The Dawn of the New World

When a planet awakens its World Spirit, it is automatically classified as a Class "B" or a higher entity.

There are many reasons for such a high classification but the two main ones are because:

1). An invisible barrier is created around the planet that not only shelters all of its native inhabitants, protecting them from all foreign threats be they spiritual in nature or physical, but also hides them from stronger predator species that live in the deep space.

2). A world Spirit has the ability to somehow sense the intents of all those that enter its boundary and depending on that intent, whether it is good or bad, it can suppress the different types of individuals to varying degrees.

When a being that uses any type of super/unnatural power enters a planet with an awakened world spirit, he or she automatically loses all control over their powers which for most is a huge disadvantage in combat. This is so the native inhabitants have a chance of fighting back even if they are taken by surprise.

It is both a form of passive defense and offense and is seen in every recorded awakened planet to date.

That is the reason why powerful God-Level entities classified at Class "S" and above are unable to locate or enter such planets without some extra time and preparations.

**

With a solemn expression Zou Huan turned around and started backtracking, following the inauspicious signs of the battle between the minor demon and Hao Xuan.

Meanwhile, Han Rong sat down on the muddy ground and focused all his attention on the book with the thick leather bindings once again, flipping through the pages until he reached the end of the first section where a paragraph was written in the most common language spoken throughout the known worlds.

It was written in simple words, straight to the point.

"Beings from other realms cannot enter the physical plane without permission. This is especially true in the case of Demonic beings. When they cross over, they either enter into willing hosts or take control of the dead or dying."

"They do not have physical bodies and can only 'influence' our plane through strange and mystical means. And if they are indeed able to enter the physical plane, their powers are severely crippled for a long period of time."

There was a small space after that followed by two lines that were written in dark red ink. Han Rong's anxious gaze landed on the passage, sifting through it over and over again in the hopes of finding something he had missed the first hundred times or so he had gone over it.

"The only exception to this rule is in the case of existences that are at or higher than the realm of Demonic Princes. Upon finding a pure and untainted soul, if they are successful in befouling it to the core, they can enter the physical realm in their entirety through possession and open a gate to the Underworld to allow all other entities to pass through without exception."

"In this case, the possessed should be cleansed in the presence of the council of the High Elders, and their souls be vanquished for all of eternity."

"Warning: The possessed show none of the usual signs of possession. They are unaware of the change themselves until it is too late. The only indication is the birth of the 'Puer', the immortal guardian slave of the 'chosen one' sent by the old gods."

Han Rong finally closed the book, sending it back into his storage space. His forehead was caked with sweat even in this cold weather. He got up as if in a daze and started walking towards the encampment.

"Please don't be a Puer, anything but a Puer, not right now. The council will not tolerate such a threat at this fragile time, not until the new master has been chosen," he mumbled, his heavy steps carrying him further and further.

A moment later he appeared in front of the encampment where another arrow landed right next to his foot, missing it by mere inches.

Han Rong looked up and saw the faces of the individuals staring in his direction in amusement as if this was completely normal. He could feel their bloodthirsty auras, all of them were at the top of the Spirit Realm, all twenty of them. Their bodies were brimming with Qi.

They had obviously hadn't been in a single fight, nor been touched by the blood rain. They had stayed here behind these multiple barriers, killing anyone that got close enough.

Han Rong sent out his spiritual sense and as weak as it was, he was still able to pick up hundreds of corpses buried in shallow graves all around the encampment. All killed in the last two hours.

He closed his eyes for a second before opening them again. His pupils were gone, replaced by two revolving golden discs intertwining with one another.

"Forgive me master for what I am about to do, but these beasts in human clothing do not deserve forgiveness," he muttered under his breath. His feet lifted from the ground and his body ascended into the air.

The light from his pupils became brighter and brighter until it covered the whole encampment.

Some ten seconds later the light receded into his pupils and Han Rong landed back on the ground. Everyone that was on the wall was still there, but smoke was coming out of their now empty eye sockets. One by one they fell lifelessly onto the ground, dead.

None of the barriers triggered, nor the protective formations moved.