Chapter 668: Luke's Desperate Situation
The Underground Lair
"It's her, the Old Woman."
"What is she trying to do?"
Luke furrowed his brow, quite confused. Although the battle was intense, if the Human Gods just dragged it out, their numerical advantage would eventually grind the enemies down. Even Dom the Underworld God couldn't withstand the combined assault of dozens of Gods indefinitely.
So why force him into the fight? To demonstrate loyalty? Or for some other reason?
Luke's mind raced, and he suddenly thought of a possibility: energy doesn't appear from nowhere, and neither does magic. The more powerful the magic, the greater the cost. Dom said this land was enchanted, but what was the source?
What kind of power could instantly restore a tentacle monster that had been disintegrated into dust?
Could it be...
Luke's eyes lit up. He dropped the long bow, his body dissolving from solid to spirit, seeping into the dirt, and plunging deep underground. After flying for about two minutes, a light appeared ahead: a vast, empty underground cavern.
The air inside the cavern was thick and sticky, filled with white threads.
Luke grabbed a thread and examined it. It was solidified energy. The sheer amount of energy concentrated in all these threads must be enormous.
"What is this place?"
Luke cautiously moved forward, finding himself before an altar covered in runes. On the altar rested an incredibly huge fleshy egg (or cocoon). The egg pulsed rhythmically, like a beating heart. Each pulse released black energy waves. The altar absorbed this energy, converting it in a strange way into the white threads.
"You shouldn't be here."
A familiar voice echoed. Luke sneered,
"Why shouldn't I be here? Are you afraid I'll discover your secret?"
A withered, haggard old woman appeared in front of the fleshy egg. Her empty eyes seemed connected to an abyss, exuding an unsettling aura.
"What is that lump of flesh behind you? Don't tell me that's the main tentacle body, the 'unborn baby.'"
"Did Hanyue tell you?"
"Not her. It was Nephthys, the Egyptian Goddess of Fertility. We encountered Nephthys on the way to the Plain of White Bones. To avoid trouble, we cut off her body."
"Later, I used my Taoist magic to awaken her true spirit. Guess what she told us?"
Luke cracked a smile, his expression full of meaning.
"Old Woman, you are truly something. You dare to deceive even the Gods. Aren't you afraid they'll tear you apart when they find out?"
As he spoke, Luke was filled with tension. He was just probing, testing her reaction to confirm his suspicions. The result was surprisingly good; the old woman didn't refute him, but instead released an extremely violent energy fluctuation.
"Human boy, you know too much. Some things are better left alone. Curiosity can kill."
A rustling sound filled the air. Nine human-headed, snake-bodied monsters crawled out of the corners, surrounding Luke.
These monsters were different from the tentacles outside; their aura was stronger, but their eyes were vacant and lifeless, holding only cold killing intent.
While guarding against them, Luke asked urgently,
"Can you tell me why you're doing this? To create an incredibly powerful God, or to become a God yourself?"
"Kill him!"
The Old Woman roared. Luke's mind suddenly froze. He watched helplessly as one of the figures stepped forward and sliced his body with a sword.
The soul-form split into two, causing unbearable agony.
His pupils contracted, and rage brewed in his heart, exploding outward in a frantic release.
Boom!
Green flame exploded, surging outward like a volcanic eruption. Eighteen Fire Dragons materialized in the flames, letting out earth-shattering roars.
The next second, the state of mental stagnation returned. His soul felt frozen, making even thought incredibly difficult. Luke gritted his teeth, forcibly twisted his body, and looked at the white-eyed female snake-person.
A God, a Human God who can freeze souls.
Damn it, how could the Old Woman have someone like this by her side?
This woman must die. She absolutely cannot be left alive.
The fractured soul began to burn, merging with the green flame to form a new soul-body. Two Lukes, one soul, two consciousnesses. Suddenly, a sword flash streaked across his vision.
Pfft!
The sharpness of that sword seemed capable of tearing the void, severing both the green flame and the soul-form.
A snake-person wielding a Shang-style sword appeared in his sight. Black hair, black eyes, and an aura extremely similar to Hanyue's. Undoubtedly, this individual was from the Celestial Court.
A God who uses a sword!
No, I must leave first. These guys are too troublesome.
Luke took a deep breath. A massive amount of green flame surged from his body, turning into a sea of fire that expanded rapidly and endlessly. At this rate, the entire underground space would soon be engulfed.
A snake-person wearing a feathered hat flew into the air, hands outstretched. Faint spatial ripples appeared in their palms. The sea of fire suddenly stopped, as if crashing into a wall, unable to break through despite its efforts.
The snake-person clapped their hands together. The spatial barrier surrounding the flames began to contract inward. It had to stop five meters away, as the sea of fire had condensed into a tangible liquid, containing chilling amounts of energy.
If they continued to press it, it would likely explode, destroying the entire cavern.
The Old Woman hissed coldly,
"Where is that human boy?"
"He's right inside."
"No!"
Another snake-person said chillingly, "His aura is not in the barrier."
The white-eyed woman spoke up,
"His soul has vanished."
The Old Woman suppressed her fury and shrieked, "Where did he go?!"
The woman closed her eyes, sensing carefully. A moment later, she suddenly looked at the fleshy egg. Everyone paused, instinctively looking at the altar.
A ball of flame appeared out of thin air, solidifying into a phantom figure. Luke raised a long blade condensed from green flame, and under the Old Woman's terrified gaze, he slammed it down hard onto the fleshy egg.
"You dare!"
A roar of fury exploded, creating a destructive shockwave. But it was too late.
Bang!
The seemingly soft fleshy egg had an extremely tough exterior. The blade only managed to cleave a small opening. But that was enough. Luke compressed his body, turning into a fire-ball, and drilled through the wound.
"You damned half-breed! Stop it now!"
The Old Woman was enraged, rushing forward like a madwoman. She stopped abruptly when she reached the egg, her eyes flashing with anxiety, fear, and a hint of indiscernible expectation.
The nine snake-people swam over, surrounding the fleshy egg, ready for battle at any moment.
The Old Woman gritted her teeth, pacing restlessly like an ant on a hot griddle. The little one inside the egg, fused with the divine power and soul fragments of hundreds of Gods, was the proudest creation of her life.
She had toiled for so many years and invested so much effort, all just to await its birth. She never expected such a disruption.
Damn it! That human specter did this on purpose! It has to be on purpose! It can't be a coincidence!
No, there's still a chance.
Although the little one hadn't fully formed, its soul was incredibly powerful, and it possessed numerous superpowers. The human boy couldn't possibly be its match.
At that thought, the Old Woman smiled suddenly, chastising herself for being so flustered. What was there to fear from a mere human soul that wasn't even a God?
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