Chapter 288: Chapter285-The Ancient Forbidden Lands
“Lord of Stars, if you persist in your stubbornness and continue to interfere, once the master of the Forbidden Sea is provoked, you will die without a doubt!” the God Realm master shouted, glaring at the Lord of Stars despite the pain coursing through his body.
“Is that so? Then let him come. I’d like to see how much he has improved over the years,” replied the Lord of Stars, his expression calm and indifferent.
Hearing this, the God Realm master’s heart skipped a beat. It was clear that the Lord of Stars had awakened and made his move with careful preparation.
“For the sake of Owen and Leslie, are you really willing to start a war with the forbidden lands?” the God Realm master asked in disbelief. To him, while Owen was talented, fighting against the master of the Forbidden Sea over him seemed like a foolish choice.
“I’ve already said—Owen is my ally!” The Lord of Stars’ gaze was firm and unwavering.
His past failures had taught him that relying solely on his own strength wasn’t enough to overthrow the forces of the heavens or challenge the ancient forbidden zones. Over time, he had sought out allies like the Human King and others. Though Owen’s level wasn’t high enough yet, his talent and identity, being beyond the reach of fate, made the Lord of Stars value him greatly, treating him as a core member of his group.
In fact, the Lord of Stars believed that Owen could eventually become the most critical piece in their fight. That’s why he couldn’t allow anything to happen to Owen.
Seeing the Lord of Stars’ resolute attitude, the God Realm master’s face turned dark, and his desire to kill Owen grew even stronger. Though he didn’t fully understand why the Lord of Stars valued Owen so much, the more important Owen seemed to the Lord of Stars, the more determined they were to destroy him.
Unable to endure the pain any longer, the God Realm master immediately detonated his own body, simultaneously sending a message in a special way to the edges of the realm and to the great Forbidden Zones.
…
In the Tower of Infinity.
The pure white tower emanated a sacred and holy aura, like the purest of six-winged angels. Just gazing upon it made one feel a sense of tranquility, as if tempted to worship and become one of its faithful.
At the top of the tower, a massive form composed of white flesh suddenly opened its blood-red eyes, which were the size of lanterns.
As it awoke, the entire Tower of Infinity trembled, and the starry skies at the edges of the realm began to collapse and disintegrate into nothingness.
“The Great Cataclysm is approaching, and the Lord of Stars dares to show himself once again. This time, we will make sure there’s no escape for you!”
The deafening voice echoed throughout the Tower of Infinity, and thick killing intent condensed into an endless crimson cloud that stretched across the stars.
With a single thought, galaxies were shattered. With another, they were born anew.
The master of the Tower of Infinity, who had been asleep for untold millennia, had awakened!
…
At the same time, deep within the dark Burial Grounds, there stood an ancient altar, raised above the black-blooded soil.
Seated upon the altar was a colossal skeleton, humanoid in shape, with bones that gleamed like gold. Massive skeletal wings stretched out behind it, blocking the sky.
Suddenly, the hollow, black eyes of the skeleton ignited with eerie soul flames, flickering with a strange light.
“Lord of Stars! You’ve been hiding like a rat for so long, but now you dare to show yourself? This time, you won’t escape again!”
“The fabric of this realm must be remade according to our will!”
The enormous skeleton trembled slightly, and at once, the ashes of countless corpses surrounding the altar began to stir, swirling around the giant skeleton, making it seem as though it existed between reality and illusion, constantly shifting.
This was the Bone Abyss, the end of the world, a place feared by all.
…
Elsewhere, opposite the Bone Abyss, at the edge of the heavens, lay a radiant and beautiful realm where it seemed all the world’s scenery had been gathered.
Here, countless illusory figures indulged in endless pleasures.
This was the Heaven of Desire, where any craving could be fulfilled. But such satisfaction was an illusion, slowly consuming the souls of those who indulged, turning them into mindless slaves to their desires—mere husks of their former selves.
At the center of this Heaven of Desire sat a monstrous being.
It resembled a giant octopus, with countless tentacles stretching into every corner of the realm. These tentacles were covered with blinking eyes, large and small, and within those eyes were scattered ears, mouths, and other body parts.
The creature seemed to be both reveling in endless pleasure and trapped in deep emptiness.
This was Dark Beast, the ruler of the Heaven of Desire.
At that moment, its countless eyes blinked as it focused on the direction of the Azure Kingdom.
“This time, the Millennial Cataclysm cannot be allowed to fail. This world, which has become so familiar to me, has grown tiresome,” Dark Beast muttered in a low, hoarse voice as it began to take action.
…
Meanwhile, within the Forbidden Sea.
This was an endless black ocean, its depths obscured, though countless shadowy figures flickered deep below the surface.
Suddenly, ripples began to spread across the surface of the Forbidden Sea, as if something was about to emerge from its depths.
…
As soon as the four ancient Forbidden Zones began to move, both Middle Earth and the continent felt the mana in the air surge violently.
Then, without warning, the mana dissipated into the void, as if being drawn away by some unseen force.
In the capital of the Azure Kingdom, all the mages felt as though they were adrift on invisible waves. Their spiritual senses and the mana within their bodies surged and fluctuated uncontrollably.
Owen, Leslie, and the others looked up at the sky.
Ever since the God Realm master had detonated his body, they had sensed that something was wrong with the heavens and the earth. A heavy sense of danger filled everyone’s hearts, as if they were locked onto by death itself.
However, the Lord of Stars ignored the changing world for now. Instead, he held up his right hand, pulling the soul of the God Realm master into his grasp. Coldly, he said:
“If you dare to blow yourself up in front of me, then you no longer need to live!”
“Stop!” Just as the Lord of Stars was about to act, a familiar voice rang out.
The crowd was stunned to see the sky split open, and a figure almost identical to the Lord of Stars appeared. Not only did this figure look the same, but even its aura was indistinguishable.
“Master, save me! The Lord of Stars defies your orders! Please, take action and destroy him!” The twisted soul of the God Realm master screamed in desperation upon seeing another Lord of Stars appear.
“You’re too noisy!”
In that instant, the Lord of Stars cast a glance of disdain at the God Realm master. Two brilliant suns appeared in his palm, suppressing the God Realm master’s soul. The two suns collided, twisting space and causing reality to collapse.
Countless spirits wailed in agony, and blood-red clouds rolled across the sky. Blood rained down from the heavens, drenching the entire land in crimson.
A suffocating, terrifying atmosphere filled the world.
It was as if Ragnarok had come!
The God Realm master had fallen.
The gods of Middle Earth were left stunned, their eyes wide with terror.
That had been the God Realm master, a celestial god-tier mage!
He had stood at the pinnacle, above nearly everyone.
Yet now, he was dead!
Killed by this fearsome figure from ancient times.
Up until now, the legends of the Lord of Stars had felt distant, almost unreal. But with the God Realm master’s death, fear became all too real, taking root in their hearts.
After all, they had just witnessed the death of a being they thought was nearly immortal.
“Starburst! Such ruthless methods!” The master of the Forbidden Sea, still disguised as the Lord of Stars, spoke coldly.
That technique had killed many celestial gods in the past, and the memory of it still haunted him.
“All these years, and you’re still the same—always transforming into others and using their techniques. Do you have so little confidence in your true self?” the Lord of Stars said, hands behind his back, as he looked up at the “other” Lord of Stars in the sky.
The master of the Forbidden Sea’s true appearance was unknown to anyone. It was said that he could transform into anyone and use their abilities, making him the most mysterious figure among the four ancient Forbidden Zones, known as the Ancestor of Trickery.
The Ancestor of Trickery’s lips curled into a cold smile at the Lord of Stars’ mockery and taunts.
pronovels.com
