Above Destiny

Chapter 755 Gou

Well done! Keep it up! Don't lose points!

Just like the excuses of "the child is still young," "it's the New Year," and "we're already here," the lines used to stir up trouble have remained the same throughout history, with only a few variations.

No matter how respectful the person asking the question is, how humble their attitude is, or how flexible their posture is, the message they convey is only one thing: Hurry up and do it! What are you waiting for?

You're not chickening out, are you?

If you're too scared to fight, just say so already. Don't make it seem like I'm forcing you.

At this moment, in the dimly lit hall, surrounded by numerous solemn and ferocious reliefs and giant pillars, the throne atop the steps was shrouded in darkness as if it were a tangible darkness, making it impossible to even see the face of the person inside.

But in that instant, a tangible gaze seemed to fall from the darkness onto the steps below, sharp and cold.

"I don't need you cowards to tell me what to do. Whether it's war or peace, I decide with my word."

The Lord of the Abyss said indifferently, "If you can't wait, you can solve it yourself. There's no need to come all this way to provoke me. Or is it that you're so short of a pawn to charge into battle for you?"

Below the steps, a gaunt, hunched figure bowed his head, his voice indistinguishable between male and female, like a monkey scratching its ears and cheeks. When he raised his face, paint smeared across it, revealing a fawning smile, so rigid and perfunctory.

"Although my identity limits me from having a proper face-to-face conversation with Lord Yuan, since we have entered into a contract, Lord Yuan should understand my sincere intentions."

The old monkey said, "At the very least, on the matter of Luo Island, our interests are aligned."

Whether or not they agree is not up to you.

The Lord of the Abyss remained indifferent, as if scrutinizing and considering the matter, and suddenly asked, "Can you guarantee that no one else will interfere in this matter?"

The old monkey sighed helplessly.

So you're really that cowardly, unwilling to take even the slightest risk?
"It's not easy for celestial beings to go to sea. Hundreds of years ago, leaving one's fiefdom without imperial decree would result in the extermination of nine generations of one's family."

The old monkey slowly said, "Ever since what happened with Lou Suwen, Zhongcheng has reprimanded and warned Haizhou. With the Xu family watching, it won't be so easy for them to make a move."

Moreover, since Ji Jue has severed ties with the Seven Cities, the Seven Cities' lighthouse will not protect him. With external threats and locust plagues locusts nearby, taking action now should be easy, if not effortless.

Why should Lord Yuan worry so much?

Stop pretending!
It makes it seem like you've taken a huge risk!
You're a tyrant, do you really think you'd personally go into battle? Even if you did come, if you couldn't win, couldn't you just run away? The abyss is so deep, you could just find some corner to hide in for a while, do you think the Federation would be able to find you?
Life is tough, the old monkey sighed.

There's nothing we can do; the Lord of the Abyss is just too cowardly and too timid.

If he hadn't truly been unable to hold out any longer this time, he might have tolerated it!
It was one thing to be inexplicably humiliated by Ji Jue's two slaps, but the tyrant was magnanimous and didn't hold it against him.

As a result, after Ji Jue seized Luo Island and wiped out the Sugano family... by a twist of fate, he ended up sitting on the blood pack that Sugano had been preparing for who knows how many years!

Despite enjoying the boundless depths of the abyss and the worship and following of the scale-transformers, and wielding absolute power within it, his tyrannical rule had a significant flaw: once humans transformed into scale-transformers, they lost their souls and could not reproduce. To maintain his authority and status, the Sukarno family needed to continuously send fresh living people as sacrifices to replenish his power.

Lately, something's been going on beneath the vortex for who knows what. The tower's gravity is getting closer and stronger, and the sacrifices and offerings required to stabilize one's position in the mortal world are increasing.

In addition, the crazy old men and women left behind by the Eternal Empire, such as Chang Le and An Guo, were fighting each other everywhere, looking like they were eyeing the enemy with predatory intent. This gave the Lord of the Abyss a huge headache and left him extremely worried.

After some deliberation, he had no choice but to reach into his piggy bank, which he had been saving for so many years—but at this critical juncture, the damn Sukarno family was gone!

Then they brought in a craftsman who was many times more difficult to work with!

In the past, he might have accepted it, but now, where could he find such a large sum of money as Luo Island to fill his hole in such a short time?
Are we just not going to live like this anymore?

If you wait until you're at your wit's end before making a last-ditch effort, it will be too late!
The way of Heavenly Origin is to advance when necessary, and the way of the usurper is no different.

Sometimes, taking a step back, lacking a little, or missing a bit can lead to falling into the abyss—this is the nature of a tyrant, who possesses unlimited power internally, but in reality, is nothing more than a parasite that usurps the authority of the tower.

Without the tyrant, the tower is still a tower; without the tower, the tyrant is nothing.

"It's not the right time yet."

The Lord of the Abyss pondered, seemingly troubled: "The shortage of human sacrifices is still quite large. It would be too risky to rashly use the authority of the Tower."

Your urging is putting me in a difficult position.

"If that's the case, then let's just forget about it."

The old monkey seemed helpless, letting out a soft sigh. It appeared that it had no interest in offering a price and was not taking the bait at all: "I am just a mere envoy, with nothing of value. Even this body of mine is just an empty shell. After squeezing it clean, there will be hardly any oil left. I really can't be of any help."

If the Lord of the Abyss changes his mind another day, find a place to cremate this remains, and I will return again.”

Before he could finish speaking, he raised his hand and slit his own throat.

In an instant, the remnant spirit vanished, the hunched body collapsed and shattered, and several rotten, withered pieces of wood fell from the gray robe; it was nothing more than a puppet.

In the silence, the Lord of the Abyss's expression grew increasingly somber.

Those dark eyes gazed upon the countless soul lights from Luo Island beyond the abyss, and even the nascent aura of Heavenly Origin...

Already, I am unbearably hungry and thirsty.

But it is precisely at times like these that we must remain calm!
So, don't be impatient.

Wait a minute, just wait a little longer!
The usurper's influence is insidious and imperceptible; it's not the right time to make a real move yet. Let's test the waters first, and then test the waters again...

If you're not in a hurry, then there are plenty of other people who are.

As for those things that aren't human, that's even more urgent!
There's another beast that will suffer even greater losses ahead... If the pressure from the sea locusts isn't enough, then we'll add more pressure on you!

The Lord of the Abyss closed his eyes.

The bugle sounded once again.

Beneath the pale moonlight, amidst the increasingly treacherous waves, emerged a cold, metallic sheen.

Beneath the vast ocean, atop a mutated giant whale resembling a mountain range, a gaunt mermaid priest struck a massive drum. Amidst the rumbling echoes, large swaths of dark thunderclouds in the sky began to move slowly, as if pulled by chains.

The horns sounded in response from all directions, and herds, urged on by the mermaids, gathered together, feeding on each other and swimming forward with all their might.

That vast, endless, dark tide converged on the boundless sea and roared towards the Seven Cities.

The screech continued incessantly, and amidst the waves, enormous silhouettes raised their heads, shrieking wildly.

At the very forefront among the countless mermaids, among several reverted primordial dragon species, a mermaid with jet-black eyes silently sneered and sounded the horn.

Guided by the Kuroshio Current, it rushed straight towards Ro Island.

To reclaim the Holy Spirit of the Sleeping Lord and wash away past hatred and resentment, the vast expedition, led by the Lord of the Abyss and gathered from twenty-one mermaid clans in the western seas, began.

Meanwhile, a torrential downpour of putrid rain poured down once again on the outskirts of Ro Island. Sticky bits of flesh and blood mingled with the rain, and in the fleeting flashes of lightning, the dead fish floating on the sea surface had gathered into a vast expanse, almost stretching as far as the eye could see.

Deeper into the storm, piercing howls rose and fell.

Lured by the abundance of food, the sea locusts had gone completely berserk, gathering in swarms and dancing wildly in the storm between sea and sky. After a long period of patience, they finally launched their all-out attack on Luo Island!

"Mr. Ji, are you sure you don't need any support?"

Before the mermaid tide even arrived, the Peñarosa family of the Sacred Tree had already called Ji Jue, offering to provide assistance without even mentioning any price. However, Ji Jue's response left him stunned.

"Please rest assured, the family will absolutely not use this against us..."

“Mr. Penarossa, I did not mean to belittle the Sacred Tree family, nor did it have anything to do with the City of Devouring or the Seven Cities. I simply felt that I could handle such a small matter.”

Ji Jue told him decisively, "Luo Island is my property, and I don't need to rely on other people's help to protect it."

It doesn't matter whose help it is.

"I understand."

Peñarosa sighed regretfully, "I will await your good news in Dan City."

I also wish you great success.

Ji Jue smiled, hung up the phone, and gazed out the window at the howling storm. In the rushing gray-black rain, the entire Luo Island seemed like a lone boat amidst giant waves, so small.

The piercing alarm blared once again throughout the city.

In the torrential rain, every street was brightly lit, and all disaster prevention facilities were activated.

Guided by the park system, a large number of buses operated on different routes, transporting residents of various communities to the underground works.

Even though disaster was imminent, no large-scale chaos occurred, as if it had been rehearsed hundreds of times.

Right there in the coastal industrial park, under the command and guidance of the riot cat, a huge crowd lined up in an orderly fashion, passed through the verification process, and entered the long staircase leading underground, receiving blankets, quilts, and a map of the shelter along the way.

After everyone had entered, the heavy gate slowly closed, sealing off the inside and outside, and soft music began to play over the loudspeaker.

Throughout Luo Island, as each gate closed, the inventory results and demand lists were uploaded to the park and reported to Ji Jue.

Even earlier than that was a feeling, a perception that transcended one's own body and consciousness, as if the soul was subtly expanding along an unseen network, enveloping the entire island of Ro.

It's as if countless tiny rays of light flow in accordance with established rules and arrangements, dancing on one's fingertips, manipulated by one's ten fingers, arranged and directed at will.

Everything seemed to be under control, and all difficulties seemed insignificant. As long as this power was in hand, one was almost omnipotent.

The sweetness of power rose from his heart, only to vanish just as quickly.

Throughout the entire process, Ji Jue never extended a hand.

He simply witnessed it all quietly, as it unfolded and occurred naturally. It gathered around him as if it were his due, and naturally lifted him to the peak.

I have never had such a contradictory experience before. It felt as if I was bound by countless shackles, yet at the same time soaring in the sky, both heavy and light.

My spine feels faintly hot.

The dormant [Heavenly Law] within the Crimson Sky Foundation seemed to react, trembling slightly. At that moment, under the pressure of the impending crisis from the outside world, the Heavenly Law, which had been nurtured for a long time, finally revealed a glimmer of its power.

What followed were countless distant voices, seemingly illusions, faint and fleeting, male or female, old or young, like murmurs coming from all directions.

"Can I take a nap? I'm so sleepy... Where can I find something to eat... What's going on again? What a mess... Baby formula... I don't know how long this rain will last... Grab some more food, might as well take it. I'll also go get two packs of jerky later... The biscuits are awful... They smell terrible. I need to find a place to take a shower... Rain never brings good things... The baby is crying again, so annoying... Let it end soon... End... It's still raining... Let's go home... Stop raining..."

Under the unifying influence of the Heavenly Laws, countless faint flashes of light seemed to gradually coalesce into a single entity. Those tiny, fragmented sounds gathered together, like an ocean rising from it, representing shared prayers and hopes.

Fear, boredom, rejection, and resistance converged and pointed towards the sky where torrential rain was pouring down.

It was like a shout.

Stop downloading!

Then, Ji Jue laughed.

"Okay, then let's stop—"

He raised his palm, and then the movement froze in mid-air.

There wasn't even time to reach out...

Even before that, the torrential rain in the sky stopped abruptly!

stopped.

[Tianxian] flashed, like a sword slash, a faint ray of light swept across the sky, cutting off the torrential rain.

The rain curtain, cut in half, hung suspended in mid-air, like a tattered beaded curtain.

A moment later, the downpour subsided.

A crack suddenly appeared above the dark clouds, like a fissure, and the light of stars and the moon rushed in like a waterfall, scattering across the turbulent sea and sky.

Amidst the turmoil, a peaceful haven was carved out.

On the foundation of the crimson sky, that fleeting glimmer of light vanished silently, leaving only a faint, lingering understanding that echoed in Ji Jue's consciousness.

With my heart, I place it at the center of the universe.

To interfere with the natural order based on human desires!

Therefore, why take action?
Even if it changes the world, it's just a matter of a single thought...

Unfortunately, the imagination was beautiful, but reality was harsh. By sheer chance, I relived an experience that was even less than a fraction of the original Crimson Sky Sword Scar.

It was too short; Ji Jue felt he only vaguely understood, neither fully comprehending nor fully comprehending.

As things change and times shift, with his current meager size, his former lofty prestige is ultimately unlikely to reappear.

After the brief silence was broken, a deafening roar, like a mountain collapsing, echoed from afar.

In the distance, the sound of conch shells and horns resounded, and the vast sea rippled.

Ink-black waves rose out of nowhere, crashing and sweeping across the sea, converging and intensifying until finally, it seemed as if a towering iron wall rose from the sea, surging towards the nearby waves!

As the waves drew closer and rose higher, until finally, under a sliver of dim moonlight, they transformed into a colossal curtain filling the sea and sky, enveloping and covering everything.

Everything became as insignificant as dust.

There is nowhere to escape.

This time, the craftsman finally raised his hand.

(End of this chapter)