Chapter 1198: The 1199th Section: Where the Eyes Fall
When the Lord of the Flameless believed he had grasped Angel’s weakness, his attacks grew fiercer.
Even though in the process, the injuries he himself sustained were actually more severe, his eyes burned with a fervent glow. In his heart, he was certain that once he defeated Angel, he would be able to gain some benefits from this human.
Even if the Phantom Shadow finally returned beyond time and space, the method of energy operation of the “Green Pattern” was already enough to compensate for his losses.
The sounds of battle were incessant, and the black and green shadows tangled nonstop.
The rumbling noise was thunderous, yet not a sliver of energy leaked out from within the Green Ring.
To Popota and Greerwu, it seemed as though Angel was gaining the upper hand, while the Lord of the Flameless, due to his True Spirit being constantly consumed, was becoming increasingly pale.
Indeed, the Lord of the Flameless suffered the heaviest injuries. However, his physical endurance far exceeded that of Angel’s, so it was not possible to make a final judgment just based on the current situation.
During this desperate struggle, the Lord of the Flameless also came to understand some additional information.
Angel’s physical body was too fragile, the greatest weakness. But besides that, the Lord of the Flameless also discovered some patterns; the Green Patterns that flickered from Angel’s cold gaze were actually not numerous.
The effects were only three to five kinds, such as dissolving the True Spirit, restricting range, and so on…
Once you gain a slight understanding of the pattern of Green Patterns, you could effectively avoid sustaining greater injuries.
Yes, the Lord of the Flameless could only avoid greater damage, and he was unable to completely prevent injury, let alone unravel those Green Patterns that seemed to have only a few effects.
One could say, although the effects of the Green Patterns were monotonous, they were nearly impeccable!
For instance, the defensive Green Patterns, this kind of defense was not merely all-encompassing. Even special effects such as curses and inscriptions could be blocked. In addition, overcharged attacks could be combined with “restrictive” Green Patterns, causing attacks to be rebounded.
In this situation, the Lord of the Flameless indeed could not find an effective method to break through the Green Patterns.
This only made him more covetous of the Green Patterns! This method of energy circulation had surpassed his understanding! Perhaps, only by reaching the level of the Unparalleled Great Demon God, or even higher levels of energetic life forms, could one possess such a perfect energy circulation.
…
After several bouts of combat, the physical endurance limits of the Lord of the Flameless were fully demonstrated.
Although he sustained several severe injuries, it was Angel who showed signs of fatigue first, despite the enormous consumption on the Lord’s part.
Even now, as Angel’s body was covered with Green Patterns, leaving no opportunity for the Lord of the Flameless to exploit, his footsteps had become disorderly.
Once again, when a huge black shadow charged towards Angel, he chose to use a dissolving Green Pattern.
It was then, when the Lord of the Flameless was only a few meters away from Angel, that a light flashed in his eyes. With a slight movement of his mouth, a strange frequency of vibration emanated.
This frequency caused no fluctuations in the surrounding space or various elements, but, as it diffused, Angel, who was not far away, suddenly had a darkening of his gaze.
Only a “puchi” sound was heard.
Angel felt an intense frequency trembling from inside out, as his flesh burst open instantaneously.
Without any warning, Angel fell from the sky to the ground.
This unexpected scene caused Greerwu to cover his mouth in horror, as in its mind, the Lord of the Flameless was already in a state of disarray, with flesh flying and bones exposed. The store owner should have been able to continue pressing down softly.
But suddenly, had the situation reversed?
Greerwu had not even seen clearly what the Lord of the Flameless had done.
On the other hand, Popota seemed to think of something, muttering softly, “A voice frequency?”
The Lord of the Flameless had indeed used sound as a means of attack, having previously inflicted damage on Angel with energy torrents or high-energy waves, which were actually a prelude to this attack.
Attacking with the vibration of sound frequencies normally wouldn’t cause such severe damage, but Angel had already sustained consecutive injuries, and combined with the voice frequency used by the Lord of the Flameless, which was augmented by the murmurings of a Demon God, even if it only breached the intervals of the Green Patterns for a moment, it caused unexpected harm to Angel!
“I do not know who you are, but the victor can only be me!” The bloodied Lord of the Flameless, looking at the distant human body lying on the ground with bones nearly exposed, couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
The Lord of the Flameless walked towards Angel step by step, each step leaving a large amount of blood on the ground, and even the motion triggered the touching of the bones.
From the looks of the injuries, he was actually more severely harmed than Angel. But with the True Spirit of the Demon God unharmed at its core, the current consumption could be restored in merely a few thousand years. And even if this avatar were to be abandoned, it was just a loss of materials. If he could capture Angel through this, the benefits gained would far outweigh his losses.
The wind was smoky, and sparks flickered.
Watching the Lord of the Flameless getting closer to Angel, Greerwu’s eyes filled with panic: “Store owner… Store owner, stand up, what happened to you?”
No matter how much Greerwu shouted, Angel, lying on the ground, still made no movement. Even under the shadow that covered his face, there was no sparkle in the eyes, deathly stillness all around.
At that moment, a cracking sound came through the wind.
It was seen that the “Green Ring,” originally used for restricting the area and preventing energy spillage, suddenly shattered, turning the Green Patterns into drifting specks of light, spreading out with the black wind carrying the scent of sulfur.
When the Green Ring disappeared, a gleam of ecstasy flashed in the Lord of the Flameless’s eyes, knowing that he had indeed emerged victorious!
Yet in the distance, Popota let out a light sigh, his expression laden with deep despair.
The sudden rise of Angel had brought joy all too abruptly, but its decline was also too swift. Such sharp ups and downs had left his complexion even more ashen.
…
In the far-off Darklands, a silhouette adorned with a bizarre totem mask sat atop a bone-made lofty throne.
Not far off, atop heaps of bleached bones burned a solitary, dim lamp.
The faint light of the lamp could only illuminate a distance of two or three meters; beyond that was too dim to see clearly. Even Above the Throne, only dark images could be discerned.
The flickering light carried an air of mustiness through the space.
Suddenly, a hoarse and desolate crow-caw echoed through the Darklands.
Accompanying the cawing, a flapping sound followed, the flame of the lone lamp atop the bones trembled, and near the distant throne, a new shadow emerged.
This shadow also wore a mask, a crow mask, obscuring the wearer’s face. Below the torso, a chaotic black mist swirled, while the upper half was shrouded in a tattered black cloak, exuding immense mystery.
After the crow mask appeared, the air thickened with a somber, dusk-like presence.
“The Lord of the Flameless has won,” the figure Above the Throne wearing the totem mask declared, his voice distant and time-worn, as if it originated from an ancient era far away.
“Naturally,” came the response from the crow mask, its voice chillingly cold like the wind from the Abyssal Depth of death.
“Falling before witnessing this battle is rather interesting, although the outcome is not as I had anticipated,” the totem mask spoke softly, “This continent should have toppled long ago, and I should step down from this decayed throne. Kulangduo, will I still be able to meet my old friend?”
“Perhaps you will.”
The figure Above the Throne laughed softly, but what followed was a long sigh. The sound carried a mixture of helplessness, powerlessness, and a hint of guilt.
“With no glory left in the Holy Land, what use is there being alone?” A drawn-out sigh caused the lone lamp’s flame to flicker.
The crow mask said nothing, and silence hung in the air.
After a while, the crow mask spoke in the same icy tone as before:
“When you fall into stillness, I will come for you personally.”
With that said, the crow mask dissolved into a flurry of crows, flying away from the abyss.
Shortly after the crow mask’s departure, the totem mask once again raised its head to look into the distance.
The Pattern gave him a strange sensation, he wanted to see the final outcome of the battle. As he looked up, beneath the mask his eyes, muddy and clouded, revealed a moment of surprise.
…
Winds howled ferociously against a darkening sky.
The drifting sparks and soft green glows intertwined amidst the wind, weaving an enchanting sight.
When the Green Ring vanished, Greerwu and Popota were left in despair. As for the Lord of the Flameless, elated with victory, he strode towards Angel step by step.
Excitement flowed from the Avatar of the Demon God to the Abyssal Depth, where the True Spirit stirred, affecting innumerable followers across the Pan-Dimensional Plane.
Indeed, at that moment, excitement touched countless beings.
Some followers had not even had the chance to clarify this sudden inspiration before starting to praise their great Lord of the Flameless. The praises spanned infinite worlds, reaching the Abyssal Depth and even drawing the attention of some ancient beings.
Aside from a few sage scholars vaguely sensing something, no one could infer what prompted the sudden actions of the Lord of the Flameless.
However, the Lord of the Flameless’ exhilaration did not last long.
As the Lord of the Flameless advanced to within ten meters of Angel, a sigh seemed to come from beyond the heavens, or perhaps, it was emanating from right before their eyes.
The Lord of the Flameless suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Or rather, it was as if time itself had frozen at that moment; not only did the wind cease, but the swirling dust no longer rose and fell, and the sparks and glows froze mid-air.
The only thing that wasn’t frozen was thought.
Everyone assumed Angel had been defeated, or even died, yet he suddenly moved—not his body, but the Phantom Shadow attached to his back shifted.
The Phantom Shadow detached from Angel’s physical form and stood upright.
It was clear that the shadow stood much taller than Angel himself, and although his features were indistinct, the cascade of his brilliant golden hair was dazzling to behold.
After the shadow rose from Angel’s body, he lifted his head and slowly turned his gaze towards the Lord of the Flameless.
And in the moment that their eyes met, the Lord of the Flameless’ excitement turned to panic, an unprecedented and overwhelming terror!