C1936 The Berserk Lizard
Lying amidst a myriad of shattered stones, the Abyssal Greater Basilisk, in a state of frenzy, sprouted platinum scales across its massive form. Its split maw oozed blood and fragments of bone.
The dark hound, a visitor from the Otherworld, was mired in thick mud, its three legs barely supporting its colossal frame as it fought desperately to free itself.
The dark hound, sensing the approach of death, came to a stark realization of the immense power wielded by the cosmic giant beast in this world when in a berserk state.
Chains of sand and mud, animated by the Lizard's potent bloodline, wrapped around it densely, constricting its body like a massive python.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Numerous dark red globules of blood burst forth like fiery pools beneath the skin of the dark hound, submerged in the mud.
The tenth-level Beast God was fervently invoking its blood magic, trying to marshal its strength. Within the fiery depths of its crimson eyes, it seemed as though two worlds ablaze with flame emerged.
From within, the mournful cries of lost souls echoed from its beastly gaze.
It appeared to be linking two scorching celestial realms with its blood magic, ceaselessly drawing power from them, fueled by the flesh and blood of the beings within.
In a realm unseen by mortals, the dark hound's anguished howl claimed the lives of countless beings from the Wasteland.
These beings, mostly Otherkin resembling humans and considered intelligent life, were tragically born into the Wasteland.
Doomed from the start in a domain ruled by the King of the Monsters, their destinies were sealed—they were nothing more than slaves and sustenance for the Beast Gods.
"I never imagined the Wasteland to be home to more than just a single race of alien beasts," Yu Yuan mused, his pupils narrowing. Through the barrier of molten rock and sediment, he glimpsed another world of intelligent life within the dark hound's eyes.
Primitive and scantily clad, the Otherkin of this world with its dark red firmament prayed desperately, begging for the dark hound's clemency, clinging to a sliver of hope for survival.
On the towering stone altars, the Otherkin being sacrificed dissolved into blood, their deaths empowering the dark hound.
Yet more Otherkin, resigned to their fate, continued to leap onto the altars, fully aware of their impending doom.
It seemed that only through their sacrifice, by offering themselves to the dark hound in such a manner, could they hope to preserve the two worlds linked to the dark hound's eyes—once it broke free from the Abyssal Greater Basilisk's muddy prison and regained its strength.
Only their descendants would have a chance at survival.
"Tragic," Yu Yuan remarked, his expression somber.
The harsh reality faced by the intelligent life of the Wasteland could one day befall this world as well—if it were to be conquered.
Yu Yuan envisioned a harrowing scene where people he knew—the Starmoon Sect, the Yu family, the Skyreach Consortium, and the Starborn warriors—were forced to offer sacrifices to the dark hound in a world much like the one he was imagining.
"The Wasteland's Beast God will be a disaster that ends the world."
With resolve in his heart, Yu Yuan abruptly raised his head to look at the Dark Tower.
In the pool of silver lightning, he sensed the presence of a sealing force, but it only restricted space, nothing more.
Restrictions, walls, barriers—none could contain him, except for the wall between worlds.
He struck the Dragon Slaying Stage into the void.
A wall, invisible to the eye, unknowable to the soul, and discernible only by vitality, was effortlessly breached by the indomitable Dragon Slaying Stage.
At the point of penetration, a twisted ripple of space-time emerged, swallowing the dark light, vital energy, and cosmic energy into its collapse.
Under the astonished gaze of Hawk God Soderis, Yu Yuan, without displaying much of his extraordinary abilities, crossed a swath of the starry sky enveloped in the golden light of the Dragon Slaying Stage.
When he reemerged, he found himself next to the young creature trapped within the "cage."
The eighth-level Abyssal Winged Lizard, its remaining limbs impaled by desiccated branches, was immobilized in the "cage" constructed by Soderis.
Its eyes, once filled with regret and desolation, sparked to life with the frenzy of the Lizard and the arrival of Yu Yuan.
"I've heard your name," the weakened alien beast, not yet fully mature due to its lineage from the Lizard, spoke feebly. "A group from the Silverscale Tribe, along with members of the Skyreach Consortium and the Forgeroses, recently departed from the Aihoyari. They brought some items and conducted a trade with us."
"Two Beast Gods have also set out in pursuit of them."
"Since you're the master of the Dragon Slaying Stage, your name is... Yu Yuan, correct?"
The alien beast whimpered in distress.
"Who mentioned my name to you?"
Yu Yuan thrust the platinum Dragon Slaying Stage toward the cage imprisoning the alien beast, sending out streaks of light that shattered the withered branches.
"Her name is Yu Ying."
Once freed from the cage, the alien beast, lacking the vital energy to sustain itself, had its broken limbs floating desolately in the void, yet it still managed to respond.
Yu Yuan's expression grew somber.
The Silverscale Tribe, along with members from the Forgeroses and the Skyreach Consortium, had come to the Aihoyari Astral Domain seeking trade, intending to take a group of their people back to the Ashlands.
Unexpectedly, Yu Ying was also present and had caught the attention of two unseen Beast Gods, leaving her fate uncertain.
The Silverscale Tribe serving the Abyssal Winged Lizard met a grim fate.
Should the members of the merchant guild and the Forgeroses be caught by the pursuing Beast Gods from the Otherworld, they would likely suffer the same fate.
"You're not going to die, rest assured. As for what happens next, there's no need for you to witness it."
With those words, the alien beast, previously adrift in the void, found itself plummeting into another realm.
Yu Yuan had cast the alien beast into the interior of the Dragon Slaying Stage.
Meanwhile, due to the Lizard's frenzy, the Abyssal Leviathan, which had not yet revealed its full giant beast form, had proactively gone to confront the two other Beast Gods arriving from nearby stars.
The Abyssal Leviathan and the tenth-level Starbeast had already clashed.
"Truly worthy of being a cosmic giant beast," Yu Yuan remarked, impressed.
The state of the battlefield was clear and within his expectations. The Beast Gods from the Wasteland seemed to have underestimated the formidable power of the cosmic giant beast.
The primal blood's first generation was rare, which was their only disadvantage. In all other respects, they were overwhelmingly superior to the Beast Gods from the Otherworld.
The Lizard, now in a state of frenzy, was as he had declared, unconcerned with the survival of his bloodline's descendants.
It wasn't that he was indifferent; rather, he had ceased to consider it altogether. The Lizard's entire focus was on the fierce battle at hand.
He had his sights set on the dark hound and chose a similarly cruel method of revenge.
The dark hound's second leg was viciously torn off by the old Lizard, who then chewed on it, bloodied and raw, in his mouth.
Using the rules and blood magic at his command, he immobilized the dark hound in the mud. No matter how many sacrifices the Otherkin from the Otherworld offered, the dark hound remained trapped in the mire, helplessly howling in agony.
The Abyssal Greater Basilisk, vastly larger than both the dark hound and the Hawk God, spread its platinum scales, unleashing a torrent of violent and chaotic energy infused with the power of the Abyss.
Centered around him, a Star River Forbidden Zone akin to the Abyss took shape, marking his unique territory.
Within this self-created domain, he now battled Hawk God Soderis. Despite the relentless strikes of lightning and the rending of Soderis's talons, his frenzied giant beast form appeared to sustain no significant damage.
In his domain, the Lizard stood unyielding, savagely biting the leg of the dark hound in a display of contempt.
Meanwhile, whenever Hawk God Soderis attacked within his territory, his blood magic would slow the flow of Soderis's blood, and a well-placed lash of the Lizard's tail could shatter the Hawk God's silver-gray wings, wounding him in an instant.
In the midst of his domain, the old Lizard, now facing two adversaries, surprisingly maintained the upper hand.
Elsewhere, the Abyssal Leviathan had yet to reveal its true form, maintaining the guise of a gaunt old man. With eyes one red and one white, it emitted beams of sunlight and cold moonlight, halting the Starbeast's advance.
"Starbeast, hehe," the Abyssal Leviathan scoffed. "In this world, I've slain two ninth-level Starbeasts. I'm well-versed in the bloodline mysteries of the Starbeast."
"Starbeasts adept in wielding the power of stars and similar to the Starpierced Armor only reach their full potential amidst a constellation of stars."
"And yet, this doesn't seem to be the kind of place you favor."
In a one-on-one confrontation, the Abyssal Leviathan effortlessly inflicted wounds upon the Starbeast, maintaining its composure throughout the battle.
Yu Yuan's worries subsided.
Whoosh!
The radiant Dragon Slaying Stage released a burst of seven-colored light, preparing to engage space magic to ensure the passageway remained clear, but its effect inexplicably failed.
In the distance, the Dark Tower unleashed by the Hawk God Soderis sent out chains covered in rust, wielding the power to disrupt the void.
Yu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.
He was capable of neutralizing the Dark Tower's restraints, yet its presence hindered his plans to construct the Starway using the Dragon Slaying Stage.
The tower's looming presence heavily limited the ability to teleport through space.
This prevented him from utilizing the Dragon Slaying Stage to locate and instantly travel to the group that had departed.
