Chapter 82: Chapter82-Desire Demon

Above the skies of Stellarburg, a sea of black liquid spread far and wide, its tainted aura of desire obscuring the heavens.

Shadowcloud's figure had vanished from sight.

Rean, holding a staff in his hand, stood in the middle of this black ocean, his white robe spotlessly clean, a stark contrast against the dark surroundings.

Were it not for the black liquid constantly bubbling up from beneath his feet, Rean would hardly look the part of a high priest of a cult; instead, he might be mistaken for an ordinary priest.

Rean spoke in a calm voice, "Shadowcloud, after all these years, you've sacrificed so much for the Federation, endured so much hardship. Why insist on risking these old bones? Haven't you seen through the true faces of the Federation and those families by now?"

The sky above, where the black sea churned up waves, answered him with nothing but silence.

Rean frowned.

Shadowcloud's appearance had been unexpected.

Both the Dusk Sect and the Hidden Stars had anticipated each other's plans and had prepared accordingly.

However, when the real showdown came, everyone, including Rean, was taken aback.

He hadn't expected his old adversary to be in Stellarburg.

Otherwise, he would never have chosen this city for their confrontation.

Rean was not new to battling Shadowcloud and was well aware of his opponent's prowess.

Had it not been for Rean's prior preparations, not only would his plans have failed last time, but he might also have met his demise at Shadowcloud's hands.

Despite his outward calm, Rean remained vigilant, constantly on the lookout.

The most terrifying aspect of the Shadow Emperor lay in his methods of concealment.

Among those of equal strength, if Shadowcloud were to employ his stealth skills, he could stand right in front of you, and you would still be unable to detect his presence.

It was this very ability that had once enabled Shadowcloud to attempt an assassination on a dark god.

One could only imagine the horrifying extent of his stealth skills.

However, the Shadowcloud of today was a shadow of his former self.

Not only had he lost a leg, but his strength had also declined from its peak.

Otherwise, Rean might very well have turned tail and fled, rather than engaging in combat with him.

The black sea roared angrily, and time ticked away slowly.

Shadowcloud still did not make his move.

Rean was not in a hurry; dragging out the battle was to his advantage.

From the corner of his eye, he could faintly see that the terrifying black array at his feet had already accumulated half of the desired power.

It wouldn't be long before the array was fully charged, ready to initiate the sacrificial rite.

At that moment, with the arrival of the Dusk Lord, even the presence of Shadowcloud could not save the Hidden Stars...

Just as Rean was confident of his victory, a loud boom suddenly erupted not far from Stellarburg.

Rean's expression changed dramatically as he swiftly turned towards the direction of the Crimson Realm.

The secret realm, once shrouded in scarlet light, had vanished without a trace!

Suddenly, a towering black flame erupted from his being, and in the blink of an eye, a sea of black fire formed above their heads.

At the same time, the vile black liquid beneath them roared and surged, creating towering waves.

Rean's eyes swirled with dark brilliance, his palm rising.

He declared in a deep voice, "Desire Demon, kill him!"

With a thunderous boom that seemed to deafen the heavens and the earth, the boundless black sea of fire and the dark ocean began to converge rapidly at Rean's command.

Yet, rather than repelling each other, they merged into one.

The sea of fire roared furiously, and the black ocean bellowed with rage.

In just a few breaths' time, a majestic and colossal figure, towering a kilometer high and nearly eclipsing the sun, materialized above Stellarburg.

A shrill, piercing screech tore through the entirety of Stellarburg, the powerful sonic waves spreading like tidal waves, instantly shattering countless panes of glass throughout the city.

A monstrous creature, reminiscent of an octopus, with eight massive tentacles hanging from the sky, almost touched the ground a kilometer below.

It lacked eyes, possessing only a gaping maw ablaze with roaring black flames, its body coated in a slick, filthy black liquid.

With even the slightest movement, large quantities of this liquid dripped down, hissing upon contact with Stellarburg's azure barrier and sending up plumes of black smoke.

The citizens of Stellarburg, witnessing the enormous entity above, turned deathly pale, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Shadowcloud, clutching his dagger, finally assumed a serious demeanor.

...

John and his group, rapidly making their way toward Stellarburg, also caught sight of the monster in the sky, halting in shock.

Old Dog exclaimed, "Holy shit, what in the world is that?! Looks like an octopus!"

Dark Fox solemnly responded, "This is a creature known as the 'Desire Demon,' usually residing in the underworld realm, feasting on human desires. It's rarely seen in our world."

Some expressed their astonishment, "This creature comes from the underworld realm?"

John frowned as well.

The underworld realm, similar yet distinct from the sprite realm, does not belong to our reality.

Many powers of undead magi and dark-based classes originate from beings within the underworld realm.

However, unlike the friendly stellar sprites of the sprite realm, the creatures of the underworld realm are far more dangerous and powerful.

Gold Flash spoke with gravity, "This beast is beyond our capacity to deal with. Let Captain Victor and his team handle it. Let's not lose our composure."

Hearing Gold Flash's words, the initially restless crowd calmed down somewhat.

John remained silent, simply observing those traveling with them.

The distance to Stellarburg from the secret realm was not far for transcendent-tier powerhouses.

For John and the others, however, returning to Stellarburg would still take some time.

Given the urgency, Baron and Victor had already proceeded without waiting for them, leaving behind only the less powerful among them and some mercenary forces.

The strongest awakeners present were Old Dog and a few members of the Hidden Stars.

Meanwhile, the guards from Theodore and House Carter, upon learning of Lucas's death in the Crimson Realm, had left without a word.