Chapter 773: Chen Chu's Death, Humanity Shaken (II)

Just as the Time Dragon hesitated on whether to make a move, Chen Chu suddenly asked in a probing tone, "Do you know Her Highness Adrienna?"

The Time Dragon instinctively rumbled,

How do you know the name of the great Kurapavida’s wife?

So it really is Saixitia’s father.

A look of surprise flashed through Chen Chu’s eyes, though it also felt perfectly natural.

Creatures capable of mastering the power of time were exceedingly rare. Across the oceans and continents of Blue Planet, countless mutated beasts had emerged, yet even under those circumstances, only a single such creature, Zhulong, had appeared.

A colossal dragon possessing such a power was even rarer. As far as Chen Chu knew, the only one fitting the description was Saixitia’s father, although this colossal dragon had been driven away by Saixitia’s mother many years ago.

Of course, there was another reason: this Time Dragon’s strength. It matched perfectly, being a peak titan that had touched upon the principles of the ancient titan level.

Given the power of the Azure-White Colossal Dragon, its mate could not have been weaker. Otherwise, it would have violated the fundamental principles of natural selection, where only strong partners were chosen.

Even though these colossal dragons were mythical creatures, they couldn’t escape the primal essence of being beasts.

The possibility of Saixitia’s father being even stronger than its mother and reaching the ancient titan level was unlikely. If it had been that strong, it would never have been driven off by the Azure-White Dragon in the first place.

Chen Chu slowly said, "You must have seen my contract beast companion. It happens to know Her Highness Adrienna, and it’s good friends with Saixitia.

"Once, Saixitia told Thunder Fiery that its father was a colossal dragon mastering the power of time. I didn't expect things to line up so neatly."

Saixitia... My daughter has already been born?

the Time Dragon rumbled, its eyes revealing a rare excitement.

Because of the nature of bloodline inheritance, the Time Dragon had already named the child-to-be when the Azure-White Dragon laid the egg. At the same time, it was a little amazed that the colossal beast capable of entering such a destructive mode was actually a friend of Saixitia’s.

The tense atmosphere between them eased a little once they realized this connection. A faint smile even appeared on Chen Chu's face as he continued. "Saixitia is doing very well. It’s already broken through to the mythical level and, together with my contract beast, has established a colossal beast empire called the Dragon Palace.

"Right now, they’re stationed in the Chaotic Region, and are preparing to sweep through the immediate surroundings. Her Highness Adrienna is doing well, too—it's currently at the final stage of its breakthrough to the ancient titan level."

Upon hearing that its wife and daughter were both safe and thriving, the Time Dragon’s gaze softened. Even the corners of its ferocious mouth twitched upward, forming a rather awkward smile.

It let out a low rumble.

I did not expect your contract companion to be friends with Saixitia. In that case, we are of one bloodline. Take this creature’s crystal core for yourself.

You’re not in good shape now—already cursed by time. Absorbing that core will help temporarily suppress the spread of the curse.

"Curse? You mean these traces of time erosion on me?" Chen Chu frowned slightly.

The Time Dragon nodded slowly.

Indeed. Your summoning altar was quite mystical, capable of reaching across infinite space-time to forcibly summon a creature from another coordinate.

According to the rule of equivalent exchange, when summoning that colossal beast, it should have consumed your energy. Once your energy was depleted, the colossal beast would have departed.

However, you forcibly broke the summoning altar’s rules repeatedly in order to prolong its stay, thus drawing upon the curse of time.

Each time you broke those rules, you deepened the erosion of time upon yourself and attracted creatures that fed on the power of time, such as that butterfly.

Moreover, because the erosion now runs so deep, even if you survived the attacks of these time-based creatures, you will eventually be transformed into a time lifeform under the curse.

"So this is the so-called time curse?" Chen Chu paused, feeling somewhat underwhelmed. He had thought it would be some dreadful, unavoidable death curse, but it turned out to be merely this.

Becoming a time-based lifeform? That was precisely the goal Zhulong had been pursuing all along.

He curiously asked, "Becoming a time lifeform, touching the law of time, and freely roaming within time itself—isn’t that incredibly powerful? Why is it called a curse?"

The Time Dragon slowly shook its head, and its rumbling voice reverberated across space-time.

Passive transformation into a time-based creature is not the same as us, who innately grasp the power. We can move freely at the edge of time, but you will be forever imprisoned by it.

You will no longer exist in the past, nor in the present. You will vanish forever from the material world, with no future.

As it spoke, a look of reverence appeared in its eyes.

Time itself is an undefined power. Even we, who are born with mastery over the law of time, are merely struggling within it.

The stronger the time-based creature, the more fiercely it will be rejected by the material world's principles, unable to remain long within the material world.

Saying this, the Time Dragon appeared faintly desolate.

Forever bound by time...

Chen Chu’s expression grew solemn. He hadn’t expected this to be the true backlash of the Space-Time Summoning Secret Art. No wonder Qingqiu Tianyao had repeatedly warned him against excessive summoning.

Clearly, Tianyao had also realized the secret art’s hidden flaw, although he probably hadn’t known it would be time erosion.

Suppressing the countless thoughts swirling in his heart, Chen Chu asked with apparent curiosity, "So you're saying you weren't driven away by Her Highness Adrienna?"

He intended to strike up a closer rapport with this Time Dragon, hoping to find a way to resolve his curse.

Upon hearing this, the Time Dragon's gaze grew a little strange as it rumbled.

Of course not. I am a mighty colossal dragon that commands time itself, capable of pausing local time. I am invincible among my peers.

I only left because the time power surging from my body became too strong, and would start to affect Adrienna and Saixitia.

As for how long I drifted at the edge of time, I truly do not know—a thousand years, ten thousand, or perhaps merely a year. Being unable to feel the passage of time is an extremely terrifying thing.

Only after I break through to the ancient titan level, condense the principle of time, and gain the ability to restrain the time force within me so it no longer affects my surroundings, can I return to the material world.

"I see." Chen Chu nodded, then suddenly asked, "Lord Kurapavida, do you know how to remove my curse?"

The Time Dragon’s eyes grew grave, and it let out a slow, low rumble.

It is very difficult. The curse on you is pure time power, already fused with your true form and soul.

If you wish to rid yourself of it, either allow yourself to be devoured by another time-based creature, or find your own way to comprehend the power of time and refine it for your own.

Chen Chu immediately frowned. The power of time wasn’t something easily comprehended. He had tried to sense the time erosion marks on his body, to touch the law of time, but in his perception, those traces simply didn’t exist.

There was no way to perceive them, no method to grasp them.

Perhaps because of Saixitia and the others, the Time Dragon thought a little more for Chen Chu’s sake and rumbled slowly.

For beings like you, who have not awakened the innate ability of time, it is indeed extremely difficult to touch upon it. However, there is one method.

"What method?" Chen Chu asked instinctively.

Surrender everything to the guidance of time. The summoning secret art you wield—it appears to be part of a system involving time, but it is incomplete and fragmented, insufficient for you to truly touch time.

Right now, we are within the region of chaotic space-time turbulence, where time is disorderly and active. You may attempt to draw upon the time power of the crystal core; perhaps time itself will grant you guidance.

However, I must warn you: this method is extremely dangerous. You may become lost forever in some other space-time, or some other era, never to return.

"Is that so?" Chen Chu fell into a brief contemplation, then quickly made up his mind.

He had the hell coordinate with him, and the Heaven's Gate in his planar world was also bound to the Blue Planet. Once the seal was broken, he could return at any time.

Even if he became lost in unknown space-time, he would still have a way back.

Thinking this, the blood-red light surrounding Chen Chu retracted, sweeping the rest of the Time Butterfly’s body into his storage space, and drawing in the massive crystal core.

As he held the enormous core, Chen Chu’s powerful divine soul and will surged into it...

Wait! I haven't left yet. No, why are you detonating it—

Boom!

The transparent crystal core in Chen Chu’s hand exploded, and a dazzling silver halo swept across hundreds of kilometers. The dense eruption of time power immediately formed a raging time storm.

Nooo!

There was a shrill cry as both the Time Dragon and Chen Chu vanished into the turbulent currents of time, leaving only the roaring, chaotic space-time turbulence shaking the void.

More than an hour after Chen Chu's disappearance, two powerful auras descended. The turbulent currents of the region grew even more violent, radiating brilliant, multicolored light.

Amid the howling chaos, a demon god ten meters tall stood proudly. Its body was clad in a magnificent golden robe, its bronze skin bare of scales, and a pair of curved demon horns jutted from its head.

In its hand, a black candle lamp one meter tall shimmered, releasing wave after wave of invisible ripples that scanned the area like a radar.

After a long silence, the demon god said in a deep, low voice, "There was once a battle here at the great-demon-king level. Some lingering traces of power still remain in the space-time currents.

"Among them, one carries a strong blood aura, very similar to that human’s power aura. Another belongs to a titan-level colossal beast.

"Moreover, I saw within the lamp’s flame the explosive impact of a time storm, swallowing everything in this space-time turbulence.

"I'm guessing that after the human fled here, he encountered a titan-level colossal beast, and they were both swept into a time storm while battling."

At that, Deorus’s cold, majestic face revealed a slight smile. "It seems severing his link to the human race’s fate was indeed effective. Without the blessings of humanity’s fate, his fortune has plunged into disaster.

"Even if he somehow survived, given his grievous wounds and the fact that he is now lost across unknown space-times, he will never return. He is no longer a threat to us."

Although Deorus had only crossed paths with Chen Chu twice, he remained deeply wary of him.

Thus, even after Chen Chu’s true form had been shattered, his origin exhausted, and he had fallen into the turbulent currents of space-time, Deorus was still unwilling to be at ease. Together with this demon god, relying on a supreme principle-level treasure, they had pursued him into the chaos.

Only after confirming that Chen Chu hadn’t been rescued by any human supreme powerhouse did Deorus finally breathe a true sigh of relief.

He smiled faintly. "It’s fortunate you rushed over from the Ancestral Court, Livedes. Otherwise, with that Time Dragon’s interference earlier, this human might very well have escaped."

The demon god in the golden robe said calmly, "Everything was for the sake of the Ancestor."

After retreating from the frontlines, Deorus and Kaodes didn’t immediately return to the empire. Instead, they had traveled to the Ancestral Purgatory Court, millions of kilometers away.

That place wasn’t a vast region, nor was it part of the eight major empires. It was the sleeping ground of the demons’ Primordial Ancestor, guarded by powerful demon kings and demon gods.

After explaining the threat of Chen Chu to the priests guarding the court, the High Priest had ordered them to leave temporarily. Shortly after, he had dispatched this demon god, armed with four of the Primordial Ancestor's decrees, to aid them.

As for the frontline, the two demon gods of the Greeta Battle Demon Empire continued to stand guard, defending against the human race.

After all, deploying two empire-level demon gods to deal with a single human genius at the mythical level already showed the utmost seriousness. Adding the Ancestral Court’s demon god into the mix was already considered an extravagant move.

If they were still uneasy and mobilized even more demon gods to besiege him, it would only invite ridicule across the entire Purgatory Clan.