C1626 The Cruel Reality

The greeting they exchanged seemed to be a unique custom of the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone.

A platinum Shura and a Sky Fiend Demon God, upon encountering the Abyssal Leviathan and Yu Yuan, mistook them for humans, unaware of their true strength and origins.

Intent on dealing with the humans from the Ashlands, they manipulated the Sea of Bones, clearly ready to deliver a deadly blow.

"You two have quite the nerve."

The Abyssal Leviathan advanced to meet their challenge, instantly appearing within their striking distance, and let out a menacing laugh.

Boom!

A storm of lightning and thunder erupted from the depths of the Abyssal Leviathan's crimson and pearly white eyes.

The brilliance of the sun and the chilling moonlight fused into orbs of scarlet thunder and icy white blades.

Hundreds of transformed specters were drawn into the Abyssal Leviathan's eyes, forged from the sun and moon, where they were destroyed.

What chance did the specters, born from the ninth level Demon God's remnant souls, stand against him?

As tendrils of smoke drifted from the corners of his eyes, he effortlessly dissipated the Demon God's soul-based assault.

With a sudden stomp, he sent droplets flying from a puddle at his feet.

Each droplet, upon leaving the puddle, swelled to the size of a whale, devouring vast amounts of cosmic energy and transforming into behemoth sharks, sea lions, pegasuses, water elephants, and crocodiles that pulverized the bones into dust.

A legion of sea creatures, akin to the progeny of the Abyssal Leviathan, swiftly overran the Sea of Bones, surging towards the lion's head where the Demon God and the platinum Shura took refuge.

Strands of water's essence materialized as luminous chains, forcibly converting the Sea of Bones into a vast aquatic realm.

It became a world of water under the dominion of the Abyssal Leviathan.

"Cosmic giant beast!"

"Abyssal Leviathan!"

The platinum Shura and the ninth level Demon God cried out in shock, realizing they had hit an insurmountable obstacle.

"This is a misunderstanding!"

The ninth level Demon God emerged from the lion's eye socket, her pale purple specter swiftly coalescing into a delicate and slender woman. With eyebrows etched in fear, she explained, "My name is Jillian, of the inner demon lineage from the Star-Spawned Terror. We mistook you for a human, and so..."

Her mind was a whirlwind of panic as she introduced herself, clearly aware of the Abyssal Leviathan's reputation.

They were also acutely aware that in the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone, cosmic giant beasts were as formidable as Sky Fiends.

"My name is Entwistle of the Shura. I parted ways with the Shura because I couldn't see eye to eye with the Great Commander, Alonso."

Upon realizing that the gaunt elder before him was the Abyssal Leviathan who had fled the Everlands, the Platinum Shura quickly tempered his attitude and responded with caution, "There's been significant turmoil in the Ashlands. It's become increasingly perilous, prompting our hasty departure."

"Furthermore..."

Entwistle, the Platinum Shura, continued with a touch of embarrassment, "I've heard that Alonso is dead. The constant scrutiny from certain individuals in our tribe is no longer a concern for me. The Shura need me to return and consolidate our forces. I intend to persuade our king to let me assume Alonso's role, leading our young warriors and humans into battle."

He had been in the Ashlands for far too long, oblivious to the recent upheavals in the cosmos.

He assumed the Abyssal Leviathan, having been confined in the Everlands for years, harbored deep resentment towards the humans and archdemons there. Thus, he proposed leading the Shura warriors into combat against the humans to curry favor with the Abyssal Leviathan.

"There's no need to bother convincing Sabonis..." The Abyssal Leviathan said with a sly grin. "It seems you two have indeed spent many years in the Ashlands."

While speaking, he noticed Yu Yuan had also casually made his way over.

"Don't fret, the two of you pose no threat."

He gestured to Yu Yuan to simply observe, as he would handle everything else.

Yu Yuan was at ease, "Go ahead, I trust your judgment."

"Your king was killed by Loong Jie of the Everlands, and the Dark Realm has fallen," the Abyssal Leviathan disclosed the harsh truth, smiling at the Sky Fiend who called herself Jillian. "Sabonis's demise was also sanctioned by Demon God Bertain. His own foolishness led him to defy the Demon God's will repeatedly, so it's no surprise he wasn't spared."

Jillian and Entwistle felt as if their souls had petrified upon hearing his words.

They hadn't ventured out of the Ashlands in a long while, leaving them oblivious to the seismic shifts occurring in the outside world.

It was baffling—why had the Star-Spawned Terrors and the Shura, once steadfast allies of the Everlands' human inhabitants, suddenly become adversaries?

"Impossible! Our king cannot be dead!" Entwistle struggled with the notion, shaking his head in agony. "I only heard from a newcomer that Alonso had fallen. I refuse to believe that Loong Jie from the Everlands could defeat our king. I just can't believe it!"

"You're too young to understand. The golden dragon was once the Shura's nemesis," the Abyssal Leviathan explained.

As it spoke, sea creatures formed from water droplets encircled Entwistle, a member of the Shura.

The skull of the Golden Lion King from Shadow's Keep was dripping with water, each droplet seemingly ready to transform into a sea beast at a moment's notice.

"Jillian of the inner demons, did you flee to the Ashlands because you couldn't bear being subordinate to Mitts after losing to him?" The Abyssal Leviathan seemed to know it all, deducing the truth from Jillian's identity and her status as a Demon God.

"Mitts..." Yu Yuan's lips curled slightly as he pondered why the Star-Spawned Terrors of the inner demons preferred a feminine guise after the devil soul's transformation.

"That's one way to put it," Jillian murmured.

"I need to understand what's happening within the Ashlands."

Without giving Jillian and Entwistle further time to ponder, the Abyssal Leviathan stepped onto the mystical puddle and entered the watery expanse it had conjured.

Once inside, all the sea beasts reverted to massive droplets, exerting a crushing aquatic force.

Despite their weakened state, Entwistle and Jillian's display of their giant beast prowess was formidable. However, they were now ensnared, unable to break free from the Water Domain, at the mercy of their captor.

"The secular bird has arrived, wreaking havoc within the Ashlands. She has sought out and slain many of the realm's most formidable beings."

Jillian, in her female form, seemed to shiver as she spoke. "Deep within the Ashlands, many forbidden areas have unleashed great catastrophes. Warriors from various races who sought the secrets within were inexplicably slain."

"A darkness is spreading, slowly engulfing living creatures."

"Moreover, in a place where lost souls wail, a mysterious river has emerged. It appears to be the Root of the Lunar Meridian from the Everlands, empowering numerous spirits."

"..."

Jillian reported the alarming transformations within the Ashlands.

Yu Yuan silently acknowledged her words, realizing that Demon Lords like Tan Xiaotian, Youyu, Yan Qiling, Xuanli, and others had indeed been transported to the Ashlands by the Origin Deity.

The fact that the Origin Deity's power could infiltrate the Ashlands was unexpected.

The Ashlands, already a maelstrom of chaos, was further destabilized by the emergence of these individuals and the carnage wrought by the Secular Bird Queen, resulting in utter pandemonium.

This was the reason why both Entwistle and Jillian were gripped by fear and dared not linger any longer.

"Thank you."

After hearing the account, the Abyssal Leviathan nodded with a contented smile and suddenly revealed his colossal form.

The emerald Abyssal Leviathan pressed down on the skull of the Golden Lion King and a pile of shattered bones, causing the demonform head refined by Jillian to burst instantly.

With its gaping maw, the leviathan inhaled forcefully, drawing Jillian and Entwistle into its mouth with the current.

Jillian, of the inner demon clan, was swept into his oral cavity like a soul cascading down a waterfall, sliding into his gut.

Entwistle, of the Shura clan, was chewed a few times upon reaching the leviathan's mouth.

The chilling sound of bones cracking emanated from within, as if he were crunching on small fragments of bone...

Yu Yuan watched with an odd expression, "Have you grown accustomed to this?"

"I only indulged them in conversation because I needed to transform their territory into a Water Domain under the control of my bloodline, which takes time."

Before reverting to human form, the Abyssal Leviathan opened wide and inhaled once more, consuming the Sea of Bones.

Back in the guise of a gaunt elder, he picked at his teeth with a spike, remarking, "I've sustained grave injuries. To heal, both my body and soul depend on a dense supply of energy."

"The ninth level Demon God and the flesh-rich platinum Shura are delectable fare. Why should I hold back?"

"In the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone, it's either kill or be killed. Those are the rules."

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