The wriggling mass of flesh, covered in sticky black liquid, absorbed the surrounding yellowish-green fluid. As the flesh writhed, it transformed into a gigantic tree that looked as if it had been doused in oil, its spreading branches made of numerous arms protruding with strange things.
On the "trunk..." on the surface of the viscous black liquid, countless bloodshot black and white eyeballs rolled around, and ear-piercing roars that directly attacked the Spirit Body swept outwards.
Aaron's rationality was instantly cleared. The terrifying deformation curse seemed to penetrate the "Judgement Domain..." causing his body to subtly deform until a colossal, ancient, mottled phantom of a clock enveloped him.
In that instant, dozens to hundreds of arms rapidly extended outwards. Some spread upwards, obscuring the seven clear lights hanging high in the Spirit World, while more converged from all directions, wrapping around the weak giant's body like tentacles.
The massive phantom of a clock that had originally enveloped Aaron occasionally expanded, and the flow of time in this area seemed to become incredibly slow. The swarming tentacles, which looked as if they were trying to weave a black giant cocoon, also became sluggish.
By the time the black giant cocoon fully closed, the giant, whose body was originally broken and whose aura was weak, dissipated like a bubble, replaced by a helpless Pallez Zoroast.
Before being possessed by the enraged Abomination, Suah, and turning into a true Ragdoll, a silver-black jewelry box inlaid with various gems appeared in Pallez Zoroast's hand. Then, he unhesitatingly opened its second layer.
"Box of the Great Old Ones"!
The second layer of this Sealed Artifact, a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact that Aaron had obtained in Tingen, could transfer living beings within its range to a specific scene it had recorded!
Even though this was only an ability recreated using the "Crown of Stars..." apart from the third layer being unusable or unopenable, under Pallez Zoroast's control, it was almost identical to the original.
The three-layered jewelry box, with a silver-black base inlaid with various gems, was quickly opened, revealing the scene inside the second layer.
It was a pitch-black space, even the surrounding barriers seemed to merge into it, giving a sense of endlessness and bottomlessness.
Moments later, countless glittering points of light illuminated the pitch-blackness, as if it had transformed into a miniature Cosmos, a miniature universe.
These dazzling points of light rotated rapidly, causing the surrounding scene to change multiple times within a second.
As early as before the hunt began, Aaron had discussed the worst-case scenario with Pallez Zoroast: failing to quickly deal with the true body of their messenger, allowing the remaining Mother Tree of Desire's corruption to successfully connect with the Abomination, Suah.
Unlike the Mother Tree of Desire, which was isolated outside the Primordial One's barrier, the Abomination, Suah, had sufficient ability to tear through the isolation Aaron had created and directly descend into the corresponding area.
Aaron's plan was to use the recreated "Box of the Great Old Ones" to transfer all of the descending Abomination, Suah, and remove him from the battle.
This would mainly create three problems. The most important and crucial one was that even if Suah were transferred, this Abomination could quickly return to the battlefield by sensing it, and this time difference would not be enough for Aaron to completely end the battle.
Therefore, Suah needed to be transferred to a place that could pose a threat to him, or at the very least, could tie him down.
The second problem arising from this was that the second layer of the "Box of the Great Old Ones" had randomness; it could only "release" a specific scene in a few instances. In most cases, the chosen location would inevitably undergo a mutation.
Therefore, as the holder of this terrifying Sealed Artifact, although Aaron had recorded several locations in the second layer of the Box of the Great Old Ones, he did not know what would happen when it was actually opened and used.
This was also the last problem with using the "Box of the Great Old Ones": as the user, no matter how large the area encompassed by the Box of the Great Old Ones, they would also be affected by it and be teleported to an unknown place.
Ultimately, Aaron rejected the idea of Alvin Gallows making a move. High-Sequence extraordinary individuals of the same Pathway always had a particular restraint over lower-Sequence extraordinary individuals, and could even exert some influence from a distance. The previous Reinette Tinekerr and the former "Chained God" were very typical examples.
Instead, Pallez Zoroast, the old man, did not have much objection. After all, this was just a Worm of Time he had entrusted to the "Crown of Stars." No matter where the "Box of the Great Old Ones" took him, it could not substantially harm his true body.
The only thing Aaron needed to worry about was that the randomly selected scene by the "Box of the Great Old Ones" should not be the Cosmos. In that case, he would likely lose the "Crown of Stars..." and this required the protection of Destiny.
Unlike Aaron, who cleverly used the Nation of Disorder to advance his Sequence, Pallez Zoroast, a true Sequence 1 Angel, although his spirituality was also affected by the Abomination, Suah's aura and "solidified" quite a bit.
However, it could not truly bind his body and soul. His vast spirituality surged into the Box of the Great Old Ones, maintaining its open state.
Sensing the danger, Suah no longer cared about his anger. He abruptly inserted multiple pitch-black arms into the surrounding Spirit World, causing the nearby chaotic area to suddenly boil and become covered in sticky black liquid.
This continued to spread into the distance, eroding the void upwards, interfering with the overlap of reality and the Spirit World, but it was already too late to stop it.
In a blink of an eye, the scene within the second layer of the "Box of the Great Old Ones" changed, presenting a city enveloped in grayish-white mist, with a dark, illusory river vaguely appearing within the mist.
The sudden change occurred within a few instants. Suah hadn't even had time to pray to the Mother Tree of Desire before he was teleported to Calderon by the "Box of the Great Old Ones."
This City of the Dead had undergone a terrifying mutation after Aaron left. The grayish-white mist that had originally only permeated the depths of Calderon had spread outwards, completely enveloping this City of the Dead, with the echoing sound of illusory, undulating water.
The recreated "Box of the Great Old Ones" in Pallez Zoroast's hand, whose figure had just solidified, had already disappeared. But he still raised his arm, and the black tentacles that had originally collapsed inwards, intending to crush himself into dust, strangely changed direction, reaching towards Calderon, which was enveloped in grayish-white mist.
This was an application of the Trojan Horse of Destiny's ability to graft Destiny, grafting his own Destiny for a period of time onto Calderon, and simultaneously grafting his own future for a shorter period of time, thereby completing an exchange. The sudden disappearance of the Spirit World giant before was also a grafting of Destiny.
After completing all of this, Pallez Zoroast's body, overloaded from using his ability, was already nearing transparency. Without the slightest hesitation, he poured all his remaining spirituality into the "Crown of Stars..." and a gray-blue, illusory Door with seven brass keyholes immediately opened.
Taking the "Crown of Stars" from his body, just before his figure shattered, Pallez Zoroast threw this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact into the Door of Banishment.
East Tucker County, Osel, Underground Hall.
The dense, almost solidified, iron-blooded aura enveloped the "Crown of Stars" as it flew out of the "Door of Banishment..." and simultaneously completely destroyed the illusory portal to prevent it from being tracked.
Varna Weil closed his eyes and sensed for a moment before handing the "Crown of Stars" to Alvin Gallows. Only after this Ancient Bane confirmed that there were no residual markings of Suah did he nod slightly.
Due to Alvin Gallows's extremely special identity, if the information about Trunsoest's survivors were to be discovered by the Rose School of Thought because of him, the resulting changes would be something Aaron currently could not bear.
Therefore, even at the cost of losing an Angel's combat power, Aaron did not let him make a move, but rather regarded him as a last resort in the worst danger, when things spiraled out of control.
Several tentacles, dripping with black mucus, stopped before truly touching Calderon, which was enveloped in grayish-white mist. As an Angel of Sequence 1, Suah, who had already been fooled once could barely resist this influence.
But what he didn't know was that the hidden dangers in Calderon had been completely triggered by Aaron some time ago. Even without a direct attack, the undisguised tyrannical aura of the Sequence 1 Abomination had already attracted the attention of certain existences.
Just as Suah retracted his tentacles and prepared to return, the dense grayish-white mist suddenly split open, and a massive shadow appeared in the swaying illusory river water.
It was a gigantic bird completely submerged in a tributary of the River of Eternal Darkness, suspended in the water, its body covered in feathers woven from pale flames and mysterious patterns.
Even though it had been largely dissolved by the River of Eternal Darkness, revealing parts of its pitch-black, rotting skin oozing yellowish pus, the giant bird's eyes still seemed to be cast from bronze, containing layers of illusory Doors.
It was the Phoenix Ancestor, Gregrace! The ancient Death who opened the Underworld!
In Gregrace's eyes, bronze light burst forth, instantly enveloping the Abomination, Suah, who wanted to withdraw, seemingly wanting to drag him into the dark river water.
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Within the increasingly fragmented Spirit World space, after Pallez Zoroast and Suah disappeared simultaneously, Aaron endured his still-stinging Spirit Body and took out a strange wolf-headed, snake-bodied sculpture.
Illusory, layered Darkness surged out, causing a colorless drop of liquid, carrying a strong aura of eternal stillness, to fall towards Astolfo's still struggling "true body."
This was a drop of River of Eternal Darkness water that Aaron had prayed to the Evernight Goddess for in advance!
This drop of liquid fell extremely fast, accurately landing on the red "curtain" on Astolfo's "true body's" chest, on the solitary, protruding "heart" hanging there.
Having lost "Destiny Restart..." the Mother Tree of Desire's aura, which had been growing little by little, immediately receded, losing its fluctuations, as if it had fallen into eternal sleep.
Astolfo, who had been lingering around, did not hesitate at all. He seized the opportunity to actively merge into this massive body. In the single eye on the greenish-black giant's head, clarity and madness alternated.
With Aaron's full assistance, who was in charge of the Nation of Disorder, this massive body trembled slightly and pulled a gigantic longsword from the void.
The surface of this longsword was covered in orange-red light, emitting an aura of twilight's arrival and the decay of all things.
An arm wrapped in corpse oil bandages swung, bringing the exaggerated greatsword down, striking the Mother Tree of Desire's corrupted Convergence, which was condensed by the ritual, and striking the protruding "heart" hanging on its chest.
Seeing this, Aaron did not think at all. According to the plan, he used the Nation of Disorder and manipulated the strange sculpture that had previously held the River of Eternal Darkness water to catch the severed "heart."
The dark red heart, which had been twisting and wriggling from the attack, suddenly calmed down and disappeared into the deep mouth of the sculpture.
The "Twilight Longsword" did not stop there. Amidst a roar filled with tyranny and liberation, the orange-red light curved and slashed straight towards the greenish-black head.
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In the Cosmos, outside the cracked world barrier, a terrifying face, difficult to describe with normal words, appeared. Behind it, in the boundless universe, a terrifying figure, difficult to describe with words, emerged.
Invisible and immense power impacted the already cracked Primordial One's barrier. The barrier, already covered in cracks, began to tremble violently, seeming as if it could collapse at any moment.
Areas within the Cosmos lit up, some with surprise, some with indifference, watching the Mother Tree of Desire impacting the barrier. Then, they simultaneously took action, some counterattacking, but more just repairing.
At this moment, both the Northern and Southern Continents experienced earthquakes, not severe, but quite noticeable.
Above the Five Seas, waves surged high, as if they had encountered a sudden tidal pull.
It seemed that the simultaneous action of the Seven Gods had violated some taboo. Besides the terrifying tree shadow that occupied the universe, the light on the surface of the Crimson Moon also expanded and contracted, as if it had come alive.
A sea of blood continuously condensed and piled up, finally forming a completely blood-red phantom whose specific appearance could not be clearly seen.
Almost simultaneously, in the real world, the Crimson Moon suddenly became prominent in the sky, which was nearing dawn, its color becoming extremely Rich, and it dramatically expanded.
In addition, the Brown Star, Orange Star, Red Star, Gold Star, Earth, and others, as if by telepathy, all brightened simultaneously, emitting lights of different textures, as if opening greedy gazes, staring intently at the azure star.
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The hidden sea area of the turbulent sea, which was originally shrouded in storms, was also scarred by the influence of the Angel-level battle. The layered dark clouds were directly shattered, rarely revealing a clear sky.
The "King of Curses" Barranca, who had come alone, after realizing that this might be another ambush targeting the Rose School of Thought, decisively called for help from the Abomination, Suah, but received no response.
Realizing that something was wrong, under the siege of "New Moon" Jorna and Reinette Tinekerr, who had temporarily recovered with the help of the "Yesterday Once More" charm, this number 2 figure of the Rose School of Thought could only retreat steadily.
Jorna glanced at the torn body part from Barranca's body in her hand. It was a normal-sized leg bone, its skin texture inhuman, its luster rather dull, its bones slender, and its flesh evenly distributed, clearly originating from a female.
Recalling some secret intelligence of the Rose School of Thought, she subconsciously turned her head and found that besides one head continuing to stare at the severely wounded Barranca, Reinette Tinekerr's other three heads were staring at the leg bone in her hand with blood-red eyes.