Chapter 774: Where is she?
The space around Azazeal twisted and shattered into fragments, but he remained unfazed. Numerous figures in white and dark robes, their forms obscured by layers of spiritual and divine energy, surged forth from the gray void before him.
The figures attempted to stop him and gather the souls escaping from the void, but they were consumed by the purple and dark particles emanating from his body.
After a while, five more figures-three old females and two old males-emerged from the void, clad in golden robes.
Unlike those in white and dark attire, they did not attempt to stop Azazeal.
One of them closed his eyes and sensed every living being that possessed a form of energy in their bodies throughout the entire universe. A somber look settled on his face, obscured by spiritual and divine energy.
"There's no other Celestial in this universe except for the man floating before us. Let alone one who has reached the peak."
His words filled the other four figures floating with him with a grim sense of foreboding. If there was no other Celestial, then who would close the void leading to the Realm of the Dead in this universe?
Who would stop this madman wreaking havoc before them? The balance of the universe had already been shattered!
They were the five eternal guardians of the Realm of the Dead-tasked with judging the souls that naturally found their way to the realm after they had truly died.
Each soul faced judgment according to the life they lived; virtuous souls were rewarded with peace and enlightenment, while those who committed serious misdeeds endured torment, ensuring they fully grasped the consequences of their actions.
After the souls had served their time in the Realm of the Dead, they would reincarnate into a new life according to the karma they had accumulated during their previous existence, allowing them to live anew.
However, this cycle was now disrupted. In fact, it was completely shattered, as the only entrance to the Realm of the Dead in this universe had been destroyed.
As a result, the souls currently within the realm were being forcefully ejected, and those who would arrive after death would also fail to find their path.
These souls lack consciousness; they could either be destroyed by others or become malevolent entities, possessing weak living beings and wreaking havoc.
The balance of life and death was thrown into turmoil, leading to a reality where they could no longer guide the souls.
One of the five guardians suddenly looked up at a distant point, her brows furrowed. "We must reach out to the Celestial Realm. This universe requires help; I am certain the Celestials who guard nature would respond to us. This universe is one of the biggest, and if the Realm of the Dead here remains unsealed, it will face destruction, and the other universes will be affected as well."
The guardian who had spoken earlier replied with a solemn expression.
"There's no use. I just tried to reach out, but the only gate leading to the Celestial Realm is sealed for some reason."
The four guardians around him gasped in shock. The Celestial Realm was sealed?
But how and why?
Wasn't that realm always open for those who reached the Celestial rank to prevent them from disturbing the balance of the universe with their overwhelming power?
One of them clenched his fists.
"I don't understand why the Celestial before us is still in this universe. Shouldn't he have departed after reaching the Celestial rank? This situation already violates the rules."
The others had the same questions, but they didn't have time to seek answers. They had no time to figure out why the Celestial realm was sealed, why a powerful Celestial was still in this universe, or why no other Celestial had forced him to leave.
They all spoke for a moment before deciding to communicate with Azazeal to understand his intentions. They had no other choice. After all, even though the five of them possessed immense power, it was only in the presence of souls; before a true Celestial at the peak, their strength barely compared to that of a trancendent rank.
Even though they had talked for so long, only a few seconds had passed. Yet in that brief moment, the entire Forsaken Land had turned into nothing but a mass of energy.
The guardian who had previously checked the universe and tried to reach the Celestial realm stepped forward. He was the oldest among them and also the leader.
He spoke loudly, noticing that Azazeal wasn't in the right state of mind.
"What are you searching for? No, let me rephrase that-who are looking for?"
His voice rang out so loudly that even those outside the Forsaken Land could hear him.
Azazeal finally paused. He had ignored everyone around him—every single person. The only thing he wanted was to reach the one he desired. But even he knew that if he entered the Realm of the Dead and checked every single soul there, it would take him countless years to find her.
The madness in his gaze subsided. The moment he calmed down, he stopped the beautiful purple flower with multiple petals that had bloomed to hold up the sky above him from consuming the souls. It let out an aggrieved sound, as if it were dissatisfied but remained
obedient.
Azazeal's obsidian gaze fixed directly on the five floating figure clad in gold, looking so out of place amidst the surrounding darkness-so pure, so clean.
"I... want her! Give her to me! I know she has not reincarnated. She hasn't, or else I would have found her. She isn't here!"
He mumbled loudly, lamenting how he had searched the entire universe for her soul, but it wasn't here. Not here.
The guardian speaking to him sensed that the energy from the Realm of the Dead had left the Forsaken Land and was wreaking havoc in the surroundings as well.
He glanced at the other guardians; they needed to stop the foreign energy or at least seal it temporarily, or else it would consume the entire universe.
Believing they could somehow persuade the man before them-who seemed to be the one who had opened the Realm of the Dead-to close it as well, the old guardian intervened with
impatient eyes.
"Who is it? Give us her name and birth date. We can find her soul for you."
Sacrificing a single soul was trivial if it meant saving countless others. Also, they couldn't be held accountable, considering that soul had made an enemy of the wrong individual herself
before death.
Yes, they would be violating some natural laws, but it was for the greater good.
They would sacrifice that soul for now to temporarily protect the universe while they found a
way to reach the Celestial Realm.
"We will give you the soul you seek. In exchange-"
The guardian who had been speaking to Azazeal couldn't finish his sentence and shut his mouth when he heard the name of the person the madman was searching for.
"Lilith... her name is Lilith. The one known as the Ice Enchantress."
The five guardians fell deadly silent when they heard the name, exchanging panicked glances.
How could they not know? Lilith-it was a name they would never forget.
After dying, that soul refused to enter the cycle of reincarnation for over a thousand years, despite having committed only a minor amount of wrongdoing in her life.
She endured punishment for her nearly nonexistent bad deeds countless times, to the point that even the guardians could no longer bear to witness it.
Lilith's soul had entered the Realm of the Dead with her consciousness intact and her strength at the peak of the Supreme rank. Yet somehow, she had no memories.
The only thing she was certain of was that she did not deserve to reincarnate and felt she needed punishment for something very wrong she had done in her life, though she could not
recall what it was.
However, after so much time, even the strongest soul would break. Around two thousand
years ago, Lilith's soul began to fracture. The guardians couldn't just watch as her existence vanished into nothingness. So, they forcefully attempted to restore her memories and
reignite her spirit.
They believed that if they could help her remember the truth of her past, she might find the strength to forgive herself and enter the cycle of reincarnation to live a new life. However, they failed. In the end, her soul shattered and vanished before their eyes, returning
to nature never to exist again.
How could the Lilith that the guardians knew have made an enemy of this man? And how
could this man still remember her after more than three thousand years? The guardians were
in disbelief and utter panic.
Noticing the guardians' silence, Azazeal's impatience grew. He opened his mouth, his voice
deep and hoarse as he spoke again.
"Where is she? Give her to me. If not, I will annihilate every single soul here to find her myself. And believe me when I say that none of you will exist to witness it."