C1118 Like the Lid of a Coffin
The Ionodios, shaped like a goose egg, was encircled by a wall as pale and cold as jade, with a deep chill and penetrating ice light.
At that moment, the icy wall began to shimmer with dense, mysterious inscriptions. The dark green script, fine as swarms of minuscule letters, spread across the wall of the Ionodios, transforming the Domain's luminescent barrier into the same dark green hue. The inscriptions writhed over the wall like living things, relentlessly consuming the marks left by Blood King Sabonis.
The Ghoul King observed for some time before noticing that the wall of the Ionodios had entirely shifted to a bronze tint. "Doesn't it resemble a coffin lid?" The Abyssal Leviathan, now in human form, spoke with a seemingly light tone laced with mockery. However, the Ghoul King, well-acquainted with him, recognized the underlying distress.
"It does," the Ghoul King admitted with a wry nod, adding, "I think I've seen these inscriptions somewhere before."
"In the vast expanse of the Moonfall Sanctuary within the Everlands, the Sky Fiend Indigo Wraith once transformed a monument into his demonform," the Abyssal Leviathan explained with nonchalance, as if privy to all secrets. "Ultimately, Indigo Wraith pledged allegiance to that individual, and naturally, the bronze monument he had assimilated was surrendered without protest."
The Ghoul King's demeanor shifted at the revelation.
Narrowing its eyes, the Abyssal Leviathan murmured, "I foresaw this outcome when Blood King and Grec collaborated to slay the guardians here, and Grec seized the chance to infiltrate the Moonfall Sanctuary, wreaking havoc."
The Ghoul King, once a denizen of the Everlands and now under the Abyssal Leviathan's command, listened attentively.
"You truly don't understand Boulderdawn, nor the nature of its members," the Abyssal Leviathan said with a low chuckle. "It's not just you; Sabonis and Grec are also ignorant about Boulderdawn. After all, they weren't even born when the God-Kings dominated the Star River."
"Having never encountered the members of Boulderdawn, they're unaware of the grave offense they've committed and the bloody retribution that awaits. By daring to disrupt Boulderdawn's grand scheme in the Hellmouth and committing slaughter in the Moonfall Sanctuary, Grec and Sabonis have sealed their fate to be meticulously counterattacked by Boulderdawn."
The Boulderdawn Sect has returned to assert their dominance and remind the myriad races of the Star River of their once formidable reputation. Naturally, they must take action.
After a brief pause, the Abyssal Leviathan drew in a chilly breath, shaking his head in relief. "Thankfully, I understand them, and I understand Taishi!"
Within the internal world of Ionodios, Yu Yuan gazed up at the sky in astonishment, observing the dense array of black and green inscriptions that filled the wall, obliterating the traces of Sabonis's ice energy.
The familiar inscriptions instantly brought back memories of his time in the Moonfall Sanctuary. He recalled the figure in the bronze coffin, summoning the Indigo Wraith, the Stormcrowned Emperor, and the White Walker, shattering the seal of the Everlands and bursting into the Infinite Galaxy. That moment was etched into the deepest recesses of his soul.
Before departing the Everlands, that figure had left him a message, urging him to cherish life and expressing hope that he would achieve his desires in this lifetime, promising a day of reunion.
As the inscriptions reappeared, the Altar of Rebirth within him reverted to its original state.
The Demon God Grec, housed within his own body, now seemed constrained by the new laws of this realm, rendering him unable to affect Yu Yuan any longer.
What President Lyi and Jun Chen could not accomplish was effortlessly managed by the Demon God.
Such is the gulf between the pinnacle of the Unbound and a God-King!
Each God-King is a supreme cultivator of the primordial spirit, and a vast and unbridgeable divide separates the Unbound from the realm of the primordial spirit.
"Could it be him?"
Yu Yuan turned his gaze to Tian Zang, the Indigo Wraith, and the Stormcrowned Emperor.
Each individual he looked at responded with a subtle nod.
"Taishi!"
The Blood King Sabonis, along with the Demon God Grec, watched as the wall underwent a dramatic transformation, as if becoming a bronze coffin lid that enveloped Ionodios, their expressions turning grave.
President Lyi sat with a dignified and composed demeanor, neither sorrowful nor joyful.
Jun Chen, the first counselor, upon seeing the wall teeming with inscriptions that writhed like living entities, glanced at President Lyi and felt reassured by his own conjectures.
Chen Qinghuang, within the Deathwing Lair, reverted to her normal size.
She still donned her dragon robe and imperial crown, no longer embodying the towering Divine Visage with three heads and six arms.
She seemed to understand that once he had intervened, there was no longer any need for her to act. Whether it was the encroaching darkness or other hidden forces, they would all be scattered.
Yu Yuan turned to Tian Zang and asked, "Is it he who seeks to borrow the sword?"
"What else could it be?"
Tian Zang huffed and shot Chen Qinghuang a dissatisfied glare. "With him wielding the sword, the Blood King and Grec, even the Abyssal Leviathan, would likely all meet their end. Now that the sword hasn't returned, it's possible that only one of the Blood King or Grec will perish. It's somewhat regrettable, though."
"Only one will die?" Yu Yuan was astounded.
Beings like Sabonis and Grec, pinnacle warriors among the Otherkin, were equals to the primordial spirits and Dark Deities of the human realm. It was nearly impossible for even one to fall over hundreds or thousands of years.
Yet, judging by Tian Zang's demeanor, one of them was destined to die!
Having escaped the confines of the forbidden area and shattered the vast expanse of the Everlands, recognized by the five highest powers as the greatest Evil Demon of the Everlands, had he grown so powerful in the extraterrestrial Star River?
"Taishi, the God-King!"
Beru, Zhongli Dapan, Green Willow, and other formidable beings gasped in awe as they scoured the surroundings.
—But they discovered nothing unusual.
Yu Yuan, along with all the intelligent life of this realm, scanned the horizon, eager to pinpoint the whereabouts of the legendary God-King.
Until...
The land, ravaged by brutal combat, suddenly acted like a vast black sponge, swiftly soaking up the Absolute Darkness that had spread across five-sixths of the territory in mere moments!
The fissured earth, the shattered peaks, and the toppled palaces were all bathed anew in light!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The earth continued to rip apart, revealing even more profound chasms!
The rumbling and roaring from beneath the surface sent shivers down everyone's spine, leaving them anxious about what might unfold.
Beneath a pile of debris, Yu Yuan caught a glimpse of something greenish-black.
He smiled silently to himself.
Indeed, with the bronze monument revealed, the coffin that was once part of it couldn't possibly be far off.
Beneath the fractured earth, a bronze coffin hidden deep within Ionodios began to reveal itself!
He had previously encountered this bronze coffin in the forbidden area and had witnessed it ascend to the heavens, soaring into the depths of the Star River.
Now, seeing it again, the bronze coffin had secretly filled the subterranean realm of Ionodios, becoming its very foundation!
All of their activities took place upon the bronze coffin! They engaged in battles, cunning schemes, and intricate plots.
Yet, as the truth slowly came to light and everyone realized that they had been under his control from the start, some were thrilled, while others were filled with dread and unease.
"Taishi's bronze coffin!"
"He has always been in Ionodios, hidden by that enigmatic coffin, which concealed all signs of his presence!"
"The entire Ionodios is like a colossal coffin! We've been moving within it, constantly under his surveillance and in his grasp!"
"The Blood King, Grec, along with those Warpbeasts and Ghouls, are nothing but a farce!"
The Otherkin who had accepted the Skyreach Consortium's invitation to converge from the vast Star Rivers, and those still alive, were both elated and resentful.
They all felt like pawns of Taishi, mere bait on a hook, used to lure the Blood King and Grec.
The frustration of being kept in the dark, manipulated like puppets, and mocked as fools was overwhelming. They longed to confront Taishi for answers.
But they lacked the courage and the audacity...
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Countless beams of blood red light struck the newly inscribed Wall, yet not one could break free.
The blood light coalesced back into the form of the Demon God Grec. He glared down at Ionodios, watching as the massive bronze coffin slowly emerged from the ground, the gravity of the situation deepening in his dark red eyes.
