Chapter 162: Chapter 162: Another Group of People? The Magsea Staff! Movements from Both Sides!

Looking at how the gods of the Eternal Continent have almost completely vanished from existence, it's easy to imagine just how devastating that war must have been.

During the Divine Cataclysm, the God King was slain by Zenobia, nearly all the gods perished, and only a few, like the Goddess of Dawn, managed to survive by the skin of their teeth.

As for Zenobia, the one responsible for it all, she was stripped of her divinity and forever sealed in the dark side of the Eternal Continent, which is now known as the Abyssal Demon Realm.

It wasn't that the gods were too merciful to kill Zenobia; it was that they couldn't. As long as desire and sin existed, she would never truly die.

The place where Luca now stood was the "Divine Court," the former home of the gods. However, this once heavenly sanctuary had long since been turned into a ruin during that great war, and later, it was overtaken by monsters.

A hundred thousand years later, the Divine Court had transformed into what was now called the "Divine Ruins Secret Realm." Any inheritances or treasures left behind were likely the remnants of the gods who had perished here.

"Stripped of divinity and cast into the abyss…" Luca squinted, and without thinking, one person came to mind.

The Witch of Desire—Pandora!

Zenobia's powers were very similar to Pandora's, and from what Luca had read in the archives, Pandora had also been cast down from her divinity by the God King and had fallen into the Abyssal Demon Realm.

Could it be that Pandora was Zenobia?

But what about Sophia…?

Luca's mind was in a mess, so he decided to ask Solar Divine Spear.

Solar Divine Spear shook his head. "I don't know either. After Zenobia was sealed, a lot happened. Just after the war between the gods, another group of people appeared and began slaughtering the remaining gods."

"Another group of people?" Luca's eyes narrowed. Could it be that group of bastards? S~eaʀᴄh the nôvel_Fire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Among all the beings Luca knew of, it was likely only the beings from the Celestial Summit who would have the power to manipulate gods.

"That's right, another group. Their strength is far greater than that of the gods. It was at that time that I was sealed by their divine spell, and my master… was killed as well." There was a surge of long-buried fury in Solar Divine Spear's eyes.

He looked at Luca and said in a low voice, "This Divine Cataclysm was clearly a scheme of theirs. Otherwise, Zenobia could never have obtained the God King's Celestial Pearl so easily."

"Unfortunately, the only thing I'm sure of is that they aren't from the Eternal Continent. The divine power they used is vastly different from ours. The reason I'm willing to follow you is because I want you to find them."

Luca casually struck down a monster that lunged at him, unable to suppress a bitter smile. "You're overestimating me," he muttered.

In his previous life, he had never encountered these mysterious beings hiding in the shadows. Finding them wouldn't be as simple as just saying it.

Solar Divine Spear was about to say something.

When Luca suddenly smiled. "But don't worry. No matter how difficult it is, I'll definitely find them."

"These rats should pay for their actions."

Solar Divine Spear paused for a moment before smiling as well. "It seems I didn't choose the wrong person after all."

While they were talking, Luca had unknowingly walked up to the ruins of a palace.

The palace had been destroyed, leaving only half of it standing. The walls, cracked and weathered, were overtaken by twisting purple vines, and blood-red flowers bloomed from cracks in the white jade floor.

Inside the palace, broken stones and dust were scattered everywhere, yet the towering columns and intricately carved walls still hinted at its former grandeur and magnificence.

However, what caught Luca's attention wasn't the building itself but a staff lying abandoned on the ground within it.

The staff was broken in half, with one portion missing. At the top, a bright blue gemstone was embedded, emitting a faint glow that had drawn Luca's attention moments before.

"This is the Magsea Staff, a weapon once wielded by a sea god. It's a pity it's been damaged, with only a fragment of its power remaining. I'm afraid it wouldn't even reach the Transcendent tier anymore." Solar Divine Spear's eyes held a hint of nostalgia and sadness, as though recalling memories from a hundred thousand years ago.

Luca felt a pang of regret upon hearing this.

After all, this was a divine artifact, its value beyond measure.

After a brief moment of contemplation.

Luca gritted his teeth and decided to give it a try, wondering if he could retrieve the staff.

Even if it couldn't be used, it might help Solar Divine Spear recover some of his divine power.

"Better be cautious…" Luca's gaze lingered on the alluring blood-red flowers and the twisting purple vines. His eyes narrowed as a faint yellow light began to glow from his hands, forming a magic circle before him.

The ground suddenly trembled.

A massive rock giant, towering at ten meters tall, emerged from the magic circle, kneeling on one knee before Luca.

High-tier magic rune—Stone Spirit Guardian!

"Go and check what's inside," Luca commanded.

Since he had a puppet at his disposal, he wasn't foolish enough to risk his own safety.

"Yes, Master!" The Stone Spirit Guardian responded in a stiff, robotic tone, rising to its feet before striding forward into the palace. Each step it took caused the ground to shake with thunderous crashes, the earth trembling with each heavy footfall.

Under Luca's watchful gaze, the Stone Spirit Guardian soon reached the entrance to the grand hall.

The surroundings were silent, and nothing unusual seemed to be happening.

Just as Luca thought he might have been overthinking it...

Suddenly, the blood-red flowers on the ground emitted a burst of crimson light, and the purple vines on the palace walls seemed to come alive, writhing and squirming as they shot towards the Stone Spirit Guardian with lightning speed.

Though the Stone Spirit Guardian had thick, tough skin, its massive frame was sluggish and cumbersome. It didn't have time to dodge and was immediately ensnared by the vines, which wrapped tightly around it.

The vines suddenly constricted, and the thorns on the stems pierced through the Stone Spirit Guardian's defenses as easily as piercing tofu, driving deep into its body.

What happened next was horrifying. The vines began to pulse, as though drawing the Stone Spirit Guardian's blood. At the same time, the elemental energy in its body rapidly began to drain away.

In just a few breaths, the Stone Spirit Guardian stopped struggling. It stood motionless, stiff as a statue, and then slowly toppled over, crashing to the ground with a loud thud, disintegrating into countless shards of rock.

The blood-red flowers on the ground grew even more vivid, and the purple vines, having consumed the Stone Spirit Guardian, didn't seem satisfied. Instead, they turned and shot towards Luca.

"Holy hell! It's that strong?" Luca inhaled sharply.

Earlier, he thought this place was home to high-level monsters, but he had no idea there were such terrifying creatures lurking here.

The Stone Spirit Guardian had a genuine high-tier status, and even a Diamond-level warrior would have a hard time dispatching it so quickly. Yet, these vines managed to destroy it in mere seconds, leaving no time for it to even resist.

The vines' power was undoubtedly at the Superclass level!

Luca quickly made a judgment. Silver magic runes glowed beneath his feet, and without hesitation, he turned and ran.

He could come back for the treasure after he obtained the inheritance. There was no point in fighting this monster head-on.

However, the vine creature clearly wasn't going to let him off so easily.

The palace trembled as the ground cracked open.

More purple vines shot up from the earth, flying towards Luca like arrows.

Luca reacted swiftly. His body moved like lightning as he used Air Step, dodging the incoming attacks one after another.

Though the situation was perilous, he managed to avoid any serious injury.

"Don't run that way! That's where the gods are..." Solar Divine Spear, anxious, tried to warn Luca.

But his strength hadn't been fully restored, and after so much time spent outside, he was beginning to wear thin.

At the critical moment, he faltered. His words were cut short, and before he could finish, he vanished into the air.

"You could at least finish your sentence before disappearing…" Luca thought with a bitter smile, but he understood what Solar Divine Spear meant.

It was clear that ahead was even more dangerous. He quickly changed direction, running toward the misty area on the other side.

However, what Luca didn't notice was this:

After he turned, the giant python made of vines behind him seemed to hesitate for a moment, as though it was wary of something.

Then, surprisingly, it began to slowly retreat…

...

Meanwhile, as the sun set and the sky darkened.

In the Phillips family mansion…

Twelve figures, wearing evil spirit masks and red robes, knelt on one knee in utter reverence.

Finn's expression was grim as he coldly spoke, "You all know the mission. Remember, today I want to see Luca's head brought back along with the Demon Box."

"If you fail to complete the mission, you twelve will not return."

"Young master, rest assured, we will complete the task!" the eleven high-ranking masked figures and one Superclass ghost-faced figure responded in unison. Their figures vanished like blood-red phantoms, disappearing into the twilight in the blink of an eye.

Watching them leave, Finn's lips curled into a cold smile. "You little bastard, your arrogance will cost you dearly! I'll see just how many lives you have for me to take!"

A mere lowly noble from Riverfall City had humiliated him multiple times.

This stoked a raging fire in Finn's heart.

Previously, Luca needed to be knighted, and in consideration of His Majesty's face, they had refrained from acting early. But now that the knighthood ceremony was over and Luca no longer had any protection, today, Finn would make the bastard pay!

"Young master, the princess's wedding dress has been custom-made," the butler approached and said respectfully.

"I know. I'll take her to try it on later," Finn replied, his cold expression melting into a smile.

Not only could he finally kill that annoying pest and get his hands on what he wanted, but he'd also get to see the woman he liked in the custom wedding dress he'd chosen for her.

Today was going to be a good day for him.

...

Meanwhile, in an alley outside Starry Academy.

A group of hooded figures hid in the shadows, occasionally glancing toward the towering artificial mountain behind the academy.

"Priest, how long do you think it will take for him to come out of the Divine Ruins Secret Realm?" the leader, a burly man, asked the youth beside him.

"Not more than three hours. Sophia only spent six hours in there." The youth removed his hood, revealing a head of golden hair and a handsome face.

He extended his hand in front of him and drew a five-star formation in the air. Smirking, he added, "The monsters in the Divine Ruins Secret Realm aren't that easy to handle. I think it would be wise to pray to the goddess, hoping this kid doesn't die in there."

"Otherwise, if he does die, getting into Starry Academy will be much harder for us."