Chapter 581: Preparations for the Rite"I think it's time," the monarch of the sun affirmed.
The monarch of the moon glanced at the other sura. "Just who are you talking about?"
"The asura." The monarch of the sun turned around and glanced reverently at the statue behind him, his tone serious and respectful.
The monarch of the sea and the monarch of mountains traded glances. "The asura? The legendary gods of the sura?"
Did the asura truly exist? Ordinary sura revered the asura, but they believed them more fiction than fact. Even some sura monarchs felt the same way.
Only a rare few sura monarchs knew of the existence of the asura, the oldest of the sura, who were born in the infancy of the second realm. It was the asura who first found lifeforms that were compatible with the sura race and who set the foundations for the sura's current grandeur. Subsequently, they even found a second compatible race, which ultimately gave rise to the sura's dominion over the second realm.
The asura were the oldest and strongest of the sura. Their presence alone hurt the realm; as a result, they had chosen to go into deep slumber. Only when the sura were in critical danger would the sura monarchs be able to summon the asura for aid.
"Colleagues, fellow kings, it's time to act. Now that Renhuang has developed such a potent weapon against the sura, who knows what else they might be hiding? We have to retaliate with full force to prevent the destruction of our race."
When the other sura monarchs learned of the imminent summoning of the asura, they were all in shock.
The asura held a venerated position among the sura, and the sura monarchs had all grown up hearing about their legends and exploits. When sura kings were crowned, they swore to be loyal not to their citizens, not to heaven and the second realm, but rather to the asura. It was no exaggeration that the sura respected the asura above all else.
The monarch of mountains smiled in relief. "With the asura around, we won't have to test this poison for ourselves."
The monarch of the sea cried out, "Not only that, the asura will be able to take down all our foes!"
The monarch of the moon warned, "Indeed, we do have the qualifications to call on the asura, but don't forget about the ritual sacrifice we have to prepare."
"Indeed—a hundred million sura corpses is no easy number to acquire," the monarch of the sky added, sighing.
The monarch of the sun glanced at the others with a sinister and frightening smile. "Under ordinary circumstances, no, but our circumstances are anything but ordinary. The sura are facing an unparalleled crisis, and I think many of the sura would be willing to give up their flesh for the good of the race."
The monarch of the sky nodded. "I understand. Since all the sura kings have perished on the battlefield, their territory is unguarded and uncontested. We can claim their citizens without affront."
The monarch of the moon's eyes lit up. "An excellent solution!"
The monarch of mountains shrugged. "We're doing them a service, after all. Without the protection of a sura king, they'd be killed by the alien forces eventually."
To the sura kings, ordinary sura were nothing more than ants. To the sura monarchs, the sura kings were nothing more than tools—they had served their purpose as cannon fodder, and now, the sura monarchs would lay claim to their citizens. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFirᴇ.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.
The sura kings were truly a pitiful breed.
The monarch of the sun's frightening smile never dimmed. "I imagine they must think it a great honor to be sacrificed for the awakening of the asura."
The monarch of the sky palmed his jaw. "We can't announce what's going on to the realm at large. We have to find a more palatable excuse so that the sura will come seek us out themselves."
The sura monarchs had all amassed their strength by internal conflicts that allowed them to swallow up nearby kingdoms. All five monarchs gathered here had advanced through their abilities at scheming.
The reason that the sura had all but turned on themselves was because they had grown so strong as to have no significant enemies in the second realm.
Without any enemies to pillage or plunder, the sura kings had no choice but to turn on each other for resources instead, resulting in the creation of sura monarchs and sura empires.
The summoning ceremony required significant resources and preparation, and the sura monarchs turned their focus from the ongoing war to preparing for the ceremony.
The skirmishes between the sura and the forces of Renhuang grew less and less frequent as the sura monarchs motioned for the sura to cede their territory in preparation for a final stand by the five sura monarchs' empires.
In the human world, on the other hand, another war was brewing.
"You understand what I mean, don't you?"
A new committee member sat facing Amurong in Amurong's newly repaired office. This committee member boasted a sterling reputation, and he was one of the first of Hong Tianqi's allies.
Now, however, he sat in Amurong's office in a panic, sweat beading on his forehead. "Can you let go of my wife and daughter first?"
Amurong replied coolly, "Oh? And here I thought you had come to seek me out because you understood that Hong Tianqi was a vile and corrupt leader. Why don't you join my alliance?"
The man trembled in fear. "Whatever the case may be, my wife and daughter are innocent. Please, let them go!"
"I have something to show you," Amurong replied, ignoring his pleas. He turned on a monitor, from which the committee member could see his wife and daughter tied to a bed.
The man stood up. "Wife! Mei!"
Amurong massaged his ears. "There's no need to shout. They can't hear you."
Dozens of men of all races appeared on the screen, walking into the bedroom. They tore apart the clothes of the woman and the girl, smiling lecherously as the females screamed.
Amurong smiled in delight. "An exciting sight, isn't it? I wonder how long your family will be able to survive their assault. Quite a few have died midway through the proceedings, and others committed suicide almost at the very beginning."
The man clawed at Amurong's collar with a fist. "Y-You—my daughter's fourteen!"
Amurong licked his lips. "Even better."
The committee member's eyes filled with despair, as though he were looking not at a person, but an incarnation of sheer evil.
Amurong pushed the man aside as he admired what was happening on-screen.
"I hear that there are several planets on which child prostitution is particularly in vogue. I'm sure there would be a large market for your daughter."
The committee member's eyes turned red as he shrieked in madness, "Amurong! When others find out what you've done—just you wait!"
Amurong poured out two glasses of wine, cradling one in his hand. "How long do you think they'll last? One hour, two hours, three hours, a day, two days?"
His tone was calm and unperturbed, as though nothing out of the ordinary were happening at all...