Three and a half years later

Dark Moon Province, Mooneclipse City

Mooneclipse City was a prosperous metropolis, especially after the Dark Moon General relocated the capital there. It was now the administrative center of the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents, with resources from all regions converging upon it.

To the east lay Serc Harbor, where a tributary of the Shepherd’s River flowed toward Suinhor and connected to the southern five territories.

Occupying a quarter of the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents’ land, these five territories had previously provided nearly a third of its fiscal revenue.

Therefore, when they declared independence to form the Southern City-State Alliance, the blow to the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents was unimaginable.

To the south, beyond the vast and endless dark forests, stretched the Great Serpent Road. This commercial route to Suinhor had once been a frequent path for the herding tribes’ southern raids. To the west lay the mouth of the Shepherd’s River, which served as another vital harbor for the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.

The new capital’s prosperity surpassed anything seen before and could even rival the grandeur of the former Fort Pence.

The Dark Moon Province, once devastated by famine and refugee crises, was slowly beginning to recover its strength and vitality.

Inside the bright administrative hall, the Dark Moon General was reviewing documents.

With his neatly groomed beard and hair, he looked less and less like a general and more like a scholar or a nobleman.

The administrative hall was no longer located within the royal palace. Following systematic reforms, the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents and its royal household had gradually become merely symbolic.

The true position of power had become that of the High Executive Officer.

The Dark Moon was not just the High Executive Officer. He continued to serve as a general as well, combining both military and political authority.

Beneath the High Executive Officer were the council and various chambers, and below them were the executive officers of the major provinces.

The provincial executives were appointed directly by the central authority, while officials within each province were appointed by the provincial executives themselves.

The overall system was largely modeled on that of the Land of Sunrise.

Although the Dark Moon introduced some changes, he chose not to implement the election system used in the Land of Sunrise. Instead, he appointed officials recruited from various regions.

The general’s command primarily included the commanders of three standing Alchemy Corps and various local garrison troops.

As he looked at the reports from various provinces, the Dark Moon General’s expression grew pleased.

“Finally, we have a new look!”

Mooneclipse City was the Dark Moon’s birthplace, and the newly named Dark Moon Province was derived from his name.

The lower classes in this region were filled with his supporters, a crucial factor in his decision to establish the capital here.

Thanks to the Abyss Cult’s two plans, the Son of Wrath project had not only helped the Dark Moon escape his predicament but also gain control of the situation.

The disaster brought by the Son of Gluttony project had completely destroyed the original system in the Dark Moon Province. The resulting refugee crises cleared obstacles for the Dark Moon’s subsequent national policies.

In some ways, the Abyss Cult was not an adversary to the Dark Moon. They were, instead, his greatest benefactors.

Just as he stood up, the door opened.

The commander of the Eclipse Legion, the Dark Moon’s long-time deputy, stepped inside. He carried a letter, his expression noticeably less stern than usual.

The Dark Moon General immediately asked, “What of the Thunderlake Kingdom?”

“The Solar Flame Legion has already advanced to the Star Sea. Surely they don’t still intend to resist?”

He seemed to have already guessed what the other had brought.

In recent years, the Thunderlake Kingdom had constantly harassed the northeastern territories of the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents, inciting tribal rebellions or encroaching on the Royal Court’s lands without pause.

The Dark Moon General had refrained from acting against the Southern City-State Alliance. Instead, he maintained a defensive stance toward their aggression and focused his troops on confronting the Thunderlake Kingdom.

The war had brought continuous victories since last year. They had reached the Star Sea, an area within the Thunder Marsh named for its countless marsh islands that resembled stars scattered across the land.

This new position was very close to the capital of the Thunderlake Kingdom.

The deputy patted the letter in his hand and placed it on the table.

“According to our negotiators, the king of the Thunderlake Kingdom has softened his stance. He’s still unwilling to admit defeat, but he is ready to sign a peace treaty,” the deputy said.

“I still wanted to push for more conditions,” he continued. “Even though he refuses to admit defeat, the fact remains that he has lost.”

“They came to plunder and take advantage when they saw our difficult situation. Now that they’ve lost, do they think they can just ask for peace and be done with it?”

“It’s not that easy.”

In addition, they had killed the previous King of Ten Thousand Serpents. While the Dark Moon and his deputy were largely indifferent, this blood feud held deep significance for the many snake people demanding vengeance.

The Dark Moon expressed his view. “There’s no need to push too hard. We can’t swallow the Thunderlake Kingdom anyway.”

“The Thunderlake Kingdom is right next to the White Tower Alchemy Alliance. They won’t just sit by and watch us consume it, and we don’t have the energy to get stuck in that mess.”

“We have more important things to do.”

“The problem with the Southern City-State Alliance must be resolved now. Any further delay will only make it harder to handle.”

“So for now, our priority is to clean up this situation. Even if it only buys us a few years or a decade of peace, we’ll at least be free to focus on the southern five territories.”

“But one thing must be guaranteed.”

“No matter what, we need to ensure stability in the northeast for the next few years.”

Although the deputy was reluctant, he knew this was the best possible outcome.

“Very well, General.”

“I will convey your views to them.”

As the deputy turned to leave, the Dark Moon called after him.

“After the war ends, bring the Solar Flame Legion back.”

“And Byron especially. Have him come see me the moment he returns to Mooneclipse City.”

On that day, a celebratory atmosphere lingered in the air of Mooneclipse City, refusing to fade.

Forcing the Thunderlake Kingdom to bow its head had avenged the great grudge of the past. This brought jubilation to many in the city, who felt as if their country had reclaimed its place as the center of the world.

A group riding land dragons entered the city, arriving hastily outside the administrative hall.

Byron was among them.

Armored, he dismounted and removed his helmet, tucking it under his arm as he headed inside.

Three and a half years had been enough time for many changes.

Byron had grown from a youth into a young man.

His appearance had changed greatly. At some point, both his hair and eyes had turned red, giving him a striking look.

Many people now recognized him on sight.

In the Solar Flame Legion, others referred to him as Byron the Burner.

He had spent these years fighting the Thunderlake Kingdom. Through his military merit and increasingly powerful abilities, he had risen to become the third-ranking figure in the Solar Flame Legion.

Within the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents, he was considered a brilliant rising star.

The commander of the Solar Flame Legion, along with the deputy commander and First Brigade Commander Byron, entered the Dark Moon General’s office and saluted loudly in unison.

“General!”

Byron had become one of the Dark Moon General’s most steadfast supporters.

Even his every movement resembled the Dark Moon General, as if he were a younger version of the man. He was intentionally studying and imitating him.

The Dark Moon General looked up, regarding each of the three men in turn.

His gaze finally settled on Byron, first examining his face, then falling on Byron’s hands.

Byron’s arms were covered with dense red fire patterns.

Byron noticed the Dark Moon General’s gaze.

He extended his hand, and the fire patterns began to flow.

He summoned a puppet that resembled a Heart-Burning Demon. The flame puppet circled his body, but Byron’s expression revealed no joy, only a deep sense of disgust.

At the very least, he did not resist.

The Dark Moon General knew Byron well. He understood that Byron harbored a profound hatred for his own power and the flame puppets he summoned.

How could he possibly like these beings when Heart-Burning Demons had burned his family to death?

The Dark Moon asked, “So, you’ve grown accustomed to it?”

Byron stood motionless, his expression cold as he replied.

“Because I know I will return it,” Byron said, his voice steady. “To those who gave it to me. Without fail.”

Byron’s power transformed his hatred and rage into strength. The greater his accumulated hatred and rage, the more powerful his flame puppet became.

In just over three years, he had transformed from an ordinary person with no abilities into one of the most powerful Ability Users.

At the peak of a Third-Rank Ability User, he was just one step away from touching the realm of an apostle.

This next step, however, was a challenge that seemed like an insurmountable chasm for most people.

In addition to transforming his power into a terrifying monster capable of burning the earth and sky, he also had other unique abilities.

His blood possessed miraculous properties. By sharing his blood with others, he could grant them supernatural power.

However, the recipients would inevitably transform into monsters under the control of flame puppets.

The more hatred the recipients of his blood accumulated before death, the more powerful the monsters they became after.

And these monsters would be under Byron’s control.

The fire patterns on his arm represented the number of flame puppets he could summon.

Within the Solar Flame Legion, there were many young people who carried deep-seated grudges against the Thunderlake Kingdom and the Southern City-State Alliance.

Like Byron, they were willing to do anything for power and revenge.

Over the years, he had almost fully absorbed the power stored within his heart, and the fire patterns on his arm had multiplied. On his own, he could now summon an army of terrifying monsters.

It was with this power that the Thunderlake Kingdom was forced into retreat, completely unable to resist.

Had the Dark Moon General not wished to end the war, they would have had no capital for reconciliation.

Looking at the small flame puppet, the Dark Moon General understood that under Byron’s control, it could grow at any moment into a fiery deity towering between heaven and earth. Its all-consuming sea of fire had the potential to engulf an entire city, claiming tens of millions of lives.

Byron was a Third-Rank Ability User, but he could not be regarded as an ordinary one.

The gap between him and an apostle might lie in the difference of some unique abilities.

The difference lay in the domains of Divine Grace power and mental abilities.

“You are Third-Rank, yet still unable to find a method to use apostle power?” the Dark Moon General asked Byron, his tone probing.

Byron shook his head. He had never even seen an apostle, and no one knew exactly what an apostle was or how to break through to that level.

The Dark Moon General nodded.

“It does not matter.”

“I believe you will become the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents’ first apostle. You will be the cornerstone of this nation.”

“That is inevitable.”

After saying this, the Dark Moon stood and retrieved a sealed order from his drawer. He continued to speak as he did so.

“Now that the war with the Thunderlake Kingdom has concluded and the northeast is fully secure,” the Dark Moon General said, “our next step should be to prepare for reclaiming the Southern City-State Alliance.”

“Byron, are you ready?”

Byron looked up, his expression transformed.

“I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

The Dark Moon handed the appointment to Byron. “From now on, you are the commander of the Solar Flame Legion.”

The Dark Moon reassigned the original commander to the central authority, while the deputy commander’s position remained unchanged.

Neither voiced any significant objections. In a world dominated by power, Byron’s overwhelming strength was sufficient to silence most opposing views.

If not for Byron’s youth and lack of experience in commanding armies, his power would have made him a commander-level figure long ago.

But after concluding this war against the Thunderlake Kingdom, everything fell naturally into place.

Byron remained standing straight, unmoving.

“I don’t care about these things, General!”

However, the Dark Moon General replied, “The Solar Flame Legion has been prepared for you from the very start.”

“Now, as commander, I need you to defeat your enemies, the enemies of the Royal Court.”

“To ensure that those who betrayed the kingdom and caused us harm face justice.”

Only then did Byron accept the appointment, and then he asked another question.

“General, do you have any recent news about the Abyss Cult?”

The Dark Moon General paused in thought. “Most of the evil followers were eliminated during the Eclipse Legion’s purge,” he said, “though their sinister plans still largely succeeded.”

“The remaining cultists vanished years ago, especially their High Priest. That cunning fellow seems to have disappeared completely.”

“I’ve heard that traces of Abyss cultists have appeared recently in some villages near the wasteland.”

“However, only minor figures have appeared. Not even one Fallen High Priest has shown up.”

“Also, there are rumors about them in the southern five territories.”

“But that area is no longer under our control.”

Based on the Dark Moon General’s words, Byron immediately suspected that the Abyss Cult must be hiding within the Southern City-State Alliance.

“No matter which hole these rats escape to, I will dig them out.”

“No one can protect them.”

The Abyss Cult had indeed appeared recently in the wasteland.

However, they were stationed at the Fire Demon Marsh, some distance from the wasteland.

This marsh was not connected to the Thunder Marsh. It was situated further upstream, near the wasteland.

In ancient times, this area served as the dwelling place of fire demons.

It was here that Sermos, Mother of All Snakes, contracted the first monster for the snake people. Only then did the snake people understand how to control the power of fire.

It was created as water from the Ice-Sealed Plateau melted and flowed into the lowlands. The water continued downstream, eventually forming the Shepherd’s River and the Thunder Marsh.

Naturally, not all the water in the Thunder Marsh originated from the Ice-Sealed Plateau.

That area, under the influence of the Sky Beast God, experienced annual rainfall far greater than other parts of Ruhe Beast Island. This created a vast water forest world of unimaginable scale.

At this moment, numerous Abyss cultists were assembled on the Ice-Sealed Plateau.

Snow and ice covered the entire world, with undulating white glaciers appearing pale and severe. They stood at the most legendary and dangerous place on the Ice-Sealed Plateau.

Their gathering place was known as the legendary Heaven’s Mirror.

These individuals were consumed by a corrupt power that did not come directly from the Abyss. Some had formed contracts with Abyss monsters, others had transplanted monster organs into their own bodies, and still others had drunk monster blood, driving themselves to the brink of madness.

Over the years, the Abyss cultists had created various methods to use Abyss power.

Some methods were extremely evil and insane. Among the Abyss cultists, however, such madness was all too common.

On the icy ridge, the current Abyss Cult High Priest asked, “Is it recorded in the book? When does the door open?”

An evil follower wrapped in a black cloak tightened his garment and opened a worn, yellowed book. “When the moon rises to the middle of the sky,” he read, “the door will open, and the ancient secret place that traverses the river of time will appear before us.”

“Why wait?” an impatient cultist said. “We can just destroy the ice surface directly.”

Raising his hand, a stone giant arm several meters long extended from behind, striking the ice surface with tremendous force.

However, the powerful divine technique struck the ice but had no effect. Instead, the stone giant arm broke apart.

The ice remained intact without the slightest mark. The force had not traveled downward but had instead rebounded entirely.

The man was instantly killed, blood flowing from his seven orifices as he lay on the ground.

Immediately, everyone fell silent.

After a long pause, someone finally broke the silence.

“Did he die?”

“Was he shaken to death?”

“Did he actually shake himself to death?”

The others couldn’t help but laugh.

“That was unbelievably foolish.”

Yet, they could not deny the profound sense of mystery and the unknown that surrounded this place.

An Ability User had died so easily.

However, since they had already arrived, the plan had to proceed as intended.

The acting High Priest of the Abyss Cult had organized this mission. Present at the scene were evil followers who had been recently gathered from various parts of Ruhe Beast Island.

New Fallen High Priests, new Abyss cultists.

Their purpose was to enter the world beneath Heaven’s Mirror to seek a secret about deities.

Yafuan, King of the First Layer of the Abyss, knew that Heaven’s Mirror concealed the holy city of the most ancient race.

Even for the demigods of the mortal world, it was a place of pilgrimage. It was the site where faith found its way back.

The mortal Yafuan’s teacher, Xiuborn, had once ventured into that place. There, he uncovered secrets about the previous era and the truth about the gods. Before leaving, he recorded his findings in The Book of Xiuborn.

However, The Book of Xiuborn only recorded some of the openly documented content from the Sky Temple. He had not been able to see the complete picture.

According to records, there was an entire city there, with foundations left by the most ancient race.

The Abyss King of Pride, Yafuan, believed that if the Sky Temple held the secrets of the Creator and Sovereign, it might also contain the secret to becoming a god.

But it was evident that this was nothing more than a dream.

Xiuborn had never revealed to Yafuan the method he used to leave the world beneath Heaven’s Mirror, nor had he shared any details about the kind of being he encountered there.

“The moon is out!” one of the impatient evil followers shouted.

“It’s almost time.” The Abyss cultists rose one by one, gazing at the sky. They watched as the moon, now directly overhead, cast a beam of light onto the ice surface.

“The ice is melting! It’s melting!” someone shouted. The ice layer was not so much melting away as it was simply vanishing.

The High Priest, cautious, decided to remain outside such a mysterious and unknown place.

“Go down and see what’s below,” he instructed.

Several evil followers obeyed the High Priest’s arrangement, swimming downward.

The lake water was perfectly clear.

Descending further, they could vaguely see something at the lake bottom.

“Is there no water down there?”

“It looks like there’s some kind of space below,” someone observed, pointing toward the area beneath.

“What’s that, is it a city?” someone else asked, faintly making out the outline at the lake bottom.

The Abyss cultists swam frantically downward, determined to break through the lake water and reach the world below. They were convinced that an unimaginable secret or a treasure of unparalleled value awaited them there.

Otherwise, the High Priest would not have gone to such great lengths to explore Heaven’s Mirror.

At last, they emerged from the depths of the lake water.

The space here had no water, as if an extremely powerful force held the lake water back. Below them was a magical space.

Only their heads were out, while their bodies remained in the water.

It was like being wrapped in jelly, suspended in a weightless, disordered state.

Moonlight penetrated the surging lake water, illuminating the city and buildings at the lake bottom.

Everyone was stunned.

“There really is a city under the water.” They had all heard the legends, but nothing compared to seeing it with their own eyes.

“Whose city is this?” one of them wondered aloud. The city itself was entirely created with divine techniques and supernatural powers, merged with the great mountain. Its buildings were tall and majestic, arranged in layers.

“There really is a city at the bottom of the lake. Who built it?” The style was clearly not that of the snake people.

“This was definitely not built by mortals. Mortals could never construct such a city.” The more clearly the Abyss cultists saw, the more shocked and incredulous they became.

This was the Sacred Mountain and the Sky Temple.

Originally, it was built by the Ruhe beast. Now, the Ruhe beast had frozen it in time at its peak, preserving its most beautiful moment.

The Abyss cultists shouted excitedly, roaring and cheering.

They took out divine artifacts they had prepared, intending to use them to reach the unknown city below and explore for treasures that might belong to them.

But soon, something began to move in the endless darkness beneath the city and mountain.

They watched in horror as terrifying monsters over a hundred meters in size awakened from the darkness, their tentacles floating upward.

“Hurry, are you ready?” the lead Abyss cultist urged, completely unaware of the danger below.

“Let’s go down,” another cultist said, finally activating the divine artifact.

At that moment, one of the cultists noticed the scene below.

His mouth gaped open, his body trembling uncontrollably.

With shaking hands, he pushed the person beside him repeatedly.

“What are you doing?”

The person finally looked down in the direction indicated, and saw a sight that made his soul flee in terror.

They were creatures resembling squid or octopus, with horrifying helmets on their heads, emanating an aura like nightmares.

Their undulating tentacles were meters thick, extending over a hundred meters in length.

The tentacles stretched upward toward them, filling the air with an overwhelming sense of apocalyptic despair.

They had no time to cry out, only survival instinct remained.

Turn and flee.

“Run… quickly!”

“Go!”

Everyone immediately scrambled to rush upward.

Before they could finish speaking, enormous tentacles surged out of the darkness. In an instant, they overwhelmed and consumed the mortals who had dared to glimpse into the forbidden realm of death.

On the surface of Heaven’s Mirror, many Abyss cultists stood waiting for any sign or response from below.

But there was no reply from their companions, only the tentacles of the Sele offspring, harbingers of death.

Boom!

The waters of Heaven’s Mirror erupted as dense, massive tentacles surged from the lake. They rose like towering ancient trees or impossibly thick whips, dominating the scene.

Many evil followers were instantly smashed to paste, while more were dragged into the water.

Those who reacted quickly immediately fled toward the mountain base, while those slower could only wail.

“Save me!” someone caught by the tentacles cried out in desperation.

“Help me!” another shouted, too slow to escape the chaos.

“High Priest, save us!” they pleaded, their voices filled with terror, hoping for rescue from someone more powerful.

“Where are you?” they cried, their desperation growing as the situation spiraled further out of control.

But their High Priest had fled long before the tentacles emerged from Heaven’s Mirror.

He no longer had any concern for them.

They fled down the Ice-Sealed Plateau in chaos, stumbling and crawling in disarray. Each one was gripped by overwhelming terror, their faces drained of color.

These cultists believed themselves to be the epitome of madness, yet they had just encountered a scene far more deranged, leaving them all fleeing in sheer terror.

“What? What was that?” someone, seemingly driven mad with fear, kept shouting.

“How could such things exist?” one cried. They had never imagined creatures of such enormous size could exist in this world. They had nearly been annihilated without even seeing the monsters clearly.

“What did I just see?” some still hadn’t recovered, completely dazed.

“How did they die?” another asked. These people were not grieving for their companions but were bewildered by such unexpected deaths. They had died without even knowing how, like fools.

“What monster, what kind of monster was that?”

One cultist went completely insane, attacking other evil followers around him, shouting about monsters.

“Monsters… you’re also monsters…”

He was promptly killed by the other startled cultists.

The Abyss cultists, who considered themselves accustomed to various monsters and beasts, had this time been terrified by true monsters.

A group of cultists, scared out of their wits, dared not climb that mountain again.

They fled the Ice-Sealed Plateau that very night.

Their High Priest could only abandon the plan and return to their station at the Fire Demon Marsh to report this mission to his master.

He didn’t know that what he had seen was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Fortunately, their power only reached the Third-Rank at best. Without the support of any divine beings, they had not disturbed the existence beneath the Ice-Sealed Plateau.

Long ago, when the ancient being beneath the Ice-Sealed Plateau opened its eyes, Xiuborn had managed to escape into the Dream Realm by using the power of the Door of Truth. Even so, the existence nearly tore the Door of Truth apart.

Inside the hidden base of the Abyss Cult, the High Priest knelt in deep reverence.

“Master!”

He quietly contacted his true master, reporting the situation.

The First Layer of the Abyss, Black Stone Demon Palace

The King of Pride, Yafuan, sat on his throne. At his feet lay a mountain of accumulated bones. Outside the palace stood dense armies of skeletons, and beyond them, the fire-burning earth.

The failure of the plan infuriated him.

“Why? Why can’t we even enter?”

“How did Xiuborn get in back then?”

“By what right could he enter?”

“Why could he still come out alive?”

The King of Pride was consumed by an intense desire to uncover the method of becoming a god. He could not bear the thought of anyone surpassing him and sought to bring down those who stood above him.

At this moment, it became clear that he still had no means to uncover the method of becoming a god. His fury caused the entire Fire Abyss to quake.

On the dry and cracked ground of the Fire Abyss, flames roared through the crevices, occasionally spewing bursts of magma.

All the bone demons knelt low, their bodies trembling with fear.

Finally, he ceased his furious roars.

“It seems the method of becoming a god isn’t so easily found.”

His tone shifted.

“But I cannot allow you to grow stronger either!”

“The Abyss is mine, it is mine!”

“It was I who gave it the responsibility of being the dark side of the world, it was I who made the contract with the Crown of Wisdom.”

The bone demon wearing a golden crown had flames violently flickering in his eye sockets.

He fixed his gaze on the heart of the Abyss, focusing on the prisoner confined behind the Door of Original Sin.

At that moment, he gave his servant new instructions.

He seemed desperate as his plan had failed, while the King of Wrath, the porcelain doll, appeared to be flourishing.

“It doesn’t matter if we can’t enter Heaven’s Mirror.”

“The seed we cultivated is about to mature. He will return to the Abyss.”

“I do not want this to happen,” he said firmly.

“He belongs where he is meant to be.”

His arrogant voice transmitted into the mortal world, flowing into his servant’s mind.

“My servant, do you hear me?”

“This time, you must succeed.”

The acting High Priest of the Abyss Cult seemed to comprehend something, exclaiming loudly.

“Master!” he exclaimed with determination. “I will not fail this time!”

The King of Pride now seemed like a jester. All his actions appeared to be aimed at disrupting the plans of the God of Original Sin, yet they felt more like trouble he had brought upon himself.

But no one truly understood the King of Pride. He was the one who had bound the Abyss within the Dream Realm and established the new Abyss order, yet the depths of his heart remained a mystery.

Meanwhile, Beyond the Door of Original Sin

Arriving at the Flesh and Blood Star, the evil god Xiao’s life had been shaped by betrayal, conspiracy, and slaughter. This was a fate that seemed inevitable and unsurprising.

In the past, he had been the one betraying, conspiring, and slaughtering others.

Now, as he sat in the position of an evil god, he found himself facing the greed, betrayal, and conspiracies of those around him.

The Evil God of Original Sin continued stacking his bone fragment pyramid, inscribing ancient oaths upon it.

Oaths sworn by the first generation of monsters, witnessed by the former Dream Sovereign.

“God said!”

“The wasteland is granted to the monster race, forbidding them from entering the cities and villages of the Trilobite Men and the People of the Abyss.”

“From this day forward, you may multiply and thrive as one of the races of this world.”

The evil god’s eyelids drooped, as if sensing someone watching him.

In the end, he simply allowed a faint smile to form at the corner of his mouth, taking no further action.

Suinhor City-State

Inside the temple of the City of Fire Protection, a Trilobite Symbiote felt a disturbance.

Clad in priestly robes, he turned his gaze toward the temple’s great hall.

He quickly entered the great hall, rushing toward the divine platform of the Scarlet Goddess.

There, a Blood Mist Cup was slowly growing. Its light spread, illuminating the hall both inside and out.

This scene caused an immediate stir throughout the temple.

The clergy quickly gathered to receive the divine will.

The Trilobite Symbiote touched the Blood Mist Cup, hearing the deity’s words.

Those words seemed to rise from the depths of the sea, echoing from the enigmatic and shadowy Blood Kingdom.

“Divine Oracle!”

“The Abyss Evil God is stirring, in the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.”

“Discover His purpose.”

Suinhor was already interfering in the affairs of the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents, seeking to control the Southern City-State Alliance.

Now, this divine oracle gave them an excuse.

Furthermore, most priests in the City of Fire Protection were well aware that the Scarlet Goddess and the Evil God of Original Sin were sworn enemies, and they harbored an intense hatred for this malevolent being from the Abyss.

The senior clergy of the Temple of Fire Protection gathered to deliberate and quickly decided to send envoys to investigate. At the same time, they resolved to apply pressure on both the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents and the Southern City-State Alliance.

“Whatever the Evil God of Original Sin intends to do, we cannot let him succeed.”

“But first, we need to know what’s happening in the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.”

“The deity specifically mentioned the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents. There must be a deeper meaning behind this.”

“First, we will inquire with the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents. After that, we will request an investigation from the Southern City-State Alliance!”

The deity’s will was only to investigate, but mortals often found ways to achieve more under the banner of divine will.

In the name of God, what power in the world could be greater? What cause could be more just?

The storm gathered as it loomed over the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.