Above the skies of Stellarburg, a sea of black liquid spread far and wide, its tainted aura of desire obscuring the heavens.
Shadowcloud's figure had vanished from sight.
Rean, holding a staff in his hand, stood in the middle of this black ocean, his white robe spotlessly clean, a stark contrast against the dark surroundings.
Were it not for the black liquid constantly bubbling up from beneath his feet, Rean would hardly look the part of a high priest of a cult; instead, he might be mistaken for an ordinary priest.
Rean spoke in a calm voice, "Shadowcloud, after all these years, you've sacrificed so much for the Federation, endured so much hardship. Why insist on risking these old bones? Haven't you seen through the true faces of the Federation and those families by now?"
The sky above, where the black sea churned up waves, answered him with nothing but silence.
Rean frowned.
Shadowcloud's appearance had been unexpected.
Both the Dusk Sect and the Hidden Stars had anticipated each other's plans and had prepared accordingly.
However, when the real showdown ca, everyone, including Rean, was taken aback.
He hadn't expected his old adversary to be in Stellarburg.
Otherwise, he would never have chosen this city for their confrontation.
Rean was not new to battling Shadowcloud and was well aware of his opponent's prowess.
Had it not been for Rean's prior preparations, not only would his plans have failed last ti, but he might also have t his demise at Shadowcloud's hands.
Despite his outward calm, Rean remained vigilant, constantly on the lookout.
The most terrifying aspect of the Shadow Emperor lay in his thods of concealnt.
Among those of equal strength, if Shadowcloud were to employ his stealth skills, he could stand right in front of you, and you would still be unable to detect his presence.
It was this very ability that had once enabled Shadowcloud to attempt an assassination on a dark god.
One could only imagine the horrifying extent of his stealth skills.
However, the Shadowcloud of today was a shadow of his forr self.
Not only had he lost a leg, but his strength had also declined from its peak.
Otherwise, Rean might very well have turned tail and fled, rather than engaging in combat with him.
The black sea roared angrily, and ti ticked away slowly.
Shadowcloud still did not make his move.
Rean was not in a hurry; dragging out the battle was to his advantage.
From the corner of his eye, he could faintly see that the terrifying black array at his feet had already accumulated half of the desired power.
It wouldn't be long before the array was fully charged, ready to initiate the sacrificial rite.
At that mont, with the arrival of the Dusk Lord, even the presence of Shadowcloud could not save the Hidden Stars...
Just as Rean was confident of his victory, a loud boom suddenly erupted not far from Stellarburg.
Rean's expression changed dramatically as he swiftly turned towards the direction of the Crimson Realm.
The secret realm, once shrouded in scarlet light, had vanished without a trace!
Simultaneously, a powerful force surged towards them at breakneck speed.
It was...
Victor!
Rean clenched the staff in his hand, his eyes filled with a gloomy darkness.
The Crimson Demon, ever so unreliable in critical monts, had failed to detain Baron and his party!
Under normal circumstances, the presence of Victor and his allies, though disruptive, could still be managed.
However, with the grand array nearing completion, they were at the most critical juncture.
Even a minor deviation could render all their efforts futile.
And yet, at this crucial mont, Victor and his group had erged!
Without a mont's hesitation, Rean made a decisive call to the higher echelons of the Dusk Sect within the underground cathedral, his voice grave as it transmitted through the ground: "All stewards, except for 'Raven' and five others, must imdiately move to intercept Victor and his group. Spare no expense to prevent them from entering Stellarburg!"
In the cathedral below, mbers of the Dusk Sect promptly obeyed the command.
Figures vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a small silhouette wrapped in black bandages to oversee the sacrificial array.
Above Stellarburg, just as Rean was about to make further arrangents, his pupils suddenly narrowed, engulfed by a strong sense of impending danger.
Shadowcloud had appeared behind him, unannounced.
Clad in tattered clothes, he presented a scruffy appearance.
However, Shadowcloud's gaze was ice cold and devoid of emotion.
Enveloped in a ghostly blue aura, he held a dagger emitting a purple glow, his presence as elusive as a specter.
Rean realized the gravity of the situation too late.
A dense black mist erupted from his body as he quickly transford into liquid, attempting to escape into the black sea below.
But Shadowcloud was not about to give him that chance.
His eyes piercing cold, the dagger in his hand spun, its murderous intent skyrocketing.
A silent purple light flashed across the sky, seemingly insignificant and quiet, yet it felt as if ti and space had frozen at that mont.
A splatter of blood marked the air, and an arm was seen flying through it.
Rean, clutching his shoulder and pale-faced, bit down and activated his skill, "Seven Sins Escape."
His body turned into black liquid and vanished, reappearing a hundred ters away from Shadowcloud.
Rean's right arm was gone, blood gushing from the wound like a stream.
The normally gentle face of Rean was now twisted in pain.
Black light shone from his staff as streams of black liquid flowed out, swiftly working to heal his shoulder wound.
However, as the wound began to close, a ghastly blue force, like maggots gnawing at bones, erupted from the wound, relentlessly tearing his flesh apart, in a vicious cycle.
Shadowcloud flicked the blood off his purple dagger, scoffing, "Neither of us is at our peak, yet you allow distractions during battle. Rean, it seems you've regressed with age."
Rean's face darkened, ignoring Shadowcloud's taunts.
He began to chant softly, as a trendous evil aura burst forth from him.
Suddenly, a towering black fla erupted from his being, and in the blink of an eye, a sea of black fire ford above their heads.
At the sa ti, the vile black liquid beneath them roared and surged, creating towering waves.
Rean's eyes swirled with dark brilliance, his palm rising.
He declared in a deep voice, "Desire Demon, kill him!"
With a thunderous boom that seed to deafen the heavens and the earth, the boundless black sea of fire and the dark ocean began to converge rapidly at Rean's command.
Yet, rather than repelling each other, they rged into one.
The sea of fire roared furiously, and the black ocean bellowed with rage.
In just a few breaths' ti, a majestic and colossal figure, towering a kiloter high and nearly eclipsing the sun, materialized above Stellarburg.
A shrill, piercing screech tore through the entirety of Stellarburg, the powerful sonic waves spreading like tidal waves, instantly shattering countless panes of glass throughout the city.
A monstrous creature, reminiscent of an octopus, with eight massive tentacles hanging from the sky, almost touched the ground a kiloter below.
It lacked eyes, possessing only a gaping maw ablaze with roaring black flas, its body coated in a slick, filthy black liquid.
With even the slightest movent, large quantities of this liquid dripped down, hissing upon contact with Stellarburg's azure barrier and sending up plus of black smoke.
The citizens of Stellarburg, witnessing the enormous entity above, turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Shadowcloud, clutching his dagger, finally assud a serious deanor.
...
John and his group, rapidly making their way toward Stellarburg, also caught sight of the monster in the sky, halting in shock.
Old Dog exclaid, "Holy shit, what in the world is that?! Looks like an octopus!"
Dark Fox solemnly responded, "This is a creature known as the 'Desire Demon,' usually residing in the underworld realm, feasting on human desires. It's rarely seen in our world."
So expressed their astonishnt, "This creature cos from the underworld realm?"
John frowned as well.
The underworld realm, similar yet distinct from the sprite realm, does not belong to our reality.
Many powers of undead magi and dark-based classes originate from beings within the underworld realm.
However, unlike the friendly stellar sprites of the sprite realm, the creatures of the underworld realm are far more dangerous and powerful.
Gold Flash spoke with gravity, "This beast is beyond our capacity to deal with. Let Captain Victor and his team handle it. Let's not lose our composure."
Hearing Gold Flash's words, the initially restless crowd cald down sowhat.
John remained silent, simply observing those traveling with them.
The distance to Stellarburg from the secret realm was not far for transcendent-tier powerhouses.
For John and the others, however, returning to Stellarburg would still take so ti.
Given the urgency, Baron and Victor had already proceeded without waiting for them, leaving behind only the less powerful among them and so rcenary forces.
The strongest awakeners present were Old Dog and a few mbers of the Hidden Stars.
anwhile, the guards from Theodore and House Carter, upon learning of Lucas's death in the Crimson Realm, had left without a word.
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