Divine Path System Chapter 1761 1761: Rebirth

Sarah, Enigma, Isadora, and Aurora dashed to his side, forming a protective perimeter as they gazed up at the fracturing sky.

An immense aura surged forth.

It was the old man, Equilius, who had remained elusive despite all of Varian’s efforts to track him down. He was the sole individual left who could be considered a true 'enemy' in the classic sense.

Equilius stood there, his eyes locked onto Varian with a twisted, ecstatic grin. "This is your destiny, Varian. Your demise has been scripted by my own hands. That is precisely why this moment has come to pass."

The suffocating aura of a high rank 2 descended upon the world. Varian’s wives braced themselves, pouring every ounce of their strength into repelling the crushing pressure.

Even so, the stray wisps of power that bypassed their defense were nearly lethal. Varian collapsed, coughing up blood, as the unmistakable stench of death clouded his senses.

He could practically see the lady of death extending her arms, waiting to pull him into her final embrace.

"Oops!" Equilius abruptly withdrew his pressure, leaving the women baffled. "I realized you must be weakened, but a celestial?"

Amusement flickered across the face of the former Nexus leader as he continued. "I pilfered those treasures from the palace and bided my time until I reached high rank 2 to track you down. I was terrified I might perish before I could claim your life. After all, I let my chance slip away when you were incapacitated following that battle."

'You old bastard!'

Varian had suspected him of being the culprit in the aftermath of the clash with the God Emperor. The rat had hidden away while Varian was at his peak, only to emerge when he was most vulnerable.

'I should have tracked him down and crushed him sooner.'

Equilius descended from the heavens, grounding himself mere paces from them.

The women remained alert, shielding Varian in their midst. They were all low rank 2, save for Aurora, who was stuck at peak rank 1.

Having only recently achieved their breakthroughs, they could fend off a mid rank 2, but challenging a high rank 2 was entirely beyond their reach.

Victory was impossible. Sarah and Isadora desperately scrambled for a strategy to guarantee Varian's escape.

However, any maneuver was fraught with peril; the sheer blast radius of even minor combat would shatter a rank 1 celestial a thousand times over.

Equilius ignored the women entirely, locking his gaze onto Varian's eyes, as if piercing through to his very soul. "It seems even if I don't strike you down, you are crumbling away on your own. But that won't suffice. I demand to be the one who ends you."

As he took a step forward, Sarah and Isadora moved to intercept.

"Authority of Hortus," one of them whispered.

A crushing weight fell from the sky, slamming into Equilius and dampening his aura significantly. While he was no longer at full high rank 2 strength, he remained far more powerful than any mid rank 2.

Yet, the women saw an opening—not to slay Equilius, but to sacrifice themselves to ensure Varian’s safety.

"Go!"

Sarah and Isadora erected a radiant shield.

A brilliant fusion of golden light and suffocating darkness manifested. The forces of order and chaos coalesced, fueled by the forbidden region of Hortus itself, reinforcing their barrier.

It was a perfect synthesis of order and chaos.

Varian had spent considerable time mastering these dual powers during their moments of synergy, and now, that hard work served a vital purpose.

Meanwhile, Sia began constructing a space channel. Under normal circumstances, it would be instantaneous, but the fragility of a celestial ranker forced her to be agonizingly slow and precise.

Aurora guarded Varian, absorbing the shockwaves of the colliding auras. Even with the shield blocking the brunt of the assault, the residual energy was punishing for a rank 1.

To make matters worse, she had to shelter a weakened Varian, rendering her unable to contribute to the offense or defense.

Enigma moved to support them all, patching holes in their formation and fortifying the efforts of Sarah, Isadora, Sia, and Aurora whenever needed.

"None of you can stop me."

Crack!

A fissure appeared on the dark golden barrier, and Isadora paled as blood trickled from her lips.

Her jaw set, she refused to buckle. Pouring everything she had into the shield, she held firm.

Equilius fired off brilliant blue beams, pummeling the barrier at a rate of millions per minute.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The rhythmic, thunderous intensity hammered their resolve.

'Varian!' Relief washed over Sia as the space channel neared completion.

Before she could act, Equilius let out a roar.

"Don't you dare!"

Boom!

He channeled his full might, warping the 'order' of Hortus and destabilizing the very fabric of space.

The channel shivered violently, cracks webbing across its surface as volatile space currents bled in.

Under normal conditions, it might have been navigable, but for a celestial rank 1, it was suicide.

"This is destiny," Equilius sneered, his face distorted beneath the glow of the blue beams. "I stopped seeking revenge. I only wanted to survive. After all, who truly defeats the ruler of Eden? He destroyed Ophion with a single glance."

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The shield fracture count intensified.

Sarah and Isadora were covered in wounds, their movements sluggish, their vitality fading.

Crack! Swoosh!

A jagged beam tore through a gap in the shield, hurtling directly toward Varian.

"No!"

Enigma, broken and bloodied, threw herself into its path. Her arm disintegrated into a crimson mist, yet she didn't utter a sound.

Still, the energy beam pressed on, destined for Varian behind her.

In a desperate move, Enigma caught the attack with her own body, intent on suppressing it internally.

The agonizing pain must have been immense, but she remained silent. Her body convulsed as the trapped power tore her flesh apart from within.

Her warm blood splattered across Varian’s face; the heat of it made his heart feel deathly cold.

His original strategy had been to gather more strands of power, ensuring survival before attempting any repairs. He hadn't known if he would succeed, but now, he cast all hesitation aside.

Varian funneled every strand into his origin. They would either all survive or all perish together.

Crack! Crack!

The shield hung by a thread, on the brink of total collapse.

"I told you—it is destiny," Equilius crowed in triumph. "I would never have stumbled upon Hortus at any other time. But with the universe crumbling, Hortus’ concealment has faltered. Even then, if I hadn't locked onto Varian's aura when he was wounded, I wouldn't have traced him across the vast cosmos. Even better, he has squandered all his power, unable to even withstand the fallout."

What else could it be?

"Destiny! This is his ultimate fate! The universe itself demands it!"

Boom!

The shield shattered. Sarah and Isadora were blasted back, sprawling beside Varian.

Sia snatched him up, attempting to shove him into the damaged channel, but a blue beam descended from above, vaporizing the arm that held him.

Enigma and Aurora attempted a rescue, but the channel itself took a direct hit and collapsed.

The concussive force knocked Aurora unconscious.

Enigma stood tall, raising her arms to shield Varian one last time.

"Futile." Equilius shook his head, but his eyes caught a glimpse of Varian’s gaze: cold, indifferent, and burning with unquenchable fury.

It sparked three distinct emotions within him.

There was the old, familiar fear that had haunted him for years—the fear stirred by the very mention of Varian’s name.

Then came rage—hatred toward the man who made him feel so weak.

Finally, a burning desire to trample the one who inspired such petrifying terror.

Equilius was stunned; despite the situation, Varian showed no signs of despair.

That wouldn't do. Simply killing him wasn't enough. He needed to crush his spirit, to force him into absolute despair, and only then would he end him.

He looked at Enigma with a mocking grin. "If you abandon him, I will spare your life. There is no one left to hold you accountable. The world is ending regardless. Cherish whatever time remains. Look around you, everyone else has fallen. Don't waste your life; step aside, and I will keep my word."

After a brief moment, Enigma stepped aside and retreated behind Varian.

Equilius erupted into thunderous, triumphant laughter.

"Look at that, Varian! Even your own woman forsakes you! She flees the moment you are at your weakest and closest to death. Does it sting?"

He radiated glee, searching Varian’s face for proof of despair.

Instead, he found only cold rage and a flickering hint of… amusement.

Only then did he realize that Enigma had retreated to a safe distance, carrying the other women with her to begin healing their wounds.

"You old bastard, it was I who told her to stand back," Varian said, stepping forward.

The slivers drilled into his origin, and the shattered core trembled.

The fragments were drawn back together, snapping into their proper places with absolute precision. Every scratch vanished; every crack sealed.

His origin returned to a pristine, perfected state.

And with a jump, his power surged—from celestial rank 1 all the way to divine rank 1.

Equilius’ face went deathly pale, and he lunged forward, desperate. "No, no, no! This is destiny!"

Boom!

Before Varian could even resist, a strike tore his body into pieces.

A smile lit up Equilius’ face, but it vanished instantly as the shredded remains of Varian coalesced and reformed.

This time, his aura was already vibrating at low rank 2.

"You…" Equilius’ face hardened, and he poured every last drop of his essence into a final attack.

Since a low rank 2 Varian could rival mid rank 2 threats, Equilius burned his own life force to power the strike.

For a fleeting second, he bypassed the restrictions of Hortus, delivering a blow equivalent to a high rank 2.

Varian simply raised his hand. His paths evolved rapidly into mid rank 2, and he casually swatted Equilius’ strongest attack into oblivion.

"Destiny?" Varian stepped closer, his eyes crackling with brilliant light.

The old man’s eyes went vacant, despair drowning his very soul.

"I decide my own destiny," Varian declared, clenching his fist.

Equilius gasped, but he didn't struggle. In his final moments, he simply laughed.

"Those two… they never should have underestimated you."

He vanished, discarded like dust.

Just like that, Equilius was dead.

Varian turned to his wives, his aura stabilizing at the peak of rank 2.

With a single gesture, their wounds knitted together, and their vitality was restored to its peak.

"You're back!"

The five dove into his arms, sobbing with relief.

They had trusted him, but the agony of the wait had been nearly unbearable. They had hidden their fear, refusing to add any unnecessary pressure to his shoulders.

Now, they could finally let it all out.

"Yes, I'm here," Varian smiled softly, turning his gaze toward the heavens, his sight piercing through the barrier of Hortus.

Beyond Eden, through the Virgo cluster and across vast galactic expanses, into the dark void where only shadows thrived, he saw the faint echoes of the battle those two had left behind.

Varian allowed himself a small smile.