Shadow of the Evil God

No matter how arrogant a person is, they wouldn't allow ancient memories and flesh to devour them, transforming them into something completely different. Indeed, as she said, Old Milava had consumed so much of the flesh and blood of a true dragon that he was already very close to becoming one. If he swallowed the memories of a true dragon and entangled them with flesh and blood, it would be hard to say who would sit in Milava's chair from now on.

"You want me to hand it over to you?" Cesar asked her.

Arlandi tilted her face. "If this thing falls into my hands, the Yesterlen School can operate according to my ideas. My descendants and my poor sister can also live under my protection. Even you can put aside the worries of worldly wars and rely on my school to serve me. I won't make things difficult for you, Cesar. After all, you have come back from the door before."

Cesar frowned. "What does this mean?"

"It means your soul is the rope for exploring the path, your consciousness is difficult to invade, and your blood is the perfect material - for casting spells, harmonizing, inducing mutations in beasts, so many things I can't count. Isn't it better to be my tool than to worry about your little territory all day long?"

"It also means that the Yestren School has always been your puppet troupe." Cesar took a step back.

"You look surprised, but that's nothing. Dong Ye is my avatar and my eyes. The Yesterlen School has spent nearly a thousand years under my watchful eye, preparing for my return. Everything accumulated by every helmsman has been poured into Dong Ye's blood pool, waiting for me to retrieve. Today, I have obtained the knowledge and memories of the true dragon, and by retrieving the blood pool that has accumulated for me for nearly a thousand years, the Yesterlen School will usher in its most glorious era. Don't you think all this is wonderful and should happen as it should?"

Arlante, arms outstretched, hovered in the dome, her chalky hair swirling in the hurricane's winds. A twinkle flickered in her deep blue eyes. Dong Ye, a selfless clone, was also part of Arlante. She loomed over the Yesterlen School like a ghost, posing as the heirs of past generations. She manipulated the school's every decision, sought out every suitable mate she deemed suitable, and gave birth to every heir.

Cesar had undoubtedly discovered the dark secret of the Yesterlen School, and with every step deeper into the tomb, he was closer to the hidden truth.

Back then, it was the plague of thought that eroded the Wall of the Ancients, assimilated the sages, and brought about the downfall of the Kuna Dynasty. After Solaire was exiled to the Age of Gods, it was also the plague of thought—or rather, the fallen sages—that painted the picture of what would happen next.

In chronological order, the first event was Old Milava's encounter with the corrupted Sage in the Sealed Land. During this period, the Sage still retained some traces of humanity, and compared to the frenzied Beastmen, he was more interested in leaving his legacy to the Franks. Old Milava made a promise, and received it, deciding to bury his true self there. Ultimately, the one who returned to reality and died in the Great City was only a part of Milava—in other words, a key.

What followed was a journey by Firiels to the Tomb of the Wise. She struck a bargain with the fallen Wise, not only gaining a wealth of terrifying knowledge, but also releasing the fallen Wise, who then lurked in the human world for countless years. By then, the Wise had completely lost his humanity, becoming a dark, unknown, and terrifying being.

Considering the content of the deal between Ferriers and it is not difficult to guess, there must be a way to redeem him and Sephora. Cesar naturally has to atone for her for what happened that year.

After that, Allandi encountered an even darker and more terrifying wise man. She was first promised to split the soul of Yestren—a task she accomplished with remarkable skill, creating a being named Dongye who controlled the school for nearly a thousand years. Then, she used the remaining part of herself to seal the Deceiver Prophet, trapping him in the giant city for nearly a thousand years.

This is his summary of the overall context. There may be flaws and omissions, but he thinks this is roughly the case.

"The decisions made by the Yestren School over the past thousands of years," Cesar said softly, "were they all yours?"

"Indeed, I've proven I can produce offspring on my own, without the will of a true dragon." Alanti stared at Cesar, as if seeing Diana through him. "This generation's perfect heir—the one you consider your wife—is the very proof of my ability, Cesar. Think about it, it was I who severed the soul from beyond the realm, allowing you to be born. It was I who led you to this world, revealed the path, and allowed you to pass through that door. It was also I who gave you the love you deeply yearn for over a thousand years later. Since you wander within the picture I've painted, feeling immensely satisfied, you should continue to wander."

Considering this, many of the Yesterlen School's decisions seemed bizarre and inexplicable, but in reality, they all followed an inhumane purpose. This included their departure from the Origin Society and their move westward, which was essentially a desire to get closer to the Great City, or in other words, to Alanti within it.

Throughout the process, who is more

Given the opportunity to approach Solaire's great city, they would tend to lend a helping hand to whomever they chose. They didn't care which faction they joined along the way, nor did they care if their reputation in the secular world was affected, because in the end, they would always approach the ideological plague under Allandi's arrangement and forge a completely different path.

Cesar now believed that even if the dog hadn't been able to take the head stitched together by Alante and Milava, Dongye would have been inspired to go there in the form of Bernadette or even Diana. She would have given Alante the pool of blood she had accumulated over the past millennia, giving her great power.

At that time, if Dong Ye was still with Bernadette, the situation could still be salvaged, but if she had already been with Diana, things would be very difficult to handle.

Considering this further, if the Hisai School had not connected with General Cliphas with the intention of eliminating their old feud, the Yestelun School would actually have a high probability of switching sides and joining the side of the old General Cliphas.

This school had always been prepared for maneuver. Cesar thought, during the Empire's attack, they simply stayed in the inner city and observed the situation. Diana and Fils had deployed so many war spells, waiting for her school to activate and deploy them, but none of them were ever used. The reason for this was that the mages of the Yesterlen School had always been observing, never committing their efforts like the mages of the Xisai School.

"You will use your own name to replace the mistress in the wise man's memory." Cesar raised his voice.

"What mastership can you even call a thing like this, with its body already shattered into pieces? Now she's just a shadow, pitifully living within the little Milava I carved out. She watches helplessly as her own flesh, blood, and soul are devoured, yet can only pick up the dragon head you tossed her way. Since I'm also its descendant, since I've also bred its offspring, why can't I be its mistress? Empress of the Empire? No, mistress. Now you, Cesar, my servant, are holding the memories and knowledge I need. Present them to me, and we can complete the final piece of the puzzle." She extended her hand to Cesar, then glanced at the shadow shrouding the young Milava. "This is how it should be."

"But I thought the Matron should be a pioneer who watches over and expects from all living things from the inside out." Cesar said, "As for you, it seems you can only be the Queen. We all know the origin of the Temple of the Gods, and we also know that the Prophet let go after guiding the Franks. It just stood and watched from afar, allowing them to develop on their own. Can you do this?"

"Give it to me, my dear," said Alante only. "People only want the performance on the stage, the false illusion. It doesn't matter what I actually give them, as long as they think——"

"No," Cesar interrupted it, "I am different from you, Alanti. I only observe and study it. After judging it, I will hand it over to the existence that should accept it. I thought that the wise man sealed the mistress because he was afraid of something that never happened; I also thought that before he sealed the mistress out of fear, it was still the one who guided the creatures and brought hope-"

"Stop talking about these irrelevant things!" Alanti took a step forward and extended her hand. All the lifeblood Blood and Bones had drawn from the corpse-eating shaman gathered here, feeding her spells. "I know you've forgotten our days together, how I taught you the difference between master and servant. But it doesn't matter. We can start again, my dear."

Cesar raised his front paws and grasped the shoulders of the young Milava. The guy was about to pass him and face Alante, whose eyes and mouth were frost-covered, but at this moment, there was someone else who would do it.

Things have come to this point, it would be abnormal if I didn't react.

The spell was complete, and hoarfrost emerged. A chilling aura poured down like a tidal wave, seemingly sealing them in the Kuna people's memories of the Ice Age. The next moment, a giant covered in dragon scales stood before his younger self—or rather, before the shadowy image of a real dragon.

The black hair danced in the strong wind, the body was bathed in blood, and white frost came out of the mouth, like a huge barrier that blocked the white frost summoned by the spell, causing it to fly in all directions and avoid where they were.

"I knew you couldn't help it," Cesar said.

"Not everything will go as you expect!" Old Milava roared at Cesar, then stared at Alante with wide eyes, "But you, Alante, you are not qualified to be the mistress. No living being is qualified, but you are the least qualified!"

"Are you crazy, Milava?" she screamed. "You've eaten its flesh and blood, and you're pretending to help it? Don't you know it's a deceitful prophet? Don't you know what kind of foresight the old man behind you had in sealing her here? Give me the memory of true knowledge, and I can pretend to be more perfect—"

"An evil creature that wants to seize everything wants to be the mistress?" Old Milava roared. "If you founded the order of the Pantheon, would you let it go? You won't, Alanti! You will only create more deformed and twisted things like the Yesterlen School. You watched me sacrifice for the empire, and then stole everything I deserved. Do you think I've forgotten? Or do you think I can just laugh it off and let go of our grudges?"

"You actually believed Cesar's provocation, you idiot!"

"I didn't instigate anything, Alante."

Cesar held down young Milava, telling him not to move. "The old emperor has already eaten its flesh and blood, and accepted its nourishment. This means he has received its guidance of all living things, just as those ancient myths and legends say. This isn't a fight and a tear like a wild beast, but guidance, the guidance of a mother with a sense of sacrifice... cutting her own flesh to feed her child."

"How can I let you speak without worry, Cesar?" Alanti stared at him, "Your nonsense..."

One advantage of opening up to the young Milawa is that he also has a good understanding of the old Milawa's pursuits and ideas.

"Your soul is lacking something," Cesar said simply. "A true dragon gave its flesh and blood without a word, and you want to take away even its last memories and knowledge? You don't understand the true meaning of these things. You are only demonstrating your greed and the emptiness of your soul."

Chapter 489: Whisper of the Devil

"We will all eventually be together," Bloodbone suddenly said. "Why stop here, hesitating over a minor dispute?" It looked at Milava. "Since you are determined to recreate the true dragon of yesteryear, Milava, why don't you take away the True Knowledge and let you make the decision yourself? Isn't the true dragon attached to your clone? Isn't it also attached to you? Since it's already attached to you, you should make the final decision."

The hunched old man on old Milava's back climbed up again, his cloudy eyes staring at the blood and bones, as if he could not accept that his main body had trusted the beastman and was a corpse-eater.

"Don't listen to the beast..." the old Kuna hissed to Milawa, "Don't listen to anything..."

"It's clear that your main body is wiser than this remnant of yours," Bloodbone said with a frown. "This old man, clinging to the past and decaying, is destined to fade with time. Look at him, Milava. He's just a key left here, pointing you in the right direction, nothing more. He's not someone you should trust, nor is he the one who made the promise you made. He's the one who summoned me."

Old Milava just shook his head. "I only speak to it, Beastman. As for you, you can't represent anyone or anything."

"Your arrogance is indeed lamentable, Emperor of the Franks," said Bloodbone, "but I am speaking of common sense. Reasonably and emotionally, this matter should be decided by you. Those who make decisions should naturally wield a sharp blade. How could you trust others with this blade?"

First, take the True Knowledge Memory in hand, and then find a way to persuade the old emperor? It is indeed an idea. From the perspective of Xue Gu, it can accept it, but Alanti will definitely not accept it.

"So," Cesar said slowly, "Emperor Fran will hold the blade with even greater reverence than I do and hand it over to the Madam at the appropriate time. He will neither lose it nor hand it over to anyone else, especially not to Alanti?"

"I will do so," declared old Milawa.

"Let us make a promise with our souls and our wills," said Cesar.

As soon as she finished speaking, Alanti took a step forward, heading towards the confrontation between Blood Bone and the old emperor. Frost formed in the void beneath her feet, and her white hair drifted behind her, like ripples on a frozen lake. "You've overstepped your bounds," she said, her dark gaze fixed on Cesar. "You shouldn't—"

"He's right," Old Milava also took a step forward, staring at Alanti with a frown. "I will make a promise with my soul and will to hand over the memory of true knowledge to its original owner at the right time. During this period, I will not hand it over to anyone else, especially not to you, Alanti. And you, Beastman," he turned to Bloodbone, "if you have no objection, then take Alanti, who has believed your promise, back and don't bother me again."

Xue Gu suddenly stopped talking, and stared at Cesar with his multiple blood eyes, but Cesar just pressed his tongue against the true knowledge memory on his palate, waiting for the conflict to happen.

Arlanti suddenly transformed into a pale shadow. Veins and internal organs were invisible beneath his misty flesh, filled only with condensed frost. A chill surged like a storm, washing over every corner of Black Mountain, even penetrating the cracks in the rock. Blood and Bones was still lost in thought, his fingers twitching, but the old emperor rushed forward, reckless. His body was washed white by the hoarfrost, staining it a pale white. His hair tangled behind him, turning into a series of crackling icicles.

The clash unsurprisingly occurred. Magic and tyranny surged through the all-encompassing frost and snow, pouring deadly frost and ice spikes in every direction. Seeing that both Allanti and the old emperor had lost control, Xuegu was forced to turn his attention to the Snake Walker Ancestor. Cesar also glanced at the snake dragon, and a series of countermeasures flashed through his mind.

Of course, he wouldn't give the memory of true knowledge to old Milava. If he did, it would be as a last resort. By then, the green snake had already suppressed Zavulon's sword with magic, but Alante herself remained unaffected. "It seems I need to pierce Alante with the blade to retract her," she said. "But piercing her is difficult. I'm sure she'll feel empathy if I touch the blade, but she's a mage, so she must be proficient in sensory obscuration."

"If I can get out safely, I'll take the sword to its original owner and ask for advice," Cesar said. "If you want to see him, I can also take you to see a real dragon that has never been defeated. It's much more terrifying than this mistress."

"But it seems that you can only get out if you give up the memory of the real dragon." said the green snake.

"Not necessarily," Cesar said, "there are other ways."

At that moment, Aya leaped down from behind him and helped the hunched old man to his feet. It seemed that Old Milawa knew this man wasn't fit for battle and had thrown him down after carrying him all the way. "I..." The old Kuna's teeth chattered, his words slurring as he trembled in the icy world around him. "I can't just..."

"I know," Cesar said, looking at him. "What you want most is to completely bury this memory of true knowledge, old man. Not to give it to its original owner, nor to anyone else. Not Mirava, not Alanti, not me. None of us can do it."

"Cesar, you are such a..." the old Kuna said with difficulty. His body was almost the same as a dried corpse, his hair was gradually turning into ashes and falling from his back, and his skin was also cracking. He used to be so tall and strong, and old age could not harm him in the slightest. Now he

He is short, hunched, and skinny like a piece of dry wood. He is really sad and pitiful.

"So, you want to bury me here with it?" Cesar stared at the old Kuna. "Although I will definitely try every possible way to struggle and find a way out, you do have a chance to bury me in the tomb with it."

"Devil's whispers!" the old Kuna growled, sweat dripping from his forehead. Cesar could see that this fellow was truly a vestige of wisdom, far less intelligent than Blood and Bone, let alone the others present. But he possessed a single obsession, one that spanned the ages and ages. If harnessed properly, it could empower him to make decisions.

"Teacher, you..." Young Milava stared at him.

"When making decisions, we must transcend our limited minds." Cesar glanced at him. He remained silent, his lips pursed. "I can sense this place's imminent destruction," he said. "Even though just a moment ago, everyone was fighting for the dragon's flesh and blood, and now some are fighting for its memories, I believe the imminent collapse of the tomb remains unchanged. How to escape? This is the question that looms over us all."

"What do you want to say, Cesar?" The old Kuna stared at him.

"Old Milava hasn't given up on you because he knows you can take him and the people he needs to escape. Of course, the Blood and Bones have their own way of escaping. But there's one thing you've never told anyone—how to escape when the tomb collapses, right? Only you know this method, and only you can explain it. You can explain it however you want."

"Does this have anything to do with you?" the old Kuna asked him back.

"What if you need someone to stay behind to maintain the spell and keep the tomb stable, so that everyone else has enough time to escape?"

"Are you crazy?" The old Kuna's skin tensed up. "No, you are not such a selfless human being. You are a demon. You..."

"So," Cesar mused, "it was you who should have stayed and done this."

"I don't have much time left." The old man said in a low voice.

"If I let old Milava or Alanti take this memory of true knowledge away, I don't think I will have much time left," said Cesar.

"You're lying! People like you always find a way out!"

"Don't question my reasons and motives, old man," Cesar sneered. "Just look at me, think carefully, and listen carefully. If I take the memory of true knowledge and stay here to maintain the spell, to keep the tomb stable, so that it can hold out until the moment you escape. If you don't have to sacrifice yourself for it, if you can reach that dark wise man, forcibly return to it, and become one with it. In this way, do you have a slight chance of influencing it, making it become a little different because of you?"

"I shouldn't have listened to you." The old Kuna man, supported by Aya, began to tremble uncontrollably, his face distorted by both struggle and hope. "Stop talking! This is how the Thought Plague seduced me!"

"I rejected the plague of thought, but you didn't." Cesar stared at him, closing his empty gaze. "Just listen to me. You can survive until you reach your own dark side. And I, I will take over your mission and stay here to maintain the stability of the tomb until everyone escapes."

“This will do you no good,” the old Kuna muttered.

"The memory of true knowledge will remain in my hands."

"How could it possibly stay in your hands?"

"Because you have the right to explain, old man." Cesar lowered his voice, "You can declare that I need it to tell me how to maintain your incredible magic circle. In other words, to keep the tomb stable until the last moment. Anyone who wants to get it must make the same decision as me. This person will stay and die, and will maintain the stability of the tomb with the memory of true knowledge. This person will watch everyone escape, but he or she will be submerged in endless darkness along with the collapsing tomb. Do you think anyone else here would do this?"

"There must be something I haven't thought of yet..." The old Kuna man muttered to himself with empty eyes.

"I can't think of anything." Cesar shook his head and said, "This method can seal the mistress's memories in the tomb with me, allowing you to get closer to your dark side and make a more worthwhile sacrifice. I even think that you can live a few more years, you can go out and see the people and the world many years from now, and you can even talk to old Milava about how to treat it better - how to treat this world. Or do you just plan to leave old Milava to the thought plague like this?"

"If you escape with it..."

"In the collapsing tomb, there will be only endless, shattered time, like a giant millstone crushing everyone's consciousness and self, leaving only a rotting shell." Cesar spread his hands and said, "Are you really worried about this, old man? Ask yourself, are you really worried?"

The old Kuna closed his eyes, as if remembering the maze of time forking within the tomb, the dark, boundless abyss, and the ancient knights wandering among the tombs like zombies. "Hold your memory of true knowledge," he said. "I will tell Milava that this is the way things should be done.

"

As the old Kuna leaned over, his hand sweeping across the crumbling ground to pick up a metal rune, Cesar knew he was preparing a magic circle for his escape. The black metal gleamed faintly under the distant frost. These Kuna spells woven into the fabric of the Wise Man's schemes from the dawn of time until the students of Zavulon had spawned a plague of thought that had infected the Wise Man himself.

Guided by the wise man, Aya took the metal runes and began to arrange them according to his instructions. The green snake simply watched Cesar with interest. It looked like she had already achieved everything she wanted, and all that remained was to observe the consequences of his decision. This guy wouldn't get in his way.

Young Milava's gaze only intensified. Cesar couldn't answer the young man's questions, nor was he confident he could break free, so he had no choice but to deal with him. "If you still have the power to make a decision, speak for him first, Ancient Prophet," Cesar said. "Besides, convincing old Milava requires you, not his alter ego."

"Teacher, you will make your own decision..."

"Alright, alright," the trickster prophet appeared, replacing the young Milava. "Sometimes sacrifice is necessary, dear little Milava. Perhaps this is the meaning of a prophet's existence, don't you think?" She tilted her face, her red eyes looking at Cesar. "No matter what you and I think, we should accept it as the truth, don't you, dear? But if you can really escape, don't forget what you said."

"Yes, sometimes sacrifice is necessary." Cesar simply shrugged, glancing at Bloodbone and the Snake Walker Ancestor from the corner of his eye. Their response should be coming soon. "And another part of me is waiting for me in the Lost Time. I don't want to become a cripple."

The Snake Walker Ancestor gradually fell from the dome, separating them from old Mira. As for Alanti, she must have realized the direction of the situation and began to delay old Mirava's steps.

Bloodbone frowned and floated forward cautiously. "I must admit, you shook the stable situation with just a few words, Cesar." The surviving snake walkers and corpse eater shamans, though few in number, guarded all directions, not only preventing them from escaping but also organizing a series of deadly threats. Do these beastmen still have self-will? It seems not. "But I have far more chips in my hand than you do," it said. "Now that things have come to this, will you show me how to convince a Firstborn?"

"I can't possibly convince an extension of your will."

"This accusation is truly painful." Bloodbone scratched the back of his hand with his sharp nails. "Do you want to know where the other part of you has gone?"

"She fell into a maze of time forks."

"Do you want to take her back?" it asked, its tone laced with temptation. "Do you still want to save her?"

"She always indulges in nothingness, so this kind of nihilistic ending isn't bad for her." Cesar simply smiled. "All living things must face the end of death. Don't you beastmen think the same? Or are you not actually a beastman?"

It frowned slightly. "So, you also know what it means to give up at the right time, even if it means becoming a lonesome person." Its bloodshot eyes glanced at the Snake Walker Ancestor. "You still have a chance to achieve great things, Cesar. Don't you want to be the father of this tribe? I know you won't die in endless intercourse."

"If you want true knowledge and memory, you can just say it directly. There's no need to threaten and seduce me. Besides, I don't think being a stud pig is temptation."

"Really? It seems your arrogance and conceit are no less than that of the old emperor of the Frank Empire." Bloodbone waved his hand to indicate to the beastmen present—those who had not appeared from the residual memories. "You fight for worldly territory and power, and you will eventually die in an ancient tomb that no one can access. Your words will only be engraved on your cenotaph, Cesar. I will smile at them when I pay my respects to you."

"You're quite sarcastic, Bloodbone." Cesar stepped back slowly. "Who's sitting in this chair now? The guy who attacked the city? Or the guy who ate people in the forest?"

Chapter 490: Corpse-Eating Shamans

"It doesn't matter." Blood and Bones showed no sign of wavering. The circle of the beastman priests gradually tightened, and a series of twisted spells spread out from under their feet, carrying a smell of corruption and decay and blood.

"We met once before, Bloodbone, in the great city that shelters the Abyss. I'm certain you would never have spoken such words then. Back then, you would have taken your kin and journeyed south, protecting their lives. Now, however, I see only a series of tragic sacrifices. For a more perfect kin, the Corpse Eaters will sacrifice everything they have."

"This is all for the true God." Xue Gu had a smile on his face.

Cesar looked around at the corpse-eating shamans. These beastmen had fanatical faces, but not all of them, he was sure because he had come into contact with a disgruntled corpse-eating shaman not long ago.

"Use my blood to cast a spell," he whispered to the green snake. Turbid, foul, corrupted blood emerged from nowhere, transforming into a torrent that ripped through the air and swept in from all directions. The rock corroded and disintegrated like wood soaked in acid. The snake-walker opened its mouth and bit at the back of his neck, its fangs piercing a vein. The blood quickly vanished, transforming into a crimson barrier that soared into the sky.

A violent roar drowned out all other sounds, pounding the phantom protective spell with the echo of a hammer striking metal. Foul blood surged across the barrier, spray splattering everywhere like a rainstorm, and the crimson aftermath obscured their vision in every direction.

Feeling the pressure, the old Kuna fell to his knees, muttering to himself as he arranged a magic circle with the broken metal runes. Cesar once again looked around at the corpse-eating shamans casting spells. There were only eleven of them, each standing in a different corner, with different clothing features and the number of eyes.

At that moment, Bloodbone gestured, and the beastmen from Milava's remnant reappeared. Furthermore, they materialized from thin air within the protective spell. It seemed that it had been preserving a number of these beastmen from its remnant, never deploying them to the battlefield. Therefore, they hadn't perished when the True Dragon Seal was broken.