This wasn't Lu Yu indulging in wild fantasy, because based on the available information, someone from this settlement had survived.
Otherwise, how could this Mystic Realm and the contents of these murals have been passed down?
This Ancient Beast Tamer was very likely a survivor of this settlement, perhaps even the sole survivor.
After all, if there had been more people, they would have led the remaining survivors to establish a new village for procreation. Why would he have created a Mystic Realm for a destined person before his death?
It was hard to say about a part of the Deity's Incarnation's body.
After all, the flesh and blood of a High-Dimensional Being was the greatest form of weirdness, capable of causing corrosion to the surrounding environment and turning it into a Life Forbidden Zone.
But in all the years since Great Abyss City was founded, there had never been any rumors of the Dusk Deity's remains appearing.
Perhaps they were in a sealed state, or they had long been reclaimed by that deity.
'That might be a bit difficult, but the corpse of the Crimson Hundred-Eyed Dragon King… there should be a chance…'
The more he analyzed, the brighter Lu Yu's eyes became.
According to normal logic, as the final victor, despite it being a Pyrrhic victory, he would have found a way to collect the corpse.
And this Sea of Blood before him, far surpassing a Morning Star Rank Mystic Realm, which the Eye of Truth could not probe, already explained a lot.
The Crimson Hundred-Eyed Dragon King was able to fight a Deity's Incarnation. Even if it wasn't a【True King】-level existence, it shouldn't have been far off.
It was at least a six-star grade material.
If he could obtain it and combine it with suitable materials to create a Secret Food, it would be enough to grant a Dragon Attribute pet beast potential that surpassed a pure-blood dragon, comparable to an Ancient Dragon.
To contract a future Ancient Dragon, or even a Mythical Dragon!
One had to know that every pure-blood dragon was guaranteed to step into the Moonlight Rank in the future, let alone an Ancient Dragon!
It would be destined to become an Ecosystem Lord, and even have a high probability of becoming a King, standing at the pinnacle of the mortal world.
The thought of this future made Lu Yu's blood boil with excitement.
However, he was not blinded by greed, because the difficulty of obtaining it was by no means low.
After all, over the long years, who knew how many terrifying Dragon Beasts had been born in the water.
Let alone Commander Rank, even a Spirituality Transformation Level demonic beast was not impossible. Entering the water rashly would only lead to one outcome…
To be devoured completely.
The only way was to pass the trial of the Mystic Realm's fourth layer and become the Master of the Mystic Realm.
And there were no other mechanisms around the altar, only some pictures recording history, so the trial was very likely related to the statue in front of him.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu slowly reached out his hand. The Sea of Blood began to churn as if about to give birth to a terrifying life form.
However, just as he was about to touch the statue, Lu Yu suddenly stopped and pulled his hand back.
The waves in the Sea of Blood instantly calmed down.
Lu Yu revealed a playful smile, then reached out again. The waves churned.
He retracted his hand again, and the waves subsided.
Because of Lu Yu's repeated probing in and out, the entire Sea of Blood was churning.
A group of Fish-Dragon Species surfaced, already driven crazy by his antics, just short of rolling their eyes…
But Lu Yu, as if he didn't see them, continued to crazily test the limits on the edge of danger, only stopping when a figure appeared beside the statue, looking at him with a helpless expression.
It was the Dragonhawk that had carried Lu Yu here earlier.
Lu Yu raised his head, looking at the Dragonhawk without the slightest surprise, and said meaningfully:
"Should I call you Lord Dragonhawk? Or Ancient Beast Tamer?"
As an outstanding youth who was as cautious as an old fox, he would never trust anyone. Therefore, the moment the Dragonhawk arrived, Lu Yu had already activated his Eye of Truth.
However, the information he saw was…
【Crimson Three-Eyed Dragonhawk (Human Aberration)】
He couldn't view the specific details due to insufficient spiritual power, but it was enough for Lu Yu.
This big fella wasn't formed by the Mystic Realm but was the result of a human's aberration.
And this Dragon Mystic Realm originated from the Beast Taming Space of an Ancient Beast Tamer. The Dragonhawk's ability to wield power comparable to the Overlord Rank within it clearly meant it wasn't an outsider.
Combined with the previous analysis, he could basically confirm its identity: the master of the Mystic Realm, the Ancient Beast Tamer.
He must have used some method to undergo aberration the moment he detached his Beast Taming Space, thereby gaining immense life force and lifespan, surviving in the ancient ruins, and maintaining his reason, all while waiting for a successor to arrive.
The reason Lu Yu wasn't panicked was that the other party, despite possessing the power to crush and instantly kill him, had not acted, and he couldn't even sense any malice.
Either it had become part of the Mystic Realm and was restricted by its rules after evolving over the long years, or it genuinely wanted to leave behind an inheritance, or even… it needed something from him!
Of course, that wasn't the key.
Lu Yu's greatest confidence came from the Star Leaf given by Big Boss White Fox, which could block a Morning Star Strike and reverse time and space, buying him enough time to escape.
"Either is fine.
After all, I only retain human memories now. If not for this Sea of Crimson providing immense life force and helping me suppress the contamination, I would have likely undergone a complete aberration long ago.
But even so, I can never leave this Mystic Realm. It's like entering an indefinite prison.
Just call me Prisoner…"
The huge Dragonhawk spoke with a steady man's voice. Its pair of scarlet eyes looked at Lu Yu with a gaze that held a bit of admiration amidst the surprise.
As expected of a super genius who could analyze the pattern of the first layer in just a few hours. His observation skills were truly astonishing, discovering its identity so quickly.
If it was him, perhaps he could really accomplish that matter…
"Alright, Lord Dragonhawk." Lu Yu nodded and asked curiously, "Your condition seems very stable.
It doesn't look like you're in a hurry to choose a successor…"
"You're right. With the help of the Sea of Crimson, I can last for about another hundred years.
I didn't want to come out this early either. After all, the further civilization develops, the stronger the foundational strength.
But…" A human-like troubled expression appeared on the Dragonhawk's face, and it sighed.
"You've seen the murals, so you should know that part of the remains was sealed.
But recently, its seal has been loosening. I had no choice but to open the Mystic Realm ahead of schedule…"
Lu Yu frowned.
He hadn't expected the Mystic Realm had to be opened early because that part of the Deity's Incarnation's remains was breaking free from its seal. As for the purpose…
It was highly likely to have the successor relay the news and reinforce the seal.
Having God-level material sealed away was a pleasant surprise; it could be extracted as material.
But once it broke free, it would become a fright, or even a disaster that would sweep across the borderlands.
This wasn't an Evil God Servitor, but a real part of an Evil God.
Once it triggered a chain reaction, it could even cause problems on the Border Battlefield, allowing a large number of demonic beasts to pour into human territory.
At that point, it would completely evolve into a nation-destroying level event.
Realizing the severity of the problem, Lu Yu quickly asked:
"Where is the seal located?"
The Dragonhawk's purpose was to deliver this message, so it naturally wouldn't hide it.
It flapped its wings, and crimson light gathered to form a topographical map.
It pointed to an area and said, "Back then, it was 【The King】 who sealed it deep underground here.
The entire area is locked by the Chains of Crimson, linked to the earth veins. As long as the earth doesn't shatter, the seal shouldn't be affected, theoretically.
Actually, it trembled once before, but it quickly fell silent. Recently, however, it's as if something is attracting it, and it has gradually recovered a sliver of its will…"
Although the terrain would change over long periods, the general direction could be identified by some small, hard-to-destroy, iconic natural landmarks.
The first time Lu Yu saw this area, he felt it was a bit familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. However, the borderlands were vast, so it was normal to find a familiar place.
Fortunately, he had downloaded a Borderlands Map on his phone. He took it out to compare, but the result left him stunned.
Although there were some differences in the terrain, surrounded by several iconic landscapes and mountain ranges, this place was actually…
"Great Abyss City!"
Lu Yu couldn't help but take a deep breath, finding it hard to believe that the city he had lived in his whole life was built on top of the limb of an Evil God-level existence!
What's the difference between this and dancing on a landmine?
Did the Alliance not know? Or was this intentional?
Thinking of this, Lu Yu suddenly remembered the authority displayed by this deity's remains in the murals, related to the sun, dusk, and shadow.
Shadow…
A flash of inspiration struck his mind, and some fragmented pieces of information were suddenly connected.
He quickly asked:
"You said there were fluctuations before? How long ago was that?"
"Let me think…" A contemplative expression appeared on the Dragonhawk's face. After its aberration, it had become a long-lived species in a sense, making its concept of time a bit fuzzy.
In the end, it couldn't recall a specific time and only gave a vague number:
"Probably a few decades ago. Definitely not a hundred years. I remember now, there seemed to be another fluctuation after that, but it was too small. If I hadn't recalled it carefully, I would have almost overlooked it."
"A few decades ago…"
Lu Yu murmured softly as all the clues in his mind began to connect.
The Evil God Servitor summoned in the Abandoned Urban Area decades ago, which was then sealed, corresponded to the first fluctuation Prisoner mentioned.
The second fluctuation was too small because it was an official fishing operation.
The Evil God Cult was wiped out by a battle corps before they could even summon anything.
As for the recent anomaly… if there were no surprises, it should be related to the Soul-Snatching Demonic Cloud and the sacrificial offerings Little Mouse stole, involving an Evil God Cult secretly holding a ritual.
And their identities have been confirmed. They were the number one target of the Special Division's Anti-Vice Squad, the Cult of the Mother of Dusk.
The enveloping mist instantly dissipated, and everything became clear. So it was these guys, lingering like ghosts, still planning on making trouble.
Before, Lu Yu thought they simply wanted to release an Evil God Servitor, but now it seemed that was likely just a pretext. The ultimate goal might be the remains of the Mother of Dusk's incarnation, buried even deeper.
Of course, it was also possible that Lu Yu was overthinking things. After all, not everyone had an overpowered ability like the Eye of Truth that could see through the information of all things and connect them.
Existences like evil gods were unlikely to respond to every human affair. She didn't need human faith, acting purely for their own amusement.
Even the syllables of their names were strange tones that mortals could not pronounce.
When it involved high-dimensional secrets, even if you were told, you couldn't understand, unless…
…it was for that item that the Mother of Dusk was willing to descend an incarnation into the borderlands to seize.
But now the borderlands were part of human territory, under the sanctuary of the Kings, making it difficult to exert influence. So, needing the help of little human ants was quite normal.
Thinking of this, Lu Yu voiced this doubt.
What exactly did the Mother of Dusk come to seize?
However, in response to this question, the Dragonhawk's expression was also one of utter confusion.
After all, although it came from the ancient era, it was just an ordinary Morning Star Rank Beast Tamer. In the face of such a high-level conflict, it was no bigger than an ant.
Now that it was an aberrant body, even though the Sea of Crimson suppressed the aberration, the desires in its heart would be infinitely magnified. Its only lingering attachment was to deal with this main culprit that had caused the entire settlement's demise, so it was almost impossible for it to lie about this.
"What a pity…"
Lu Yu also felt it was a shame. After all, an item that even The Supreme One couldn't resist fighting for was definitely a supreme treasure.
As a half-Taboo Existence possessing a Taboo Rank, if he were to freeload a bit… there shouldn't be any problem, right?
But before that, he had to leak some of this information.
Under a fallen nest, there can be no whole eggs.
Once Great Abyss City was destroyed and the Border Battlefield was affected, it could very well impact the entire human race. At that time, he would lose a stable rear base, and his growth speed would be greatly reduced.
Besides, now that he knew in advance, why not try to…
Fleece the Evil God?
As long as you're bold enough, an evil god will…
Cough, cough,
let's forget about that. Lu Yu wasn't that desperate yet.
Now that he knew these secrets, Lu Yu didn't plan to dilly-dally and asked directly:
"What is the trial for this layer?"
"Huh?"
The Dragonhawk was stunned. Lu Yu was so talkative that it had subconsciously treated him as an equal and was about to directly pass on the information.
It never thought this guy would still be preparing to continue challenging the Mystic Realm!
But it still answered honestly:
"After touching the statue, a phantom of the Crimson Hundred-Eyed Dragon King will materialize…"
"Wait, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
Lu Yu was floored. You want me, a newbie Beast Tamer, to fight a projection of an Ancient Dragon King?
Are you out of your mind?
The Dragonhawk also came to its senses and quickly explained:
"The Dragon King Phantom's strength is at early-stage Commander.
Although it's still very strong, you don't need to win. You just have to survive for ten minutes to pass.
During this period, you can use all your pet beasts."
Lu Yu's expression was a little odd.
He asked again:
"All my pet beasts? Are you sure?"
"Yes, that's right."
The Dragonhawk nodded, its large head filled with a small doubt.
For some reason, it felt that Lu Yu seemed very excited after hearing he could use all his pet beasts?
Are all these future Beast Tamers so strange? Even all the pet beasts of a Silver Rank tamer would only be two, and their strength at most would be peak Elite.
Even if you added them together, wouldn't it just be a matter of letting the phantom of the Crimson Hundred-Eyed Dragon King hit them a couple more times?
Could they possibly team up and sweep everything away?
How is that possible?
"Great!"
After getting an affirmative reply, Lu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face.
Then he patted his pocket.
Little Spider peeked its head out, and Little Mouse also leaped out from his shadow.
One could void walk, the other could control shadow.
"This is… two Monarch Rank cubs!"
The Dragonhawk was a little shocked.
The human before it actually possessed two Monarch Rank cubs.
In the ancient era, each one of these cubs would have had the qualifications to pioneer its own territory, yet now they were both contracted to a single human.
Has future human civilization already become this impressively loaded?
"I really missed out on the good times…"
While the Dragonhawk was envious, it also understood where Lu Yu's confidence came from. Although the two little fellows' strength was a bit low, only at early-stage Elite, surviving for ten minutes was no longer difficult…
Boom!
However, in the next moment, the little hamster before it suddenly transformed into a giant, red-and-black, mecha-style ant.
Blood-colored ribbons fluttered, exuding a suffocating physical strength capable of shaking mountains and rivers.
"This mouse is actually a transformation-type??" The Dragonhawk blurted out due to its surprise, only to be angrily rebuked by Little Mouse:
"I'm not a mouse!!! I'm a hamster! An adorable, cute hamster!"
"Oh, oh, my apologies, my apologies…"
The Dragonhawk felt deeply apologetic, but it had never seen a hamster in its era, so it didn't quite understand what this mouse was saying.
It just assumed its surname was Cang and its given name was Shu.
It now seemed that Lu Yu's mouse pet beast possessed a peak Elite transformation ability, and it was the Desolate Strength Ant, known for its power in their era.
It really did have a chance to fight the phantom of the Crimson Hundred-Eyed Dragon King…
Just as the Dragonhawk thought this was the limit, Little Spider reached out and once again drew out the soul weapon, 【Little Mouse Soul-Controlling Sword: Ant King Star-Smasher】.
However, because the proficiency of the 【Mind's Eye Soul-Controlling Sword】 had increased, it could now be finely adjusted.
The greatsword became larger, and numerous serrations and some barbs appeared on it. From a distance, it looked like a chainsword or a wolf-fang club.
Besides stabbing and slashing, it could also be used for smashing, making it even more violent, befitting the symbol of absolute might.
Once it hit, not only would its power increase, but it would also rip out a large amount of flesh and blood, dealing tons of damage.
Boom!
An endless black-and-red torrent swept through, infecting the world. A terrifying power was unleashed, causing the Mystic Realm's space to emit overwhelmed
crack! crack!
sounds.
It made it hard to tell who the real Final Boss was!
Seeing this, the Dragonhawk fell silent.
Umm… is it too late for it to change the rules now?
Otherwise, the phantom of the Crimson Hundred-Eyed Dragon King would very likely get thrashed…
Two chapters, ten thousand words, asking for monthly tickets.
It's so hard to grind when I have writer's block. I made some minor adjustments to the Soul-Controlling Sword part.