Buzz~
A roar erupted from another dimension.
Pusheng paused, his hand stilling on the cat's head as a bead of sweat formed on his palm, revealing his nervousness. An unsettling feeling surged within him.
He glanced at Han Buna, who was kneeling in prayer, and gently stepped back behind her.
With a scratch under the cat's chin, he felt a dark aura loom, mixed with the ultra-high-level authority of the abyss. Although he stood behind Han Buna, no one could perceive his presence—he felt as if he were merely a stone.
"Great Scarlet Lord, your humble believer presents your favored sacrifices. Please look upon us."
"Great Abyss Consciousness, your distress troubles me. Grant me a fleeting moment of greater authority, and I will help alleviate your burdens."
The two prayers echoed in the air.
Before them, in the blood-soaked sea, waves began to form a massive vortex. Yet the altar within remained steadfast, with the corpses of fish floating serenely on the surface, transitioning from reality to something ethereal.
Large soul crystal nuclei radiated a purple glow, guiding the souls of marine life into a slow rotation.
Beneath the fish corpses, traces of abyssal power were completely concealed, revealing no hint of their presence.
As Han Buna's prayers continued, a faint glow emerged from her body.
Ancient gods found it challenging to interfere with Shia, as the disaster zones were their carefully crafted domains.
With the emergence of mutant areas, the divine family was the only force capable of easily exerting their strength.
This was why the ancient gods' power surged as the world's magical energy levels increased.
Every time the world evolved, ancient gods could unleash more power, influencing the souls of Hia and the creatures within, particularly the soul crystal nuclei, which were quite appealing to the ancient gods.
The investment in universal life, regardless of the cost, drew the attention of the Scarlet Lord to his followers.
Buzz~
A trace of scarlet emerged from Han Buna's form, and the surrounding waters churned violently. The overwhelming scarlet energy surged, causing Han Buna's eyes to fill with crimson.
Yet her prayers persisted, continually extolling the greatness of the Scarlet Lord and her unwavering faith in Him.
The power of disaster began to spread. Pusheng looked down at the ground, and the prayer in his heart intensified.
A connection formed beneath the blood-soaked sea, and a hint of relaxation crossed his features. Finally, he declared, "The powerful disaster is an admirable existence. It is an honor to lead you to the abyss. I welcome your arrival. This is a small offering for your disturbance. I hope you will accept it."
Pusheng's eyes grew increasingly peculiar, reflecting both the madness of an abyss lord and the pride of an ancient god.
Dark lines appeared in his gaze, stretching out from beneath the fish corpses to various places.
These were beings that had been touched by the embrace of pain. They would depart once they rendered the abyss half-dead, triggering the true counterattack of abyssal consciousness, as Pusheng sought to locate them one by one.
Any being under the stare of the embrace of pain would forge an inextricable bond with the disaster. Until these bonds were severed, death was merely a prelude.
However, as Pusheng's eyes transformed, a thin black line began to approach him, shifting direction.
As his eyes began to drip the potent violet essence of the abyss, the thin thread finally entered Han Buna, who was still lost in prayer.
Pusheng's face paled slightly as he gently pulled out a strand of the cat's fur.
The cat, sensing a bit of discomfort, closed its eyes, refraining from movement. It had learned not to provoke the powerful beings that were approaching, understanding that they were beyond its ability to confront.
Pusheng slowly released his grip on the fur, allowing it to rest gently on the black line connected to Han Buna.
Buzz~
A sudden loosening of spatial restrictions occurred.
At that moment, an overwhelming and peculiar aura—one that could drive beings to madness—began to materialize, and scarlet energy spread across the area.
The ground in this vicinity began to ooze blood, plants wilted, and the earth decayed.
The power of divine rejection loomed overhead, a response from Shia. The current realm could not accommodate the bearer of this aura.
As the force of rejection returned to pre-loosening levels, the newly formed disaster zone became more terrifying than ever.
The Scarlet Lord's gaze swept over the scene, though he remained largely indifferent.
In truth, for the ancient god, unless this sacrifice allowed him to enter Shia and swiftly siphon the power of the rules to heal from his wounds, it held little value.
Though he had initially disregarded mortals' prayers, the aroma of the sacrifice became increasingly enticing, prompting him to temporarily reconsider.
The offering from his followers had become too alluring to resist.
Buzz~
The entire altar trembled, pulled by an overwhelming scarlet force, gradually fading from view.
This was the very essence of God. With the assistance of the Scarlet family, it was accepting divine sacrifices.
At this moment, Pusheng had blindfolded the cat, and even his own eyes were shut, enveloped in the overwhelming authority of the abyss.
Across the world, even gods could not glimpse into the abyssal shroud.
As the prayers in his heart surged to a new level, the entities began to dissolve into the ethereal.
Pusheng felt a mix of doubt and anger swell within him. How dare anyone attempt to claim my sacrifice?
At the instant those souls transitioned into the ethereal realm, a pale visage vanished along the path of sacrifice, crossing countless planes.
Pusheng abruptly opened his eyes, focusing on Han Buna, whose form had inexplicably paled. A hint of relaxation flickered within him.
Without uttering a word, he seized Han Buna and plunged into the depths of the sea.
Boom!
A legendary aura erupted from his body, bolstered by the gifts of the abyss. But he dared not look back; his heartbeat quickened, urging him to flee.
If he didn't run now, he might not get another chance.
Boom!
The area they had just occupied was obliterated in an instant, the intense scarlet energy surging wildly. They had entered the deep sea, but the immense water pressure crushed nearby fish into powder.
The force of the Scarlet Lord's ire surged, causing Han Buna to cough up blood and gradually close her eyes.
In that moment, Pusheng felt both relief and helplessness.
Initially, he had aimed to use Han Buna's soul to navigate their escape.
Now, however, the situation mirrored his original intent. He had not broken his promise; whatever connection existed between Han Buna and the Scarlet Lord was severed cleanly, awaiting the Lord's return.
Though he could not create a vessel, the Scarlet Lord would undoubtedly be intrigued.
Yet this mattered little to Pusheng. He had already made significant contributions to the abyss, and despite incurring guilt from provoking disasters, he had elevated his status to that of a renowned figure within the abyssal consciousness. His strength had reached legendary levels.
While he had sacrificed all his soul crystal nuclei (large), the outcome remained satisfying. The primary focus was on the disaster; he lacked confidence in resisting its advance, fearing for his own life.
Pusheng gazed into the depths of the ocean, his eyes flashing with determination. There was chaos brewing in Hia; it seemed the sea people would soon make their appearance.
He infused Han Buna with an overwhelming surge of power, propelling her deeper into the abyss.
Dongwu City.
Bai Yi looked up, a glimmer of light reflecting in his eyes. At that moment, two ethereal figures moved across the sky of Shia, their divine power making the entire world feel uneasy.
Bai Yi focused on the source of the power. The Scarlet Lord?
Pusheng had not managed to contain his emotions, but how could he provoke a god to such an extent?
And who was the other shadow he had just seen?
Why did it feel so familiar?
The people around them looked skyward, murmuring in awe, some praying. For a moment, the streets of Tobu City were filled with unease.
Bai Yi felt reassured; the Scarlet Lord had been consumed by the abyss, diminishing his threat to Dawn.
This was a favorable development for Breaking Dawn. With one less ancient god at the level of the Scarlet Lord, the federation faced a reduced risk.
Bai Yi turned to the side and spoke calmly, "I warned you not to push too far. We still belong to the Dawn Federation."
"True, but the federation hasn't objected. My friend's interests… well, let's not delve into that." Sabo's figure materialized seemingly out of nowhere, a smile gracing his lips.
Having intended to seize some "ownerless" resources after the reform, Sabo had abandoned the search for the space-time stone plane. While using his alter ego to develop the four border cities, he had traversed the entire federation.
Yesterday, he had successfully merged over 570 cities into 350.
Following the legal reform, the chaos had finally settled, allowing Sabo to return to Dongwu City.
Now, his alter ego was once again pursuing the space-time stone plane, and he was eager to showcase his findings to Bai Yi.
Bai Yi was noncommittal, pondering whether the federation would raise any objections.
According to the information gathered by Zero, the benefits of suppressing change had been monopolized by Tobu City, with nearly 30 members claiming three-quarters of the resources.
This staggering figure far exceeded the one-tenth share initially established by Sabo.
The federation's silence was understandable; the war and the white epidemic had rendered them dormant half a month ago, making passing information to the federation imperative.
In the federation's view, the bottom line for Dongwu City had increased yet again, and it was no longer something they could abandon.
With chaos abated and growth opportunities emerging, the legendary combat power, burgeoning legions, and developed economies of the two powerful federations were all reasons Dongwu City could stabilize and flourish.
This deterrent had naturally shielded Sabo; no one would dare provoke Dongwu City while he was promoting the white epidemic and Diane of the Difeng family.
The two made their way to the Finance Department, a short distance from the city lord's house. The building was unremarkable.
Sabo was unsure how to create a stable underground space.
This space differed from a typical treasure trove. The original treasure trove had become a storage room, filled with debris.
Sabo's underground space was more than a hundred times larger than the surface area, yet its misalignment meant that the treasure trove, with a diameter of 200 meters, was virtually invisible in the dim light.
Step, step, step.
The sound of footsteps echoed as the dim lights brightened, illuminating precious minerals and reflecting wealth.
Bai Yi's steps paused momentarily. The earlier unease in his eyes dissipated, replaced by contemplation.
Sabo, having seen through Bai Yi's thoughts, remarked, "I know, I know. Let's consider this an example. I trust the city lord can handle those unscrupulous politicians, right?"
"Indeed, but I won't take it lightly."