Chapter 374: Refreshments at the Door!
Just outside the gates of the Immortal Asylum, the ground cracked open, volcanoes erupted, and rivers evaporated, painting a scene akin to the end of the world.
The powerhouses of the Nine Hells, having retreated even further, watched the turmoil unfold within the Immortal Asylum with faces pale as ghosts, their hearts in a frenzy.
The abduction of Yun Xiao by the envoys of the Primordial Ruins only added to their despair, leaving them without a pillar of strength, plunging them into the depths of hopelessness.
"The Nian has devoured the Primordial Guards!"
"Could it be on the verge of breaking free?"
The shadow of annihilation loomed over every man, devil, and demon, pressing down on them so heavily they could scarcely breathe.
It was then that the Sword Warden, along with the Netherworld Emperor and Siren Empress, stepped forward.
"Everyone is to return to their respective hells, activate the protective formations, and uphold social order to prevent chaos among the populace! Leave everything else to Exile Yun!"
With the disappearance of the Phoenix Empress, these three stood as the remaining Genesis Spirit Realm top figureheads of the Nine Hells. Their words carried the weight of authority, representing Yun Xiao.
"Yes!"
Those around the Immortal Asylum, already terrified, quickly retreated.
Chaos bred chaos, especially with the Nian on a rampage. Without a stable social order, the people would descend into despair and anarchy, leading to countless tragedies without any need for the beast's intervention.
Their presence here was futile.
This wasn't a directive left by Yun Xiao but a decision made by the Sword Warden and his peers.
As the masses dispersed, leaving only a dozen or so of them exchanging heavy, meaningful glances, the gravity of their situation was palpable.
"The situation's dire, beyond our control. But like I always say, put your faith in Exile Yun," the Sword Warden said with a grave voice.
"And let's not forget to trust in the Primordial Ruins. After all, it was their miscalculation that led us to this mess. The Primordial Ruins are our beacon of hope, our salvation ark. The chaos in the Immortal Asylum falls squarely on their shoulders," the Netherworld Emperor added, letting out a weary sigh.
"Just you wait, the Primordial Ruins have taken a big hit this time. Maybe soon enough, someone even mightier will come down to deal with the Nian," the Siren Empress said, though her eyes were tinged with melancholy. "The only question is, what will come first? The Nian breaking free, or their arrival?"
How much the Primordial Ruins truly cared about the calamity befalling the common folk was something they were uncertain of.
"Now, we're just clueless about what stage that Nian is in..."
The Sword Warden looked out, seeing the Immortal Asylum still in violent upheaval, the Nian's roars thunderous, shaking the foundations of the Nine Hells, sending shivers down the spine of every living soul in the cosmos.
When would it burst forth to devour them all? Nobody knew!
Their hearts raced as they stood there, waiting in silent agony.
Meanwhile, in a forest on the other side, a tall deviless stood in the wind, her radiant red eyes gazing into the sky, seemingly lost in thought.
"Why the long face staring at the sky when I'm right here?" Moon Fairy emerged from the shadows, arms crossed, somewhat bemused.
"It's just not the same!" the War Princess pouted.
"How so? Moon Fairy asked.
"You, for starters. The real you has a certain... charm. This body double of yours? At best, it's like a little pet," the War Princess scoffed.
"Are you worried I might get up to something with one of those fairies in the Primordial Ruins?" Moon Fairy's gaze sharpened.
"Stop talking nonsense. As if I'd care," the War Princess laughed off.
Moon Fairy chuckled too. Then, he stepped past the War Princess, heading towards the Immortal Asylum.
"You're going in?" she gasped in shock.
"Yes," Moon Fairy nodded.
"Why?" she pressed.
"We need to understand its condition, figure out when it might truly break free and bring disaster upon us... That way, I can make the best use of my time in the Primordial Ruins and respond in time," Moon Fairy explained calmly.
"Aren't you scared? It's terrifyingly powerful right now," the War Princess bit her lip.
"Scared? It's just a body double. If it dies, I'll just conjure up another." Moon Fairy shrugged.
The War Princess fell silent, her expression suddenly somber, "To you, I'm just like a body double, disposable at any moment, aren't I?"
Moon Fairy blinked, shot a glare back, and huffed, "Don't insult me. I'd rather perish than have a woman as my body double."
"Why's that?" the War Princess puzzled.
"No reason." Moon Fairy, not keen on a lengthy explanation, leaped forward, morphing into a silver fox, vanishing in a shimmer before the War Princess could blink.
"Weird as always," the War Princess mumbled, pouting and muttering to herself, "Shying away from a female form for a body double is he afraid he might fall in love with himself?"
The thought of him, fussing over a female double, sent shivers down her spine, almost enough to make her sick.
"Best not to mix the two, spoils the whole romance of it," she sighed, finally getting where Yun Xiao was coming from.
"Shut up, will you? You do realize I can still hear you, right?" a voice echoed in her heart.
"Oh, shoot..." She'd forgotten about that! Blushing furiously, her heart raced like a hare.
Inside the Immortal Asylum, Moon Fairy, on all fours, darted through the shadowy corridors with grace.
BOOM! The Immortal Asylum was still shaking madly, the Nian's roars thundering as if right beside him.
"What in the hell..." He glanced at the ground, spotting blood-red tendrils stretching out from the depths of the Immortal Asylum, creeping everywhere, somewhat resembling veins but unsure if they pulsed with blood.
The deeper he went, the more of these fleshly tendrils he found, sprawling like branches, intertwining, nearly filling the entire Immortal Asylum. And they writhed, which was quite unsettling.
"This Immortal Asylum's turned into nothing short of a bloody hollow."
What sort of creature was the Nian?
Was it at the height of its power now or weakened?
"A heaven-defying flesh and blood type of Seed of Creation..." Moon Fairy, fearless in the face of death, strode with a chilling gaze as he headed to the deepest part he'd been to before.
Upon reaching that corridor, he was met with walls entangled in crimson veins, leaving but a narrow path to venture deeper. The spot where the Old Immortal was pounding the meatballs, that was just ahead!
"This is it!" he thought, as the roars and the epicenter of the Immortal Asylum's tremors beckoned from the front.
WHOOSH! Far from intimidated, Moon Fairy sped up, charging into the depths with even greater fervor.
"Listening from here, the Nian's roars seem less furious, more pained. Maybe it's not in its prime," he pondered, sensing a pivotal moment of tribulation ahead.
Soon, a fleshly barrier appeared, blocking his path entirely.
BUZZ! Without a second thought, Moon Fairy plunged forward, his body engulfed in wild, desolate flames, hitting the barrier like a meteor.
POP! POP! POP! The barrier quivered and burst, its remnants raining down like a grotesque downpour.
"I've made it!"
Breaking through, Moon Fairy scrambled to his feet from the carnage.
At that moment, a lethal presence locked onto him, an unbearable weight crushing his very soul.
"Is it you?!" a voice roared, filled with savagery, right by his ear.
Withstanding the immense pressure, Moon Fairy jerked his head up, his pale moonlit eyes glaring defiantly ahead.
Right there, through the crack, he spotted a beast, a crimson nightmare half in, half out, as if caught in the very act of breaking through.
This creature, stripped of its hide, bore no fur, only flesh crisscrossed with veins, its heart a fountainhead from which rivers of blood seemed to flow, infusing the Immortal Asylum with lifeblood.
Yun Xiao had seen his share of skinned livestock, but this, this was a sight that would haunt the stoutest of hearts. Its visage bore the majesty and terror of the great wild cats, a gaping maw lined with daggers, a visage of pure ferocity.
Undoubtedly, this was the Nian in its truest form, half its ghastly frame forced through the gap, its skin flayed by the merciless edges of the crack, blood and flesh its grim adornment.
Desperation marked its escape, a madness that drove it to the brink, its roars not just threats but the outcry of excruciating pain.
At this critical juncture, it would not be deterred, not by guts spilling, not by flesh tearing.
Yet, this did not denote weakness; on the contrary, with half its form emerged, it posed a threat unparalleled since the dawn of the Immortal Asylum, its dull eyes locking onto Moon Fairy with a lethal intent.
"You've seen my true form," the Nian growled, paws braced against the crack, its sinister gaze fixed on Moon Fairy.
"And what of it?" Moon Fairy retorted, baring his teeth in defiance.
"A mere appetizer before my grand escape," the Nian sneered, its maw widening in a grotesque smile.
With a swift lunge, its tongue, a blood-red serpent, shot forth, ensnaring the Four-Tailed Demon Fox with an ease that belied the imminent peril.
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