Chapter 1735: Chapter 79: Another Possibility
Inside the giant maw lies a void incomparable to even the blackest of nights, devoid of light, darkness, or any distinction of time and space.
A dense network of white roots deeply entrenched in the Demon Mother Goddess’s body—these high-dimensional beings always prefer to bring their food inside their bodies, perhaps to ensure the safety of their feast from other predators, but if the food is not just food, but also a predator, it’s akin to playing with fire.
The pale roots frantically spread outward, being inside the Goddess, they can deeply embed into Her flesh from any direction, endlessly extracting and devouring. Thousands of pristine white tendrils, like branches, like root spikes.
"Crack—crack crack—!!"
The mirror cage emits an unbroken, hair-raising shattering sound, one panel after another bursting, with fragments consumed by the giant maw even before they could scatter.
Isabelle panicked for an instant before quickly calming down. Though weakened from a prolonged slumber, even if Su Ming’an abandoned his human form, burning himself recklessly to drive the Devouring Authority, she could suppress him.
(Are you courting death...?) A dark and beguiling message arrives, (How long can your rationality withstand such a frenzied use of devouring power?)
Su Ming’an’s outburst is due to his being an ideological form; thus, forsaking his human shape, transforming all parts of himself into open "mouths," maximizing the drive of the Devouring Authority.
The Demon Mother Goddess is a deity governing spiritual corruption and death, adept at driving others to madness and despair. With Su Ming’an burning himself so, once his soul becomes delicate as paper, his rationality will utterly perish.
"Then try, Isabelle." Although his shell is no longer like a human, his voice remains as clear as a piano, youthful and composed. The Demon Mother Goddess, too long in slumber, is in a weakened state, while he simultaneously holds two major authorities, a prolonged tug of war is not unfeasible.
Pitch-black tendrils, like grease thrown into an incinerator, emit a mournful "sizzle," shriveling inch by inch.
The battle quickly evolved into the most primal mutual devouring.
The Demon Mother Goddess’s attack is wild and chaotic; thousands of tendrils laden with suckers and spikes, carrying an intense shadow of death, stab forth like a frantically dancing forest of spears!
The First-Level God’s attack power far surpasses Su Ming’an’s, the breath of death punctuates like inevitable annihilation, "pop," it pierced through countless twisting white tendrils, striking precisely at the heart within the white mass!
"...!" He spits a mouthful of blood, his entire body becoming slightly translucent, yet quickly, the thousands of tendrils on his back frantically absorb, bringing nourishment, solidifying his body once more.
Every penetration by the black hand attempts to dismantle him from within, each heavy blow makes his form tremble violently, even the sound of bones breaking under immense pressure can be heard, his life flares like a candle in a storm, flickering wildly, anytime about to extinguish.
There is no stopping, no retreating.
With each impalement, he not only does not fear the pain, but instead resolutely advances towards the tendrils piercing him!
Deeply embedded parts into his body are easier for him to absorb, even if the heart in his chest is shredded, the black hand is quickly digested by him, transforming into a new purple-black heart, pulsing in his chest.
"Sizzle... Gurgle..."
The nerve-racking sound of digestion mixes with the din of battle.
Like a candle swaying in the wind, he seems on the verge of dying from the Mother Goddess’s next thorn, yet he endures the excruciating pain of non-human body tearing and reassembly, relentlessly extending outward with all his might.
On one side, there is a continuously writhing, tumbling, and releasing of indescribable evil and death Ancient God;
On the other, a Pale Tree growing out from within "Her," turning the tables, feeding on the deity as nourishment.
The two tightly "embrace," undergoing the most ruthless mutual erosion and digestion. Wherever the pale tree roots reach, the Demon Mother Goddess’s ebony flesh rapidly loses luster, shrivels like dead wood drained of life force, while the deity’s repeated penetration of the giant tree’s core bursts a spray of blood and flesh.
The scene before breaks the bounds of "battle," more akin to two cosmic rules tearing at each other.
Gradually, Isabelle shows signs of fatigue. With "devouring" present, if Isabelle hadn’t killed Su Ming’an at the start, the gap between a First-level God and a Second-level God would only diminish over time; having slept at the Source Point for long, her strength hasn’t recovered, a seemingly sure win turns unexpectedly difficult.
She attacks more frenziedly, yet Su Ming’an remains calm.
He isn’t unaware of the pain... in fact, he also stands on the brink of collapse, his senses endure death dozens of times per second, torn and reassembled, penetrated and healed...
With each reassembly, his humanity blurs a little more.
(Look... child...) The Mother Goddess’s thoughts hiss like a serpent in his increasingly vacant consciousness, (So beautiful... so hungry... why... not yet mad... why... can still think...)
(Look at yourself, fully driving this authority, you are a monster... those people you protect... seeing you like this... will they still recognize you? Will they... accept you?)
Monster.
So what?
The little monster in red robes and white hair saved her homeland too. Perhaps truly a monster, someone stubbornly insane like him was originally a monster.
The next moment, countless outward spreading pale roots suddenly halt for an instant.
Immediately, from the center of the countless growing white masses, a pale hand slowly extends, palm congealing—
Spatial vibration.
"Buzz——!!!"
The vibration erupts fiercely, using Su Ming’an as its source point!
"Crack—crackle...!!!"
As if the foundation is breaking, a sound rings out; inside Isabelle’s vast body, long since riddled with holes by pale roots, the jet-black flesh finally reaches its limit. The sturdy tissue cracks like parched, decaying wood with a web-like dense pattern!
"Boom——!!!"
With a massive spatial vibration, countless pale branches, in an unstoppable manner, suddenly forced apart along the spreading cracks!
Like a seed that has absorbed endless nourishment, finally, after accumulating all strength, forcibly breaks through the final crust! Like a skin ruptured by a huge tree growing inside, in a series of hair-raising biological thuds, it busts open!
Countless fragments of sticky black flesh scatter, in the midst of the giant wound—
A gigantic tree of chilling pale jade-like texture slowly "grows" forth.
Its roots still buried in Isabelle’s body, ravenously sucking nutrients, its trunk and branches have broken out of the Mother Goddess’s envelope, exposed to the azure glow of the High Tower domain.
The contour of the trunk vaguely reveals traces of a human spine extending, with countless branches stretching towards the void, resembling crystal carvings and white bones pieced together, ending with translucent flowers swaying like pale flames.
—The spine is like jade, the tip swaying like a flower, thrilling and captivating.
Holy yet eerie.
Like a pale tree of reverse life emerging from its chrysalis, a butterfly breaks free from the cocoon, provoking awe.
Within the high tower domain, there is silence. Outside the domain, Si Nian and others have long been speechless in shock, staring dazedly at the pale giant tree "grown" from the Mother Goddess’s body.
"Whoosh——!"
In the next moment, Su Ming’an condenses into human form and lands in front of Isabelle.
The Devouring Claw in his left palm has solidified. It’s no longer the sinister purple-black color but resembles ten sharp bones extending from his palm, covering his flesh and blood-laden hands. The surface is crystal-clear, akin to bright, distinct piano keys. The claw tips emit translucent flames swaying like pale fire.
"Devour" in his hands has ascended, feasting on a sumptuous meal, transforming from sinister purple-black to pure white, completely becoming his possession. Naturally, he and it have become inseparable, even hearing it call out hungrily in his ear.
...Not enough yet, must eat, let us devour the entire world...
In his palm, the Sword of Yarman undergoes a bizarre evolution, still crystal-clear, sprouting dancing pale flames and pulling out a gradually dimming white smoke as he advances.
...
[Yarman’s Sword·Dawn·Devour (Gold Level, Complete Form, Growth): "This is his grand final strike—spending life as a song creation?"]
[Attack Power: 130~160]
[Durability: 30/30]
[Equipment Requirement: One-Handed Weapon, Strength Requirement of 120 or higher.]
[Magic Infusion: Infuse Mana Points into the sword, greatly enhancing sharpness and damage. The infused Mana Points can remain on the sword for 90 seconds until exhausted.]
[True Damage: Any of your sword strikes inflict true damage.]
[Absolute Suppression: Your attack has the "Absolute Initiative" effect against any entities without Divine Power Value, reducing all opponent’s post-action controls and damage.]
[Destiny Cutting: You can use this weapon to sever causal lines.]
[Emotion Harvesting: The essence of this weapon is the "Life Disk Recycling System", allowing you to harvest others’ emotions during attacks.]
[Heart of Dawn: Enemies you attack will be affected by the emotional resonance you have experienced; the greater your experienced resonance, the stronger the attack effect.]
[(New) Devouring Domain: Activate the "Devouring" Authority and you can maneuver it to transform into the "Pale Jade Tree" form, enveloping the surrounding domain, and the targets you attack will be drained of nourishment. You can cancel the "Pale Jade Tree" form at any time.]
...
This sword has witnessed his growth from the novice period to now, with each newly imprinted skill symbolizing his evolution at each phase.
He raises the sword, its blade pointing at the Demon Mother Goddess firmly rooted by the Pale Jade Tree.
"I have given you a chance." Su Ming’an says flatly, "Was it necessary?"
(Truly... an interesting man...) It shows no fear, rather it laughs, (If we knew each other in another possibility, maybe I could be your ally... What a pity... It’s a pity...)
Su Ming’an looks coldly.
(I am a little confused...) Isabelle’s consciousness echoes, (Since you know I’m not well-meaning... why...)
It’s puzzled why he comes, but Su Ming’an knows the answer.
Firstly, as the only Deity that could confront the Radiant Mother God in the setting, the appearance of the Demon Mother Goddess is necessary. Secondly, the Demon Mother Goddess is currently weak due to its long slumber. Only by letting it out can billions of demon followers and the dark camp races have a backbone, he needs its power. Thirdly, facing the Radiant Mother God, the Demon Mother Goddess dares not go against, which contradicts its ’setting’, unless it seeks death. Fourthly, even if it reverses the setting, Su Ming’an has ways to deal with it.
(I see... so it is.) Isabelle remained silent for a while, (You do not fear the Radiant Mother God, or rather, you do not necessarily need my power, you’ve never blindly followed the storyline of ’the brave defeating the evil dragon with the holy sword’, you’ve always been sober. It’s me who thought... you’d be blinded by the quest.)
...
[Su Ming’an feels that all his steps have a bizarre sense of guidance, retrieving keys, pulling the holy sword, slaying gods... as if trapped in an invisible shell.]
...
Once Su Ming’an sensed this feeling, he became alert immediately, realizing there might be misinformation, thus deducing that there was an issue with the Demon Mother Goddess.
(But you paid quite a large price.) Isabelle’s consciousness conveys, (Your soul has become extremely thin.)
To avoid being devoured by the "devouring" desire, Su Ming’an endured for a long time. The benefit is that he hasn’t used a trump card. He suffers severe pain to save the trump card for last.
Even now, he wants to save the trump card... his companions would probably say so. But he only feels relieved.
"I know you can still fight, but there’s no need." Su Ming’an overlooks It, "Cooperate with me, Isabelle. Once we defeat the Radiant Mother God, you will be Luowasha’s most powerful Deity. For Yi Song’s sake, there’s no need for mutual destruction between us."
(...)
Su Ming’an always knows his charm value is useful, coupled with the missionary halo, plus the passive of the "Kingfisher" earrings, as long as there’s back-and-forth dialogue with him, the other party is easily persuaded. But the prerequisite is that his fist is hard enough for others to be willing to listen, otherwise, the result is direct violence to shut him.
Now it’s good, they can finally have a proper conversation.
"Su Ming’an, do you have a skill to forcefully maintain mental stability?" Violet crossed over, noting Su Ming’an’s unstable condition, "Activate it, you’re currently in a dangerous state."
"Dangerous?" Su Ming’an lifts his eyelids, revealing slightly red eyes.
"It really is dangerous." Violet shakes her head.
