Chapter 168 Awakening

Beneath a silent ancient tree and across a vast wilderness, underneath a massive domain, a beam of light still flickered. Within the radiance, a powerful aura was brewing, and a majestic heartbeat sounded rhythmically, never pausing.

Down below, Othrolis watched the commotion ahead, gradually calming down.

"This kind of power is hardly any different from that of a king."

"More importantly, it seems he is undergoing a transformation right now, which is why he cannot spare his hands."

Countless thoughts swirled through his mind, and the emotions originally stirred by Addis's aura slowly subsided.

Yet, gazing at the figure within and the profound aura contained inside, his heart still could not find complete peace.

Extending an arm that stirred ripples in space, a flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes as he launched a swift and ferocious strike forward, carrying a staggering momentum.

Vast demonic power answered his call and surged forward, imbued with an aura of decay. At this moment, before Addis had completed his transformation, it was practically inescapable.

However, when the demonic power touched Addis, the scene that unfolded caused Othrolis to draw a sharp breath of cold air.

Seemingly sensing the crisis, a faint glint fell from the cocoon of light, transforming into threads of light that formed a shield in front of him, directly blocking the surging demonic power.

The collision of forces obscured their vision. When the mist cleared, the cocoon of light remained unscathed, still standing silently beneath the ancient tree.

Moreover, following Othrolis's rash probing, a figure that had originally been dormant within the shrouding light seemed to awaken, opening its eyes.

An overwhelmingly oppressive force struck. Othrolis's heart sank, feeling as though he were trapped amidst tumultuous waves, completely enveloped by crisis.

With no time to ponder, he let out a low roar, his already demonized physique shifting once more, responding to the surrounding demonic power.

Ahead, Addis gazed at him coldly. With a slight shift of his will, the massive natural domain around them began to stir.

The ancient tree gently swayed its branches, dropping a single green leaf. Around them, the previously dormant natural domain activated, silently pressing down upon the spot.

Countless natural elements began to gather, carrying the divine power accumulated since his rebirth. Under this force, Othrolis's entire body stiffened, locked firmly in place.

A crisp cracking sound of ice echoed. Othrolis's body began to freeze, rendered immobile by the influence of the powerful natural elements.

The next moment, a drastic transformation occurred on the spot. Miles of windblown sand filled the air, and a terrifying aura permeated the space. Faintly, the towering phantom of a god and demon emerged, roaring furiously.

As time progressed, the surrounding natural elements poured in ever more densely, and a rushing river of blood qi diffused, rendering the divine-demonic phantom even more tangible.

By the side of the god-demon, several distinct shackles emerged, bound tightly by some mysterious laws, immovable and rigid.

Roar!

The god and demon roared, turning heaven and earth upside down. Countless territories were altered as a result, startling innumerable living beings.

A brilliant flash in Addis's eyes grew steadily brighter, his spirit gradually transcending and merging completely with the god and demon.

Suddenly, the massive physique of the god and demon appeared much more agile. A vast surge of blood qi soared into the sky, transforming into a river that battered the shackles binding him.

These were bloodline shackles.

Extraordinary beings, though inherently powerful and far surpassing mortals, would inevitably encounter bloodline shackles once they reached a certain level and pushed their bloodline to its absolute limit, restricting further progress.

The bloodline secret arts of this world were a system based on cultivating the bloodline physique and constantly making breakthroughs, which naturally led to similar predicaments.

On the spot, as Addis moved, the physique of the god and demon began to stir. Vast blood qi surged, shattering the shackles directly.

He looked up at the moon, visions of bloody slaughter flashing through his eyes, before letting out a great roar that shattered every single shackle.

Horrified, Othrolis gazed upon this scene, his body trembling slightly, yet he remained trapped and immobile within the natural domain of the ancient tree.

Ahead, as the bloodline shackles were broken, Addis's aura climbed once again. The river of blood qi soared straight into the heavens, turning the surrounding firmament a shade of crimson.

Finally, the physique of the god and demon vanished. In its place, a handsome, aloof youth stood quietly, radiating an unmatched majesty as he looked at Othrolis.

Othrolis felt his mind go black, a shockwave striking his soul directly and inflicting severe injuries upon him.

Panic seized his heart. A flash of spiritual light flickered across his body, his fifth arm twitching as he desperately attempted to escape.

Yet all around, the ancient tree still stood, gently swaying its branches. The immense natural power pressed down, rendering him completely immobile.

Despair gripped him, but the next moment, his body abruptly loosened, and the crushing force vanished into thin air.

Without a second thought, a pair of black wings unfurled from his back, and he fled into the distance without looking back, moving with blistering speed.

Witnessing this, Addis sneered. He made no move to chase him, merely raising one hand as the towering blood qi rose in response, enveloping the entire firmament.

Aah!

Othrolis let out a miserable scream. His body melted within the blood qi prison, dissolving entirely.

He stared at Addis, his mouth wide open as if wanting to say something. Yet Addis gave him no such opportunity, closing his palm.

Beneath the firmament, the vast blood qi stirred in unison, wrapping inward and reducing Othrolis directly to a pool of flesh and blood, which then flowed back into Addis's body.

Stepping forward, he captured a pale white true spirit, dissolving it effortlessly through the application of divine power.

Othrolis's lifelong experiences flooded his mind in countless fragments of memory.

"Indeed, what ordinary interrogation could ever compare to directly searching a true spirit?"

With this thought flashing through his mind, he looked behind him. There, a lingering trace of light condensed from divine power and laws still hovered, not yet completely dissipated.

"What a pity. Had that demon not meddled, once my transformation was completely finished, I could have advanced even further. As it stands, I didn't achieve perfection, reaching only around the peak of the third rank."

"Still, after this trial, the bloodline shackles are broken. The path leading to the fourth rank is now unobstructed; what remains is merely a matter of accumulating divine power."

Glancing back, he moved his mind to absorb the residual divine power, nourishing his physique.

Then, sensing the faint grieving cries of the world's consciousness ahead and the rapid fading of a familiar aura, he hurried forward.

A flash of radiance crossed a pockmarked expanse of land, where Cassia stood in tears, looking at Alan lying before her.

Several long spears pierced Alan's body, pinning him firmly to the earth.

Alan said nothing, his body trembling as if enduring excruciating pain. The light in his pupils gradually scattered, and his consciousness slipped toward oblivion as blood continuously flowed from his wounds.

Cassia and several surrounding clansmen attempted to pull out the spears formed from condensed demonic power, but being of mortal flesh, their hands were instantly corroded upon contact with the blood, completely unable to budge the weapons by even a fraction.

At that moment, a pale cyan radiance lit up, and Cassia looked joyfully at the youth before her. "Lord Yarl!"

Addis nodded, casting his gaze upon Alan with a look of admiration.

Having absorbed Othrolis's true spirit and perused his memories, he had witnessed Alan's heroic prowess in the earlier battle, standing like a god of war with no equal.

"Truly worthy of the emperor chosen by destiny."

He looked around.

Countless clansmen had gathered around Alan, their faces filled with concern and reverence, though they held their tongues out of awe for Addis's majesty.

Clearly, after witnessing the battle, the power Alan had displayed had successfully conquered these people. Were it not for Alan's tender age and the presence of Addis, kneeling in utter submission would hardly have been out of the question.

As for the fact that Alan was of dragon descent and different from ordinary people? In this world, that was called ancestral blessing, the result of divine favor, which only inspired greater awe.

Addis had already noticed several people nearby whispering about the protection of the God of Nature.

He shook his head, scattering a radiance whose powerful divine power instantly dissolved the residual malevolent forces, followed by a series of healing spells and other divine arts.

Under these ministrations, Alan's wounds healed rapidly. Though his complexion remained stark white from blood loss, his aura had steadied considerably.

He shook his head and surveyed his surroundings. "Carry him down, and remember to be gentle."

In the distance, Elder Edar's figure gradually appeared, his face a mixture of fanatical fervor and trepidation.

"Yarl, did you kill that demon?" Reaching a secluded spot, Edar looked at Addis and asked with blazing eyes.

Addis simply nodded, remaining silent.

Seeing Addis give a definitive answer, Edar looked momentarily dazed, before bursting into fanatical laughter laced with profound grief.

No one understood the implications of this better than he did.

After a moment, he raised his head, his gaze burning as he fixed it on Addis. "Yarl, do you know?"

"There has always been a legend in this world, a prophecy left by the final human sage from hundreds of years ago."

"Centuries ago, the sage prophesied: as the world nears the edge of destruction, a five-armed demon capable of rivaling demon kings will appear, plunging humanity—already in peril—into the crisis of extinction."

"Amidst this crisis, a hero will slay the five-armed demon, ultimately rising to become the emperor who suppresses the evil of this land and drives out all demons."

He whispered the prophecy he carried in his heart, his eyes locked tightly onto Addis as he murmured, "It has come to pass... it has come to pass..."

Surprised, Addis listened to Edar's words and lowered his head in thought.

After a moment, he shook his head inwardly. "Though that five-armed demon was powerful and approaching the limit of the third rank, he falls considerably short compared to a fourth-rank demon king."

"Still, if this prophecy refers to Alan, then the timing aligns nicely."

A thought crossed his mind, considering the possibility.

Along the original trajectory, Alan likely would not have encountered this demon so soon; by the time Alan grew up, at least a decade would have passed. By then, the human race in this world would certainly be weaker than now, the world teetering on the verge of extinction, and that five-armed demon might well have grown to the fourth rank.

"However, for that sage to observe destiny, they would at least need to have touched the domain of the fourth rank."

"Yet compared to other worlds, the powers of bloodline and destiny in this world are exceptionally potent. Even an ordinary person, given a stroke of fortune, might well achieve such a feat."

Indeed, through the ensuing inquiries, Addis confirmed this very fact.