Chapter 143: Finally Revealed

On the ramparts, Aedis gazed at the figure of Olaris below, observing the violent fluctuations of the power of slaughter and the aura of divinity that transcended mortal limits.

That was the divinity of slaughter, inherited from him, now ignited by the carnage on the battlefield and growing steadily under the influence of the world's power.

Like a seed, Olaris’s aura intensified with every kill he made. Furthermore, because this power stemmed from the pure essence of slaughter, it resonated perfectly with his own attributes, leaving him with no lingering side effects.

"Why does this feel so much like leveling up by grinding monsters?" Aedis’s mouth twitched, a sudden sense of familiarity washing over him.

Come to think of it, such a scion born of slaughter indeed held many advantages. While others—even fellow divine scions—had to cultivate step by step, a scion of slaughter only needed to kill to advance rapidly; it was practically cheating.

"However, this method surely cannot be sustained indefinitely. Once he reaches the sixth rank, I suspect it will be difficult to improve further through this path," Aedis mused.

Even so, it was still heaven-defying. In any corner of the universe, a sixth-rank being was undeniably among the strongest, capable of traversing the void and wandering the dimensional cosmos alone.

Although they still faced a limit to their lifespan, barring any unforeseen accidents, the lives of such beings were virtually endless—they were the strongest entities beneath the eternal.

"And besides, even in the multiverse, the power of slaughter is an exceptionally potent force," Aedis thought after a moment.

At this time, as the armies of the Aedis Empire purged the demonic tide across various regions, the power of the world began to boil. It seemed that under the stimulation of this powerful demonic energy, the long-slumbering consciousness of the world was finally reawakening.

However, because the world’s consciousness possessed only instinct, it could not intervene directly, but it could bestow blessings upon the armies.

Above the legions stationed everywhere, specks of world power permeated the air, imbuing the warriors with greater strength on the battlefield. Conversely, the vast hordes of demonic beasts and demon-kin were suppressed by this same power, their strength directly diminished.

Supported by the massive empire, the wars raged on across all lands. As time passed, there was no sign of them ending; instead, they grew only more intense.

Amidst this storm, Aedis remained unmoved. He simply looked up at the firmament, sensing the gradual revival of a massive demonic shadow in the distance, and his heart stirred.

In the distance, as Aedis’s gaze swept across, he sensed a powerful aura standing outside the world. It carried a pure, destructive force, as majestic and imposing as an apocalyptic demon god.

It was a three-headed, six-armed demon god. Its original lupine form had completely transformed into the demonic shape etched in Aedis’s memory. It was releasing its aura wantonly into the void, as if issuing a challenge.

"You wish to lure me beyond the world's void to avoid the suppression of the world's consciousness?"

His golden eyes flashed, piercing through the vast distance. Aedis smiled as he watched the demon god standing outside the world: "But since you have dared to show yourself, what do I have to fear?"

He knew that if he did not go out, given the craftiness of this demon god, it might choose to lurk in the shadows, making it far more troublesome to track down later.

Therefore, he did not hesitate. As the power of nature, condensed since his promotion to the sixth rank, began to fluctuate, his divine might surged. In an instant, he crossed the vast distance and arrived in the void outside the world.

Upon reaching this place, Aedis felt his body lighten; the world power that had been constantly bolstering him from within began to fade.

Ahead, a demonic shadow lunged. A massive wave of destructive energy surged, shattering the protective barrier formed by the outermost layer of world power and striking directly at Aedis.

Aedis’s mind flickered. Without the slightest evasion, he unleashed the power of nature, which swept forward to collide with the opponent.

A thunderous shockwave erupted. The power of nature clashed against the power of destruction—two forces of different natures, subtly targeting one another, detonated in the void, whipping up a void storm.

Amidst the raging storm, the demon god charged outward.

Seeing this, Aedis sneered. Without hesitation, his divine power surged, and he transformed into a streak of light, giving chase.

The two pursued each other, instantly traversing a vast distance until they arrived in a void filled with chaotic storms.

This was the void beyond the world, the gaps between the cosmos. Compared to the calm void just outside the world, this place was far more chaotic, teeming with massive void storms and spatial debris. Save for beings like Aedis who had reached the sixth rank, any other entity entering this place would be dissolved by the turbulent void.

Furthermore, deep within the void, there often lurked numerous void creatures, some so powerful that even Aedis would choose to detour around them.

"Now that we are here, the world's blessing is gone," Aedis stood still, observing the violent void around him, and gave a cold smile. "Have you finally stopped?"

Ahead, hearing Aedis’s words, the massive demon god slowly came to a halt. It turned its crimson eyes back, accompanied by an overwhelming, terrifying aura of destruction.

"I never expected that during my slumber, you would have already defeated Christia."

He spoke in a somber tone, shock hidden within his heart.

Originally, according to his projections, he had spent only a few decades in recuperation. In that amount of time, Aedis should still have been locked in a stalemate with Christia. The two would have exhausted each other’s final reserves, allowing him to suppress the entire world in one fell swoop upon his awakening.

He had not expected Aedis’s speed to be far beyond his imagination—not only had he rapidly unified the Royal Court, but he had developed the world to this extent in such a short time.

Yet, he felt little fear. After all, he was an consciousness born from the corpse of a demon god that had neared the eternal, inheriting the legacy of the ancient demon god. Even if he had not yet reached that level, he was not someone a typical sixth-rank being could compare to.

"You know, if you had remained within the world, relying on your status as a Son of the World, even I would have been powerless against you," he said, staring at Aedis with a malicious glint. "But now, it is too late for regrets."

As his words fell, the surrounding void suddenly exploded. A violent surge of destructive energy radiated outwards, actually pushing back the chaotic void currents, majestic and ferocious like an apocalyptic demon god.

Witnessing this, Aedis merely shook his head. He released the power of nature, neutralizing the violent force charging toward him.

A turbulence erupted on the spot, obscuring the view. In the chaos, the demon god’s massive figure emerged, instantly closing the distance to Aedis and launching a powerful strike.

"Approaching the peak of the sixth rank," Aedis dodged the strike, sensing the power contained within it, and thought to himself.

This progress was truly terrifying, yet upon reflection, it was entirely reasonable.

After all, his opponent was not cultivating in isolation but was walking on the shoulders of a terrifying demon god that had once touched the realm of immortality; he was never on the same starting line as others.

"A pity. Although your root is that of a true demon god, you are not the original will, and thus you only have this much."

As this thought crossed Aedis’s mind, a ripple appeared ahead.

He looked up to see that the demon god, who had been pushed back, had somehow bypassed his domain and was now pressing in upon him.

A shock ran through him; a sense of crisis welled up, causing him to instinctively channel his divine power.

Behind him, the demon god let out a low, guttural laugh. His three hideous heads roared with maniacal laughter as his power fluctuated, gathering into his six arms, which then crashed down toward Aedis.

This strike was immense—the demon god’s full-force blow, imbued with powerful laws. Had it landed directly, it would have at least resulted in a severe injury.

"Die!" the demon god roared madly, his destructive power pushed to the limit, sealing Aedis in place.

The two collided with a boom. A hint of joy appeared in the demon god's eyes, only to be replaced by a look of astonishment.

In the next moment, the scene shifted abruptly.

Aedis, who had been standing there, smiled coldly. A strange sensation washed over the area; his entire body dissolved into a phantom image, and the law of nature quietly manifested in his place, immediately coiling around and binding the demon god.

The next instant, the space exploded. Within the blast, massive divine power descended, carrying the weight of years of accumulation.

The void roared, and the void storms were suppressed, transforming the area into a calm domain of nature.

A moment later, the demon god’s figure reappeared.

He looked battered. After enduring the previous blow, countless wounds had opened across his towering demonic frame, from which ink-black blood flowed, thick with potent energy.

With disbelief in his eyes, he looked at Aedis, who had manifested on the other side. "How did you discover it?"

"Does that matter?" Aedis smiled faintly, and the aura about him shifted once more.

The divine might radiating from his body surged yet again, reaching a level comparable to the peak of the sixth rank. A vast, majestic pressure descended, causing the demon god’s expression to change.

This was the power of the sixth-rank peak. With the unification of the world and the constant supply of world origin power, Aedis’s progress was worlds apart from before.

More importantly, it was the accumulation and consolidation of these past thirty years. With the population multiplying and the spread of faith, the supply of divine power had increased many times over.

Combined with the feedback from the world’s power, it allowed Aedis to cross what would have been thousands of years of accumulation in mere decades.