astral constructs (The wall and the platform) into a transparent Royal blue sphere of Astral energy within which the following ensued.

*BAM!*

"You\'re too prideful."

*BAM!*

"Nghh, look who\'s talking" Kirill groaned and retaliated, or at least he tried to but found it was an impossible task to accomplish when he got stabbed by a phoenix feather that promptly exploded in a devilish blaze.

*BANG!!*

"Indeed, I am also prideful but I am supposed to be prideful. Meekness does not suit my Sovereign might" Hal replied with a chuckle and a twinkle in his eyes as he grabbed the ricocheted body of Kirill and delivered a blow to his ribs.

*CRACK!*

"Arghh," Kirill yelled and then spat out blood before he said,

"How narcissistic of you to claim Sovereign might"

"And how foolish you look to debate my might with how battered and bruised you have become by my hands." Hal retorted and then proceeded to punch Kirill in the face a few more times.

"The reason you so adamantly reject the idea of my Cult or my reign is because you believe my ideals and plans do not line up with yours.

You\'ve felt that way since that day on the mountain. You used my name for your faction against your sons but would never actually consider me as Duke unless you can ascertain that I am truly under your control.

Your instinct is to resist... To fight because every second that goes by reinforces how impossible it is for you to control me.

But Kirill, there\'s nothing to fight for anymore.

Your family is mine. The Duchy is mine.

The reign of the Harons that you prefer is getting torn down and is doomed."

As soon as Hal stopped speaking, he stretched his hand and summoned his trident which he thrust through Kirill\'s chest so hard that the three prongs all emerged from the Doxon man\'s back.

The middle Prong cut right through Kirill\'s spinal cord.

The spark of life was almost instantly snuffed.

Hal killed Kirill Doxon... For three seconds.

When he pulled out the trident, the wounds healed and the Doxon man was opening his eyes to a new life. A life of servitude to the Sapphirine Prince.