Chapter 539: Defining Death, Blood God Akunus (II)

Roar!

At the center of this desolate terrain, a colossal level 9 beast, over two hundred meters long, abruptly rose to its feet, only to be immediately shrouded in darkness.

Boom!

Crimson lightning flashed across the beast's body, as its thunderbolt domain exploded outward and tore through the darkness, blasting the surrounding soil and rocks with thunderous cracks.

Once the darkness dispersed, however, nothing remained in the shadowy area that spanned dozens of kilometers, leaving only the beast standing on a hillside, roaring with primal fury.

Following the spatial rifts, Chen Chu concealed his presence, stealthily pursuing the periodic flickers of white light deeper into the zone.

As a shattered world, the forbidden zone’s laws of heaven and earth were chaotic. One moment it was brightly sunny, the next he found himself in a frigid wasteland.

Moreover, there was an area of spatial chaos that released a terrifying pull. Once entered, one would be entrapped by space itself.

In some areas dense with transcendent energy, powerful level 9 beasts and even mythical-level creatures made their lairs, further intensifying the danger.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Therefore, as Chen Chu advanced another two thousand kilometers, his expression tensed, and he activated the Hidden Divinity rune to erase his presence, remaining silently in the shadows.

Under the darkened sky, the ground lay cracked, with rivers of lava flowing beneath. A colossal beast, over seven hundred meters in length, lay sprawled across the land. Its massive form, a deep crimson, rested atop a sea of molten gold amid blistering heat.

Roar!

Suddenly, the mythical colossal beast’s eyes snapped open. Its enormous, wary eyes scanned its surroundings, a trace of confusion mixed with ferocity in its gaze.

Moments ago, it had sensed a dangerous presence, but now, all was silent. The surroundings remained empty, devoid of any movement or other creatures.

Boom!

The lava lake erupted, and the colossal beast soared into the sky, rising over ten thousand meters, while fiery lava cascaded from its scales.

Yet, it found nothing.

Chen Chu, who had decided not to engage with the beginning-stage mythical-level beast, had already concealed his presence. He moved swiftly through the shadows on the ground dozens of kilometers away, heading deeper in pursuit of the converging world origin.

Meanwhile, as Chen Chu ventured into the forbidden zone’s depths, in another area, where the zone bordered the Alliance of Gods, a group of more than ten individuals advanced cautiously toward the inner reaches.

All of them wore long black robes, with even the weakest among them radiating the aura of the Eighth Heavenly Realm. Despite their strength, they moved with great caution.

Suddenly, the elder at the front halted abruptly, his voice raspy. "Be careful. I can sense a strong scent of blood in the air."

No sooner had he spoken than a nearby hillside a thousand meters away exploded. From it burst a massive gray python, over 240 meters long, its body armored in gray scales.

Roar!

The gray python opened its mouth wide and drew in a deep breath that created a gray whirlwind, engulfing hundreds of meters with a devouring force.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground fractured under the power of the gray whirlwind, with countless stones and clumps of soil spiraling toward the python’s gaping maw.

Red flames ignited on the group, creating a thick barrier several meters wide by merging true power with blood flame, to block the pull of the whirlwind.

A long-haired young man, protected at the center of the group, narrowed his eyes coldly at the distant gray python. "Courting death. Carola, kill that beast with all your might."

The elder called Carola bowed respectfully. "As you command. Protect our god!"

The other thirteen people nodded respectfully. "Yes, Archbishop."

Boom!

The elder’s body erupted with an intense, blood-red light, transforming into a nine-headed blood python nearly three hundred meters long. Instantly, a terrifying aura of a late-stage level 9 beast burst forth.

Roar!

The gray python, seeing its opponent morph into such a formidable form, hesitated for a moment, causing the fierce winds around its mouth to dissipate.

With no further delay, the two level 9 colossal beasts clashed with ferocity. The blood sea domain collided with the gray domain, releasing a powerful shockwave.

In moments, the two colossal beasts were locked in a bloody close-quarters battle.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As they fought with nearly equal strength, the sky trembled, the ground shattered, and the group of black-robed cultivators retreated from the immense energy waves.

Though the elder named Carola was at the late stage of the Ninth Heavenly Realm, unlike Chen Chu, who could crush his opponents swiftly, it took nearly half an hour for him to defeat the middle-stage level 9 beast.

Boom!

With a final bite, the blood python’s remaining six heads tore into the gray python’s neck, snapping it with a resounding crack. The massive gray python’s body crashed to the ground, writhing in its final moments as blood gushed from its wounds.

"Don't waste that blood, Carola."

"As you wish, my god."

Boom!

The blood python unleashed its domain, sending tremors through the ground and pinning down the corpse of the gray python, which continued to twitch as its remains were forcefully suppressed.

The long-haired youth’s expression turned displeased. "Your power has declined, Carola. To think it took you so long to kill a middle-stage level 9 beast."

The blood python reverted to the elder’s form, his face slightly pale as he bowed respectfully. "It’s my failing, my god. I beg your forgiveness."

However, the young man’s expression softened, showing a trace of warmth. "It’s not your fault. With my true body shattered, your strength has been severely affected."

The followers disregarded his sudden change in mood, their eyes burning with fervor as they lowered their heads respectfully. "All of this is due to our inadequacies, my god."

With a wave of his hand, the long-haired youth approached the severed neck of the colossal beast, pressing his hand against its flesh. Immediately, thick blood-red light spread from him, enveloping the corpse.

Gurgle... Gurgle...

The beast’s body quivered as vast amounts of blood and essence surged into the young man, consumed without end. Like a black hole, he absorbed every last drop, draining the beast’s blood until his entire body was bathed in a sinister red glow, exuding a menacing aura.

The long-haired youth slowly opened his eyes, the faint image of a fragmented nine-headed blood python swirling within them. His gaze was icy.

"It’s still not enough. Without my complete soul essence and with my true body shattered, I can’t advance beyond the late stage of the Ninth Heavenly Realm."

A fierce hatred glinted in his eyes. "Xuanwu, Jiuyou... the day I find the Heart of the World to rebuild my soul and return to the mythical level will mark the end for your kin."

Having vented his wrath, his expression shifted once more, returning to calm as he looked back at his followers with a cool gaze.

"The Heart of the World has emerged, located in the central area of this forbidden zone. Once there, I’ll sense its entrance through world fragments. When I’ve restored myself, the remaining world origin will be yours as a reward."

The followers immediately knelt on one knee, fervent expressions on their faces as they shouted in unison. "Thank you for your grace, my lord! You shall ascend the throne once more and reclaim your place in the legends!"

Akunus nodded in satisfaction, then continued leading his followers deeper into the zone.