Chapter 1184: Section 1185: Hua Que’s Pendant
Angel did not insist on determining their current location; if even Greerwu did not know, how could he, a mere human, understand.
After all, no matter where they were, being able to escape that terrifying Void onslaught without a scratch was already the best outcome.
As for how to leave this place? Angel did not rush to seek a way out, considering there were more pressing issues to address at the moment.
“Did you see Popota after you woke up?” Angel asked.
“Popota? I heard the shopkeeper mention that name before—is that monster called Popota? Does the shopkeeper know him?” Greerwu looked at Angel with a doubtful gaze.
“He is indeed called Popota. I know him, but the changes in him also surprised me,” Angel responded.
Greerwu examined Angel closely, detecting no deception, then said, “When I woke up, I saw the shopkeeper by my side; I didn’t see that monster… Popota.” He paused before adding dejectedly, “I didn’t see Lady Aoluxiya either.”
Popota wasn’t nearby? Upon getting this information, Angel actually felt somewhat relieved.
He stood up and looked around.
In the distance, there were clearly visible fissures in the ground with magma flowing through them, emitting smoke and flames above.
The ground was a shade of reddish-brown, like the color of something cooked, or like it had been stained with blood.
The horizon was immersed in an ominously dark, deathly still black. The air was sprinkled with sparks and permeated with the acrid smell of burning and sulfur.
Upon closer inspection, the desolate scene stretched almost as far as the eye could see, somewhat reminiscent of the magma landscape where Angel first arrived at the Abyss. However, the dark sky told Angel that this was not the same place.
Thinking of the sky, Angel recalled that Madeline had mentioned the sky over the Abyss’ surface was always gray and void of night. But the sky here, although not purely nocturnal, was pitch-black and certainly not like the surface level.
Could it mean they possibly arrived within the inner layers of the Abyss?
Suddenly, Angel felt troubled. In his view, the surface was already an exceedingly dangerous place; the inner layers could not offer any semblance of safety, especially considering… Angel lowered his gaze to Toby, who was sleeping peacefully in his chest pocket.
With the Calamity Curse present, any notion of safety was pretty much out of the question.
“Something feels off about this place, it’s making me anxious,” Greerwu said uneasily, looking around, “Shopkeeper, should we leave this place? I want to go find Lady Aoluxiya.”
“Do you know where Aoluxiya might be?”
Greerwu: “Although my sensing abilities are compressed here, I am naturally sensitive to the aura of the Primeval Flame to a vague extent, like now I can feel the vigorous Primeval Flame inside the shopkeeper’s earlobe.”
“Just now, when I surveyed the vicinity, I vaguely detected some residual aura of the Primeval Flame; Lady Aoluxiya might be nearby.”
As Greerwu spoke, his words were filled with increasing excitement, looking at Angel, “Shall we go find Lady Aoluxiya now?”
Angel hesitated.
Truthfully, whether it was Aoluxiya or Popota, Angel had no confidence in surviving an encounter with them, and moreover, they were not well-intentioned toward him. Seeking them out might be tantamount to seeking death.
In Angel’s mind, the best course of action would be to avoid any more involvement with them.
“Shopkeeper, do you not wish to go?” Greerwu’s brows drooped, “But I feel very uncomfortable around here, as if danger could strike at any moment.”
“Fine, we’ll leave this place.”
Angel suddenly changed his tune. He had thought it best to avoid further entanglements with Popota and Aoluxiya, but Greerwu’s words reminded him that staying here alone would certainly bode ill… after all, Toby’s Calamity Curse forcibly brought ill fortune upon you.
Previously, even in the safe haven of Wind Whisper Valley, Toby’s Calamity Curse had attracted the Abyssal Wind Dragon.
And here, in a place clearly rife with magma, the eruption of natural disasters alone would be enough to deal with. If an ancient Demon Lord were slumbering in the underground magma as in the case of the Critical Forest, awakened forcibly by the Calamity Curse, it would mean certain doom for Angel.
On the other hand, finding Popota and Aoluxiya might just provide a way to stay alive. The calamity doesn’t discriminate; with someone tall to bear the brunt, there might be a chance to survive.
Greerwu had originally suggested using the aura of the Primeval Flame to sense the location of Aoluxiya.
However, before Greerwu could even start sensing, they heard a series of rumbling sounds coming from the distance.
The noises originated from a desolate mountain far away.
The mountain’s summit was engulfed with numerous flames, appearing terrifyingly intense.
“I feel it—the aura of the Primeval Flame is emanating from there!” Greerwu pointed excitedly at the mountaintop.
Angel glanced that way. Considering the distance from that barren mountain to where they were, it actually wasn’t far—a one or two-minute journey by flight.
When they arrived at the barren mountain, they saw Popota’s figure from a distance as well as Aoluxiya, who was floating in a slumber before Popota.
The arrival of Angel and Greerwu did not prompt Popota to turn around, but the crimson chains that glided across its skin twitched toward their location.
Angel wore a somewhat silent expression. Judging by the distance, this barren mountain was actually not far from where they had woken up, which seemed to imply something: Perhaps Popota had known their location all along?
Angel’s speculation was soon confirmed by Popota—
“Lord Aoluxiya!” Upon seeing Aoluxiya, Greerwu immediately turned red-eyed and rushed forward. But just as he dashed halfway, a tall figure appeared in front of him—it was Popota!
Popota raised its foot and brutally kicked at Greerwu.
In front of Greerwu, a shield of flames appeared, formidable in appearance. Angel believed that even with all his attacks, he might not be able to break through this firewall. However, Greerwu was not facing Angel, but Popota.
As expected, the firewall shattered at the sound, with Popota feeling no resistance, its foot connecting directly with Greerwu.
With a loud bang, Greerwu was sent tumbling like a broken rag doll, kicking up a great deal of sand and dust, before crashing forcefully into the cliff behind Angel.
After a rebound, accompanied by a large amount of falling rocks and dust, Greerwu lay not far from where Angel stood.
Angel walked over to inspect Greerwu’s injuries.
“Shopkeeper… I’m fine,” Greerwu’s face was covered in dust, his lips bitten and his eyes bloodshot.
Greerwu insisted he was okay, but in reality, just one strike from Popota had left his entire body covered with wounds.
Greerwu, stubbornly refusing to submit and unwilling to show his frailty to others, turned his head away, unable to bear Angel’s gaze, instead looking towards Aoluxiya floating in the distance…
Then, the ground shook, and the sound of footsteps came from behind Angel.
“I was actually planning to bring you over after sacrificing Aoluxiya. I didn’t expect you to take the initiative and come first.” Popota had already approached within less than ten meters from Angel.
From this statement, it was clear that Popota had always been aware of his and Greerwu’s position.
“You plan to sacrifice Aoluxiya?” Angel looked at Aoluxiya’s location; the large flames they had seen from afar were actually floating above Aoluxiya. Beneath Aoluxiya was a massive altar, prominently marked with a “Solar Eclipse”.
“That has nothing to do with you,” Popota paused for a moment, then changed direction in its speech, “But telling you won’t hurt. I’m only interested in the Primeval Flame. Keeping Aoluxiya is of no use; sacrificing her to the master of the abyss will make me stronger.”
No sooner had Popota finished speaking than Angel heard Greerwu sobbing softly behind him: “The master of the abyss? No, please don’t sacrifice Lord Aoluxiya! Don’t! Shopkeeper, please save Lord Aoluxiya…”
Angel fell silent; he couldn’t even save himself, let alone someone else.
“Rather than becoming stronger, you should be more concerned about how to stay alive to witness the future as the Baiyuan Flame burns, to see what kind of scenery it will produce,” Angel calmly replied, but he carefully weighed each word in his heart.
During the last encounter on the first floor of the Void Tower, Angel had noticed that Popota was sometimes lucid, sometimes frenzied. In such a situation, it was best not to say anything too provocative.
“You needn’t concern yourself with my affairs!” Popota snorted coldly.
Despite this, Angel still saw a trace of longing in the depths of Popota’s eyes.
“Since you’re here now, let’s use the time before the start of the sacrifice ceremony. Tell me everything about what you said in the Void,” Popota’s eyes flashed a threat. “My sister has been missing for a very long time. You said you’ve seen her; where is she?”
Angel silently took out a heart-shaped locket from his bracelet.
“You recognize this locket, don’t you?”
As soon as Angel’s words fell, a shadowy figure snatched the heart-shaped locket from his hands. By the time Angel reacted, the locket had already appeared in Popota’s hands.
“It’s hers, it really is hers!”
Popota’s hands trembled as it held the heart-shaped locket. It was very clear how poorly it controlled its power now, so it dared not touch the locket, for fear it would accidentally shatter it.
Even as it lay in the palm, Popota was exceedingly careful, daring not to make any significant movements.
Looking at the locket, a multitude of complex emotions flashed in Popota’s eyes. Seeing this personal item of his sister brought back many, many memories, memories that were fully unlocked in this moment…
While Popota was immersed in its memories, Greerwu breathed a sigh of relief, knowing full well that asking the shopkeeper to save Lord Aoluxiya was essentially equivalent to seeking death.
For now, any delay was a good thing.
Perhaps, in the process, Lord Aoluxiya might wake up.