The wind of an alien realm, carrying an irrepressible, searing heat, swept through the brand-new gateway. This hot gale scoured away the dust, welcoming the descent of a true King.
Zoran never had any intention of playing riddles with Angers. His "Yes and No" had always symbolized two distinct things. It was Lu Mingfei, and yet it was not.
But it was only now, watching from a vast distance as that Monarch stepped out of the crimson portal, that Angers truly understood. The Elder had indeed not lied; he had said Angers would see, and so he would.
Right now!
Shendu's true form emerged from the crimson gateway, standing tall within this crumbling Nibelungen. He stretched his body slightly, his aura sweeping across everything like a physical wave. Consequently, this already shattered Nibelungen could no longer maintain itself; under Shendu's crushing pressure, it began to dissolve with a mournful hiss.
The spectators were struck with absolute horror, their gazes fixed upon this newly arrived King who radiated steaming arrogance. A primal emotion known as terror fermented in their chests. As elite Hybrids, they were beings who could grip their dragon-slaying blades even when facing a Dragon King of the First Generation. Yet now, merely looking at Shendu made their hands tremble uncontrollably.
This was a creature far beyond the so-called Dragon Race, a being that commanded worship by its very existence. All information regarding him was a giant question mark; he was a presence summoned from a crimson gate by the Elder.
"Brother." The moment he entered this world, Shendu immediately looked toward Zoran. Seeing his brother hovering calmly in the air, his heart instantly found peace.
Just moments ago, he had been in his super-luxury mansion when a mysterious force began to pull at him. That force carried a familiar scent, and Shendu did not refuse it. His brother would never harm him, so he had come.
For the first time in his long life, he stood in another world in his complete, physical form. He had originally assumed he was here for a fight. Otherwise, there would be no reason for Brother Tso Lan to summon him so abruptly, unless he needed help.
But clearly, he had guessed wrong.
The instant he entered this world, he scanned the depths of every spectator present. They were weak. They couldn't possibly be a match for his brother. Thus, the answer became obvious.
"Shendu," Zoran spoke slowly, his voice unhurried. "This is the gift I promised you."
His lips curled slightly as his gaze circled the surroundings. His eyes did not settle on any specific person or object; instead, they pierced through everything, observing the very essence of this world.
His gift was this world itself.
Shendu's eyes flickered. He bowed his head and couldn't help but ask, "How did you achieve this?"
He knew Zoran possessed the ability to traverse worlds, moving through a golden door to another realm. But Zoran had never taken him on a journey in this manner. Yet just now, Shendu suddenly had a door of his own. It was like a bridge built backward from this world, reaching out to lead him here. And so, he had arrived in this strange place with effortless ease.
"How did I do it?" Zoran laughed aloud.
He was a Demon Sorcerer. As one of the three most powerful ancient Demon Sorcerers, his abilities and wisdom were not to be underestimated. Before arriving in this world, he had prepared three spells: the Siphon, Source, and Transposition Spells.
These were originally intended to replace his brothers and sisters from the Netherworld and to handle the Authority of the King of Earth and Mountains. However, having traversed two different worlds, the Demon's knowledge had evolved.
Using the Fire Demon Chi as a lead, setting Lu Mingfei as an Anchor, and then fusing the Source and Transposition Spells, Zoran had created an entirely new magic capable of allowing Shendu to descend through that anchor!
This was his second layer of calculation!
In their original world, Dark Chi and Light Chi were perpetually entangled. Sooner or later, perhaps tomorrow, perhaps in ten thousand years, the balance would eventually rupture. To prevent this, he had constantly exerted his wisdom and power to prepare this backup plan.
To prepare a secondary world for his brothers and sisters.
In this new world, they would at least not have to worry about being pawns of the Light and Dark Chi, facing erasure at some future date. This was a perfect exit strategy, the closing move Zoran had prepared for his siblings.
This concept had long existed in his mind, but he was accustomed to hiding his responsibilities and thoughts deep in his heart until the deed was done. This was his burden as the Moon Demon.
Now, he had succeeded. The Fire Demon Shendu had successfully descended into this world. In the future, Shendu would be able to descend through his anchor in this world even without Zoran's help. And that anchor was Lu Mingfei, who had completed the deal with Zoran, the price known as Faith.
Shendu could sense that his sliver of Fire Demon Chi was right there on Lu Mingfei. Within his massive dragon eyes, unreadable emotions swirled and trembled. He thought of many, many things.
A sliver of Fire Demon Chi was not a precious thing. As he had said before, it could be recovered in the time it took to blink. Zoran wanted it, so he gave it. Shendu had never questioned what Zoran intended to do with his Chi; as a Demon Sorcerer, Zoran always had his purposes. Shendu never doubted the purity of those purposes.
But even after thinking for a long time, he had never imagined this outcome.
His brother had asked him for a tiny sliver of Chi. And then, just a few days later, he had given him back... a world?
A trade? No, this didn't even meet the minimum threshold of a transaction. This was a donation. It was, as Zoran had said, a gift from an elder brother.
Having regained his wisdom and power, Shendu understood the significance of Zoran's actions in the blink of an eye. He remained silent, his trembling gaze resting wordlessly on Zoran. He didn't know what to say.
In this moment, he understood with absolute clarity what it truly meant for "branches of the same tree to support one another." It was never just empty words. Zoran was not only going to save them from the Netherworld; he had independently planned a perfect path of retreat.
Zoran's promise was more valuable than an entire world. He spoke, he acted, and he never broke his word!
After a long silence, Shendu finally spoke, his voice unwavering: "Brother, this world belongs to you, to me, and to all our brothers and sisters."
"Shendu," Zoran said. "This is only the first step. I have meticulously prepared seven gifts for all of you, and you have merely unwrapped the first. Now, go and inspect the world that belongs to you."
He waved his hand like a diligent father, a trace of gratification in his eyes. Shendu bowed, and his gargantuan body vanished instantly into thin air. As a King, he naturally had to inspect the realm that was now his.
With the Fire Demon gone, the crushing pressure abruptly lightened. Only then did Zoran slowly turn around, his gaze sweeping over the spectators in the stands as he proclaimed:
"Hear me, and rejoice! For you have the privilege of witnessing the dawn of a brand-new history!"
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