Starlight, coming to his senses, did not hesitate and swung his sword at the fourth chain once more.
The memory that appeared this time was of Salenzo and Cantia entering the underground necropolis of the Violet City-State.
Salenzo carefully brought out a crystal container, inside which a shapeshifting shadow was suspended.
The shadow would sometimes stretch into a human form and sometimes twist into an indescribable shape; just looking at it made one feel dizzy.
“Inside this is a remnant soul of an Ancient God. If used correctly, it might provide us with a great deal of assistance,” Salenzo whispered as he gently placed the container atop the altar.
Cantia observed it with great interest. “The soul of an Ancient God... truly a fascinating specimen. It’s such a shame I won’t be able to watch him be resurrected here~”
She tapped the crystal container with her fingertip, causing the shadow inside to become even more frantic.
A hint of disdain flashed in Salenzo’s eyes as he looked contemptuously at the container in the center of the altar. “They call him an Old God, but he is nothing more than a failure crushed by the Ancestor...”
Pitch-black energy flowed in his palm, forcibly suppressing the restless remnant soul of the Ancient God. “Hopefully, these dregs can be of some use.”
With that, his figure slowly merged into the shadows of the tomb, leaving only a meaningful echo behind.
Cantia cast one last glance at the crystal, which had returned to stillness, and turned to follow him.
This memory was not long, but it was closely related to what Starlight had experienced.
Taros’s resurrection was no accident, but a pawn meticulously placed by Salenzo.
The Ancient God who had nearly unleashed the undead scourge in the Violet City-State was also the turning point where he had met Moen, You, and the others.
The threads of fate had long been interwoven in secret, leading them all to this final battle.
By now, Starlight had severed four of the chains binding the massive heart. As their number decreased, the memories they reflected became shorter and shorter.
Just as Starlight intended to break the remaining three chains in one go, a sudden wave of dizziness hit him, blurring his vision.
Deep exhaustion struck at the same time. The azure longsword in his hand flickered, nearly slipping from his grasp.
“What’s happening... Am I not in the mental world? Why do I feel so weak...”
Starlight clutched his forehead, forcing his body to remain steady.
This was definitely not a good sign, as soul exhaustion often mirrored the limits of the physical body.
It likely meant his body in the outside world was in a very dangerous state.
“I can’t stop yet...”
Starlight took a deep breath and readjusted himself. Suppressing the swirling dizziness in his mind, he charged at the chains once more.
“Swish, swish!”
With two slashes, two more chains snapped. But the exhaustion of Starlight’s soul had nearly reached its limit.
His eyelids were as heavy as lead, and even the memory fragments flashing around him became harder to catch, as if seen through a thick fog.
“Where am I? What was I just doing?”
Such thoughts suddenly rose in Starlight’s mind. The intense fatigue had begun to muddle his thoughts.
The echoes of the breaking chains still rang in his ears, but he could no longer distinguish them.
...
Just as Starlight had anticipated, the situation in the outside world had reached a critical point.
From the moment he successfully infiltrated Salenzo’s mental world, the uncontrolled Dragon God’s body had fallen into a complete rampage.
Desdoraka was now entirely ruled by savage instinct, frantically venting the destructive energy accumulated within its body.
Death power and the Shadow of Annihilation interwoven into a monstrous black tide, sweeping across the sky for kilometers like a doomsday tsunami. Wherever the violent energy storm passed, even space began to warp and crack.
Fortunately, this rampage was occurring high in the air; otherwise, the entire Dragon Nest would have been reduced to scorched earth.
The people outside had already gathered around the massive crater in the center of the Dragon Nest under the Gold Flame Dragon King’s direction.
Around that bottomless pit, an ancient magic formation tens of kilometers in diameter emitted a faint glow, slowly flowing across the ground.
Seranox and You stood in mid-air, hovering directly above the circular crater. Their solemn gazes pierced through the raging energy storm, staring intently at the rampaging black dragon in the distance.
“How much longer can you hold out?” Seranox suddenly asked.
You gazed forward calmly, his robes fluttering in the turbulent energy. “The next attack will be the limit of this body.”
His voice was flat, as if he were discussing something that had nothing to do with him.
“Because I have to protect the clan territory, the power I can currently mobilize isn't enough to deliver a lethal blow...”
“So you need me to open a path for you.” A faint smile played on You’s lips. “That is reasonable.”
“Of course, all of this is predicated on the boy Starlight being able to destroy Desdoraka’s soul core. Otherwise... I will have no choice but to detonate the ley line core and perish along with that monster.”
Listening to the Gold Flame Dragon King’s plan, You shook his head slightly, his silver eyes shimmering with a strange light. “Don’t worry, he will succeed.”
“You have that much faith in the kid? Is this the future your eyes see?” the Gold Flame Dragon King asked, glancing sideways.
“No, that child’s future has long since passed beyond what I can see clearly. But one thing I am certain of: his steps will definitely not stop here.”
The distant storm was reflected in You’s pupils, but his voice was filled with unwavering conviction.
As if to validate his words, the pitch-black sky was suddenly torn apart by a blue light.
At first, the light was as faint as a needlepoint, but in an instant, it transformed into a brilliant star-river, carving a path through the churning tide of death.
You raised a hand to shield his eyes from the blinding light, a gratified smile appearing on his face. “See? That is his answer. Now, it is time for my final curtain call.”
...
Within the consciousness space, Starlight’s consciousness flickered like a candle in the wind. Darkness constantly encroached upon his vision, and even his ability to think was rapidly fading.
But at the very moment his consciousness was about to dissipate, a warm current suddenly flowed from his right hand, which held the sword.
In his daze, he felt a pair of soft hands gently cover the back of his own. The warmth was like winter morning light, instantly dispelling the chill deep within his soul.
It was this very warmth that ignited the fire in his heart in an instant.
“I remember... my task is to... destroy the last chain.”
His vision was still blurred, but his fingers instinctively tightened around the hilt. The azure longsword let out a clear hum, as if responding to its master’s will.
“Just... a little longer...”
Following his instinct, he arrived before the final chain and raised his longsword high.
“Ugh... where is the target...?”
But now Starlight hesitated, for his blurred vision made it difficult to lock onto the target.
This strike had to land. He knew clearly that this would be his final blow, exhausting all his strength.
“It’s here!”
Suddenly, an ethereal voice rang in his ear.
That familiar warmth wrapped around his arm once more, gently guiding the direction of the blade.
In a blur, he seemed to see a strand of pale blue hair flutter past his eyes.
The blue light on the blade suddenly surged, and Starlight felt a pure energy being transmitted through those hands.
He no longer hesitated and struck down with all his might, following the guidance.
“Clang!”
The moment the final chain snapped, the entire consciousness space trembled violently.
Another memory appeared, but due to the spatial tremors, it seemed exceptionally distorted, like a disturbed reflection in water.
Starlight endured the dizziness and focused his gaze, recognizing it as the fourth layer of the Dragon Nest—the underground lava lake.
Standing before the lava lake were two figures. Starlight looked closely and saw that they were actually Seranox and Salenzo.
However, the two Dragon Kings in this memory appeared much younger.
“Brother! So the fourth layer from the clan legends really exists!” Salenzo’s voice was full of excitement.
He leaned over, wanting to get closer to the surface of the lava lake, his black eyes reflecting the crimson molten rock.
Seranox, helpless, grabbed Salenzo’s shoulder and pulled him back. “Mind your manners. You are now a Dragon King in charge of a region. Also, remember that everything here is a clan secret that must never be shared with outsiders.”
“I understand!” Salenzo nodded vigorously, but couldn’t help but ask further, “But is the Ancestor’s Sacred Body really slumbering beneath this lava? Have you seen it with your own eyes, Brother?”
“What else do you think is the source of the power that maintains the entire Dragon Nest?” the young Seranox huffed. “However, even I have never seen the true form of the Ancestor’s Sacred Body.”
“Then... should we go down and take a look? With our current strength, as long as we use a bit of protection, mere lava shouldn't be able to hurt us—”
Salenzo’s eyes lit up as he excitedly turned to look down.
But before he could finish his sentence, Seranox’s large hand rapped heavily against his forehead with a crisp thump.
“What are you thinking?” Seranox frowned slightly, delivering another sharp rap to Salenzo’s forehead. “Do not desecrate the Ancestor’s body! You are never to have such a thought again, do you understand?”
“Cast aside those transgressive thoughts!” The Gold Flame Dragon King’s voice suddenly became stern, and even the lava lake beneath them surged violently with his anger.
“How could the Ancestor’s Sacred Body tolerate your desecration? If I hear such words again—I’ll throw you into the Dragon Abyss for solitary confinement!”
Salenzo clutched his reddened forehead and pouted aggrievedly. “I get it, I get it... I was just a little curious...”
But Starlight clearly saw a faint, hard-to-detect obsession flash in the young Obsidian Dragon King’s eyes as he lowered his head.
Rate on N.U.
