Free Web NovelAt the heart of the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate, deep within the Lords Manor.
The Divine Kingdom Central Hub operated rapidly and intensely; a large tree, seemingly made of golden glaze, rose from the very center of the Divine Kingdom Central Hub, its complex, leafless branches intertwined, constantly growing and constantly withering.
At the very top of the tree, a brilliantly colorful and dreamlike flower bloomed, with countless overlapping petals, supporting the "heart" of the God Kingdom.
As that "heart" pulsed vigorously, a thunderous roar erupted, and golden flames, wrapped in endless yellow sand, danced like a planetary ring, outlining complex and precise trajectories in the vast space, condensing into countless terrifying Spiritual Energy-emitting incantations, rising into the air, and then returning to the yellow sand, silently falling.
Distorted and deformed figures, captured and sealed by the power of the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate from an unknown place, were thrown into the Divine Kingdom Central Hub through the honeycomb-like dense passages on the walls of the huge cavern, and were instantly stirred into ashes by the surging terrifying Spiritual Energy, leaving no time even for a scream, except for the purest Spiritual Energy.
And this massive amount of Spiritual Energy, extracted from those distorted and deformed figures, fell with the drifting yellow sand, merged into the earth, was absorbed by that large tree, and transformed into nourishment for its "growth."
Thus, it went on, cycle after cycle.
Suddenly, a speck of deep red, like a splash of blood, abruptly appeared amidst the golden expanse, rapidly spreading, and an overwhelmingly suffocating stench of blood, mixed with a burnt smell, swept through, as if a hideous corruption was spreading from the roots of the great tree.
Immediately after, the entire space suddenly trembled, as if an underground spring had been chiseled open, with water and mud splashing out; fresh blood and wriggling flesh gushed from the deep red area that covered a small region, rapidly transforming into biological internal organs and dozens of constantly twitching eyes.
A brief moment of surprise flashed in those grotesque eyes.
Swallowed by the yellow sand, the Shaman King had a long and blurry dream.
In the dream, he saw himself suppressed beneath the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate for a thousand years, and during these thousand years, his power continuously infiltrated the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate's operating hub, and then spread to every corner of Yumen Pass, relying on the vitality maintained by Hong Bian's sacrifice, which gradually waned and withered.
Vegetation withered, livestock died, and well water turned into putrid mud....
Thus, for increasingly scarce survival resources, cruel slaughter continuously unfolded in the city, all living beings in the city perished in the slaughter, then transformed into urban legend, awoke from death, and continued the killing, letting blood drench the land of Yumen Pass again and again.
Cycle after cycle, ceaseless, turning the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate into a cruel hunting ground!
In that hunting ground, he glimpsed a distorted, bizarre, mountain-like black shadow, slowly emerging.
The black shadow, as if from the abyss, continuously changed its form; sometimes beautiful as a dream, sometimes eerie as a ghost, sometimes heavy and grand, sometimes ethereal and vague... any words attempting to describe its existence would become meaningless in the next instant.
Immediately after, a maddening shriek emanated from its massive body, coalescing into a cry in an unknown language, and in that cry, Que Pi Jia felt an indescribable, subconscious urge to obey.
The Shaman King Que Pi Jia had never accepted any gifts; that was contrary to his temperament. What he desired, he would only seize and possess, but this time, he extended his hand towards the silently descending guidance.
Because, in that enormous black shadow, he felt everything he had always pursued!
As that guidance descended, time flowed, and he glimpsed the scene a thousand years later: his former subjects once again set foot in the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate, awakening him from his slumber.
The moment he opened his eyes, his consciousness, which had been chaotic due to the seal's influence, suddenly cleared, sensing the aura of the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate and hearing the roar of a dragon...
“Roar—!”
The "heart" of the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate emitted a deep hum, and a brilliant glow suddenly descended, instantly condensing into a slender-limbed, semi-ethereal golden figure.
In its eyes, there was an absolute rationality, a cold indifference devoid of any vitality.
As the golden figure waved a hand, a golden downpour fell, and countless dense threads of rain transformed into countless golden nails, pinning a mass of distorted flesh in place, causing it to tremble and ripple intensely.
That mass of distorted flesh continuously disintegrated under the astonishingly powerful ripples, scattering into Spiritual Energy and merging into the earth, but its growth rate was even faster; within a few breaths, it condensed into a figure with five heads, a large and swollen body, and flesh wrapped in armor.
With a squirming of flesh, several flesh fissures appeared on the figure's organ, which was piled with flesh and too twisted to be called a face. Then, the membranes deep within the fissures vibrated, causing the Shaman King, who was once again suppressed, to let out an angry sound.
“Hong Bian, is this your final killing move? Merging everything you possess into the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate, transforming into this incomplete, neither-human-nor-ghost abomination? All because of your useless pity? Utterly ridiculous!”
Facing the Shaman King's roar, the golden figure in mid-air seemed utterly incapable of comprehending its meaning, merely gazing at him silently, like a robot that only knows how to act according to a predetermined program.
Faced with such a Hong Bian, the Shaman King's anger seemed to intensify, and his tone became even more venomous, “If you had been more ruthless, if you had massacred all the city's inhabitants when sealing the God Kingdom, perhaps you would have succeeded, but unfortunately... no miracle will ever happen again!”
As long as the flames of war did not extinguish, he, Que Pi Jia, no matter how many times he was obliterated by the power of the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate, would return to the world.
Just as he had seen in his long dream.
And Hong Bian no longer had a chance to escape the fate of being devoured...
Each time the Shaman King was obliterated by the power of the God Kingdom, the power from his authority would also merge into the God Kingdom. The erosion would be like an incurable, chronic illness that penetrated the bone marrow, continuously devouring the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate and Hong Bian, who had already become one with the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate.
“When I awaken again, a hundred, a thousand, or even ten thousand years from now, all your sacrifices will ultimately become the cornerstone for condensing despair!”
Upon hearing the Shaman King say this, the golden figure's eyes briefly regained clarity, looking at the distorted mass of flesh with an expression that the Shaman King found extremely repulsive.
It was a gentle gaze, with a hint of a victor's pity for the vanquished, and a relieved, shallow smile at the corner of its mouth.
“No, just as the sun will always rise no matter how long the night, miracles always happen, and someone will surely come to kill me, and at the same time, kill you...”
“I have foreseen it; they will bring my blessings and usher in a miracle for Yumen Pass...”
After speaking, the flicker of humanity in the golden figure's eyes once again dissipated.
Hong Bian's briefly restored consciousness once again fell into silence.
The next moment, golden light poured down like a pillar, engulfing the Shaman King's re-formed body.
As his body gradually dissolved in the brilliant light, the Shaman King also left his final words.
“Is that so? I look forward to it... the erosion has already begun. I hope they arrive before the miracle turns into a curse...”
When his body completely vanished in the golden light, his voice was also completely swallowed by the roar of the God Kingdom's operating hub.
Everything seemed to return to peace.
Only.
At the top of the complex-branched tree standing in the Divine Kingdom's operating hub, on the blooming dreamlike flower, among countless petals, one inconspicuous petal had turned an unsettling reddish-brown, as if withered after being eaten by worms...
----
In the side room at the end of the corridor in Daimu Courtyard.
In silence, Lu Yibei slightly turned her face away, avoiding Xia Lianqing's gaze, and fell into brief thought.
Although Xia Lianqing's gaze made her feel a little guilty, she knew very well that the main factor causing the riot was definitely not the city-wide heat caused by her condensing the Spiritual Seal and completing her advancement.
Friendly reminder: The Website is about to be revamped, which may result in loss of reading progress. Please save your "book shelf" and "reading record" promptly (screenshot recommended). We apologize for any inconvenience!
During the process of condensing the Spiritual Seal, she failed tens of thousands of times, but at the same time, she meticulously contemplated Goddess Ba's authority tens of thousands of times...
In the mortal world, could anyone understand more clearly than her what this authority could or could not do?
It's not that the power of the Goddess Beiling Seal couldn't achieve such a degree, but from "drought" to "riot" is a gradual process. At the very least, it would first have to experience severe drought and hunger, and then brew for a period of time before riots would occur due to fighting over remaining resources, right?
There are so many hot places in the world; regions where the highest summer temperature exceeds fifty degrees are not unheard of, yet you don't hear of them experiencing vicious incidents where hundreds of people hack at each other in the streets!
Without other influencing factors, when people are truly hot to a certain extent, even if they are irritable, they should not want to move at all, only wanting to find a cool, secluded spot to lie down with their belly exposed. How could they still have the strength to wrestle and fight with others?
This also has to be blamed on Bei Bei, what's the difference between that and a parent who blames online games for their child's poor studies?
Completely unable to distinguish between primary and secondary! Lu Yibei thought.
She wasn't trying to shirk responsibility; she just felt incredibly wronged to be inexplicably labeled the "culprit."
Unless there was some more dangerous force secretly at work!
Those people trapped in the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate were like piled gunpowder, and the heat was just the fuse that ignited the gunpowder. The force that truly intensified the gunpowder's reaction and created a tragic explosion should be that more dangerous force.
And this power...
Thinking of this, Lu Yibei narrowed her eyes, and images flashed through her mind of those tribal warriors, influenced by the Shaman King's power, charging fearlessly towards her, raising their weapons.
But the Divine Kingdom Jade Gate had already been sealed; shouldn't that guy be confined?
Composing herself, she turned to look at Xia Lianqing, stating expressionlessly, “Oh, Sister Xia, I didn't get a chance to ask you earlier, after I fainted a hundred days ago, the Shaman King should have been sealed, right?”
She knew her question was a bit like asking the obvious.
If the Shaman King hadn't been successfully sealed, what kind of monstrous thing would have been released by those Half-Guitan a thousand years later to beat up the First Generation Miracle Saint?
However, she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, so how would she know if her perception was off without asking? Maybe the dangerous power she sensed coming from underground originated from the Shaman King!
Sealing is not obliterating.
Wasn't the Twilight Woman also sealed by Jiang Li? And didn't she still cause a lot of trouble later?
Hearing Lu Yibei's question reminded Xia Lianqing of Dragon Xiang's dying roar that echoed throughout Yumen Pass, and her eyes dimmed.
“Yes, it was successful.” She nodded. “Although a considerable price was paid, fortunately, it was successful.”
“Were there no accidents?” Lu Yibei pressed. “I mean, the Shaman King is so famous, an existence that even Prince and the bald Hong Bian found troublesome... did he just let himself be sealed like that?”
“Didn't he even struggle in his death throes? For example, leaving behind some curses?”
Xia Lianqing heard a different meaning in Lu Yibei's words and narrowed her eyes, “Miss Shen, do you think the riots among the city's populace are related to the Shaman King? But...”
“But he's already sealed, right?” Lu Yibei interrupted expressionlessly. “But think about it, let alone a poisonous snake that bites even after its head is cut off, even a stray dog, if you kick it, it will bark madly at you and bite you back! Not to mention such a formidable Shaman King.”
Upon hearing this, Xia Lianqing's delicate brows furrowed as she fell into contemplation.
In fact, she already had the answer in her heart when she uttered the words "Shaman King," but she was unwilling, or rather, dared not believe it.
Dragon Xiang and Hong Bian, who could protect Yumen Pass, had already passed away. If the Shaman King could still cause destruction to Yumen Pass, who else could stop him?
This kind of thing is like playing a game where the boss is defeated by a powerful player who then leaves, only for the boss to suddenly revive, enter its second phase, and unleash a combo attack on the poor, helpless, and weak you.
Who could endure that?!
After a moment of thought, Xia Lianqing shook her head, “The Shaman King left no curses. That day, after General sacrificed his life to trap him, Holy Monk Hongbian used himself as a sacrifice to activate the God Kingdom and sealed the Shaman King... Wait!”
Hearing Xia Lianqing's exclamation of “Wait!” Lu Yibei's heart tightened, and she focused her attention.
“The Shaman King said something before he was sealed...” Xia Lianqing said, “He said, as long as the flames of war do not extinguish in this world, Que Pi Jia will not be defeated! Is that a curse? Miss Shen, do you really think the riots among the city's populace were caused by the Shaman King’s power?”
“Who knows?” Lu Yibei shrugged, turning to look out the window, her gaze drifting away, as if trying to see through the undulating buildings to the street that Xia Lianqing's personal maid had described as being taken over by blood and slaughter.
“For now, I only have this suspicion, but whether it's true or not, perhaps I'll only know after going there to see.” fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
“Miss Shen, I will go with you!” Xia Lianqing blurted out.
“No need, I’ll go alone...” Lu Yibei waved her hand at Xia Lianqing, her gaze shifting down to the girl in Xia Lianqing’s arms, and ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) she said calmly, “Your good Sister is like this, shouldn’t you stay in Daimu Courtyard to take care of her?”
“Besides, didn’t you promise to help treat my little Sister?”
She definitely had to go, at least to see what was happening, but it would be best if she could fix Time Princess during the time she went to investigate, in case of emergencies! Lu Yibei thought secretly.
She couldn't defeat the Shaman King, but couldn't she outrun him?
If the Shaman King was capable, he could chase her a thousand years later...
Wait! There seemed to be a Shaman King in Yumen Pass a thousand years later too?
Lu Yibei frowned as she pondered.
This matter was difficult!
“...” Xia Lianqing was silent for a moment, then said to Lu Yibei with a solemn expression, “Alright, as Miss Shen says... However, if things become impossible, don’t force yourself. If worst comes to worst, everything will be resolved once the Holy Child’s reinforcements arrive.”
Reinforcements? Lu Yibei frowned slightly, then gently shook her head, walking out of the room without a word.
“The reinforcements you are expecting will never come.” She couldn't bear to say such cruel words to Xia Lianqing right now.
----
Ten minutes later, the market street near Daimu Courtyard.
Lu Yibei stood at the intersection with her hands on her hips, looking forward expressionlessly, her gaze passing over the street covered in blood-red, scattered limbs and minced meat, and she pursed her lips.
“It’s alright... a little more acceptable than the scene in Time Princess’s wonderful room.”
She said this, and then just a few seconds later, realized she had spoken too soon...
