Chapter 259: The Desperate Demon King Moves
In a border nation along the Purple Starmist Continent, a certain Demon Lord stood with a grim, paling expression.
For the past few months, the constant stream of terrible news delivered by his subordinates and allied demonic forces had placed him in an increasingly foul mood. The top experts and their armies had finally been forced to retreat and make their way toward the main battlefield. Soon, they would begin their perilous voyage across the vast and dangerous ocean, skirting the edges of two continents. Even Master Realm experts faced great danger during such a journey.
Yet despite all of this, another matter weighed far heavier on his mind.
"Damnit, damnit, damnit! Why?!" the Demon Lord roared. "That man is somehow on the brink of locating me! How did this happen?! Shit! I can no longer sit idle while the threat of death closes in."
His expression twisted with madness as his aura surged.
"Daoist Blue Heavens Sword or White Lightning Sage Solman, whichever you are, I will come for you myself. I will devour you! Mark my words!"
A multitude of grand seals suddenly manifested across his body as a terrifying aura erupted, far surpassing that of an Early Stage Master Realm expert. Experts throughout the region turned in shock as they sensed the violent surge.
"Pristine Master Agaborawn, what is the meaning of this?!" a man with a Pristine Master Realm aura demanded as he rushed forward. "Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?!"
Agaborawn merely glanced at him before rapidly weaving an overwhelming number of hand seals, a faint chant slipping from his lips.
The Pristine Master's face drained of color.
"W-What are you doing?! Stop at once! Everyone, look out!"
A massive purple, red, and black magic circle exploded outward at a terrifying speed, rapidly expanding across the land.
—Demonic Sacrifice Reverse Summoning Art—
A colossal demonic visage appeared in the skies, releasing a guttural roar. It inhaled deeply, and within moments, everyone caught inside the magic circle's enormous radius was engulfed in an orange and crimson mist. Flames erupted as countless experts screamed in agony, desperately attempting to defend themselves or flee.
Explosions rang out one after another as weaker cultivators were instantly annihilated.
"Agaborawn!! What is this madness?! Have you betrayed us?!" the Pristine Master roared as his aura flared violently.
Five Soul Tier experts resisted the suffocating power and prepared to charge forward. In the distance, two Master Realm experts unleashed devastating attacks toward the demonic mirage dominating the skies.
Then, a violent explosion erupted with Agaborawn at its center, blasting outward with catastrophic force. A blinding flash followed, swallowing everything in sight.
Seconds later, the light vanished.
The demonic mirage collapsed completely.
The death toll was staggering.
Fury erupted among the surviving experts as word rapidly spread of a traitorous Pristine Master of the demon race. In the aftermath, Agaborawn's subordinate factions collapsed, many of their remnants being forcibly pushed toward the front lines.
Ironically, this chain of events would later trigger a worst-case scenario for both the Purple Starmist and Desert Red Star Continents.
The involvement of Ribberton Celestial Island began here, drawn into motion by the unique and alarming aura released by Agaborawn's forbidden art.
…
A humanoid buffalo sat aboard a small boat drifting swiftly across the ocean.
The vessel was shrouded by powerful void magic, its deck inscribed with runes and surrounded by spirit stones. The buffalo humanoid's body was riddled with horrific injuries, his cultivation unstable as he clenched his teeth in pain.
"Ugh… that was far too close," he muttered, coughing up dark blood as he suppressed sealed wounds threatening to burst open. "It will take years just to recover from this."
Suddenly, a massive purple, red, and black magic circle spread across the ocean, forming directly beneath the boat.
The buffalo humanoid froze, his face paling.
"Damnit, what is this?!"
He prepared to leap away, but in the next instant, everything within the magic circle was set ablaze. A rising purple mist engulfed the area as screams echoed across the sea. Violent winds howled, and a horrifying aura rippled through the ocean's surface and depths alike.
The stench of corruption filled the air.
A heavily injured figure appeared atop the boat beside him.
"Ugh… shit. So it was you!" the buffalo humanoid roared in fury as he struggled to stand. "What is the meaning of this?!"
Agaborawn stood calmly despite his torn and bleeding body, exhaling heavily as he shook his head.
"This is for the greater good," he replied coldly. "I must devour the key. To recover quickly enough, you will serve as the sacrifice."
Without hesitation, Agaborawn launched his attack.
The buffalo humanoid roared in pain and fury as he retaliated.
"You damned traitor! I will kill you!!!"
…
Elton sat alone in a room with a grave expression as a growing sense of alarm slowly tightened around his chest. His powerful senses warned him that something was moving, something heavy and dangerous, filling him with a suffocating premonition of death. He clenched his fists with uncertainty.
"Hooo… I wonder what or who is targeting this Sage so intently?" a mocking voice echoed in his mind. "Heh, the White Star of Fate is warning us, boy. A premonition of what is to come. Hahaha!"
Elton's eyes narrowed in irritation. "White Star of Fate? Whatever it is, it is clearly coming after you in particular, and me by default. Just like every enemy so far."
"Hahaha, what nonsense are you spouting?" the inner voice replied mockingly. "You are part of this Sage. There is no 'me' and 'you'. 'We' is 'I', 'I' is 'us', and 'us' is 'you'. Understand?"
"Please just shut up already," Elton snapped as he grimaced.
He forcefully cut off the connection. The inner voice roared with laughter as it faded into silence.
Moments later, Christy entered the room, her eyes filled with concern as she studied him. "Gege, is something wrong? You've seemed unsettled lately."
Elton's expression softened immediately. He sighed quietly before replying, "Ah, I'm fine, Chris. It's just the usual. Though… there is something we need to talk about."
Before he could continue, a communication talisman embedded in both of their robes suddenly activated. Ramiro's voice burst forth, tense and urgent.
"Everyone, this is an emergency. Prince Hunter has sent a distress call. He is preparing to begin his breakthrough, but Brawlmanica is once again under attack by a flood of demonic beasts from the Stone Forest. Worse still, a rebellion has erupted, with factions openly contesting for the King's crown."
Elton and Christy froze before grim expressions settled onto their faces.
"…This truly is an emergency," Elton said heavily. "We must act immediately. And since things have reached this point, I will tell you what has been troubling me while we prepare to depart. This situation may be connected, though I cannot be certain."
Christy nodded without hesitation as they moved to leave, listening intently as Elton explained the unease weighing on his mind.
…
A small army bearing the banners and insignia of the Helmsley Duchy was stationed within the perimeter of the White Star Radiance Sect in the Old Blue Star Gravelands.
Inside a finely furnished building sat the leader of this contingent, a young man in his early to mid twenties. His bearing was noble yet cold. Four guards stood at attention behind him. Seated beside him was a beautiful young woman with a similarly cold expression, though a trace of curiosity flickered beneath the surface.
"Fourth Sister Jerikah, you should be grateful that the clan has permitted you to take part in such a special mission," the young man said, casting her a sideways glance. "Our eldest brother truly is a genius."
Jerikah remained silent, her faint disgust hidden behind a composed exterior. This man was her fifth brother, born only a few months after Jacob, and a child of the main wife. The dynamics within the Helmsley household were complicated, as they had been for generations. Such was the nature of a ruling bloodline.
There was a slight movement in Jerikah's bosom within her robes as a small creature peeked out, its head swiveling curiously before focusing on the door. Jerikah smiled faintly and gently stroked its head with her finger. The others soon noticed footsteps approaching.
The door opened.
A beautiful elven woman entered, followed by another elf woman and a young, broad shouldered man. The woman was none other than Seralily, who offered a polite bow.
The Helmsley men, including the leader, stared in dazed admiration. Lust flickered unrestrained in their gazes.
"Greetings, Miss Seralily," the fifth son said fervently as he bowed deeply. "The renowned Golden Lord and esteemed Vice leader of the Lion's Spearhearts. I have long heard of your feats and have even witnessed some of them myself."
"Fufufu. Such charming flattery is wasted on me," Seralily replied with a graceful smile. "Welcome to our sect."
Before further conversation could continue, two more figures entered the room.
One was a tall man clad in imperial armor. The other was a beautiful young woman radiating nobility and authority.
The fifth son stiffened before quickly standing. His guards bowed deeply. Jerikah rose and performed a proper curtsy.
"We greet you, Princess Helga," they said in unison.
The fifth son then hesitated before speaking with visible discomfort. "For the Princess herself to attend this meeting… is there something we should know?"
Princess Helga smiled calmly as she returned their greetings. "My fellow members of the Helmsley family, it is good to see you. Why would I not be here? I have come to observe those who have chosen to extend olive branches during such a critical moment for our Brawlmanica Kingdom."