Chapter 1777: The Root of Evil in the Hell Realm

After a brief moment of surprise, King Ayu Asura’s gaze returned to calmness. Leaning on his staff, he slowly stood up and said, “You must be Dongfang Canyue’s child, aren’t you? You’ve come at last.”

The Asura Saint Son turned around, looking down at King Ayu Asura, who was decaying all over. He showed a look of interest. “You are indeed from the most mysterious Creation Asura Tribe. How could Empress Dugu allow a servant, a One-Crowned Asura King, to live for over a thousand years?”

It turned out that among the Hell Realm’s nine great Asura Tribes, the last and most mysterious was the Creation Asura Tribe. No one could clearly describe the specific effects of their talents. This was because the effects manifested differently on each person, but without exception, they were all considered "creation" or "providence." As a One-Crowned Asura King, King Ayu Asura should not have been able to live for a thousand years; only a Five-Crowned Asura King could barely reach a lifespan of eight hundred years. Yet, with the cultivation of a One-Crowned Asura King, she had lived until now.

The Asura Saint Son’s eyes were deep. He glanced around with a half-smile and said, "Why did Empress Dugu keep you, her servant? What did she intend to protect?"

King Ayu Asura’s eyes flickered. She secretly felt relieved that she had sent the young master out of the underground world in advance. Otherwise, he would have surely fallen into the Asura Saint Son’s hands.

“You don’t need to know, nor do you have the time to know,” King Ayu Asura said faintly. “If I’m not mistaken, the powerful experts from the Central Lands will soon be here.”

The Asura Saint Son looked her up and down playfully. “You’re in the underground world, yet you predicted my arrival.”

King Ayu Asura replied calmly, “When I learned that there was a vacant Realm Lord position in the Central Lands, I understood Dongfang Canyue’s scheme from a thousand years ago. That was to send you to the Central Lands, allowing the Bloodthirsty Asura Tribe to produce a second Realm Lord.” Feeling the Asura Saint Son’s aura, which was far from reaching the Three Calamities Sage realm, she sneered, “Unfortunately, Dongfang Canyue’s gamble with everything still failed. The Central Lands won the great battle, and their casualties were far lower than expected. This left you no opportunity to become a Three Calamities Sage through the 'Soul-Restraining Hell Sutra'. Even less chance of becoming a Saint in the Central Lands.”

The Asura Saint Son’s smile deepened. “What if I open the passage between the two realms?”

King Ayu Asura’s expression changed dramatically. “I advise you not to do that! The Hell Realm is currently resisting the Ancient Giants, and the outcome is uncertain. If you open the passage between the two realms now and the Human Race takes advantage of our weakness, the Hell Realm will repeat the disaster of the expedition to the Celestial Realm ten thousand years ago. At that time, the Hell Realm will be utterly devastated, and all tribes will be annihilated...”

Unexpectedly, the Asura Saint Son’s smile became even brighter. “Wouldn’t that be perfect? If creatures from both realms don't die in greater numbers, how can I properly guide the souls of the departed and quickly ascend to the Three Calamities Sage realm?”

King Ayu Asura gasped. The Asura Saint Son wouldn't even spare his own people! She reprimanded him anxiously, “You are from the Hell Realm! How can you harm your own people?”

The smile on the Asura Saint Son’s face vanished, and a hint of malevolence appeared. “My own people? When my mother was expelled from the Hell Realm, did you treat her as one of your own?”

King Ayu Asura was immediately speechless. She said in a low voice, “It seems your mother told you everything. But she probably didn’t tell you that she was expelled because she wanted to bring back the traitors of the past, the Dark Asura Tribe, to the Hell Realm! Your mother and her clansmen were among the few Dark Asura Tribe members who remained in the Hell Realm. Even after the betrayal of the Dark Asura Tribe expeditionary force in the Celestial Realm, the Hell Realm did not do anything to your mother or the remaining clansmen. However, your mother and her clansmen, far from being grateful, secretly released Hellish Desolate Beasts and unleashed the Sky-Connecting Black Pillars, attempting to guide the Dark Asura Tribe down to this realm! It was for this reason that your mother and her clansmen were expelled!”

Fierceness flickered in the Asura Saint Son’s eyes. He sneered, “Expelled? Then why did they die here?”

King Ayu Asura’s face showed disdain. “Your mother was ungrateful! Unwilling to leave the Hell Realm, she stole the Yin Marrow Tiger Seal and launched a rebellion! At that time, the Hell Realm had just repelled an invasion by the Ancient Giants and was at its weakest. Your mother plunged the Hell Realm into chaos, causing countless casualties, which is why she drew the collective wrath of the Hell Realm’s powerful experts. My master, Empress Dugu, was one of those who hunted them down. She pursued the rebels into the Central Lands and was ultimately suppressed by the Ancient Saint Yunhuang, dying along with them inside this Pavillion Realm-Tool that connects the two realms.”

Recalling the turmoil of that year, King Ayu Asura still felt lingering fear. In that rebellion, thousands of Asura Kings died, and the number of ordinary Asura tribesmen was incalculable. Besides that, Dongfang Canyue took advantage of the Dream Charm Harassment Tribe losing their Realm Lord, seized the opportunity to invade them, and stole their lineage’s Realm-Tool, the Hook Judgment Pen. And through the Hook Judgment Pen, she severely wounded the Creation Asura Tribe and stole the Hell Soul Bell. It was precisely because of this that Empress Dugu, being from the Creation Asura Tribe, risked pursuing them into the Central Lands. As a result, they were all trapped and died within the Pavillion Realm-Tool by the Ancient Saint Yunhuang.

Empress Dugu and Dongfang Canyue’s remaining forces engaged in a fierce battle within the Pavillion Realm-Tool. The conflict ended with Dongfang Canyue’s forces defeated and her killed, and Empress Dugu heavily wounded and dead. The two Realm-Tools and the Yin Marrow Tiger Seal stolen by Dongfang Canyue were also lost and unaccounted for during the great battle. The loss of elite forces and Realm-Tools made the Hell Realm, which had once triumphed in every battle against the Ancient Giants, now struggle immensely, unable to repel the Ancient Giants to this day. And the instigator of all this was that madwoman, Dongfang Canyue! It was said that the Central Lands had the Ten Sins, but the Dark Asura Tribe of the Hell Realm was no less infamous. They had wreaked havoc on the Hell Realm once ten thousand years ago, and again a thousand years ago!

The more King Ayu Asura thought about it, the angrier she became. She said, “Your mother died here because she brought it upon herself! Since you possess the Bloodthirsty Asura Tribe’s bloodline and haven’t inherited your mother’s Dark Asura Tribe bloodline, you should sever ties with her and properly return to the Hell Realm. Do not repeat your mother’s mistakes.”

The Asura Saint Son sneered, and the killing intent in his eyes intensified rather than diminishing. “You killed my mother and her entire clan, and you want me to acknowledge the Hell Realm? Heh, whether it’s the Hell Realm or the Central Lands, you can tear each other apart. I will find a way to obtain the 'Soul-Restraining Hell Sutra', then guide the souls of the dead from both your realms, using your sacrifices to pave my way to becoming a Realm Lord! Now, it’s time to claim my right to be a Realm Lord!”

As his voice fell, a violent surge of pressure suddenly erupted in the distance, accompanied by a terrifying roar that tore through the spatial barrier, reverberating throughout the entire tenth floor. King Ayu Asura’s face changed drastically. “You activated the Immaculate Altar?” Only an Asura Emperor could activate that altar. The current Asura Saint Son was just powerful enough!

As soon as her words fell, the entire ground began to tremble, and the power of a Realm-Tool, capable of shaking all living beings, burst forth with a thunderous roar. Looking into the distance, from the direction of the Immaculate Altar, a blood-red beam, a hundred feet thick, shot up into the sky, striking the barrier between the tenth and ninth floors. With a loud crack, the barrier was broken! The blood-red beam continued its trajectory undiminished, successively piercing through the many world barriers leading to the surface of the Central Lands!

At the same time, the eleventh floor also began to vibrate violently. It was disintegrating, completely merging with the Hell Realm. The Hell Realm and the Central Lands were about to connect! There was no stopping it!