Everyone's faces filled with shock as the black-haired young man slowly stepped out from the maze's stone gate. The air was compressed into tangible white waves under that invisible, anciently resonant surge of blood energy. It swept across the mountains and seas, forcing everyone backward.

In just the blink of an eye, the entrance became an empty clearing as the crowd retreated thousands of meters.

Even the strongest among them, Carmanlinton, who had entered the third Valkyrie form and possessed strength comparable to an ancient-titan-level divine king, instinctively stepped back beneath the overwhelming draconic power surging through the air.

Her strength made her senses sharper than anyone else's. As she watched the black-haired youth emerge, she felt as if she were witnessing a vast and boundless colossal beast of destruction awakening from eternity. A shiver rose from the depths of her soul.

What terrifying vitality... What horrifying draconic might. No wonder he is hailed as the strongest divine beast among all illusory beasts.

Carmanlinton's expression turned grave. Even at her peak, she doubted she could withstand a single blow from him.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Many warriors' knees buckled as they instinctively fell to the ground, unwillingly offering their utmost respect to the youth walking out of the maze's gate.

Chen Chu had released a mere fraction of his vitality as a warning. After learning that the world's depths sealed a being possibly surpassing even a primordial sovereign—an entity that had already loosened its seal enough to extend tentacles toward Boroedo and the other evil god—he had grown solemn.

The trace of ease he once carried had disappeared; he no longer had any interest in playing games with the people before him.

His indifferent gaze swept over the crowd until they rested upon the powerhouses of the Valkyrie Academy. After a brief nod toward Amitya, his eyes fell on Carmanlinton.

Chen Chu said calmly, "This should be our first meeting. Greetings, dean of the Valkyrie Academy."

Carmanlinton replied evenly, "Greetings, Mr. Chu. I am Carmanlinton. I did not expect our first encounter to be under such circumstances. You seem to have struck a decisive blow, breaking through level after level of the maze and slaying the demonic beings within. May I ask what the situation below the maze is like now?"

Chen Chu answered in the same tone, "It's manageable. All the demonic beings below the nineteenth level have been slain, including the great demon king that dwelled on the ninety-ninth level. However, after breaching the ninety-ninth level, I did not go deeper. Due to a certain contract, my current strength cannot suppress the evil gods sealed beneath."

A collective gasp swept through the surroundings as people drew sharp breaths. The warriors, including Fiorina and the other Valkyries, all looked astonished. None had expected Chen Chu to clear the entire underground maze in such a short time.

That simple statement "all demonic beings have been slain" did not merely mean a straight descent through ninety-nine levels. It meant he had swept through an underground world dozens or even hundreds of times larger than the surface world.

That feat was even more shocking than defeating the great demon king itself.

Carmanlinton grew solemn. "Mr. Chu's caution is justified. The Underground Palace of Evil Gods has existed for less than three years, and their power is still at its peak. This is especially true of the two evil gods who dwell deep within that palace. Together, they are far stronger than anything we can face head-on.

"Now that all the maze's demonic beings have been destroyed and the mountain walls shattered, it will take over a week for the structure to recover. The ordinary demonic beings will take half a month to regenerate, and that's only because the two evil gods below are still leaking power that breeds demonic beings.

"Even so, the elite demonic beings, such as the demon kings that guard each tenth level past the seventieth, will take six months to a year to be reborn. That gives us time to cleanse the maze completely. If we act carefully, slaying each elite demonic being as soon as it emerges, there will likely be no new demon kings for the next few decades, or even centuries."

Carmanlinton bowed deeply. "On behalf of all humanity on the surface, I thank you, Mr. Chu, for your contribution to our world."

Though her third Valkyrie form allowed her a great deal of strength; she was usually a nine-star Valkyrie. The Valkyrie form was a temporary state of explosive power. The stronger the form, the shorter its duration, which was why she rarely unleashed it.

She could not clear the entire underground maze. Her duty was to remain on the surface, striking only when demonic tides arose and diving underground to slay the leading demon kings. That was the way of survival that humanity and the demonic beings had forged in this world.

The evil gods were sealed in the deepest depths, serving as the very source from which those demonic beings were born, until the world drained them of all power and reduced them to dust. For hundreds of thousands of years of human history, the maze entwined around the roots of the World Tree had already annihilated more than a hundred foreign evil gods.

Chen Chu said lightly, "Dean Carmanlinton, you're too polite. I acted only because I despise those demonic beings. However..."

Carmanlinton instinctively asked, "However, what?"

Chen Chu said slowly, "When I annihilated the great demon king on the ninety-ninth level, I also destroyed its fortress. I discovered a damaged stone stele beneath the foundations. Most of the writing was gone, but it mentioned the title 'Ancient Demon,' and included a partial description of someone named Celos.

"From the tone of what remained, the one who carved the stele was terrified of this Ancient Demon Celos, believing it to be a being far more dreadful than the evil gods. It was as if it was a presence that would bring ruin to the world if ever unsealed.

"So I wanted to ask if you've ever heard of the Ancient Demon, or of this Celos."

The story about the stele was merely an excuse. Chen Chu could not reveal that the information came from the evil gods themselves. No one doubted his explanation, but confusion was obvious across every face when the names Ancient Demon and Celos were spoken.

Even Carmanlinton, whose century-long service as the dean had exposed her to countless ancient records, looked perplexed.

After some thought, she finally shook her head. "I'm sorry, Mr. Chu. I've never heard of the Ancient Demon or anyone named Celos."

Chen Chu's brows furrowed slightly. "You haven't?"

This world's civilization had perished seven times. Countless secrets had no doubt long since faded into the mists of history and the chaos of endless wars across eight entire eras of civilization. It was no surprise that Carmanlinton knew nothing of it.

No one else had paid much attention either, assuming that this Ancient Demon must have been one of those evil gods that had already vanished countless ages ago.

Just then, from within the academy crowd, Estelle hesitated before speaking. "I-I think I might know a little, but I'm not sure if it's the same Ancient Demon."

"You know?" Chen Chu was slightly surprised.

Carmanlinton, Fiorina, and the others turned toward Estelle as well.

Estelle nodded. "I once saw a damaged stele in the imperial treasury. It recorded certain things from the earliest era. It described a time countless ages ago, before humans even existed, when boundless darkness engulfed the world.

"At that time, the Eternal God descended and split heaven and earth apart, tearing through the darkness and suppressing the Lord of Darkness who was devouring the world. Afterward, the Eternal God created human civilization.

"However, for reasons unknown, the Eternal God did not kill the Lord of Darkness. The Eternal God only sealed it beneath the earth. Before departing and vanishing, the Eternal God left behind a World Tree to forever suppress the darkness.

"Of course, that World Tree was not the one we see today. The first, original World Tree has long since disappeared. But according to the stele, its title was the Lord of Darkness, not Ancient Demon or Celos, so I'm not sure if it's the same being."

Estelle paused, uncertain. "I don't even know if the stele's contents is true. Civilizations have risen and fallen over hundreds of thousands of years. Many myths and legends have emerged among the people across countless empires and kingdoms, including those even more exaggerated than this."

Chen Chu nodded slowly in understanding, though a trace of surprise flickered in his eyes. He hadn't expected that the random excuse he'd made up about a broken stele would actually correspond to something real.

The Lord of Darkness sealed by the Eternal God... Its title shared a faint connection to the Ancient Demon. Especially since it was said that it had been sealed by the Eternal God, or rather, by Heng. This led Chen Chu to believe that the Lord of Darkness was very likely the same entity Boroedo and the others had referred to as the Ancient Demon.

He just didn't know how powerful that Lord of Darkness truly was or how much of its strength still remained after being sealed for hundreds of thousands of years.

As Chen Chu's eyes narrowed in thought, Fiorina, standing behind Carmanlinton, suddenly piped up, "Mr. Chu, Estelle is the princess of the Camor Empire. As far as I know, the imperial treasury of Camor holds many relics from ancient civilizations. Many of those relics still contain traces of ancient power. Since you're interested in information about the Ancient Demon, you might want to see them yourself."

Before Chen Chu could respond, Estelle's eyes brightened. "Mr. Chu, I can guide you there. I know exactly which corner that stone stele is kept in."

"...Then I'll trouble you for that." Chen Chu paused for a moment before nodding.

Just as Fiorina said, a stele preserved since a past civilization was unlikely to be ordinary. It might even contain traces of the inscriber's will, helping him understand more about the Lord of Darkness.

Besides, the underground maze would take at least a week to recover, and ten to fifteen days before demonic beings reappeared in large numbers. He had nothing pressing to do during that time.

More importantly, he was not short on time. Judging by when Heng had appeared, and the Underground Palace of Evil Gods that Boroedo and the others said had been condensing for two to three years, the flow of time here was dozens of times faster than that of the mythical world.

A year here was equivalent to only a few days in the mythical world.

***

Above the city of heroes, a colossal dragon over three hundred meters long, covered in gleaming blue scales, let out a deafening roar. Its wings beat fiercely, stirring gales that tore across the sky as it rose on its hind legs.

A small yet elegant white castle, about a hundred meters wide was nestled on the back of this dragon with. Two maids carefully arranged trays of desserts in the terrace of the castle's palace garden, then poured fragrant black tea for Chen Chu, Estelle, and Amitya.

When the maids stepped back, Estelle, dressed in a blue and white lace princess gown with her long blue hair coiled gracefully behind her head, smiled politely. "Mr. Chu, this is our Camor Empire's famous Snowy Night Black Tea. I hope it suits your taste."

Chen Chu took a sip. When he glanced up at the radiant, smiling princess before him, the delicately arranged pastries, and the steaming tea, he found the contrast oddly surreal, considering that he had just slaughtered tens of millions of demonic beings not long ago.

Amitya, her purple hair cascading down her back after reverting from her Valkyrie form, lifted her cup and murmured softly, "I've long heard that the princess's maids brew the best tea and pastries in the empire. I didn't expect to have the honor of tasting them here."

She smiled at Chen Chu. "Try it, Chu. I doubt you'll be disappointed."

The scene was strange enough already. Chen Chu slightly shook his head and raised his cup.

The rich floral aroma filled his senses the moment he took a sip. Ten or more kinds of flowers, each with its own fragrance, delicate, sweet, fresh, or fruity, all blended together perfectly. The craftsmanship of fusing so many florals into one harmonious brew was remarkable enough to make even Chen Chu sigh in admiration.

"The flavor is indeed excellent. Fragrant and lingering, as if one were strolling through a blooming garden."

Estelle's smile brightened with delight. "I'm glad it pleases you, Mr. Chu. Tatiana, aren't you going to thank him for the compliment?"

"Thank you, Sir."

The young maid named Tatiana, who was barely in her twenties, bowed gracefully, her motion accentuating the elegant curves of her figure beneath her uniform.

Of course, such charms had no effect on Chen Chu. They merely reflected the strict hierarchy of this world.

Estelle, as an imperial princess, and Amitya, the daughter of a king and Estelle's cousin[1], were only courteous to Chen Chu because of his overwhelming strength. To ordinary people, however, they were lofty nobles, far above reach.

But such matters were trivial. As the three of them chatted and sipped tea, the massive blue dragon tore across the sky, soaring over mountain ranges. It traversed over ten thousand kilometers in just three hours, and arrived above a grand city filled with medieval splendor.

As the imperial capital of the Camor Empire, it was no smaller than the City of Heroes. With the existence of transcendent beings, the society and civilization here were thriving and magnificent. The streets bustled with life even at night, and bright lights illuminated the main avenues.

The blue dragon, radiating a level nine aura, descended onto the city with a deep roar that reverberated through the heavens, startling countless onlookers below. Guards at the city gates bowed deeply.

"It's Princess Estelle's mount."

"The Blue-Feathered Dragon, Princess Estelle has returned."

"Mr. Chu, shall we go directly to the imperial treasury or rest at the imperial palace for the night and examine the stele tomorrow?" Estelle asked from the terrace.

Chen Chu replied, "Let's go straight to the treasury."

"Alright." Estelle nodded. The massive dragon's body turned in a smooth arc and soared toward the side of the imperial palace.

Boom!

The enormous dragon landed heavily under the wary gaze of the treasury guards, shaking the earth and sending dust billowing into the air.

In that instant, Chen Chu's eyes flickered slightly.

He had felt a faint ripple deep within his body, where his true form had already fused with the fragment of Primordial Genesis principle left behind by Heng.

1. Following China's imperial system. The emperor's brothers will be called kings or princes depending on the novel. So Amitya is basically the daughter of the emperor's brother, making her Estelle's cousin. ☜

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